I'm sick of being a wannabe Corvette owner, I want to be aCorvette owner!

I'm looking into getting a used '88 to '89 C4, but I'm only just now getting
into the early stages of looking around. I'm a complete nube so I'm looking
for a starting point to get some background on what I should be avoiding and
what I should be expecting.

I'm based in Melbourne, Australia, so I'm sure there will be some Oz
specific gotchas I should be aware of, such as the low market value my
insurer is willing to offer on an imported car.

I'm from a technology background so I'm well aware that questions such as
this usually end up with some troll pointing out the FAQ associated with the
newsgroup in question in a demeaning fashion...

So please, send me on my way.

- T

Tristan Austin wrote:
> I'm looking into getting a used '88 to '89 C4, but I'm only just now getting
> into the early stages of looking around. I'm a complete nube so I'm looking
> for a starting point to get some background on what I should be avoiding and
> what I should be expecting.

Manual or auto? The 88/89 have the 4+3 tranny, which IMO is a piece of
junk. Replaced mine with a Richmond 6 speed manual.

So far all the ones I've seen advertised have been autos, but I'm happy to
go with a manual.

There's an auto I've had my eye on for a while that looks pretty good, as
far as I can tell, but it's done under 65,000 ks (under 40,000 miles). What
sort of cost were you looking at for the transmission replacement? I don't
think I'd buy an auto with the idea of replacing the transmission, unless it
gave me trouble later on.

When you say it's a piece of junk, do you mean it didn't perform, was clunky
or did it actually die on you?

On 8/7/05 10:00 PM, in article
,
" > wrote:

>
>
> Tristan Austin wrote:
>> I'm looking into getting a used '88 to '89 C4, but I'm only just now getting
>> into the early stages of looking around. I'm a complete nube so I'm looking
>> for a starting point to get some background on what I should be avoiding and
>> what I should be expecting.
>
> Manual or auto? The 88/89 have the 4+3 tranny, which IMO is a piece of
> junk. Replaced mine with a Richmond 6 speed manual.
>


- T

Tristan Austin wrote:
> So far all the ones I've seen advertised have been autos, but I'm happy to
> go with a manual.
Tristan:
The 4+3 is the manual transmission with an "automatic" overdrive unit
attached to the back. Here's a really good write up on it:
http://corvetteobsession.homestead.c...formation.html
It seems to be luck of the draw, some people have problems, some do not.
The automatics in these year cars are fairly bullet proof, as much as
any automatic transmission can be.
If I were to have to choose between an similarly equipped 4+3 or an
automatic, I'd probably go with the 4+3. At least with the 4+3, if it
gives you problems, you just drop in a Richmond or ZF 6 speed later.
Besides, I just love banging gears.
IMHO, automatics are for top fuel dragsters and cars that your granny
would drive.

TomC
'90 ZR1

>IMHO, automatics are for top fuel dragsters and cars that your granny
>would drive.

not many grannys would stick there foot to the floor on my automatic
equiped supercharged and intercooled 87 for long (grin)
Greg

On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 08:35:16 -0700, Crabs > wrote:

>Tristan Austin wrote:
>> So far all the ones I've seen advertised have been autos, but I'm happy to
>> go with a manual.
>Tristan:
>The 4+3 is the manual transmission with an "automatic" overdrive unit
>attached to the back. Here's a really good write up on it:
>http://corvetteobsession.homestead.c...formation.html
>It seems to be luck of the draw, some people have problems, some do not.
>The automatics in these year cars are fairly bullet proof, as much as
>any automatic transmission can be.
>If I were to have to choose between an similarly equipped 4+3 or an
>automatic, I'd probably go with the 4+3. At least with the 4+3, if it
>gives you problems, you just drop in a Richmond or ZF 6 speed later.
>Besides, I just love banging gears.
>IMHO, automatics are for top fuel dragsters and cars that your granny
>would drive.
>
>TomC
>'90 ZR1

"Tristan Austin" > wrote in message
...
> I'm from a technology background so I'm well aware that
> questions such as
> this usually end up with some troll pointing out the FAQ
> associated with the
> newsgroup in question in a demeaning fashion...
>
> So please, send me on my way.
>
> - T
>

when someone points out the FAQ for a group.
they are not being a troll.
they are trying to help you get a clue.

--
"Key"

I like my 93 automatic, a manual is such a hassle around town. You can
always have high perfiormance upgrades done to an automatic.

--
Charlie
!993 Corvette Convertible

"Tristan Austin" > wrote in message
...
So far all the ones I've seen advertised have been autos, but I'm happy to
go with a manual.

There's an auto I've had my eye on for a while that looks pretty good, as
far as I can tell, but it's done under 65,000 ks (under 40,000 miles). What
sort of cost were you looking at for the transmission replacement? I don't
think I'd buy an auto with the idea of replacing the transmission, unless it
gave me trouble later on.

When you say it's a piece of junk, do you mean it didn't perform, was clunky
or did it actually die on you?

On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 17:12:57 GMT, "Charlie" >
wrote:

>I like my 93 automatic, a manual is such a hassle around town. You can
>always have high perfiormance upgrades done to an automatic.
=========================================
Driving a Corvette around town is to be very honest not a lot of fun
IMHO.... might as well let my wife drive...

But since I am now 61 and my knees are for lack of better words (shot
to hell) I decided that I would at least consider an automatic...

So Far I have not been satisfied with any... BUT to each his own...

Bob G.

A Vette MUST HAVE a stickshift!! Do Harleys have training wheels?@!? :-)

Butttt, If I lived in L.A. or Atlanta I could see the need to an
automatic with
terrible traffic..

Bob G. wrote:

>On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 17:12:57 GMT, "Charlie" >
>wrote:
>
>
>
>>I like my 93 automatic, a manual is such a hassle around town. You can
>>always have high perfiormance upgrades done to an automatic.
>>
>>
>=========================================
>Driving a Corvette around town is to be very honest not a lot of fun
>IMHO.... might as well let my wife drive...
>
>But since I am now 61 and my knees are for lack of better words (shot
>to hell) I decided that I would at least consider an automatic...
>
>So Far I have not been satisfied with any... BUT to each his own...
>
>Bob G.
>
>

--
Ric Seyler
Online Racing: RicSeyler
GPL Handicap 6.35

http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~ricseyler
remove -SPAM- from email address
--------------------------------------
"Homer no function beer well without."
- H.J. Simpson

Mine had a valve body upgrade and a shift kit. Runs a lot better. I know
how you feel about the knees, sports did mine in years ago. I drove my sons
Porsche 914 a few days trying to get it out so people could see it's for
sale. My knees started hurting on the 2nd day. We just got a Subaru
Outback XT Limited with the sports shift. I'm wondering if they have one
that will go into the Corvette. It is really sharp, 5 speed with a touch of
the shifter up or down and it has shift buttons on the steering wheel as
well.

--
Charlie
!993 Corvette Convertible

"Bob G." > wrote in message
...
On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 17:12:57 GMT, "Charlie" >
wrote:

>I like my 93 automatic, a manual is such a hassle around town. You can
>always have high perfiormance upgrades done to an automatic.
=========================================
Driving a Corvette around town is to be very honest not a lot of fun
IMHO.... might as well let my wife drive...

But since I am now 61 and my knees are for lack of better words (shot
to hell) I decided that I would at least consider an automatic...

So Far I have not been satisfied with any... BUT to each his own...

Bob G.