samsonb

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eschoendorff

I just bought my first Corvette (a '93). After all of the shopping and looking and for the amount of time and money that you would spend, if I were in your position, I would simply buy a car that needed a little TLC and then modify it to taste. I can imagine that this would be a lost more cost-effective than trying to build a car from the ground up... unless that is truly your passion. If so - go for it!

Corvette Kid

I doubt you're going to find anybody else doing the same thing. You could buy one that's already in pieces maybe pretty cheap and build it back the way you want. That sounds a little more practical. You're going to have a zillion bucks in it the way you're thinking, buying a piece at a time. Good luck.

JB666

:iagree: Making one from scratch?? How would you title it? Register it? Making things EXACTLY as GM did wouldn't be an easy task. I'd think a frame off, or buy a totaled car, would be a project in itself, but at least it has a VIN, and can be identified. Building a C4 from scratch doesn't really make much sense when considering how much you can pick up and early model... Good luck with what ever you decide :cheers:

*89x2*

the C4 doesn't use a traditional frame (like C3's and earlier) with that in mind, you would have to buy a "tub" from a C4 at a MINIMUM and go from there. By the time you are done buying one or two parts at a time, you could ahve gotten yourself a decent C4.

You said you have $600 per month to spend on this - over the course of a year, you would have $7200 bucks - That buys a NICE c4 :thumbs:

I don't want to sound discouraging, but when a friend of mine is selling his 88 for $6k I would wonder how much $$ it would have taken to "build" his car to the same point :skep:

Good luck - Motorbooks International has a lot of Vette Books

StealDads67

:withstupid:

Its would be a waste time and money to do it this way.... Just save up till you can buy one. It is much easier and cheaper (Usually) that way

Worst Idea of the day :p: (sorry i had to say it)

*89x2*

what is it exactly you want your C4 to be?? :confused:

Show?
Speed?
work in progress?

500 bucks harly will buy a set of wheels - the auctions you are thinking of are hype and do not exist that I have ever seen... For CORVettes at least... Maybe a CHEVette ;)

Really, wait a year, take the 600 per month you said you were going to save and buy a nice $6,000 vette w/ $1,200 left over for mods, insurance, gas, etc :cheers:

*89x2*

...they all drive C5's this decade :lolg:

Seriously, my friend is selling his 88 Coupe for $6k. has new paint and 5 spoke zr1 type wheels on it. It is a solid foundation for whatever you might have in mind - more are / will be out there :cheers:

NightRyder

you have to be special. (look at mine, see im not special) you have to have 10k posts, or some_odd_hundred days sense registering for the forum. (the requierments might have changed)

as for auctions.. leave them be. http://www.corvetteshoponline.com/ has some rebuildable ones, one for 2k even. you could try that for a base.

If your set on this build-yourself-a-car, i understand. sometimes you just want to do something the hard way, and not manny people see the reasoning behind it. I for one, think that it would be really cool.

I would think that the shop manuals would have really good pictures of just about every part. (i dont have one, so ask someone who does)

corvetteronw

In my humble opinion this is a really bad idea. Go for the inexpensive well-used C4 and refurbish it. You can still say with pride: "I rebuilt the whole thing myself"! Good luck! :)

BrianCunningham

My nieghbor just bought nice C4 for $3k

bogus

if you wanna learn about the guts of a C4, pick a year, get a service manual.
http://www.helminc.com

also, check out this book: Corvette from the Inside, by Dave McClellen.

Another good book: Corvette Fuel Injection and Electronic Ignition, 1982-2001.

The C4, as mentioned earlier, does not have a conventional chassis...it's a monocoque construction. The rear 1/3rd of the vehicle is fixed and cannot be extensivly modified.

these cars can get expensive to work on... think money pit. when done, get it insured for agreed value, otherwise, if something goes wrong, you won't get soaked.

Also, don't expect to sell it for anywhere near what you have in it... if you build this, it will be for YOU.

Get a newer vette, too... There are more parts available for them than the earlier ones.

xs650

Think it through. Let's say the gumnt impounds some poor non-conventional pharmecutical salesmans car and puts it up for auction.

If the car is worth $8,000 dollars, and you bid $500. Someone else will outbid you. It will eventually be bid up to near market value or even above if someone there has auction fever.

Also, building a "new" C4 from parts will cost you more than a new C6.

Dick


[Modified by xs650, 8:45 PM 1/18/2004]

bogus

good luck on the auction.

your better off getting a clean car from a private sale.

C4s ain't that expensive.

xs650

Google is your friend.

vinnies87

:iagree: :thumbs:

NightRyder

yeah, once i looked at auctions. and, yeah they get you everywhere....
Well, ive got one. It works great. 2nd is a bit worn, but any trany can do that. Its actually 4+3. the 4 being 4 speed stick, and the +3 being; you can engage a 2 speed auto in 2,3, and 4th gear (and if you skilled you can use it in 1st :D) Its considered an OD, and mine has a .6 ratio.
Well, other then broken things (that youll get with a cheep car) id make sure the tranny shifts nice and smooth, and the engine works smoothly too. But then, didnt you just say. "find me a real good cosmetically C4 car that might be selling for cheap cause of mileage or tranny problems" ?

There was one in for sell/wanted that had a broken head gasket and the guy would go for 2-3k. might look at that. (it might be gone too...)

Well, when i brought mine home, the neighbors came over and asked if it was brand new. So, i wouldnt say people have dismissed it. If anything, they might bid higher, cuz they dont know its not one of the new kinds.

65Z01

You can get used Vette parts from Contemporary Corvette (link on my site); they vend new parts and own a large Vette bone yard in eastern PA.

Check out an issue of "Corvette & Chevy Trader" magazine; I've seen wrecked Vettes in it occasionally.

Wamuscat87

on my 84 i bought it for 5K and had to fix a huge hole in the passenger side floor panel had to fix the heater cuz the vaccum wasn't hooked up and am re painting it, while also gettin a new trans. (U should go ahead and buy a cheap c4 and build it up instead of from scratch although it is fun to work on.

aj1988

If you really want to build a car from the frame up, look into the older models. There are kits for the C1's and C2's available. And in the C1 arena, you can go 53 or 60. Much easier than trying to fabricate your own parts, and if you go with a C1 the suspension will be similar to the original, but more up to date. A lot of the kits use the Malibu body from the late 70's.