1988 Corvette - for once I got a pretty good car to start

[engineer]

I started on RR with this thread: Suzuki project

Also, have this project that for years has been a 90% done Alfa 164 project

Before the Suzuki but during the Alfa, I figured out that by now I wanted to buy a childhood dream. Some luck on finances ensured a decent budget. Agreed with the wife to not buy a project but instead a car we could drive and enjoy.

It had to be a Corvette Coupe (I preferred the Targa roof over the Convertible) of the C4 generation. And pre-facelift. 80's galore with smooth lines, some sharp edges, a dashboard without any curves and digital display — ultimate coolness. Not to forget excellent handling (the C4 suspension was made by a Dutch-became-American handling expert with help from Lotus --> first production car in the world to reach 1G in corners) and an endless torque small-block V8.

First-year (1984) are aplenty but had Crossfire injection that gave them minimal power and torque. I wanted a Tuned Port Injection and preferably one of the later ones; at least with the cam rollers. To keep with the turbine wheels a late 1986 or a 1987 model year would be best. Started to inspect a few of them. It was learned that price says very little about the condition. Found one that looked nice but a bit high on the budget; turned out that it had been stored in a barn. The type of barn where rats are a common sight. Yeah, I think I'll pass, even if the price is dropped to half. Learned quickly that the more "repairs" had been made on the wiring and the more changes to the audio system, the less likely the rest of the car would be good. These things were often easy to spot in the for sale pictures so that reduced the hopes and dissapointment.

And suddenly I found an advert for a too-nice-to-be-true: unmolested wiring, still the original Delco-Bose audio (with cassette player!), etc. A few things were found that could justify the excellent price level; big scratch in the paint on the Targa roof panel, 150.000miles - bit higher than your average Corvette, still on California title and although it wasn't even in California it wasn't in the Netherlands either. Was about 2 hours across the border in Germany. Some other finds; 1988 but with 1987 turbine wheels, dark red paint instead of the bright red (much prettier I think), and non-original exhaust silencers (could be good and could be bad).

So off to Germany. Turned out to be a classic car dealership that bought a collection of cars near LA in a package deal. 1988 was quickly ten years newer than anything else he was selling, so he was eager to let it go even though it only arrived two months earlier. Turned out be a very lovely specification; black leather comfort seats with electrical adjustment, electronic climate control, Z52 sport suspension and sport steering, G92 sprint rear axle ratio with slightly tuned exhaust system (+5hp according to GM), automatic but other than your typical GM automatic with an ECU controlled torque converter lock-up and last this wonderfull dark red paint.

The exhaust silencers (and two of the three catalysts) were no longer original but are a perfect mix of more sound without extreme levels. I had test-driven another Corvette that set off car alarms when you pushed the pedal; that is just too much. The turbine wheels of the earlier years scream 80's so are perfect.

The test drive was a blast although this was late autumn and in the pouring rain. The roof was reasonably waterproof (a GM guy once told me that even when new they were only so-so on waterproof) and it had a lot more power than I dared to release on those wet roads. When you push the pedal deep, the lock-up instantly activates and only briefly decouples during shifts. That changes it from a cruiser to a racer but with rather lightweight and wide tires and full 500Nm torque just off idle it makes it a challenging car on wet. And apart from ABS, there are no guardian angels. Anyway, it felt excellent and well maintained, and the service records and all of that proofed it was well taken care off. So now I had bought my Corvette finally. It was sitting in Germany however on a California title.

Arranged for transport in the price negotiation rounds and got a local company to help with the registration process. As it was already over 25 years old at the time, I could request import as an oldtimer, which made the process easier. They just did a quick check if car and papers were a match, they stamped in the VIN again, and then it just needed to comply with our version of MOT. Apart from deactivating two reversing lights (of the four) and changing the bulbs at the front from orange to white, I got it approved with all the US-spec things in place. BTW: the MOT following they did reject some of the lights but after explaining them the rules and that their colleagues let it in the country as is they backed off.

So there we are 245hp, 500Nm V8 with a 4-speed automatic. 0-60mph in 5 seconds flat and impressive handling. But if you take the Targa roof off it also becomes a comfortable cruiser with all kind of luxuries. And for a sportscar, it has a lot of luggage room, so camping trips are possible.

This was over the winter of 2015-2016; some more updates since then will follow

[SmokeEm]

Looks nice but I thought you didn't want a digital dash?

[79cord]

You're supposed to put white lettering on the road wheels, not steering wheel

[petroholic]

I Absolutely love these, and in that red - even better. I first saw one on the A Team (about 1984), and have wanted one ever since. Its on my bucket list.

500NM torque - that sounds great, and I never knew about the 1G cornering. It looks like you found a good one there.

[Ritchie]

I'll second that, I bloody love these, they are perfect 80's and so underrated IMO.
You're correct about the wheels, early ones are much nicer.
I should really try and get one of these before the prices start to head north.
Bookmarked!

[engineer]

Yes, they are underrated. But in Europe prices are going up already. In the US not so much yet as there are so many of them around. And this is precisely the spec I wanted (I wanted the digital dash).

I take it out on many classic car rallies. It always gathers a lot of attention, and with the < 16-year-olds it is a big hit.

I've had some issues with hot starts. Corvette's are designed to run hot. 110C is not exceptional. Actually, the first fan only comes on at 108C and the second (pusher) fan joins at 112C. Since there is hardly any space unused in the engine bay, it gets scorching there too. It keeps running correctly, but if you switch it off from such high temperatures, you can have some issues. I suspected that some of the injectors (there are 9 of them) are stuck in those cases, and after using some fuel system cleaner, the issues got less indeed. The remaining part I suspect is vapor lock. So sometimes I let it cool off this way and other times I accept long cranking.

There are a lot of Corvette club activities so always nice events to go to.

It's a great match with my 164

On a hot day or in summer or after a tough working day, the Corvette is the choice for a relaxing drive. Everything is flat here so no winding roads into the hills, but we do get winding roads next to the rivers — just cruise at just above idle, enjoying the roof off and the excellently shaped seats.

Getting in and out is not so easy thanks to a very low seating position (the C4 is the lowest of any Corvette, and the seat frames are nearly the lowest point of the car) but once you sit in it, it is no issue to stay seated for a long time. On low-speed driving, it is only the heat of the engine and the transmission (that is not mounted under you but next to you) that makes it hot in the footwells.

Sometimes with a little push on the pedal to wake the V8 rumble. There are a few roads where I'll push into kick down but not that often. It is bizarre but the car relaxes you — nothing to prove. Sometimes a gentle push and the white van that was on your bumper disappears in the mirror. Without hassle around a corner and the distance with that BMW driver behind you just increased a lot.

I did accidentally scare the curse word out of an old couple in a Peugeot convertible once. Driving in the fast lane of the highway behind a slow car and they were in the slow lane driving even a little slower with an open roof. When the slow car moved in front of the Peugeot, I was pretty much next to them. That's the moment that (at around 60mph) I pushed it into kick-down. The low rumble of the engine changed into a raw scream. As I passed them, I could see they both had a quick fright reaction. Sorry!

The story naturally continues in that I immediately let off the pedal and remained at the locally allowed 130km/h. Naturally...

I drove it only in the Netherlands (max 2 hours from home) for the first years. Fixed some of the dash electronics, fixed the cassette player, etc. Had to replace the shocks and got a new set Bilsteins precisely as what was supposed to be on a Z52. Improved both comforts and handling even more. Also had to replace rear wheel bearings which turned out to be easy. Did buy more Torx tools.

Changing the front shocks can be done without removing the wheel. That bonnet is great! Below the shocks you see the fibreglass leaf spring that runs from one side to another. Very lightweight, will never wear out, near impossible to break and hardly adds to unsprung weight. These Americans are a little crazy but not stupid.

Rear side was done also. All of the suspension components are made of alloy. The limited slip diff housing doubles as a rear subframe. The powertrain is connected to the rear subframe by a C beam acting as a torque tube. That torque tube is at about the same height in the car as your seat. Yes, some work went into designing these. With all that aluminum and fibreglass there are a few bits of chassis made of steel. Since this Corvette was sold new in Nevada and lived its days in Arizona and California it is rust free and the alloy is hardly corroded.

[Ralph.Wrecked.It]

Really nice car! Bet that is a lot of fun to cruise around in.

[mrbounce]

Love this! 80s + V8 = win. I'm in

[engineer]

Thanks. Yes, it's a lot of fun. Surprisingly fuel efficient, but the maintenance costs compensate for it.

Some proper servicing was in order. Changed or let someone change all liquids

The automatic still looked pretty fresh

Changing the spark plugs is not much fun

Just after service the 160.000miles mark was achieved

I looked at some Corvette clubs. Noticed most around were full of C4 with Halford's level modifications. Yeah, not my style. Others were about showing off how much money you had. Those may be the wrong first impressions but still. I joined a club of main purists; National Corvette Restorers Society. They have a Dutch and UK chapter other than chapters in the USA and Australia. Not sure I like everything about the purists but the Dutch and UK branch are a fun crowd that appreciates Corvette's; even with some minor or period tweaks. What I liked; if you have your car judged, you receive points if you drive to the judging under own power. That should be a rule for any Concours!

I like the road trips they organize. This was one to the Eifel. Turned out to be the worst weekend to head out to the Eifel with rains that flooded the roads, combined with leaves from the trees. Still, it was a lot of fun. None of the ancient Corvette's complained (those narrow tires help) other than that their roofs are even less waterproof. The newer Corvettes had the luxury of traction control and ESP. It was mainly the C4's that struggles to find traction.

This was the first time of the Corvette it touched German roads since the test drive when I bought it.

I've had my Corvette up for judging just for the fun of it. Both times in the fully stock class. The first time was in the Netherlands, and four judges spend about 6 hours. A perfect way to get a list of everything that could get some work done. Some because it is not precisely as stock but more importantly, some because it could improve or prevent issues. At that time, I got a 2nd Flight level. This year there was an event in France (organized by the UK chapter) just a few days before the 24h of Le Mans race. Beyond some excellent road tours, there would be good French wine and food and judging. That's where I had my Corvette up for judgment again, but this time the judges were real experts on the C4. A few of them have written books about the C4. That got me to a Top Flight category. And that with wrong model year wheels and a non-original exhaust.

The trip on the French "peage" was very nice and relaxed. They make for a good long-distance driver. First time for this Corvette in its lifetime to drive in France.

Sure makes the parking look much nicer

After the event, I headed to the Corvette Corral at the 24h of Le Mans. Makes for a little different type of camping.

Found a doppelganger from the USA

Was selected to drive in the Parade des Pilotes on the evening before the race. That was pretty insane!

The race itself is also fantastic to experience.

[engineer]

Keeping the topic alive and some winter news.

Naturally the Corvette is in winter storage now. I'm starting to miss it even.

There is something fishy about the brake master cylinder. Sometimes (maybe 1:500) the engagement point of the brake pedal is much deeper. I started noticing it since the Le Mans trip. Also, it feels like I have less braking power in that scenario. One of the two brake reservoirs shows still the fresh brake fluid but the other one has turned black already. So in March/April, it will be replaced. I have done a master brake cylinder replacement once (on a FIAT Panda no less) and that experience has made me decide to outsource the job to a trusted workshop.

Another topic: I may have found a source for the A/C gas. The Corvette is still R12 but there is a new (still allowed) gas that is compatible with an R12 system. There are however very few that can do so. In the Netherlands it seems there is only one firm. To make the A/C working however I also need to exchange the compressor. (clutch) The A/C system is likely good but the clutch on the compressor died many years ago. I was able to buy a new complete compressor cheap about two years back. So perhaps the A/C system will be restored also. Not that I will use it much but still cool to have it working again.

[kevins]

I have the same problem with my old range rover, I am thinking about R290, R600, R600a, R1270 (all basically LPG) which many people have reported using successfully in R12 systems. Some people are worried about leaks but I can't see it being any more of a risk than having many of the other refrigerants, petrol or even LPG when used as fuel on board.

[dikkehemaworst]

kevins, lpg is a shady backstreet cardealership technique, to let ac's work for a short amount of time ( the sale ) Lpg has no cooling abillities whatsoever and it kills your compressor within 6 months.
I order my selffill botles via eBay and amazon. I saw a chrisfix video on YouTube covering this problem. And tried it. Works well for me

[kevins]

LPG straight out of a commercial propane gas cylinder has this reputation and if you ever cut open an old cylinder and see the tar like substances inside you will see why!

As I said in my post you need the refrigerant grades R290, R600, R600a, R1270 and install it correctly, using a smaller quantity to maintain the same pressures, evacuating the system, having a functional drier and with oil etc. It has very similar cooling properties to R12 (actually 10% higher) and it is widely used in a variety of refrigerant applications already.

Take a look at the link below (type refrigerant in the search box)


lpg-apps.org/index.php?mact=LPGApi,cntnt01,function,0&cntnt01template=function&cntnt01function_id=49&cntnt01returnid=52&cntnt01sector_id=&cntnt01subsector_id=

[engineer]

No progress on the A/C. And don't think I will do it this year either.
Looked up my notes (yeah, I do that) from over the year of the little quirks the C4 showed. Apart from the A/C there are really only 5 quirks left. It looks like we will do at least one road trip to France again so any quirks that have a tendency to get you stuck in the middle of nowhere I like to get fixed.

It's a MOT year anyway (every other year for the Corvette, thanks to it being over 30 years) so a workshop visit is to be scheduled even just for that. As most of my tinkering time will be on the Suzuki the workshop gets to have the fun of working on the Corvette. Last year they had the joy of changing the spark plugs for which I fear they still hold a grudge

So:

• At idle I sometimes see voltage drop below 12V. Usually when the engine bay is nice and hot. Pretty sure the alternator is dying. Will send it for a rebuild. Thanks to the temperatures C4's are known to kill alternators.
  
• It always dropped some oily drops at times. It was progressing however suddenly and now I noticed the power steering fluid was dropped. Let's hope it is just a bad hose.
  
• The right front tyre slowly looses air
  
• I have the feeling that sometimes my brake pedal engagement point is a little deeper. I strongly suspect the brake master cilinder so that will be replaced
  
• The right side window (of which the electric motor was repaired last year) has started to rattle. Some adjustment must have come off.
  

What can I say... the list is shorter than last year but now with a few more expensive bits.

I do fear the MOT a little. Not because I think it will fail on anything but more because the MOT guys don't get special cars. All too often I get 2 or 3 fails that turn out to be misjudged as my cars are a little different than your average Peugeot 207. As american as the Corvette is that is likely more than the 2 or 3. This time I will have the workshop that does the "negotiation" which was a great deal of help with the Alfa last year during MOT.

[engineer]

Back from storage!

It turned out that the fungus was strong this time. Really with flakes all over. I suspect the fact that this time it was surrounded by boat trailers which reduced greatly the ventilation. But.. if all goes well it will be stored in a garage at a new home next winter. Then I have more control over it.

So after a good clean and a little shake down I confirmed the list of repairs. Getting close to the last things on the list but since a new problem has developped in the brake system it needs repairs first before enjoying it. One of the next few days I will swap it for the Alfa which is now in the workshop for a few small things.

Only concern I have; as parts must come from the USA they can be very delayed and more expensive. At least most events where I would want to take it to are cancelled with all the virus stuff ongoing that is not too big of an issue. But I also enjoy driving outside of events.. that will have to wait.

[engineer]

The Corvette has a working alternator again. Very dirty brushes caused the doubtfull performance.

Other than that it still takes a long wait for it to be fixed.

...Trying to get a picture in but failed so far...

[engineer]

Got it working

[engineer]

Somewhat good news.. the power steering leakage is not a simple hose but is also not the terribly expensive (and rare for this specific year and version) steering rack. It's the pump that is leaking and it is leaking even so much it would fail MOT (just two months left).

[engineer]

The good news above turned out ugly and still is not resolved. After weeks a new pump (and some other parts) arrived from the USA. The pulley on the pump cracked when it was removed (press-fitted). Now the issue is that the pulley is a Corvette C4 specific part but it seems they crack so easily that there is no new stock anymore.
I could not find one in Europe so I ordered a reconditioned used one from the USA. Again weeks passed. Then we found out that somehow they put so much heat in that pulley that it does not want to fit anymore.
Search for a pulley is still on...

So the Corvette has been in the workshop since early April... MOT has passed since also so when it is finally fixed again it will have to pass MOT first.

To soften the blow a little I did request the workshop to replace the steering wheel for a new one and as such get rid of the torn leather.

[westbay]

Could you get one made (small / bespoke engineering shop) using your 'old'one as a pattern ?