Possible help with C4 inspection in Epsom

[Bill4553]

From my earlier positing, I am considering purchasing a '92 manual C4 from a chap in Epsom. I have been over to see the car and apart from a couple of minor faults it appears to be mechanically sound and I am happy that the owner has been honest in his description. However, I'm certainly no expert in the mechanics of these cars and so may be missing something obvious that could cost lots to fix later!

As you might have seen from my previous post, I am also considering whether this is the car for me based-upon the body kit that it has on (I quite like them in their natural state). If I do decide to go ahead, I was wondering if there was anyone in the local area who might be able to have a quick look at it before I decide to spend lots of money?! Ideally if someone knows how a manual version should feel and perform they might be able to spot the signs of engine/transmission/clutch prolems?? This is a bit of a big ask but I thought it would be worth a go! Obviously if I decided to leave this one in the meantime then I wont drag anyone out to see it.

Thanks

Bill

[ZR1cliff]

Bill4553 said:

From my earlier positing, I am considering purchasing a '92 manual C4 from a chap in Epsom. I have been over to see the car and apart from a couple of minor faults it appears to be mechanically sound and I am happy that the owner has been honest in his description. However, I'm certainly no expert in the mechanics of these cars and so may be missing something obvious that could cost lots to fix later! As you might have seen from my previous post, I am also considering whether this is the car for me based-upon the body kit that it has on (I quite like them in their natural state). If I do decide to go ahead, I was wondering if there was anyone in the local area who might be able to have a quick look at it before I decide to spend lots of money?! Ideally if someone knows how a manual version should feel and perform they might be able to spot the signs of engine/transmission/clutch prolems?? This is a bit of a big ask but I thought it would be worth a go! Obviously if I decided to leave this one in the meantime then I wont drag anyone out to see it. Thanks Bill

Hi there Bill,first of all ile make it clear ime not a mechanic,ive pulled my car apart as much if not more than most on here and i think i know the C4 quite well but ime no mechanic.

The C4 is one hell of an over engineered car in my opinion and reasonably straight forward,take it like you would any other car,HPI check,service history,miles etc.

Rear ends are solid---gearbox's are solid ----engines again are solid,ask if these have had regular oil changes,depending on mileage for diff&box.

Drive shaft& prop shaft UJ's only fail if theyve been given regular standing start stick,ask if these have been replaced and check condition.

Check for wheel bearing play as per normal car(these will set you back $290 a piece),if any of these are gone you need £250 off the price for each one.

Check steering fluid level,turn left to right and listen for undue noise.

Suspension bushes are sturdy and should be ok unless its done abnormal mileage.

Check for codes flashing up on the visual screen in middle of dash like S.I.R.(inflatable restraint for example)or such like.

Get a torch and try to look down to the radiator,check for water leaks,is air con or climate control working ok??

If you get stuck and no one nearer can help give me a shout and i will help you,no problem.
Good Luck,
Cliff.

[ZR1cliff]

Also i think the "optispark" is under the water pump and they go now and again,ask if its been replaced.
Ime not familier with optispark being the ZR-1 is different but a few on here could chip in,i think C5ragtop had a problem with one when he had a C4.

[c5ragtop]

At one time I thought my optispark had gone but it hadn't so that saved me £1000 to replace it. The optispark is like a distributor and is at the front of the engine directly under the water pump. In simple terms (and I'm no mechanic either) it works like a CD with holes in it and a laser which makes the spark. Any corrision (i.e. from a leaky water pump) will affect it. I believe that a tell tale sign is a misfire or lumpy running at constant revs of around 2500. (I stand to be corrected on any of the above).

My advice on a C4 with optispark would be to leave well alone if there is any misfire.

[ZR1cliff]

Other stuff i forgot earlier,weatherstrip around the doors and windows if you see any cuts press against them you will see little bubbles of water come out of the cuts,and check the back window rubber for seperation,these 3 parts can set you back £100 each,make sure to knock that of the price.

Brakes; in my opinion C4 brakes are the weakest link,whilst not being the worst they certainly are not the best you will find on a car,you can improve them with uprated pads or even disc kits,the brakes on a C4 would of been used to the max so when you test drive check with a bit of hard braking,if there is a judder then at best they can be skimmed or at worst they will need to be renewed for $129 for the fronts and $89 for the rears,another deduction from the price if needed.

Hope i havent put you off ,but these are some guidelines to look for.

C4's are easy cars to work on and the parts are relatively cheap if you buy from the states,ive recieved parts in under a week and up to 3 weeks delivered.

[Bill4553]

Thanks chaps

When the car was imported from the States last November is was apparently running rather poorly. The Optispark was changed but in the end the problem appeared to be the EPROM unit in the ECU. At least it has a new Optispark in it now (and the old unit as a spare) and it seems to be running fine.

I think I'll certainly have another look at the car and if I decide that the body kit has grown on me then I'll test a few of the other things like the brakes and general running at different rev ranges. Otherwise it seems to be in decent condition with the only real faults being an electric aerial which doesn't go down, a loose passanger internal door handle and a missing spring on the handbrake which makes it hard to latch.

It would be a shame to let what would otherwise be a decent motor go for purely cosmetic reasons but that is a big part of owning a Vette!

Thanks once again for your input

Bill