1992 Corvette...

[raca]

first of, its been a while since the last visit here, i love the gulf "paint job"


now for my question...

i found a very very nice looking 1992 Corvete 5,7 litre, automatic in my litle town , that in its own right is wierd
thing i'm starting to love this car and i want/need to buy i!
BUT, there is always a but, i dont know anything about it, what should i look for, ou and a nother thing, i cant see what exact model it is, i would like to know if it is the DOHC lotus engine care, but it has no markings


what i do know is the VIN nomber (is it ok to post it here)and i know there is a way to find out thing from that but i dont know how


thanks in advance

[Lynn]

Are you sure you want an automatic? I bought a '63 Vette in '71 and it was the only sports car I ever owned with an automatic; I loved the car, but to this day wish I had waited and bought a 4 speed. It was affordable though (can you believe I paid $1300.00 for it and it had the 350HP 327c.i. engine in it) and was the luxury model with electric windows, wonder-bar radio, both tops (rag & hard) and I just couldn't stop myself.

Can't help you with the motor at the moment. I'll ask my neighboor this evening as he is a 'Vette guy; his is a mid '90s car. Do check the steering rack out; we changed his and it was a PITA!

Later,
Lynn

[raca]

well actualy i don't want an automatic, but i don't have much of a choice
but what is wrong with automatics, are they weak, or is it something else..


can't wait to hear what the neighboor says

[raca]

today took some pictures of the car !


the tires are all flat


the nose has seen better days, though hope its not something serious



the discs are also in not so top shape, are they still usable ??


the head light are in the position you see here, but they are stiff to the hand they dont rotate at all


this is where i get SAD... it has an auto trans, aside from that how does the interior looks like for your experienced eye


on to the rear quarter panel, there is no major damage


but this is where i get confused
this is a corvette ZR1 LT1 5.7 litre engine car, so the tail-lights should be red... all for of them.... right.....


the underside looks in good shape, or so i think, am i right


a bit more damage on the left rear quarter panel


and on the left front panel


and this litle detail, is it me or did the guy, modified the stop lights .....why...?!



i apologise if i'm enoing, but this is a one in a milion chance, for me any way
i would apreciate any coments or ideas, as you can see i need all the help i can get.................................
.......................
.......................
HELP!

[raca]

double post

[Chris_K]

Those pics lead me to guess that's not a ZR-1.

[raca]

you are right it was a mistake on my behalf, a bit of miss interpretation
the zr1 would have the all aluminium lotus DOHC 5.7v8 engine, this has the LT1 5.7v8
I belive 1992 corvette c4, is a lot more acurate
anyway, how does the car look to you

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Hi Raca,
That is probably a stolen car.

The vehicle has a west eurpean front road plate and a different rear one.
Will not be surprised if in that blue part of the front plate there will be an I or a D.
An owner surely will delete that front foreign plate(who and why needs it?), and leave the nice red panel where is writed CORVETTE....

The fact it has orange side marks means that probably (or later) that was an european "updated" car (in Italy those arrive with EU lights to be approved,mounted directly from Chevy factory,under EU specs).
The guy simply glued orange plastics over the original reds
The front lights seems not working and restore theme is usually very expensive on 'vettes (those have a strange round movements that totally hides the light versus wheel, not only down.).
I dunno the price they are asking u, just consider in Italy we have a lot of such ones ready to be destroyed, and usually sold to very few euros in est european market, where those surely can have a new life after a BIG refurbish.
The model is not a zr 1, but only a 'vette coupè.
The price for 4 new tyres will be probably higher than all the carvalue.
The fact "she" has also an automatic gear makes its value even more low,in europe very very few people likes automatics,and also that means maybe the origin of the car can be from an ex american military in europe (I lost that way a dodge charger 1969....in sarajevo airfield before war...damn.. ).
(now half forum will kill me ) automatic gear is a pain..u will loose a LOT of the fun in driving a so powerful car.Chevy doesnt have any sport gear shifter, and only the very last ferrari or BMW smg 2-3 are cool, all the rest.............ok..better i shut up
Looking at car onditions will not be a surprise if also the automatic gear will not be working...
The clouch pedal is a masterpiece on sportscar

Friendly think will be a bargain only if very very very few money for it,(and if u..or some very good friends are good mechanics)otherwise wait maybe a little more, and consider such early 90s vettes in italy are for sale in stunning condition at less than 10000 euros.

Just my tip

Paolo
P.S: anyway..also I like it Raca!!

[raca]

stolen you say, for all i know you could be right, but i have "her" VIN , is there a site that can tell me if its stolen

ps: lets say its not stolen and i can buy it, what would a fair price be ?

[Lynn]

Raca,

Talked to my buddy and can confirm ZR1 was 88-91; '92 would have an LT1. The one really odd bit about the LT1 is that it uses a reverse rotation water pump.

From the pictures, this car looks like it was rode hard and put up wet on several occasions. I have to agree with Paolo: the restoration bill is going to be LARGE. I would guess that one could easily put upwards of $10K into that car to get it into a like new condition. I also agree with Paolo on the fun factor and automatics. An automatic sports car, in most cases, is an oxymoron.

As to value and the VIN, go to ebay and look at cars of the same year. Many cars, especially ones listed by dealers, will have a VIN check button in their adds. Or, you can go to NADA VIN Check.

Lynn

[Keith Hardy]

What country? That would affect the price as each of us have differing price structures. In the USA this car would be as cheap as chips to buy and cheaper to repair. In the UK Lynn's $10K USD would quickly become £10K GBP which is almost double, so, it depends where you are!

It's been abused and the only slightly good news is that with the auto box, the drive train won't be AS abused as it would have been had it been a manual box.

[Lynn]

My bad, Keith. I just checked Raca's profile to learn he is in Romania. Oh, yes it is going to be VERY LARGE money to do the restoration of that car and the links I have given you won't do much good.

Try this link to get a better idea of value than eBay US would give you:
eBay Motors Poland

Closest one I have to Romania.

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Originally Posted by more_ghz_project

stolen you say, for all i know you could be right, but i have "her" VIN , is there a site that can tell me if its stolen

ps: lets say its not stolen and i can buy it, what would a fair price be ?

hum..I seriously think will be better maybe see that one with a good mechanic friend, and after 3 BIG beers listen carefully the worst restoration option he can suggest.
Think u can start bidding seriously at 500 or 1000 euros (I am referred to Italian reality Raca), but not more.
I found here in milano a 1986 Ferrari Testarossa (exactly Miami Vice one),more or less in the same conditions, but with blowed engine.
Only the refurbish of the 12 cil Ferrari was possible..form a freind..at 30.000 euros.The car is still there where I saw that, for sale at 2000 euros.
Always remember that one is a sportscar, the ONLY true american mithical 'vette, and the restore will be surely at the level of the car (add to this we are not in America..and US spare parts are in europe at same level-price of european exotics).
Even Chevy created a new Firm to "make vette different",probably to underline the VETTE is a different matter.

I understand my friend that is a dream (the 'vette is always stunning, my favourite ones are the 60s-70s models, stingray ),but restore it can become an expensive nightmare.
Another misterious point to consider is the electronics of the vehicle...

And again..after such impressive work,remeber u will have..an automatic vette ,and also if restored,the driving pleasure will be the one of the original car.

For the road plate, if is italian i can check in street police website, just need the numbers (never mind cause NOBODY will search that anylonger, cause surely already payed by insurance,and happy owner cause taking more money than its actual value).
If i can help, jus PM me Raca, will try to do my best to help as I can.

Paolo

P.s: also note u think the car is from 1992, and I will check also that, because that is a c4 generation corvette, in production since 1984
CorvetteEurope _ Storia _ C4

[Keith Hardy]

Hope I'm not being patronising here but in Rumania - this car is probably a dream.....check out what's around it in the photos....

Hope you get it at the right price Raca, and after that? Love will find a way!

Just don't pay too much for it though or you might fall out of Love real quick!

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

this is the Police stolen car registry in Italy:
Ufficio per il Coordinamento e la Pianificazione delle Forze di Polizia

U have the numebers Raca,try and have a look,maybe its ok.

This is valid only for cars "gone" here.

Hope this help
Best wishes for the falling in love with the american "mature" lady
Paolo

[raca]

paolo thank you so much for the advice man !!! this means a lot to me

today I managed to cum up with a price, i did some diging around and fount out that guy whants 6000$ on it, this is what hewanted on it a few years back i was told by a friend


ps: would that engine work with a carb ...?

[Keith Hardy]

Then that means $3000 in 2007!

That's a fair price for that....

[raca]

what isues would it have after that much time of the road ???