Vettes Suck (now I just need help and i knew this would get some attantion)

I have a 84 purple corvette I love this car its what I have wanted since i was little(I just turned 20) but it has problemes for example the engine and the interior the interior is messed up because the person that had it before me took it apart and broke the plastic and did not put all the screws back in so it rattles alot I want to fix that so any ideas welcome. The engine an 5.7 L crossfire injection. I have herd good and bad about this engine I want to do it up but dont know what to do and if it is worth it because of the crossfire injection(I am getting critisized by my freinds because i own a corvette but it doesent performe) I would like to prove them wrong. It runs good some times I think it is jst sencurs. Please give me any ideas about any part of the engine,interior,body ext that you can and convince me not to SELL MY VETTE. It only has 106,000K on it and the body is in exalent condition

[88canadianvette]

sell the vette to someone who would appreciate it and buy your self a honda civic. then u can paint the civic neon green wear your hat backwards and be cool.

[vette-dude]

AMEN TO THAT!!!!

interior screw kits ( will help fix the loose interior parts) are readily available on ebay for around 30.00 or so, a very cheap, yet worthwhile investment if you are genuinly interested in fixing up the car. My 87 had gone through at least 3 owners 2 that cared and took car of it, and one ( will assume the last owner) did a real number on it. Take it slow and easy, buy what ya need to fix the car on a peice by peice basis ( yes that can be more expensive, but keeps ya busy all the time on the car which will lead to familiarity of it.)

Invest in a helms Manual ( if you do not already have one for it)

As to being critacized(sp) i wouldnt worry about that, they are no doubt just envious that you own a Vette, and wish they did.

Take your time, go slow, and learn the car.
As to the crossfire, it's six of one,half dozen of the other, plenty of crossfire owners out there that love their car.

a word of caution on E-Bay however, watch what your buying/bidding on, sometimes it is cheaper to buy the same item from ZIP, Mid-America, Ecklers, etc

[MsSchroder]

I don't understand the smarta** replies to this post (LarryK excepted).
The "vettes suck" topic was not a condemnation of vettes, it was simply intended as a humorous attention-getter.
84CrossFire, perhaps you could post a question with a specific issue on your car and see if anyone has any advice.

[DkBG]

84crossfire - Does your check engine light ever come on in the drivers information center ? As for the crossfire , they only used it two years and while it may not be as popular now , they work fine when all is right , and someday will be hot items on the parts circuit . The old fuel injection units on early vettes didn't always work great but there isn't that many around so they bring high dollar . So yes , your Vette is worth fixing up . . Cliff

[Alfonso Gomez]

My 87 Coupe was not treated very well. Was not abused too much but was not pampered either. As for the interior plastic, they are really fragile and when screws are missing or loose, they rattle like hell. Word of caution: don't overtighten the screws because the plastic will definitely crack. What I did for parts like the rear deck trim, which was cracked in several places was this:

Carefully remove the trim. Its easy for the center piece. The sides require removal of the rear glass support struts. Have someone help you in this one and when reinstalling the struts. Doing it alone is a PITA. Clean the mating areas to ensure there is no crud, Armorall, etc. Check if there are no small pieces missing and that the pieces mate perfectly. Work one crack at a time. Buy epoxy FOR PLASTICS, Western Auto has one that works well and comes in a dual syringe which is easy to use. Make a SMALL batch of epoxy put some on BOTH mating surfaces, align correctly. and press together. Careful you don't glue your fingers with epoxy After it dries thoroughly, go to the next crak or break and proceed with care. :t Also, turn the part upside down and carefully inspect the screw hole. Probably there are small cracks around it. So next time you tighten that screw. it will definitely crack more until the screw head goes right through it. For that I made a small batch of epoxy and put it around the screw hole as a reinforcement. Carefull you don't get any in the hole. Build it up slightly as a small bead around the hole an let it dry. Next, test fit the part to check the clearance of the epoxy bead, which can be sanded to fit. This will improve the strength of the part and avoid cracking. The only drawback of this epoxy is that it is cream-colored and the interior plastic is black. So, after the epoxy hardens try carefully scraping the epoxy from the surface. Remember always to not overtighten the screws. C4's tend to ride rough so the screws work loose. I have a small screwdriver (Phillips) in the center console. Sometimes at traffic lights or drive-thrus I check the screws I can within arm's reach. Any I find loose, I tighten on the spot. It also keeps me occupied in traffic jams and long lines at Wendy's drive thru window. Hey, somebody can argue: why go thru all the hassle repairing this plastic parts when you can buy them new? Simply three reasons: 1-These parts are not cheap. 2-It's more fun to do it yourself and you get to know your car better. 3-It gives you a sense of satisfaction fixing your car youself.
As for the car being a cross-fire I don't have any experience with that system. If GM used it in Corvettes for only 2 years it tells me it did not work properly. But somebody with more knowhow can tell you better that me. As for the purple color, which I don't like for my personal car, but this is just my humble opinion, I would suggest that if you like the color and the paint is in good shape, leave it alone. When it needs painting just check in with a GOOD paint and body shop that has experience painting Corvettes. Good luck.

[Red73BB]

84crossfire, listen to LarryK and Alfonso. Vettes are not cheap to fix up/ restore, but if you do it yourself you will learn and save $. Start one project at a time and finsh it. I'm not mechcanikly inclined but I learned as I did my own work. Older car are always work in progress. As LarryK said they are "just envious that you own a Vette, and wish they did.
Good Luck!
Gary

[JonM]

Not a whole lot you can do with an 84...except look kewl...lots of restraints all the way from limited upgrades to hood problems. You may want to look at the crossfire website.

http://www.crossfire.webhop.net/

[Last Ride]

Only 106,000 miles? That is a lot of miles. Granted, still low for the year, but time does take its toll on these things! Next year, your car will be a classic!As with all older Vettes (cars in general, for that matter), the older they get, the more they take to keep up. I bought my 78 when I was 18, and five years later, I am still trying to get things done on it. As you may know, the 1984 Corvette was not at the peak of power. Neither was the 1978. I dropped an LT1 from a 1995 Corvette in there to liven things up a bit. The possiblities are as limitless as your wallet. Be warned, though, power can be addictive. Once you start upgrading, you can never have enough. I am always researching ways to boost the power in my car, but who know if it will ever stop!?! As for your friends, what are they driving? If you lined up your car with a bunch of other cars from 1984, I would bet you could hold your own!

BTW, you said it was purple.... kinda Plum purple in color?, Metal Flake AKA Dark Purple Metal Flake? What you may have then is a Black Rose Colored 84 ( not original to that year, first year for that color was 92). BUT when cleaned and a full Zaino Treatment done to it, it is one of the more attractive and unique colors around and looks phenominal in the sun.

If i am also remembering what i have heard correctly, the 84 has one of the stiffest suspensions ever ( read this as more than excellant handleing, but will shake your eye teeth out on a rough road... but then any Vette will)

Oh and by the way....... dont forget to Wave

And welcome to the

normally Ken catches these first ( not trying to still your thunder ken )

[Ken]

Originally posted by MrsSchroder
I don't understand the smarta** replies to this post.

Just goes to show you Tammy, how people simply don't read (or think!), before they open their yaps.

_ken

[JonM]

Larry ...here is an 84 Black Rose...I just finished it a few months ago.

[Justin_cv87]

Well, i dont know much about cars yet, but i wish you the best in fixing your vette and teaching your friends that vettes are the greatest car ever! If ya cant fix it, and want a good vette, get a ZR1, LT4, or GS. These are cheaper than a Z06, but are still great performance vettes!

[Edmond]

Hey,

You could do the exhaust and the very sound of that might scare some of those friends off from a challenge!