Corvette experts...C4 vs C5...bang for the buck

I've owned 3 Corvettes in the past, one was a late C3 ('80) and the other two were earlier C5s.  As the Mrs and I are rearranging our fleet...me and my damn automotive ADHD...I have a line on a couple of Corvettes and am debating them.  One is a later C4, with the 300hp LT1 and one is a mid year C5.  Both are autos.  I am all about value for the money, I like finding cars that will give me the most satisfaction for my dollar.  The C5 is about $6500 more than the C4.  Both are decent mechanically and both have cosmetic flaws.  The C4 a/c doesn't work, unclear why.  Otherwise they are in pretty similar states...both have new tires, have had recent upkeep, etc...

My purpose for the car would be just street use for fun, or maybe part time DD.  I suppose HPDE would be a possibility, but unlikely.  I'm pretty familiar with the C5, but just don't know much about the C4.  I know the early year cars were garbage, as it typical with GM.  But the last several years of the C4 were supposedly pretty good cars.  I know it's a subjective opinion, but would you pay $6500 more for a C5 vs a late C4 if the cars are apple to apple in condition?

Preface this to say that I've never driven or owned either one. 
I still have a strong opinion.

C5, definitely. 

C5.

I've owned the worst C4 (84 crossfire injection 4+3 digital dash) and the best C5 (02 Z06). I'd do late C4. The C5 isn't as cool, has bizzaro GM aging issues (steering column lock for example) and working on the auto in the C5 is a nightmare (torque tube and rear mounted). Yeah the Optispark sucks, but that's about the only C4 niggle and I just can't see a base C5 being $6500 better than an LT1 C4.

Late C-4 plus a few mods with the leftover $$$.

Javelin said:

I've owned the worst C4 (84 crossfire injection 4+3 digital dash) and the best C5 (02 Z06). I'd do late C4. The C5 isn't as cool, has bizzaro GM aging issues (steering column lock for example) and working on the auto in the C5 is a nightmare (torque tube and rear mounted). Yeah the Optispark sucks, but that's about the only C4 niggle and I just can't see a base C5 being $6500 better than an LT1 C4.

The C4 I'm looking at has had the Optispark replaced recently.  I just don't have any experience with the late C4 to know if it's performance and fun-to-drive factor are almost on par with the C5.  I thought my C5s were a blast to drive, but they were both 6spd...and one was heavily modified.  Stock vs stock just not sure how much more the C5 is worth.

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

I think you could look at it from a few aspects which might help your decision:

1. Value - if neither car are a special condition, nor have any option combos that would likely add or decrease value, which one books higher now, and will that trend continue?
2. Ownership costs - is the C4 old enough to be tagged as an antique & will that give you any significant savings in registration & insurance vs. the C5. What about consumables & parts cost vs. availability.
3. Performance - the C5 should outperform the C4, unless it's one of the special editions. Does that matter?
4. Familiarity - the devil you know & all that. There's plenty of resources online for C4s, and I have no idea if they're particularly better or worse to work on than a C5, but if you've already been pretty deep into your previous C5 is that familiarity worth $6500 vs. the C4?

The C5 is a substantial leap forward in chassis design and powertrain, but as mentioned above it does have it's annoying issues and isn't so enjoyable to wrench on.. I'd say it's a better car than the C4, but I don't know if it's $6500 better when you're talking automatic cars to just drive on the street. I also personally like the dash layout and the seats in the late C4, though the C5 is probably easier to crawl in and out of, but that's subjective.

I'd pick the one you like sitting in best, unless you plan to try and extract more performance from the car later on, in which case I would say C5 is the answer.

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

I think you could look at it from a few aspects which might help your decision:

1. Value - if neither car are a special condition, nor have any option combos that would likely add or decrease value, which one books higher now, and will that trend continue?
2. Ownership costs - is the C4 old enough to be tagged as an antique & will that give you any significant savings in registration & insurance vs. the C5. What about consumables & parts cost vs. availability.
3. Performance - the C5 should outperform the C4, unless it's one of the special editions. Does that matter?
4. Familiarity - the devil you know & all that. There's plenty of resources online for C4s, and I have no idea if they're particularly better or worse to work on than a C5, but if you've already been pretty deep into your previous C5 is that familiarity worth $6500 vs. the C4?

Well put.  Neither car is a special edition or anything like that.  They are base coupes.  Corvettes in general are always considered "collectibles", but neither of these stand out as a special model.  Your point about ownership costs is well made and something I've been considering.  The C4 would be an antique here in GA and therefore exempt from any inspections.  The C5 would need emissions for several more years, which means no CEL.  

As for performance, that's a part I'm not completely sure of.  I know how the C5 performs, but not the LT1 C4.  Like I said, no racing use for the car, but I would want it to at least be fun on the street.

It should be noted that I don't do any of my own wrenching on cars.  Don't have skills or time.  Any work needed is farmed out.

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

With competition not a concern, auto to auto, the cars are going drive more or less the same. The C4 will have a nicer interior and be cheaper/easier to have worked on not to mention the whole antique plate and no emissions testing pros. 

I had a 94 hardtop and the car was a real joy to drive. My father has a mid 80's one (not sure of the year maybe 86?). The 94 is like a different car. The interior is a lot better, the ride on the newer one was pleasant, plenty of power, nice interior. I have never had a C5 but the late C4 was great. I think a lot of the bad rap that a C4 gets is from the 80's versions, but then again most of the cars from that era were not great cars. I don't think you can go wrong with either but I like the late C4's a bunch.

Late c4, plus they're in the sweet spot of the corvette curve and are heading back up in value so you'll likely be able to drive it and profit when you are done 

Optispark issues are completely overblown. 192,000 on an original Opti and that includes 115,000 hard police miles .

The only issue with the late C4 is that the LT1 doesn't have any where near the aftermarket support that the LS motors do.  I really liked my '92 with a six-speed.  It "was" powerful for the time.  But nowadays I think it would feel a lot less so.

I think the C4 looks cooler and the design has aged better. That's all I've got. 

For a fun street car, C4.

Only in ultimate performance is the C5 superior.  Also C4 = no emissions for you.

I consider a C4 to be like a square bodied 1980sified C3 compared to the C5.  It's a pain to get in and out of and kind of a pain to work on and they drive like the chassis flexes more than the suspension moves.

The C5 was a gigantic, humongous leap forward from the C4 in terms of ease of living with.  The C4 was kind of like a C3 with aluminum suspension parts.

If the cars are in apples to apples condition, either the C4 is overpriced, or the C5 is under priced at $6500 difference.

IMO a C5 is better in every way

The C5 is way better.  That said getting power out of an LT1 isn't difficult.  It is the logical progression of the SBC that made the LS possible.  My LT1 will get rebuilt in the near future, be modded to run LS engine controls with coil on plug and make about 400ish hp on stock castings.  It'll be way easier than LS swapping my 96 F body.  
 

I'd get a C5 FRC and I kick myself for not buying one for $9k when I had the chance.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

The C5 is way better.  That said getting power out of an LT1 isn't difficult.  It is the logical progression of the SBC that made the LS possible.  My LT1 will get rebuilt in the near future, be modded to run LS engine controls with coil on plug and make about 400ish hp on stock castings.  It'll be way easier than LS swapping my 96 F body.  
 

I'd get a C5 FRC and I kick myself for not buying one for $9k when I had the chance.

I'm wondering if the stock 300hp/330tq from the LT1 will be satisfying....I guess I need to go drive one and get a better feel for it.

I'll have to e-mail you the dyno pull numbers from our '94 Mustang GT we got from you, once the car is done.  Should be within a few months.

I have both a C4 and a C5, for around town fun I get in the C4 every time. That being said, climbing in and out of the C4 can be challenging for folks and some people just flat out don't fit in one. Get in one and give it a drive. For the track, my C5, LS motors are so ridiculously easy to work on and if I hadn't pushed it so far towards being a track car it would be the more comfortable of the two cars. If you're going to be chasing performance I'd say the C5 is a far easier path.

If you want something historic and different my 91 ZR-1 was a heck of a ride.  The C4 chassis actually did not meet the expectations the engine offered though.  

I doubt you will be satisfied with the power from a C4, but they can be made fast like anything else.

A ZR1 C4 however would never depreciate.

Make sure you test sit a C4. Super high sills and wide console. The C5 is a more livable car, but as a hobby car the C4 has a cool factor if you're of the right age. 
 

for no aspirations other than a fun car, I would just pick the best one - owner, condition, history. 
 

Objectively the C5 is the better all around car, but the C4 is my favorite Corvette so I'd go with that. 
 

Not that you can go wrong either way, but with cars like these I like to allow to my emotions to creep into the decision.