I can't believe I'm doing this...

[Michael J.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Good it was something simple. I remember some of my C2 friends carrying around a long ruler to stick in the gas tank to make sure what the level was, those gauges didn't work well either.

[Brian M.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Highly inaccurate fuel gauges is a fairly common occurrence on C4 Corvettes as I learned driving to the Gettysburg regional. Engine died with a half tank showing. It had been fine up to that day. Fortunately I was rescued by a VDOT truck within 10 minutes.

[Mark E.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Today was all about driving the Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. America's longest park, BRP's 470 miles of mountain top highway is a driver's heaven. I drove about half of it today. Its sweeping turns, changing elevations and breathtaking views are great fun while getting used to the C4's 6-speed and handling. I'm not an expert high-performance driver but the car's capability is amazing with much higher limits than I'm willing to try. Just watch out for the cyclists and deer!

I'm averaging over 22mpg overall (according to the car... it doesn't know how much fuel it has so take that with a grain of salt), much of it spent pushing through curves in 3rd and 4th gear.

Tomorrow I finish the southern half of BRP then on to the Smokey Mountain National Park and Dragon's Tail.

Tip I learned today: If you're over 62, the National Park Service will sell you a one year pass to all National Parks for $20. Otherwise, a one week pass is $30 for all of you young'ins.

And yes, I'm wearing the same shirt. Time to do laundry in the motel... or buy some more T-shirts.

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[Ed N.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

This is embarrassing but the cause of problem is the car was out of gas. In my defense, I'd like to say the root cause is a highly inaccurate fuel gauge. It turns out it reads full until about 10 gallons left, then reads 2/3 full until it's empty. When the car quit it read 2/3 full- this is after I had driven about 100 miles since I got the car with a "full" tank. Adding to the confusion is the original fuel pump made some louder than normal noises during the event, then stopped making any noise. Running on empty may have cooked it.

While replacing the fuel pump yesterday, I didn't check the gas level in the tank (rookie mistake). When I tried to start the car with the new pump, the fuel gauge read empty/reserve. I assumed I broke the sending unit during the R&R.

Then a little voice woke me up 2AM this morning: "Mark, check the fuel level." At dawn I pulled the sending unit and peered into the the tank. After waiting a couple of hours for AAA to deliver two gallons of fuel I was on the road again.

I want to thank you all for your advice and support; it made a difference as I sorted this out.

Same thing happened to my neighbor with a truck he recently purchased. Well, you would have needed a new fuel pump eventually.

Good job and welcome to the C4 world. They are great cars though. Ask me how I know.
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[Mark E.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Wednesday, July 6 was all about the southern half of the Blue Ridge Parkway. What an experience- a full day of driving a mostly empty highway (no commercial traffic allowed) with no intersections, no signals, no stop signs. Just sweeping turns and nature. The '93 performed wonderfully. It enters a turn with a touch of understeer, which I learned to transition to neutral with a bit of throttle. It took some practice to master smooth double-clutching while downshifting as the car approached the next curve. The pull of the LT1 is strong from 1,500 rpm and power builds steadily to red line. Its linear feel helps apply exactly the amount of power to smoothly pull through a curve.

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I can't help compare this Gen 2 LT1 with the LS5 454 in my '70 Corvette. While each has excellent throttle response, the big block is a bit more brutish below 4,000 rpm but doesn't like to be pushed much past 5,000 rpm. Each is a low 14-second car in the quarter mile, and each has a similar horsepower rating (the LS5's 390 gross hp is about 300 net hp). The 3.36 final drive ratio of the '70 is similar to the 3.45 final drive ratio of the C4 when in 4th gear. But the C4 has a 6-speed with 50% overdrive (1.725 overall drive ratio!) which is a huge advantage on the highway.


This junk yard in North Carolina has its cars along the side of the road... no fence! (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to rotate the photo... it's right side up in my PC.).

Even though it was 98 degrees with a heat index of 105, the C4's AC kept me cool with the fan speed on 3, and the engine kept its cool too, staying below 200 on the highway and 210 in traffic.

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I left my motel in Cherokee, NC at 5AM on Thursday to climb the eastern side of Smokey Mountain NP. I stopped at the summit during dawn's early light to watch the fog roll in.

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On Friday, I stopped by the Oldsmobile Club of America's national meet in Murfreesboro, TN. About 200 beautiful cars of all vintages. Judging must have been challenging while outside in the 100 degree heat.

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The forecast tomorrow is a cruel combination of heavy thunderstorms, and oppressive heat and humidity. So instead of hitting the highway, I'm calling a weather day and staying put in Murfreesboro until Sunday. I don't want to risk driving through a heavy thunderstorm like I'm seeing out my window right now. Regrettably, this means I will miss the Texas Chapter's meet in Houston.

If only I hadn't run out of gas in Pennsylvania...

[Michael J.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

It would have been great to see that car at the chapter meet, drive safe!

[David Z.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Rotated the picture. Hope that's OK. BTW, that's a real nice car and I enjoyed following your journey back to TX.
Dave Z

[Mark E.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

After a half-day rain delay a week ago Sunday, I drove west from Murfreesboro, TN to the Natchez Trace just south of Nashville, then drove the Trace down to Tupelo, MS where I stayed for the night. The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states, from Nashville to Natchez, MS. Like the Blue Ridge Parkway, it's managed by the National Park Service, doesn't allow any commercial traffic (very light traffic overall), and has no intersections, traffic lights or stop signs. Unlike Blue Ridge, the Trace is mostly straight and flat, with the same scenery along its length (trees). So it's relaxing but not a good venue to practice driving skills.

On Monday, the forecast was 104 degrees for east Texas and northern Louisiana, so I decided to take the interstate (first time!) to get home. Ruby (my wife has already given the '93 a name even though she hasn't seen it yet... a good sign) stayed a cool 195 degrees or less while traveling 75 to 80 mph the entire day in extraordinary heat.

Some trip statistics:
- Away from home 12 days, including "broken down" for 2 days and on the road for 8 days
- 1,970 miles total; no interstates except for the last 600 miles in one day. The car now has a bit fewer than 16,000 miles.
- 23.2 MPG overall, according to the car
- Spotted: 3 C6, 2 C5, 1 C4; no other Corvettes seen on the road (but one C8 in a private driveway).

Observations and notes:

- Reliability: Other than the fuel gauge issue, the car ran great. When purchased, I knew one Bose speaker was out. Now both rear speakers are out and I learned the CD player doesn't work.

- Fun to drive: This C4 is a blast to drive- great throttle response and braking, and handles like a go-cart. Ride is firm yet not harsh with FX3.

- Ergonomics and livability: C4 has a reputation for difficult egress/ingress. I'm 6' 3" and 200 pounds, and the wide sill and low seat make it more of an effort than most cars. But using the proper "butt first" technique getting into the car makes this manageable. To get out, I swing my legs out and use my arms and core muscles to stand up. So I consider this an activity that helps me stay agile. I learned it's important to avoid damaging the steering column by using the wheel as a brace, so this adds to the technique. Once in, I find the sport seats extremely comfortable with great lateral and back support. Headroom and legroom is adequate for my lanky body (in contrast, my head hits the roof in C7 and C8 coupes). Noise level is low for a sports car with minimal tire and wind noise. And all the storage space in the back is wonderful, especially for an extended road trip. The interior's level of trim and material quality is higher than C5 and C6, and I'm a fan of the cockpit style dash. And did I mention the fantastic AC and heater? No matter the weather it kept me comfortable without overheating the car. On the minus side, I'm not a fan of GM's all-in-one turn signal stalk control. It sounds like a chicken wing breaking when engaging the turn signal, and the combo cruise and wiper control is fiddly.

- Performance: Acceleration is on par with my '70 454 yet Ruby can cruise at 75 MPH under 2,000 RPM and get over 20 MPG.

- Styling: This is personal opinion, but I consider C4 the last cleanly designed generation. No large butt, no funny looking headlights, no origami crease lines.

My message to you is that a #1 condition C4 is today's sports car bargain. For less than the cost of a Toyota Corolla, I have a beautiful, unique, fun road trip toy that I hope will be reliable and affordable to maintain.

Save the wave!

[Gary C.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Mark,

Good job on the purchase and the successful road trip. Even though you were sidelined 2 days for maintenance problems.

Best C4 radio service is Dr. Don's https://www.doctordons.com/ in Huntsville.

Looking forward to seeing your new acquisition at the Lone Star Regional in October.

Gary
....

[Eric P.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Mark,
It has been interesting reading about your journey, and your thoughts on the C4, especially the final recap above in post #23. I am a big fan of all 8 Generations of Corvettes. The C4 has been widely criticized and under-appreciated for too long. I hear of many enthusiasts buying their first C4 these days and finding out like you have how good these Corvettes really are, and how much fun they are to drive on a trip like you just completed. There were a lot of C4's built and many or most of them have been abused, but if you find a good one like you have, they can be a great touring sports car. I frequently drive one of mine. One other feature you will really appreciate over time (if you haven't already by now) is how nice it is to work under the clamshell bonnet, and how much it looks like a true sportscar when it is raised and out of the way to clean, maintain, and service your Corvette.

Thanks for sharing your story!
Eric Patty

[Michael J.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

It is interesting about C4s. They are one of only 2 Corvette generations I have not had (the C1 is just too difficult for me to get into and feel comfortable driving). I had an '81 when they came out, and the styling was so different I really didn't like it at all so waited for the C5. But it might be one to take a closer look at, especially the ZR1 variant.

[Don H.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

And you'll be the guy on the stage getting the longest driven award, if you're up in Detroit now, and your start point was Orange County CAL.....
Circuitous route much?
Drive Safely..

[Mark F.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

I am currently in Detroit, MI...I took a nontraditional route through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, N. Dakota and across Upper Peninsula Michigan to get here...

Hi Dave,

...and there's only one way to get from the UP to Detroit in a car...traverse the Mackinac Bridge!!

I darn near wrecked the car the 1st time I drove across in 1976...I was gapein' and gauckin' left and right...you're 155' above the water; riding on steel grating that you can see thru; and the wind is pushing you (and tractor trailers right next to you) around like feathers in a storm!!

Spectacular views!...hope you enjoyed that as part of your 6k excursion!

https://www.mackinacbridge.org/

[Mark E.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

We're kind of cluttering up Mark's thread, if he objects, he can ask Don to clean it up.

Dave,

Not at all. Your adventure is in the spirit of the thread's road trip theme. Your trip makes my NY to TX drive looks like a short commute. And it reminds me of when I drove my '90 ZR-1 (Red/Saddle, #291 IIRC) from San Diego to Dallas via Death Valley and Indian Country in 1999. Such a hoot... and with only one issue- a failed oil pressure sending unit. I purchased this immaculate nine year old car with 6,100 miles for about the same price as a new Z-28. What a tremendous value and amazing touring car.

And thanks again for your help and support during my gas shortage incident.

Safe travels to Mobile and keep it under 100.

[Terry M.]

Re: I can't believe I'm doing this...

Back when I was in the UP they charged one way for the toll. I have forgotten which direction was free. Is it still that way? Back then we had to hand money to an attendent. I expect that is different now.

See you tomorrow.