1989 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C4
’Insurance is £200 per year and replacing the cylinder head gasket myself cost just £250’
FELIX PAGE, CARDIFF
‘My first car as a teenager was a Porsche 924 and I owned another two, knowing that what I really wanted was a Corvette. I researched my ideal Corvette and the right car popped up for sale at a classic car show in spring 2016 – a 1989 C4 with a six-speed manual gearbox and a digital dash for the full Eighties experience. I wanted a car that I could use every day, all year round, and the Corvette fulfils this role admirably with its glassfibre bodywork and galvanised chassis. It takes me shopping, on track days and on European road trips, and although it’s not garaged, it rarely gives me any problems because I keep on top of the maintenance.
‘I’ve done 10k miles a year since buying it, the maximum allowed by my classic car insurance, which costs me just £200 per year. At first I used specialists to do jobs such as replacing the clutch and suspension bushes, but soon realised that I needed to do more myself to keep the running costs manageable – and so that I could invest in improvements, not just maintenance.
‘I’ve done just about everything on my Corvette for most of the last four years, from routine servicing to more adventurous jobs such as replacing the cylinder head gaskets and fitting uprated cylinder heads. Everything is available from the US, usually at silly cheap prices and with delivery within a few days; doing the whole of the cylinder head gasket job myself cost just £250 and a new set of injectors when – the ones fitted were leaking – cost just $70, or £100 delivered straight to my door.
‘I buy most parts from Rock Auto in the US (rockauto.com), which offers a range of prices depending on whether you want pattern or OE items; it’s much like buying from a motor factor in the UK. Most bits are available in the UK, however; when I’m doing a major service it costs me just £100 or so for fresh plugs, new engine, gearbox and diff’ oils and replacement filters – the kind of service that would be nearer £300-£400 at a specialist.
DIY maintenance isn’t just about saving money, though – I can also control the quality of the parts that are fitted and ensure that all of the work is done properly, something you can’t always take for granted with some garages.’