I Bought a Corvette Without Really Trying
Good things rarely fall in your lap—or, at least historically, not into mine. More great deals on project cars and motorcycles have fallen through my fingers than I can count. So imagine my confusion when I put in zero effort and the perfect project still ended up in my driveway.
I’ve spent a solid two years working on a variety of Honda XRs and my Chevrolet Corvair. There were a couple small detours to assist some friends, but the vast majority of my projects as of late have been pretty simple air-cooled engines and their associated systems. Somewhere along the way, I began to think about bringing a waterpumper into the garage. I’ve also been wanting a “modern” car that I could use for activities for which the Corvair is just simply not suited without significant modifications and compromises. I began a passive search for a solution that would not break the bank.
One option that rose to the top of the pile was a fourth-generation (C4, or 1984–96) Corvette. The C4 has been the butt of the joke as far back as I can remember. These Corvettes aren’t particularly sexy, but 1980s cars are a sweet spot of sorts: they boasted enough technology to allow dramatic increases in capability and comfort but were not yet touched by the many complicated systems found on today’s cars. It was a transitionary time. Many components of the C4’s chassis were computer-designed, but the car itself carried no computers. A C4 has all the benefits of modernity without its complications, making it especially appealing if your plan is to modify the car in a way that would make any factory computer panic.
Which is, of course, my plan. Leaving well enough alone has never been my strong suit, and to be honest, I’m tired of not owning a car that is capable of a burnout. Not that I really need that in my life, but I’ve learned from my KTM 950 Adventure that a little excess seems to be the perfect amount. I would have loved a first-generation Dodge Viper, but I missed the bottom of the market on those and have since watched their prices sail away, far out of my reach.
A smart man would buy the best C4, also known as the generation that followed it in ’97, the C5. Even a base C5 would be killer for anything I want and would ask very little in return. Much like Vipers, though, the right C5 has gotten tough to find, and the prices are swinging up. So I stuck with the C4, partly on the encouragement of fellow editors Sajeev Mehta and Andrew Newton, both who have hands-on experience with both early and late fourth-gen Corvettes. On a Monday, during our annual team gathering a few weeks ago, they stood over my shoulder as I scrolled through for-sale listings and outlined my dumb idea to snag a cheap C4 and turn it into the perfect medium-horsepower toy and grand tourer.
That’s when the ad appeared: A sleek black coupe, framed nicely in a front 3/4 shot. The price set the hook: $2000. The car looked as though it was cared for, but it had certainly been used. Dirt sat in splotches on the black paint, where it had collected in small puddles of morning dew after being blown around by the summer breeze. The exhaust hung slightly askew, in partially out-of-focus photos. The catch: The owner had put in a new battery but the car was not powering up at all. It was a near paperweight of a car, and it was just 2.5 hours from my home in Traverse City.
The project was right, the price was right. The timing was decidedly not right. Even in my afternoon-cold-brew-induced excitement, the emergency safety switch in the back of my brain tripped. I had no space in my garage already. Between the arrival of winter in just a few months, and the promise I had made to my lovely wife to clear a space for her to park inside for the season, I was in a literal corner. Sajeev assured me it really was the right car for my wants and needs, but I held fast: I needed to sleep on the idea before I even sent a message. There was no need to be pushy on something I didn’t need. Maybe someone else needed this deal more than I did.
Tuesday, on the four-hour drive back home from our editorial offices in Ann Arbor, I revisited the idea. I’d be an idiot, I decided, to not try to grab it. The car would certainly be sold before I could mosey down to meet the seller, so why think about what would happen if I did get it? As far as the parking situation went, if any of my vehicles would be exiled from the garage during the winter, it would be the one that had the least material to rust. Corvair: steel. Model A: steel. Corvette: fiberglass. The choice was clear.
The next day, freshly rested, I sat on the swing in the backyard with my wife.
“Are we doing anything this weekend?” I lightly prodded.
“We should go kayaking Saturday. The weather is supposed to be really nice.”
“Yeah, let’s do that. What about Sunday?”
We’ve been together long enough that she probably already knew what was coming. She played along anyway.
“Nothing that I know of. Why?”
“I think I’m going to buy a Corvette.”
“Hmmm … Okay.”
There’s a reason I married her.
Still sitting there on the swing, I typed up a quick message to Ron, the seller of the Corvette. Knowing the chaos of messages Ron was likely getting, I kept the message clear and direct: I know what I’m buying, I have a trailer and cash, and I can be there Sunday, late morning or early afternoon. It was the laziest I think I’ve ever been when trying to buy a vehicle that was likely to have plenty of interested buyers. I clicked send on a Wednesday. The car was surely going to sell by Sunday.
Ron’s response was delayed. As expected, he was inundated with messages and interest. He promised to let me know if the Corvette was still available come Sunday. Fair enough. I forgot about the whole thing until Friday night, when Facebook told me that the price on the Corvette had dropped from $2000 to $1800. Suspicious, I sent another message to Ron.
When I read his reply, I could feel his exasperation through the screen. I repeated my offer: He could list it as pending and I would be there Sunday, easy transaction. That sounds nice, he said. Suddenly I was shuffling around town, grabbing a trailer from a friend and stopping by the bank just before closing time to prepare for my Sunday morning road trip.
The trip went so smoothly that I thought the universe was screwing with me. Ron was a kind gentleman who had bought the coupe, an ’85, in 1988 and drove it over 100,000 miles since. The tires are date-coded 1997 so he must have racked up a lot of those miles in the early part of the ownership. The car appeared to have been stored for a number of years and was exhibiting the symptoms of improper storage: a coolant leak, and the aforementioned total lack of power. It was perfect. I winched the Corvette onto the trailer and headed back north, smitten with victory.
I currently have a friend trying to force upon me a REALLY nice ’85 RX7, 2 years after I sold my ’81. I feel like this article is telling me something…
Those cars are really hard to find, especially nice ones. You’re not likely to find another anytime soon nearby. The C4 Vettes are everywhere in any condition.
I own an 89 convertible. It has an ECM computer.
And the real bonus Kyle..its a stick!!
That shifter was what tipped me into action. I would not have impulsively purchased an automatic car, though it would have been fine.
There are lots of used Corvettes that have hardly been driven at all and have lots of fun miles left in them. Sometimes you find one that has lots of miles and has been thrashed within an inch of its lifespan. When you consider the expense and heartache of making it a half-way reliable and decent-appearing car, $1800 sounds like a lot of lattes at the coffee shop. In the 1980’s I bought a ’69 AMX for $1200. Seven grand later, it was still a bucket of troubles. I sold it for $2400. Enough said.
Having appropriate expectations and plans is critical in any project. This car is certainly rough around the edges, but that’s how I prefer my cars. I don’t do restorations in my shop. The checked black paint and slightly tired interior is perfect for me but totally ragged to others.
If you’re storing a C4 outside in Michigan weather, what has worked for me is to Fluid Film the steel chassis components, and cover the body with a car cover that has any kind of fleece lining where it contacts the paint. Now cover the car cover with a plastic tarp. Yes, two layers, but the fleece lined car cover protects the car, and the plastic tarp will protect the car and the car cover and make snow removal easier. Just make sure the underside is well ventilated and with the Fluid Film undercoating, all should be well.
If the car has been sitting a while, you will likely need a new fuel tank pump and sender assembly. This is accessible through the filler door, but be very careful when you try to remove the M6 bolts holding the sender assembly to the gas tank. This is a poor design as the vertical bolt orientation accumulates water and rust. A long penetrating oil soak might help along with turning down any impact tool to its lowest setting. You will want to try and save the OEM tank as it has an internal plastic bladder that was designed for crash safety.
Good luck. These cars can be a lot of fun for not much money
Bought a 93 C4 new put ,165,000 miles on it did all minor maintenance myself had the fuel pump and sending unit replaced at 100k and 150k respectively and bought it for 30k 20% under sticker. I’m still enjoying it along with my c6. Ferrari performance at a Chevy price is why I bought them and never looked back.
Have been looking for a few months for a ’94-’96 C4, but also check other years (except ’84) and all conditions. Maybe your thinking that this car would have sold by Sunday is correct, but from my looking, C-4’s do not sell easily. There are … what? 400,000 still existing out of the 500,000+ GM mfg’ed. People have choices. But it seems you got the car that fits what you wanted and the price is fine. As someone already noted, in parts alone it’s worth it. Good luck and am looking forward to updates.
KV- Bump your search up to 95/96 and leave the potential Opti-Spark moisture issues behind. I have a 1995 LT-1 . Coming up on five trouble-free years of ownership next week. Another thought is the 1991 that sold here a few days ago. The L-98 engine is no slouch. Happy hunting!
Thanks, Paul. A ’95-’96 are my first choices. If the troublesome years for the Opti-Spark cars had a replaced one I would consider them too. ’91’s and even ’90’s are less available. I think the torquey L-98 is perfect for a cruiser weekend car. Continued good luck w/your ’95.
Definitely a computer on board in your 85. But you scored a TPI with a 4+3, good find! I might be in the minority, but I think C4’s are great looking cars…particularly the earlier ones. The sweet spot for me would be an 89. TPI, 6 speed, and still had the original digital dash.
You’re right, there is an ECU for the fuel injection that I neglected to mention while still carried away in my new purchase excitement. The 1985 shape is growing on me but it’s also becoming clear why the later C4s are more popular.
Kyle,
Corvettes and understanding wives are a great pair! I ordered a new 1985 Corvette – Medium Blue with the 4+3 Doug Nash manual transmission. It came in and I took delivery on Valentine’s Day. My 2nd Corvette (first was a 1982), and oh what a “sweetheart” this C4 was!
I got married in March of the next year (1986). My wife to be had a small car I didn’t fit in, and I had a 3/4 ton 454 Suburban I towed my drag car with. I was trying to convince her into us selling her car, me driving the Suburban as my daily, and her driving the Corvette. She was very reluctant, but FINALLY agreed to a Sunday afternoon driving lesson in an empty parking lot, since she couldn’t drive a stick. I am 6’4″ and she is 4’10”, so the first order of business was running the seat all the way up to see if she could even press the clutch all the way to the floor. She looked down at the floor then up to me and said, “Which one is the clutch?” I made her get out right then and there and get back in the passenger seat. I just could not put my Corvette through that abuse. I sold it the next week.
When our kids came along and they all developed my same interest in cars, I would tell them, “I used to have a Corvette, but now I have your mother.” Now, almost 39 years later, I finally have my 3rd Corvette – an Amplify Orange 2024 Z06. What a beast it is! I now tell my kids (and grandkids), “Now I have a Corvette and your mother!’
Can’t wait to see what you do with this one!
Now all you need is to hit Target for a pair of cargo shorts and white socks and shoes. A nice faded Corvette T-shirt and ball cap will complete the uniform. Enjoy the ride.
So true, LOL. Jorts (jean shorts) are also part of the uniform. There are some hilarious memes out there about this
I had a friend that would come down south to buy cars, always cash, carried a briefcase full of it and something else just in case. He would talk to the owner had the gift of gab, make a low cash offer. Open the briefcase, but not where the owner could see in it and take out the cash with his hand on the other item, just in case. That was many moons ago, taking cash without a bodyguard, or friend now is extremely risky, but hey you only live once.
C4 Corvettes are the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world – they get no respect.
I have been smitten by them, especially the early ones since Labor Day Weekend 1983 when my dad brought a used one home from the Cadillac dealer he worked at. * year old me thought it was the coolest think I had ever seen, and I would still love to own one someday. Looking forward to the rest of the story on this one Kyle!
Should say 8 year old me…
My first Corvette was a ’94 that I was going to use as a donor for my ’66 C10 truck project. It was $4k and ran perfect with 112k miles on it. After driving it for a month, I couldn’t cut it up and drove it daily for over a year. Unfortunately I wrecked it.
A year later I had to have another, so I got an ’01 C5 manual for $14k with 72k miles. It had 201k miles on it when I sold it. I’m currently looking for an ’08 C6 manual, but the manuals are tough to find.
Twenty 5 years ago I paid $4000 for my 87 C4 with 180000 miles. Wow! I own a Vette! It wasn’t in great shape with a horrible repaint, probably due to a crash, and the standard interior had cracked vinyl seats along with stained and much faded carpet. But it ran and haven’t had much trouble with it mechanically, electrics are a different issue. It’s a C4 go figure. But for a while now I feel like Chevy Chase in “Vacation” looking out over the Grand Canyon nodding his head and saying let’s leave. Trouble is, there’s not a great market for C4s. I have since starting paint (not finished) and my friend Dave had given me the interior removed from his 90 ZR1 in which he set the record for his class at Bonneville a couple years ago. With that going on my interest in the car is renewed and Hagerty makes it very affordable to keep insured. So unless somebody wants to give me too much money, I’ll keep it.
That seems to be the prevailing attitude with C4s. A lot of the owners don’t see enough return to justify selling, so instead just keep the car and keep enjoying it. I hope this stays in my shop for a while.
My son bought a green 1985 with low miles very cheap. So far he has replaced the entire interior, seats carpet and repaired the acrylic rear window, passenger window control and new dashboard. Looks super. Having a problem finding injectors. New tires engine checks out fine compression, spark exhaust all good no rust. I helped with a lot of the work Transmission fluid changed Waiting for injectors. I can’t wait to drive it
Sounds like an awesome project! Keep up the good work