Across the Pond
The fourth-generation Corvette is currently one of the best buys on the market, says Evans…
Are you looking to buy a classic all-American sports car with a powerful, torquey V8, world-class handling and manageable dimensions at an affordable price? Seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well it isn’t. Take the case of the fourth-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Currently, on this side of the Atlantic, you can get into a good early C4, a 1984-86 model, for less than $10,000 and even the most collectible examples, like the limited-production 1996 Grand Sport, can still be had for $25,000 or even less in some cases, if you come across one. Today, a pristine condition Fox chassis
Ford Mustang GT 5.0 goes for about the same money and while these cars have their fans (including me) in overall performance terms they are far less capable in stock form than a contemporary Corvette.
So why are C4s so affordable? There are likely a number of factors. Firstly, is that successive generations, the C5, C6 and C7, expanded the performance capability of the Corvette so much that the C4s seem quaint by comparison. Another is likely the styling. When the C4 first debuted as a 1984 model it was seen as cutting edge, with its sharp wedge-inspired looks and angular interior with full-on digital displays. Today this can either be a pro or a con, depending on your perspective. Also, the first year 1984 models featured a relatively underpowered 205bhp 350cu in V8 with GM’s trouble-prone Crossfire twin throttle-body fuel injection system. Additionally, many of these early cars were also automatics, as the quirky Doug Nash 4+3 manual gearbox was only installed in a small number of them.
Coupled with the harsh riding suspension which drew criticism from the press at the time, it’s easy to see why these cars rank as the most affordable Corvettes on the market.
Yet as time marched on, the C4 gained improvements, and each subsequent model year resulted in a sports car that was better than the last. A more reliable and efficient tuned-port fuel injection set-up arrived for 1985, increasing power output to 230bhp. At the same time Chevy engineers retuned the suspension to give the car a more compliant ride, without compromising handling. A roadster returned to the line-up for the first time in more than a decade in 1986, given a further boost since the Corvette was also chosen as the official pace car for the 70th running of the Indianapolis 500, driven by former USAF test pilot Chuck Yeager.
By 1990, the C4 had received a revamped and more contemporary interior, boasted a conventional six-speed manual ZF gearbox and a small-block Chevy V8 that cranked out a respectable 245 horsepower and 34ft-lb of torque. The big news that year was the launch of the supercar-conquering ZR-1 ‘King of the Hill’ which boasted an exotic quad cam all-aluminium V8 designed by Lotus and built by Mercury Marine. Billed as the next ‘ultra collectible’ Corvette, the ZR-1 with 375bhp (and later, from 1993, 405bhp), was a stellar performer, but as time marched on, seemed to fall off the radar and it was cancelled in 1995 after just 6939 copies were sold. The regular Corvette, meanwhile, got a smooth, ZR1-inspired facelift for 1991, a more powerful 300bhp, next-generation LT1 small-block V8 the following year and increasingly, as the Nineties wore on, it was offered in a range of special edition models. These included a special Ruby Red 40th anniversary edition for 1993 and in the C4’s final year (1996); a Silver Collector Edition and the limited-run Grand Sport. The latter boasted a special 330bhp LT4 engine, Admiral Blue paint with twin white racing stripes and red sashes on the front left fender, plus special black 17-inch wheels and tyres.
Today, even the youngest C4s are a quartercentury old, but the fact that many have been cherished (certainly stateside), means there’s a healthy supply of good-quality cars to choose from. There’s also plentiful parts and club support for C4s too, making them both practical and affordable to run. The one exception to this is the ZR-1. Its exotic engineering wowed the critics at the time of its introduction, but now, more than 30 years in, be prepared to fork out a premium for maintenance and repairs to the LT5 engine, plus with values still stuck in the high teens to low $20,000 range, owning one today is pretty much a labour of love.
While the C5 and C6 models are faster and the earlier C3s more recognised as traditional classics, they’re also more expensive. Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a classic American car that offers more overall bang for your buck than a C4. It’s of very manageable size (which means it will fit in many UK garages), boasts excellent handling (even on the early cars) and parts and running costs are reasonable. Plus it marks a significant era in Corvette history, bridging the gap between the last of the traditional American sports cars and the first of the new breed of 21st century performers.
In that respect not only is it affordable and practical but truly unique.
“CURRENTLY, ON THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC, YOU CAN GET INTO A GOOD EARLY C4, A 1984-86 MODEL, FOR LESS THAN $10,000 AND EVEN THE MOST COLLECTIBLE EXAMPLES, LIKE THE LIMITED-PRODUCTION 1996 GRAND SPORT, CAN STILL BE HAD FOR $25,000 OR EVEN LESS IN SOME CASES...”