This is an awful lot of car for the money. A low mileage C4 Corvette remains a smoking deal on the enthusiast automotive landscape, and while there are plenty of inferior examples out there, this does not appear to be one of them. This 1995 Chevrolet Corvette wears a very attractive shade of paint known as “Dark Red Metallic” and is made to look even better with a factory-matching hardtop. The real selling point, however, is the mere 17,311 miles on the clock. The seller is asking $22,995, and it’s listed here on craigslist in Independence, MO.
1995 introduced a few distinctive features compared to other years. The “gills” on the front fenders were revised (looking more pronounced); the windshield wipers were redesigned to resist chattering against the glass at high speeds; and the torque converter was made lighter and more durable, and shift quality was said to improve as a result. You still got the same classic Corvette sport seats, which, in this case, are in minty condition. The Corvette sports the optional automatic, so hopefully you’ll get to experience that superior shift action as a result. This car remains bone-stock, down to the radio.
The LT1 V8 was a terrific motor, with loads of usable power and torque. The 5.7L engine utilizes aluminum cylinder heads and sequential port fuel injection, generating 300 b.h.p. and 340 lb.-ft. of torque. Those are great numbers, even today, and there are of course hundreds of vendors willing to sell you upgrade parts to take that number even higher. The engine bay looks spotless, and there are no signs of cold air intakes or aftermarket headers. The seller doesn’t provide any updates on recent maintenance, but these engines have proven fairly robust even with spotty upkeep.
Of course, the big story here is the optional factory hardtop. A nearly $2,000 option when new, the hardtop was elusive in 1995 and is even more challenging to find now. If you own an enthusiast-grade convertible, finding a factory hardtop is practically a must-do for pairing your drop-top with the most desirable option offered by the manufacturer. While the production volume of removable roofs has increased with the arrival of cars like the Porsche 996, and you can now find a hardtop for sale without looking too hard, it is still a very sought after part for cars like this C4 Corvette, from when only a handful of customers opted to spend that additional $2K on their dream car. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.
Vette convertibles with the hardtop usually make for a great looking car.
Agree 100%. I would never take the top off. The latest Hagerty Price Guides were published yesterday. This car is fairly priced. As always, due diligence is required prior to purchase. Even with the 1995 Opti-Spark upgrades, I would verify if the Opti was replaced along with the noted water pump replacement. Water pump failures usually lead to Opti issues.
17K Original Miles: 1995 Chevrolet Corvette. SOLD!! What now? That is one super car and price. No mention of bids or a BIN offer. Where, how, when? ///g
Absolutely gorgeous corvette worth every bit of the asking price!
I had a ’95 that I bought with 10,000 miles on it, drove it to 45,000 or so and never had a problem with the OptiSpark. The guy I sold it to keeps in touch with me from time to time and he’s never had a problem. My opinion is that a C4 is a great car, a screaming bargain, and it’s also a 45 year old design. It’s not nearly as good a car as my C6 but what can you expect?
Like most semi-retirees I spend an inordinate amount of time googling old cars. I’m a bit surprised at the prices for C3s and C4s, but I guess that’s partially due to inflation. That said, a perfectly good C4 can be had for a lot less than $23K, but apparently pristine examples like this one can command premium prices.
@ccrvtt- It is a 40+ year old design that was updated and refined every model year up to an including “Peak C4” with the 1995 and 1996 model years. And you are correct- The 95 and 96 editions are bargains and great drivers.
One of the first things I bought for my 1992 convertible was a hardtop. As stated in the article, they are hard to find. I lucked out and found one locally in the same color as my Corvette (so no painting required) for what is a bargain these days of $1300. It was missing the hardware, but fortunately aftermarket hardware kits are only $100. The hardtop completely changes the vibe of the car. I will say they are a bear to take on and off, you need two people for the task, and you need some space to store it (it’s larger than it seems).