Claims of low odometer readings are nothing new in the classic world. However, when a seller guarantees that reading, it suggests they hold evidence to support that claim. Such is the case with this 1985 Chevrolet Corvette. It isn’t perfect, but it could be an affordable alternative for those considering a first classic purchase. Addressing its shortcomings shouldn’t be complicated or expensive, but the first step would be to replace the original tires so it can be enjoyed immediately. The Corvette is listed here on eBay in Reeseville, Wisconsin. Bidding sits below the reserve at $4,551, and with the auction heading toward its conclusion, interested parties may need to act fast.
Chevrolet began delivering its new C4 Corvette range in March 1983. While it retained some of the distinctive styling cues of its predecessor, the company commenced its development with an almost entirely clean sheet of paper. The C4 was smaller and lighter than the last C3s to roll off the line, helping to improve upon the lackluster performance that became a hallmark of those final cars. This Corvette has a known ownership history, which is always reassuring for potential buyers. Its original owner remained its custodian until he passed away. His son inherited it and then sold it to the current owner. All three parties were friends, meaning the seller has known this classic since the day it rolled off the showroom floor. Chevrolet offered 1985 Corvette buyers ten single-shade paint colors, and this is 1-of-1,752 ordered in Code 13 Silver. That isn’t the rarest choice made during that model year, but with a take-up rate of 4.4%, it is far from being the most common. The known history of this car allows the seller to confirm it has been garage-kept its entire life, helping to explain its rust-free status. The paint shines nicely for its age, although the seller admits refreshing the bumpers would lift its appearance. Transparent roof panels were a popular choice in 1985, and the lack of water damage inside this Chevy suggests the seals for the ones on this car are in good order. A new feature on the C4 was the distinctive alloy wheels that improved brake cooling. They are prone to stains and physical damage, but the ones on this car look remarkably clean. They are wrapped in their original tires, and replacing them due to their age would be wise before attempting any long journeys.
Ordering a 1984 Corvette in Silver brought an interior trimmed in either Graphite or Medium Gray. This car features the latter, with the seats finished in leather. This interior presents well for a vehicle of this vintage, with only the typical carpet fading and scuff marks on the sill plates. The leather is free from significant wear, and the remaining trim looks extremely tidy. The dash and pad are free from UV damage, and there is no crumbling plastic. The seller recharged the air conditioning, but the refrigerant leaked out relatively quickly. That indicates there is a system leak requiring investigation. They also bypassed the heater core due to a leak, meaning those in cooler climates may face fitting a replacement. The interior is nicely equipped in a 1985 context, with the new owner receiving power windows, power locks, cruise control, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, the funky digital gauge cluster, and a premium AM/FM stereo radio/cassette player.
Powering this Corvette is the L98 version of the 350ci V8, backed by the “4+3” manual transmission. This innovative feature placed an overdrive on the top three gear ratios to improve performance. That was one area of the early C4 that received considerable criticism. Some buyers felt the car didn’t provide the performance they expected, but the reality was that the C4 marked a substantial improvement over its predecessor. The best an owner could hope for from a 1982 Corvette was a ¼-mile ET of 15.9 seconds. This car should deliver a 14.6-second pass, and its top speed will be 25mph faster than the best the ’82 model could muster. The seller doesn’t merely claim this Corvette has a genuine 40,000 miles on the clock; they guarantee it. The ownership history suggests they may hold verifying evidence, which is reassuring for potential buyers. They have identified the tires as its only weakness because the car runs and drives well. Bolting on fresh rubber will have this baby ready to prowl the streets once again.
The current auction figure on this 1985 Corvette may be modest, but it has achieved it off the back of twenty bids. That suggests people like what they see and are willing to speak with their wallets. Early C4 Corvettes spent years in the classic wilderness, but their affordability has seen them develop a new following. This car demonstrates that, and the odometer reading should allow it to provide a new owner with years of faithful service. Are those thoughts enough to tempt you to pursue it further?
When people ask me about getting into the hobby on a budget, I often suggest a C4. Excepting the ZR1, they are plentiful, inexpensive, relatively easy to work on, most parts(new or used) are plentiful. As with most cars, a cheap, beater C4 will quickly cost more to fix than it is worth, especially if it needs a repaint, and interior.
The car here presents well, with an honest description of the car’s needs. The paint, body, and interior are really nice which is a major factor in considering a C4. If there are no other hidden surprises, replacing the tires and heater core could be done for around $1,500. Fixing the AC leak will be more, but the parts are available, and generally affordable. If you are lucky, the leak is from bad seal(s) or a line. The AC leak should be properly diagnosed before changing the heater core, in case it needs an evaporator.
This car could be a nice entry level classic for someone, if bought right. Properly maintained C4s are slowly rising in value, so this one would be a safe bet.
Replacement tires are like $525. A piece. You can change to newer rim and use wheel spacer than you buy tires easier and cheaper. Repairing the heater core is no easy job on a C4, unless you can do it yourself that’s going to cost you about $1500. . Repairing the A/C system is not cheap either. I speak from experience, I own 1984 C4 that I bought 2 years ago. Parts are not cheap, and matter how low the mileage is the car is still 39 years ago . So buyer beware.
I agree, replacing the heater core on a C4 requires pulling out the whole dash, everything has to come out. Even an experienced owner with above average skills is going to take a full day or more to R&R everything. A competent professional mechanic will probably charge around $1k in labor. As far as the AC goes, these cars are relatively easy to convert to r134a and the evaporator core isn’t to complicated to replace. Replacing the orfice tube, accumulator and o rings is basic AC repair.
I see an air freshener and custom taillights. That, and the a/c and heater core problems, make me wonder if the mileage is correct. Or did those problems cause it to be parked for decades? A decent daily driver C4 reliably sells for about double the asking price here.
I agree that the C4 still lives in that bargain spot where it’s not yet priced as a classic like the earlier versions, but not too new to be an affordable used car, and even the stock versions (i.e. excepting ZR-1) offer pretty impressive performance and handling for the money.
We had a 1990 model for a while. To be honest, my gearhead son bought it and it was pretty roached, too many miles, too many previous owners, bad synchro on second gear, sagging suspension etc. We sold that one on at a loss in the end, put it down to a “learning experience” for him – but I can see that it would make a good car if you could find one that had been better cared for.
When we worked on it, most major parts were affordable, GM parts pricing is pretty good. I note this featured car needs tires, and a good quality set of tires for a corvette aren’t cheap, simply because of the size of them…
One thing on this featured car that is impressive, is that the original interior looks in great shape. The interior in the 1990 car we had was crappy, almost every component, broken or worn, disintegrating. I guess GM interiors of that era weren’t renowned for their quality and durability. I always thought GM managed to do a good job building the Corvette brand so that people could almost dissociate them in their mind from the other more mundane Chevy cars, you know… “you drive a Chevy? no, it’s a CORVETTE” – but the GM build quality and choice of materials showed up in the Corvette interior. which is disappointing, as they were not cheap cars when new.
Later years of these, from about 88 until 97 when they introduced the C5, were much improved for looks, dependability and performance. Still the most bang for your buck when considering a performance car purchase. This is a nicely preserved car, and I hate to be a critic, but those tires look awful good for their age plus 40K miles?
I’ll cut to the chase- $6000.00 is all the money for this.
Agree
Beautiful looking car. I remember when this generation Corvette was intro’d back in 1982. I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I was 10 yrs. old at the time after all, but I remember admiring the style of the car.
Well, at least it’s a Tuned Port and not a Crossfire. Three pedals never hurts.
I had owned a cross fire 1984 that I bought in 1988. The suspension was like driving a tank!
I had an 84 tune port with 284 thousand miles on it at the track 13 7 she ran
My C4 was a 85 twin to this one. It was about 10 years old with 60K and a AT. It was fun to drive and I only paid 6500. for it at that time. I drove it several years and the only problems I had were defective digital dash and AC leaks. Since then I bought my C5. Power plus, fun to drive and a lot more bucks!
Went to take a look. This is a vw based kit car. Don’t bid against me. I mean, don’t waste your money
I rescued a 88 Z51 last summer and it has the original 74k miles, for $5k. The C4’s weren’t daily drivers for most owners, so there’s a lot of sub 100k mile ones out there. I think a lot of “blue collar” people like me are finding these are still a relatively cheap entry level sports car with lots of aftermarket support. I just wonder when or if they ever will move up past the $10k entry level.
I remember running around with my dad here and there in one of these 350 Corvettes beautiful car. Love to own one some day.