When I hear people complain about the lack of affordable hobby cars, I generally can commiserate with them. However, there’s no denying that there are still plenty of bargains out there, and you don’t even have to look that hard for them. It continues to blow my mind that you can basically buy a brand new in the wrapper Chevrolet Corvette from the early 90s for relative peanuts. While it may not be your dream car, it makes the right noises, goes decently, and still looks great. The 1990 Chevrolet Corvette shown here on craigslist has 40,000 original miles and is listed for just $11,500.

The C4 is not a car you need to be educated on, except for perhaps realizing it’s not as bad as it’s often made out to be. The complains about the Corvette were not generally about its performance or reliability, but more the perception that it was cheap and over-built compared to its competitors (both true.) They made a ton of these, which perhaps led to some disappointment in the marketplace that the car wasn’t all that special. If you adjust your perception of what “special” means, however, the C4 begins to appeal. A sports car you can quite literally hop in and fire up without having to worry about some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure? That’s a desirable quality in any enthusiast vehicle.

The seller’s Corvette is a classic red on black example, and given the low miles, it’s in mint condition. The black interior is still quite fetching, and I always like seeing the C4 on the later “sawblade” wheels. The red paint shows no discernable flaws, but I imagine you’ll find some chips and scratches up close. The options list includes the somewhat rare bronze-tinted roof panel, which really gets into the weeds as it relates to rarity, but Corvette guys will dig it. Other features include Preferred Equipment Group #1, a Bose sound system, and the low tire pressure warning system. The seller notes the Goodyear Eagle F1s have plenty of tread left.

Despite all the complains about build quality, the C4 still provided plenty of grunt in the form of 245 horsepower and 345 lb.-ft. of torque. No matter how you slice it, that’s plenty of performance by even today’s high standards. Is it the fastest car on the street anymore? Hardly. But you will be hard pressed to lose ground to most cars on your local interstate on ramp. The value proposition is through the roof on a C4 Corvette like this one, and if you’re so inclined, they can make formidable track day cars as well. Find one with a manual and you have an outstanding weekend ride for well under $25,000. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the tip.