If you’re looking for a potentially awesome project package deal to bring home this Memorial Day weekend, this pair of 1986 Chevrolet Corvettes with the rare Doug Nash 4+3 manual transmission looks tempting. Of course, tempting depends on if you can get past the stigma of a C4 Corvette, which is that they were poorly built and underpowered, and assuming you can, there’s only one bid to $3,500 for these two Corvettes here on eBay where they are offered with no reserve and located in Carver, Massachusetts. Bidding ends Monday morning for this pair of projects.
Now, a “pair” really means one decent builder and one carcass with some good parts still attached. The more complete example is this car here, which supposedly has an all-new interior. It’s hard to tell, but perhaps the red leather on the seats is new and the carpet definitely looks quite fresh. The complete Corvette was supposedly parked with what sounds like fairly terminal engine problems, which is why the parts car is relevant to the auction as it has a good motor and a spare 4+3 manual transmission should you ever need another one of those. Even better is that both cars have good, clean titles.
The seller doesn’t specify what happened to the engine that’s currently installed in the example that’s closer to being a potential driver, or whether it could be repaired with parts from the known good engine. Regardless, the Corvette is a complete car, but some level of disassembly will need to happen in order to make it a runner. The seller states that the only reason he’s not completing the work is due to a pending relocation. Keep in mind, when you finish the mechanical bits, he recommends getting the body resprayed. And while the interior is described as being restored, I couldn’t help but notice there’s a none-matching door panel inside.
The parts car is pretty sad looking, but who cares if it’s giving up a good motor and a spare transmission that isn’t exactly the easiest unit to find in your local salvage yard. The hard part about selling a car like this is that it’s not terribly challenging to find an early C4 Corvette in running condition for not much cash, so unless you have a need for loads of spares, it’s hard to justify spending much on this non-running combo. The seller doesn’t specify whether either of these cars were used in the winter seasons prior to being parked, so hopefully they’re not suffering from the tin worm in addition to the other ailments on display. Is this pair of C4 projects a good deal at the current bid price?
Two parts cars for $3,500. Depending on the demand fir parts in the secondary market it might be worth a shot.
Steve R
At least they have the L-98 engines.
Long as the one engine is good and you have the place to change it out, could be a decent deal. Biggest issue with this car and other same-era GM’s is the clearcoat failures that can occur. About the only place to check for rust is the frame under the battery, otherwise the rest should be good from all I’ve seen. If you have to pay for it, you’ll put a lot more into a paint job than the cost of the car, and that’s not the best paintjob possible. A L98 may not be the fastest car in a drag race, but with a little tweaking they make great canyon crawlers on those windy roads.
My 2 cents.
Who is Doug Nash?…why 4+3?….is he related to John Player?
More than you wanted to know…
https://jalopnik.com/the-chevrolet-corvette-c4s-doug-nash-4-3-manual-transmi-1825119474
I’ve got an 87 convertible with the 4+3. For parts, the pair are probably worth the investment if you have the storage and means to haul them away. Don’t know if it’s worth trying to put the two into one, since you can buy a decent runner for 3500. But as these age, the little bits are getting more pricey. If the seller was shrewd they would part these out over eBay, but it’s hard to keep interest.
My car, it’s not the major failures that hurt. It’s the little things. A Bose speaker with the built in amp will set you back $150. My dash is slowly starting to crack and fall apart from the Florida sun. Used dashes are a few hundred. The wheels are, if in decent condition, worth a couple hundred for a set.
A 4+3 unit sells for over a thousand. And they definitely bust if not maintained. The overdrive needs the atf changed every 7-10k miles.
Jim is right , here in Florida you can pick them up for 3000 or a lot less and still be running.
Finally, Corvettes being offered at prices representative of their worth. Hundreds for sale all over the US, many of them on this site. Most of them overrated INHO. Or at least, overpriced.
The Doug Nash designed 4+3 transmission was basically a Borg Warner T-10 4 speed with an overdrive planetary gearset behind it. You had essentially overdrive in 2nd, 3rd & 4th gears. Each time you shift out of 2nd or 3rd & into the next higher gear, the OD kicked out.
Where have I heard that before?
in the 1970s I had a 1955 Packard 400 2-door hardtop, It had the dual 4 carb set for the Caribbean, and it had the very rare 3 speed & overdrive. This Borg Warner unit provided OD in all 3 forward gears, and under hard acceleration [IE – flooring the gas pedal] with each shift it would shift out of OD. Letting off from the gas pedal just a bit would allow the OD to kick in, essentially giving the driver 3+3 gears!
The Packard overdrive began in 1939, with the Borg-Warner R-9 OD unit used thru the 22nd series [1948] Packards, and the B-W R-11 OD unit used thru the 1956 Packard & Clipper stickshift cars.
I wonder if Doug Nash either worked as a mechanic for a Packard dealership, or perhaps he owned one or more overdrive equipped Packards?