BF Auction: 1990 Chevrolet Corvette 6-Speed

Asking: $8,500Make Offer

  • Seller: Brian S torey (Contact)
  • Location: Boise, Idaho
  • Mileage: 105,173 Shown
  • Chassis #: 1G1YY2382L5105681
  • Title Status: Clean
  • Engine: 350 V8
  • Transmission: 6-Speed Manual

It seems the fourth generation of Corvettes is finally gaining the respect they deserve, as there is far more interest and support for these cars than there has been in a decade. Now that we’ve gotten to try this 1990 example out, we understand why! They are a blast to drive and are far more interesting than most modern cars. They aren’t the fastest Corvettes, but are hard to beat for the money. This example belongs to a friend of ours who is moving cross country and can’t bring it with, so it’s currently parked at Barn Finds HQ. It’s a fun driver with the 6-speed manual, a few upgrades, and some minor needs. If you’d love to have it, cast your high bids below.

One of the best features of this Corvette is the 6-speed manual transmission. We’ve driven previous-generation Corvettes with manual transmissions, and they always seem vague and tough to shift, but that’s not the case with this one. It goes through the gears nicely without any grinding or hard-to-find gears. Steering input and feedback are great, far better than any C3 we’ve ever driven. Handling performance isn’t quite as impressive as the Porsche 911 that it competed with, but is still top notch, especially for the price point these were when new. The car currently rides on Corvette Wagon Wheels, which the seller installed. They give the car a more modern look and are wrapped in newer tires.

The interior is the area with the most needs. It’s complete, but the leather on the driver’s seat bolsters is damaged, the power seats are inoperable, and some plastic trim is damaged. These are all common problems for C4s and the parts are readily available to remedy them. Even with its issues, it’s still comfortable to drive as is. The seller planned to turn this into their autocross car, but since their plans changed, they decided not to mess with the interior. This is probably a plus, as it means its next owner can either restore it or customize it as they see fit.

Under the hood, we find the 350 cui L98 V8 with an LT1 intake, custom EPROM chip, and headers. The previous owner did the conversion, and the seller isn’t sure if any internal work was also done, but it produces good power with lots of grunt throughout the RPM range. Under the seller’s care, the car received new fuel injectors, an alternator, and a new brake master cylinder. When they purchased it, the headlights didn’t open, but they fixed the issue and now open beautifully. At some point, its FX3 select ride suspension was converted to non-adjustable shocks. The controls and wiring are still present, but the actuators and new shocks will be needed to function. It has working air conditioning, and it goes down the road nicely as is.

The seller also notes that the car was repainted by a previous owner. It’s a complete color change, and we don’t see any signs of damage, so it’s safe to assume it was repainted to change it from the original Dark Polo Green Metallic to what appears to be Medium Quasar Blue Metallic. While it would look great in the original color, the current color looks great and has held up well. Since it’s at BF HQ, we took the photos of it and were sure to include one of the RPO sticker. It’s a well-optioned car, and clearly it’s been loved by its previous owners. Since the seller can’t take it with them, they want to see it go to a good home where it will be enjoyed! If you are the one to give it a home, be sure to bid. And leave any questions you might have in the comment section below, and we will do our best to get you an answer!

Bid On This Auction

High Bid: $4,800 (Reserve Not Met)
Make An Offer
Ended: May 20, 2025 12:00pm 12:00pm MDT
High Bidder: John J
  • John J bid $4,800.00  2025-05-20 08:07:05
  • Paul F bid $4,500.00  2025-05-20 05:16:49
  • David bid $500.00  2025-05-14 09:05:27

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Frank Sumatra

    I try really hard not to comment on the choices made by owners, so I will just say if it is possible to find the original factory wheels, it would not be a bad idea to put them on. And as always- Each to his/her own. Happy motoring!

    Like 6
  2. bobhess bobhessMember

    Love the color. Fix up the interior and hit the road.

    Like 4
  3. KurtMember

    Beauty. Won’t pass CA emissions requirements ?

    Like 1
  4. Wayne

    After growing up with a C1, and having driven many C2s and 3s. The C4 is a huge step up. I don’t care for the body style on the C5 and for me the prices on C6,7s and 8s are out of my “toy ” range. I like the room inside, driving position and the overall feel of this car. The 6 speed is a huge plus and I going to bet (not bid) that the price comes out reasonable . GOOD car, not a huge distance from anyone. (Not on either coast) and priced right it will sell. Goodluck to the seller. y

    Like 2
    • Gary Aplin

      Hi Wayne. In 2012 I traveled home to IOWA for my father’s 91st birthday. While there Dad took me bye the local Chevy dealer. Right in the front sat a red 1989 Corvette with 9000 actual miles on it being as old as it was. Dad had no interest in looking at any type of car. I on the other hand was curious, so later that day I stopped by and there were only two people in the entire place. One salesperson and then the sales manager who could close any deal that got made. In talking about the car, they informed me of the original owner was! Years earlier when I lived there I was employed by the car owner! I ended up buying it because they had it on the lot and no one else was interested in buying it. Trade was the reason for the selling of the car by the original owner because he was now in his 70s and couldn’t get in it anymore because of health issues. The dealer traded it straight across for a special yellow pickup for 26000 because the guy always bought from them and only used Vett for special occasions. I managed to get it for 17500 and they even gave it a warranty for I lived out of state. To wrap this up for you it was red with a black convertible top, black interior. They even handed me the factory information that the dealer is given for selling it in the store in 1989 for profit. The car was built for 32000 dollars and the dealer was told to make a profit the car had to be sold for a price somewhere above 38000 back in 89, you had to pay something around 45000 dollars to own one of these cars. Sorry about this being long but I will end it here before telling the rest of the story. Thanks for listening.

      Like 0
  5. TCOPPS TCOPPSMember

    Thank you for all the detailed pictures!

    Like 2
  6. William Porter

    Does anyone know if there is a way to still manually adjust the seats once the power adjust goes inoperative?

    Like 0
    • Dave

      I had a ’95 with inoperable power seats when I bought it. The motors were stuck. I dismantled, cleaned and lubed them to fix them

      Like 0
  7. Wayne

    If the power seats in this are standard GM. Then basically no. Seat motor turns cables that turn gears in the track. If you were able to take an accurate measurement to how much room you need. You could remove the seat, partially disconnect the drive cable for the direction you want to go. (Up, down, forward, back) And then turn the cable to make the adjustment. I’m not sure if they still use the same cables, but used to be the old speedo cables. (I know what’s a speedo cable, since all are electronically driven now) I used to have a length of speedo cable that I would attach to a drill to test for good or bad gears in the track. That would make my decision as to weather repair or replace the assembly.

    Like 3
  8. William Porter

    Thx Wayne!

    Like 0
  9. Jeff

    The C4’s are overlooked in my opinion…in the market right now for a ’93 40th Anniversary Edition LT1 in burgundy with a targa top…asking prices are a steal right now…even the wife says go for it…good luck on the sale.

    Like 0
  10. Rod L Lustila

    I’m sorry,I know some people like them.good for them.but these cars were not good in so many ways.tjey were not popular but that was all we had for a long time.so who decided that now they are wonderful? Not the people who grew up and saw them and drove them.so who?

    Like 0
    • Frank Sumatra

      It was me, Rod. It is my fault. I owned two C3’s but I just had to have a C4. My gateway C4 was a 1984 with the rock-hard Z-51 suspension, and the 4+3 gizmo tranny. Speaking of gizmos, the dashboard display made me dizzy! I was hooked and needed another fix. The 300hp, ZF-6 speed made my cravings uncontrollable! I started stealing change from little old ladies to scrape together a down-payment. Then I got other people hooked on C4’s. To be honest, I hit rock-bottom when I convinced a pal’s younger brother to buy a ZR-1- The ultimate C4. Rod, the kid just couldn’t handle the power and went off the deep end. He had to join NCRS to try and get clean. Guilty as charged, Rod. I take full responsibilty for making people buy C4 Corvettes.

      Like 1

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