While C4 Corvettes are not the most loved cars around here, I feel like they have been under-valued for quite some time. While I am by no means a fortune teller, I believe anyone who picks one of these up in survivor condition or with rare options/features will be sitting pretty a few years from now. This 1986 Corvette appears to possess both of those qualities, as it is nicely preserved with a reasonable 85,000 miles on the clock but also features a paint scheme we don’t often see on these, along with a handsome interior. It won’t be worth crazy money, but I bet it will be worth more than the $6,900 asking price as it’s listed for here on craigslist in Sarasota, Florida.
The C4’s main offense is being familiar, as they were sold in droves and many owners held onto them as potential collector’s items. The seller’s car looks very sharp in its bronze paint job with the factory taillights almost appearing to be blacked-out against the lighter shade of paint; it’s likely I’m just accustomed to seeing the C4 in red or black by now that everything looks different with this unusual paint job. The trim looks to be unaffected by the Florida sun, and the quad exhaust pipes appear to be the same size it left the factory with. There’s no mention of any modifications besides the typical chromed ZR1 wheels that many owners upgrade to.
The interior is in very nice shape, with untorn leather seats wearing nicely contrasting butterscotch leather. The same goes for the carpets, and the paint inside the door jams suggests this is a factory paint job all the way through. The woodgrain trim is an interesting feature, too, as both manufacturers and the aftermarket offered cosmetic upgrades like these. I haven’t studied the C4 accessories brochure enough to know whether Chevrolet offered this as a standalone option, or if a previous owner opted to engage with a local custom shop to add the fancy-look bits to the center console and stack. It seems to still present well, despite its age.
The engine bay is nothing to write home about in terms of presentation, but it does appear to remain in stock condition with no cause for concern. The seller doesn’t report on any recent maintenance the Corvette has received, other than noting it drives well as-is. The air conditioning does not work and there’s a crack in the windshield, but otherwise, no major flaws are listed. At the end of the day, with a clean title and reasonable asking price, it seems like a safe buy at the current asking price, and perhaps a little lower if you think you can negotiate down a bit to an even $6,500. Do you dig the color as much as I do?
Boy, that’s one ugly color. Yuck !!!!
Thank God we don’t see this color on cars.
Only on this poor Corvette
Nice looking C4! Man, if I was a kid looking for my first sports car, this would be it. Hell, even as an old man looking for my 10th sports car, this is attractive for the $$.
I like the gold but had a gold and maroon 89 truck so Im partial to that color. Looks decent.
I’ve read some of the comments that people are writing saying this car is Gold. This car is
Bronze. A big difference.
Without a view of the service parts ID label it’s still possible to narrow down this car’s paint code. According to available numbers in 1986 777 Corvettes rolled off the line wearing paint code 53 (metallic gold). The closest color offered to this would be the much rarer code 66’s metallic copper (4 cars). Nothing else is close.
its gold, and one of 777 in 86.
I’ve owned my GOLD 86 since 1992.
No offense Jeff but we’ve been hearing the same schtick regarding values of C-4’s rising for so long that mold is growing on the edges. For a couple years I owned a low mileage 91 ZR-1 that I thought was bought right at 20k. Soon after Hagerty and many others were making bold claims of buy this car before it’s too late along with other such noise.
That said I felt lucky to have enjoyed the car while I was caretaker, and broke even.
There’s certainly deals on C-4’s still, and if you’re limber enough to get in and out (seriously) they can be a lot of fun for the $$.
I just wouldn’t go in thinking that they’ll take off price wise.
PaulG: I agree, same with C3 values. Always the promise of a huge spike in values. In ’85, I bought my ’70 convertible and probably broke even when I sold it in ’17, considering the work and money I put into it.
Other cars I considered buying in ’85 (prices were within 1 – 3K of the Vette) that would have clearly been a better investment:
Jag XKE
’69 Camaro Pace Car Convertible
Superbird
Oh well, I did love that Vette for many years.
PRA4SNW / Steve R-
You guys seem to know what you’re talking about, or at least you have me thinking do.
Do you guys ever read the lists from “experts” about which cars to buy now and not lose $?
What do you guys think are safer bets in the “used or slightly used” categories?
Lothar, buy what you like. I don’t really care what “expert” predict will be or are popular, you don’t need them to figure that out. Look at the cars that were popular for a given demographic when they were young. It’s a cycle that repeats itself, these cars go up in value 25-30 years after they were introduced. That’s about the time someone reaches their peak earning power and the kids are moving out. People look to buy a piece of their youth. It’s happebed countless times with Model A’s, 32-34 Ford’s, Tri 5 Chevy’s, 60’s and early-70’s Muscle Cars, late-70’s z28’s and Trans Ams, 80’s Fox body Mustangs and IROC Camaros, first gen Broncos, etc.
The trick is to find one before or as they start appreciating, then buy the best most original one you can afford. To get the best deal, put in the work, find one through word of mouth, before it’s advertised. As an example, look at the cars featured on this site, the majority are being flipped, that means someone paid significantly less and is now turning it over at a profit to those that weren’t willing or capable of putting in the time to find a deal in the first place.
Steve R
Rare doesn’t always equal more money but I don’t think many were painted this copper color in 1986.Possibly only four if I’m not mustaken.I think they had problems with this color in 1994 as well
Lothar,
I agree with SteveR, decide on the things that you value in a car, classic or not, and then try to buy the best one in your budget. Take awhile to look and then you will get an idea of how prices are trending. I personally don’t like EBay because you can’t lay your eyes on a car. Instead, I think that CraigsList and other local ads can contain bargains and good deals within a few hours drive.
A couple of examples:
I like Porsche Boxsters, but the MR2 Spyder is close enough and have been playing around with buying one for a few years now. They are not collectible, just a “used car”, fun to drive, easy to maintain, and there are plenty of bargains out there in my price range.
I also like Mopars, but realize that late 60’s – early 70’s models are out of my price range. Instead, I can get just as much enjoyment out of an early or post ’72 Charger or Satellite.
Also, Corvettes will always be fun to drive and relatively cheap to maintain. And there will always be plenty to choose from.
PaulG, you are right.
A couple of friends recently bought one owner early-2000’s C5’s in the $8000-10,000 range, making them a much better value now, and likely in the future than the C4 which don’t really stand out in any area. Those cars far outshine the C4’s, especially the early ones, like this. That’s where the smart money is looking. Better to put in the work and find one of those instead.
Steve R
Not bad, not bad at all. Decent price and looks to be in good condition, could be a fun car for someone. So far I’ve found every part I’ve needed/wanted for mine though it may take some hunting for a couple of them. They are a good riding, fun model.
There were only 777 gold ‘Vettes built in 1986. Too bad about the (probably fake) woodgrain. The script on each side of the hood and the rear tail light inserts are also add on items. Wonder if the L98 has aluminum heads, which were introduced in ’86 along with antilock brakes.
Woodgrain “accents” were never a factory option on any Corvette. Thank God.
Frank Sumatra: as of the 1970 model year John De Lorean introduced fake wood accents to the new, optional deluxe C-3 Stingray interior. They were in the form of door cappings and around the shifter on the console.
I once won a bet with the owner of a Corvette specialty shop. He said that he could tell real wood from fake wood, and that the original factory inserts were “real wood”. He did concede, though, that the replacements one buys nowadays from the main Corvette parts suppliers, are fake. Upon agreeing to the bet, he told me what brand of beer he wanted me to buy him. Talk about counting your chickens before they hatch! He had an old ’72 in his shop he was restoring that had the deluxe interior, but it was totally gone and had to be replaced. I pulled the unsalvageable door capping from one of the doors and put a match to it. As I did so I asked him, as he watched in confused disbelief: “Have you ever seen wood MELT?”. I then told him what brand of beer I wanted…
@Laurence- I should have been more specific. I was referring to the aftermarket crap people stick on C4 dashboards and consoles. I have owned C3’s with the deluxe interiors.
The car is an early one with cast iron heads. You can tell by the perimeter bolts on the valve covers.
One of the nicest colors Corvette came out with that year, stunning and unique, in a world of common red ones.
Steve R. / PRA4SNW-
Thanks for weighing in; I really appreciate it. Steve I think your “formula” makes sense as well… even the Metros, etc. have started climbing in value and they are probably about 25 years old now.
Have a good one and keep the rubber side down.
~Lothar