The C4 Corvette spent years in the wilderness, and values plunged as enthusiasts generally gave them a wide berth. However, they were not a bad car and offered respectable performance at a time when the opposite was pretty typical. Their previously unloved status means that values took a heavy hit in the classic market. They have begun to stage a slow but steady recovery, but they remain affordable for those intent on parking one in their driveway. If you are in that boat, it would be hard to go past this 1984 model. It is a one-owner survivor that has just emerged from six years parked in this dry warehouse. The owner has ensured that it is roadworthy, and it has a genuine 25,000 miles showing on its odometer. If you find yourself drawn to this Corvette, it is located in Longmont, Colorado, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. You could fly in and drive this survivor home by handing the owner $14,500. A big thank you has to go to Barn Finder Keith B for spotting this C4 for us.
While the C4 Corvette carried some styling cues from its iconic predecessor, its designers started with a clean sheet of paper. By so doing, they produced a significantly lighter car than the last C3s to roll off the line but in a stronger and safer package. The company made heavy use of plastics, and while many vehicles from this era could show issues with this technology as years passed, a C4 treated with respect can still present nicely today. That is the case with this Bright Red 1984 model. The panels look extremely good, with no evidence of deterioration or problems. The paint shines beautifully, and if there are any flaws or defects, they are too minor to be visible in the supplied photos. The owner doesn’t mention any rust issues, but as I have stated in the past, there’s nothing like an in-person inspection to confirm a lack of problems. The distinctive alloy wheels appear perfect, with no staining or other issues. The glass seems flawless, and these factors combine to allow the Corvette to make a positive first impression.
When we open the doors and look around inside this Corvette, we are confronted with more positive news. There are a couple of minor stains on the passenger seat, but the remaining leather trim and upholstery looks in good condition. There is some minor wear on the other edges of the seats, but a leather specialist should be able to address these successfully without breaking the bank. The plastic trim appears excellent, as does the dash and carpet. This Corvette features the funky digital dash cluster that looks like it would be at home in Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing, and it works as it should. There are no aftermarket additions, but the car comes nicely equipped. Potential buyers receive air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and premium AM/FM radio and cassette player.
Powering the Corvette is the 5.7-liter Cross-Fire Injection V8 that produces 205hp. The power feeds through a four-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels, while this car also features power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, and the optional Z51 sports suspension package. If the owner pointed this classic at a ¼ mile, the journey would be over in 15.5 seconds. That figure is nearly a ½-second faster than the best achieved by the similarly-powered 1982 C3 Corvette, with the improvements coming courtesy of a more aerodynamic shape and a 300lb weight reduction. The owner says that this car has been in dry storage since 2016 and that he only dragged it out last month. He cleaned and treated the fuel tank, replaced the injectors, and added a new fuel pump, water pump, battery, and tires. He says that the Corvette runs and drives perfectly and has a genuine 25,000 miles on the clock. He doesn’t mention verifying evidence, but he may hold supporting evidence with its known ownership experience and the included documentation. This paperwork consists of the original Owner’s Manual, other bookwork, dealer literature, and the original Order Form.
This 1984 Corvette has plenty of strong points, and it would be hard to find one in today’s market with a history like this. When you consider its overall condition and odometer reading, its price looks pretty competitive. As previously mentioned, values are beginning to rebound from historic lows, suggesting that now would not be a bad time to park one in your garage. If you have been considering investing in a C4 Corvette, would you find this one tempting?
Not a Vette guy here. Back in the day I would cringe when these came into my shop for work. Primary complaint was the build quality and especially the interior quality. But this one is from Colorado, and if it stayed in the Longmont area it probably has no rust issues at all. But a close inspection is still warranted. For the most part this looks clean and barring any hidden “Loch Ness Monsters’, could be a real deal here. At this price I would be out there looking it over today, if was still in home state of Colorado. (there are some amazing clean rides to be found there.) YMMV. Good luck to seller.
No, would not be tempted to buy a 1984 Corvette for 14,500. This is the least desirable year of the least desirable generation of Corvette. Once the market cools down, you would never be able to sell this for even half of what you paid. It would depreciate like a new Mercedes E Class. Someone will probably bite but I think they’re gonna learn a hard lesson later.
I don’t necessarily hate C4s. I think they do offer some good value. However, I think that’s better found in the later TPI and LT1/LT4 cars.
I still cannot get past that bulbous plastic dash piece that thinks it’s a semi-erect air bag facing the passenger where the glove compartment should have been.
About all that would do would be to tattoo “ETTEVROC” on your chest after a collision. These were rather silly cars yes but it was the 1980s, and they were perfect for the time.
They were punch out of the factory like Candy, theres a Zillion around Take 80 yrs to get the list price out of a 1984
People tend to avoid the 1984 models due to the cross fire injection versus throttle body from 85 on. The model definitely evolved through the c4 run and most people gravitate to later models with analog dash and the rounder front and rear. Personally, I like the earlier style.
Definitely all the money for this, but is 14k all the money or a value? I paid 12k two years ago for a clean low mileage 87 convertible with manual transmission. I’ve put 25k miles on it in two years as my daily driver and have no regrets about the price. Definitely beat a ratty 7k ragtop with 80,000 miles for driveabilty versus wrench time.
Caution – you couldn’t get 84-88 stock tires for these anywhere in the United States as of a month ago. I had to settle of drag radials for the back and slightly smaller fronts. Crazy, but I looked for 2 months and that was all I could find for the stock wheels.
Worthy of consideration only from collectable perspective. Priced a bit high. And how does a 25,000 miler get so much damage on the seats? Close up inspection required here.
There is probably a reason it was only driven 25k miles.
14,500 for an ‘84 auto with the ceasefire injection? Half that if it runs perfectly.
14k+ for a base spec C4? Really?
I drove an ‘89 coupe for 28 years and loved it. The crossfire engine and extremely hard rear suspension on the ‘84 models rule this out for me, even if it had zero miles on it.
Yeah I agree C4 not the ideal to buy, but 15 years from now when when all the desirable Corvettes are goin these will sell well. If you have somewhere to store it then you will get 15k to 25k for it.
$14,000 will put you into a 1995 or 1996 C4 which are the best C4’s. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. $8500 would be the MOST this car SHOULD bring. Sorry about the caps, but that’s the facts.Jack!
$7,500 – 8,500 in normal market. Problem is the market isn’t normal right now. Used car values are insane, including collector cars. So I can totally see somebody jumping on this near the ask.
But alas, in a year or so when things settle down reality will set back in and they will be holding a 7,500-8,500 car, assuming they don’t drive it. It will go down like a bad crypto investment.
Very good point on the “not normal” market right now. My estimate of this car’s worth did not factor that in, and I agree with your comment 100%
And I don’t mean to pick on the hapless C4 if that wasn’t clear. Literally everything is overpriced right now. From your blue chip 1970 Hemi Cuda all the way down to your basic used 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage.
I always tell people who ask me for car advice now that if you do not absolutely have to buy something now, as in you are literally walking to work, wait. Prices will correct. And the further down market you are, the harder you’re gonna get whacked relatively. The correction, like always, will hurt people at the bottom of the chain more than those at the top.
Yeah, an ’84 wasn’t the smartest Corvette to sit on and not drive, value-wise.
I had an 87 Ragtop triple black, with the 4+3 Trans and it ran really nice. No issues. Bought it with 15K miles and sold it at 56K miles. Fun car, easy to drive. TPI engine ran easy. Wish I kept it.
I own a mate to this, minus the Z51 suspension. I’m not sure why people love to hate these. They sound good, handle great and for when they were made a technological high point. My cross fire runs just fine and it’s a fun car to cruise in. Mind has 30000 miles on it. I prefer the 84 dash to the later ones that went back to an analog dash like cars had in the 1940s. The whole interior looks modern and cool to me
I also get a kick out of people who complain about the ride quality in these. It’s a Corvette, not a Cadillac. If you want a smooth soft ride, buy a Cadillac, one of which I also have.
It’s like people just want to hate it just to have something to hate. For 1984 they were pretty doggone good!
I owned a 1984 Z-51, 4+3 and loved it! I don’t think anyone here is “hating” the car. The price seems a tad optimistic to some of us. Two different things.
Haters would be calling it the cease fire V-8.
Agreed. I don’t hate it. If it was like 5 or 6 grand I would probably consider it as a fun autocross car.
And there would be expert commentary on the “Atari” dashboard and Doug Nash 4+3 issues.
I’m sure they’ve gone up a bit, but I remember seeing at least 4 of these (of various mileage) for sub 5k just a couple of years ago. One, a nice red one like this, kept dropping price and finally disappeared when the windshield said $2,500.