Though a 1985 Chevrolet Corvette isn’t the most desirable car to turn up for sale, we’ll always take note of examples equipped with the factory manual transmission, which few cars seemed to have been optioned with. This example is definitely driver-quality, with an ominous puddle under the front end, but it’s also equipped with some attractive black mesh wheels and a rear spoiler. It’s also cheap, listed here on craigslist for $4,900 in New Jersey, where it’s evidently parked on a busy city street.
Mileage is pretty low, clocking in at under 60,000 original miles. The color combination is among the best you can get, featuring a black leather interior with the factory bucket seats appearing to be in excellent condition. Of course, the real attraction if the manual gearbox, which helped make the otherwise unloved C4s a bit more enjoyable to drive, and certainly a better means of extracting the available performance courtesy of the 5.7L V8.
We aren’t talking about just any old 4-speed though. This Corvette is equipped with a Doug Nash 4+3 transmission. That means it still has a stout tranny like those used in muscle cars of old but benefits from an overdrive that is available on the top three gears. This setup essentially gives you a 7-speed! To activate the overdrive, you just push the “shift pattern” button on top of the shifter! This was a trick solution back in the day and makes this car more interesting today.
The seller offers no real information about the mechanical health of the engine, other than to say it “…runs great” and that “…everything is original”. Now, these are not necessarily maintenance-hungry machines, but they still consume the usual suspects like water pumps, thermostats, spark plugs, and air filters so hopefully the seller has some details that explain what work has been done to keep this C4 a reliable driver.
While not everyone will dig some of the aftermarket add-ons, I actually like them in this instance. It gives the Corvette a sort of in-period look when these cars were still being driven and modified. The black mesh wheels are my favorite detail and show us how good these cars can look with some subtle cosmetic tweaks. Throw in that unique gearbox and this looks like a fun driver for reasonable money, assuming it hasn’t been neglected while parked on a city street.
My understanding is these transmissions aren’t know for their reliability, eh?
correct, the overdrive regularly got burned clutches. I replaced a few at BOTH transmission shops I worked at. The problem is usually very simple to fix. Replace the wiring harness and use DEX 6 fluid. The engagement selenoid is very week, and sticks burning up the clutches in the over drive unit…..
1986 Hatch.
No. I’m betting aftermarket 3rd brake light. I think hinge area on 86’s was somewhat narrower.
I would hoon this like I stole it! But from what I understand about these transmissions, my fun would be short lived. This is a rare case where you probably would want an automatic.
I actually own a 1984 manual c4 and its pretty reliable. I currently daily mine and I take it out to the races and the drive it to work the next morning. gas isn’t too bad with the tune I got either about 29mpg but I cruise in neutral a lot. it actually has the same wheels as red one listed but mine are bronze and my vette is black. They come from factory with them, duntov was supposedly on lunch and seen the c4s with these wheels and switched it up afterwards for the salad shooters. wheels are wide but I still slide still on my first clutch and I learned manual in it.
Nice..but I will just keep my 83 model for weekend driving .😉
This one looks okay for a street parked Corvette.
I hope it finds a garaged home 🏡 to treat it with respect 💡👀👍
I would definitely hold on to your 83 model. If you are referring to a Corvette, there was no 83 model. Went from 82 to 84.
https://www.history.com/news/missing-1983-corvette-model-year
I’ve been driving my 87 with the 4+3 as a daily since December when I bought it. One of my friends works at a shop that has a c4 whisperer. He said that the overdrive needs maintenance, and if you you keep up with it it’s fine. But that people treat the 2 speed OD unit like a manual transmission when in reality it’s a torque converter filled with ATF. He recommends a fluid change every 10k or so if you drive it easy.
If you do burn the trans, most folks put in a later c4 6 speed. Probably not cheap, but I reckon I’ll do that when my 4+3 goes. I’m not super worried about originality. These cars are at the absolute lowest value you’ll ever realize. I would rather drive the pants off it for a few years and have fun. Decent performance, nice looking, lots of fun for 5 large. Highly recommended. Parts are cheap. I needed an alternator and picked one up for $75. That doesn’t happen often these days. Tires were expensive though. Early c4s use an odd size tire.
My 86 is a manual convertible and I enjoy the heck out of it. Mine started with the 4+3 but a PO had changed it out for a Tremec 5 speed. They are a very enjoyable car to drive but have been bad mouthed by many over the years, unjustly in many cases IMO. So far I’ve been able to find virtually every part I’ve ever needed for it so they are maintainable. The biggest gripe I have on it is it’s a ODB1 setup, most if not all of the codes you get have garbage descriptions of what’s actually wrong. I find several forums are very helpful as others have had particular error codes before and can help get you on the right track.
Purchased an ’86 with a swapped out six speed tremmic from a ’97 transam. Being a previous auto car, it had the high road gear, 2:73. In sixth gear it had a ratio of 1:365. Cruise 80 at around 1200 rpm! 😨😁
I hate when I post bad grammar. Tremec not tremmic. 😉
Nash o.d. Was a nightmare for me on my 84. After 2 rebuilds I installed a Tremic 6 speed. Problem solved and should have done it sooner.
I own a 1985 Doug Nash Corvette and I love it. The previous owner paid $2,100 to have the overdrive repaired, so I’ve had zero problems. I’m going to assume that he lacked the knowledge to drive it. Lets face it, not everyone knows how to drive a stick shift vehicle properly. My car has 25,000 miles on it, and I’ve had several unsolicited offers. I’m torn between driving it and preserving the low mileage. I have yet to find another 85 stick for sale, with lower mileage than mine. The value is $18,000 and going up?
I own an 85 Corvette with a manual transmission. It’s worth 20 grand all day long. The previous owner had the overdrive repaired, so I’ve had no problems. I’m going to assume that driving stick wasn’t his forte. I can’t find one for sale with less miles than mine (25,000), so I think I’ll hang on to it.