Chevrolet Corvette C4

The style may change but the C4 still looks like a Corvette should!

Rugged V8 has power aplenty but needs proper TLC

Model In Depth...

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  Chevrolet Corvette

  Price: £7500-£40,000

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Awkward cockit access can mean tatty interiors and they can be dear to rectify

Forward-hinged bonnet; A1 access

Fibreglass body is tough but watch for stress cracks

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What is a Chevrolet Corvette C4?

The fourth generation Corvette in a long line of America’s quintessential sports car introduced in 1984. The C4 featured an all new chassis design and bodyshell which replaced its venerable predecessor the C3 having remained largely unchanged, several facelifts excepting from 1968 through to 1982. Though 43 pre-production C4’s were built in 1983 (only one of these is known to exist and displayed at the National Corvette Museum, Kentucky) the car actually went on sale to the public in 1984, the first designated year of production. Though radically revamped, the C4 still bore the original design hallmarks of a separate chassis with two-seater plastic body though was much more refined than anything that had gone before.

History

Corvette chief engineer and Chevrolet stylist Jerry Palmer were onto another winner with the C4 which remained in production until 1996 when it was superseded by the C5 model, but not before 358,180 cars had rolled off the Bowling Green, Kentucky, production line. The Corvette’s previous and by now somewhat archaic massive steel ladder frame chassis was replaced with a back bone-type frame, that supported the drivetrain from the engine to the differential as a rigid component joined by an aluminium C-section beam. This was integrated with a ‘bird cage’ structure to which the body panels were bonded. This created a very stiff structure which helped to reduce body rattles. In a weight saving exercise many components were made from aluminium, such as suspension arms, propeller and drive shafts. Even the mono-leaf front springs were made from GFRP as was the transverse rear mono-leaf spring, a design feature carried over from the C3.

Offered initially as a Coupe, with a convertible arriving in 1986, the body styling had a very slippery drag coefficient of .34 and the windscreen was steeply raked at an angle 64 degrees. Powered by the L83 350ci V8 Cross-Fire injection engine rate dat 205bhp, transmission options were either a four-speed automatic or the Doug Nash-built ‘4+3’ four-speed manual which in effect offered an overdrive facility in the top three gears.

A novel new feature on the C4 was its coloured digital dashboard instruments. The L83 engine was superseded in 1985 by the more efficient L98 350ci TPI Tuned Port Injection engine rated at 230bhp. As the years rolled by, development work on the C4 continued and in 1989 the six-speed ZF manual transmission was introduced, as was the FX-3 selective ride control system which could be adjusted from the cockpit.

A year later in 1990 the Lotus developed ZR-1 model arrived with its aluminium LT5 V8 (built by Mercury Marine of Stillwater, Oklahoma) producing a most credible 375bhp making the C4 really fly, the fastest Vette yet. However, it came at a cost of $58,995, which was a whopping $27,016 more than a standard coupe! Some 6939 ZR-1’s were built between 1990-1995. The LT5 engine was further developed to produce even more power in 1993, now rated at 405bhp. This offered the C4 with an impressive performance of 13.1 seconds at 109.6mph over the quarter mile and a 0 60mph hit of 4.9 seconds.

The same year a 40th anniversary model was offered featuring a special Ruby Red paintwork and interior. Other go faster Corvettes were available from other sources such as Lingenfelter and Callaway with their twin-turbo option, The C4’s small block LT1 V8 engine rated at 300bhp with 340lb ft torque at 3600rpm became available 1992, the same year that the millionth Corvette was built on July 2. Some of the last C4’s produced included a Grand Sports and Collectors Edition in Sebring Silver and Admiral Blue with Arctic White racing stripes, with the last car rolling off the production line on June 20 1996.

Driving

Whether you choose a car with automatic or manual transmission the C4 offers excellent performance and handling, streets ahead of its predecessor and well up to European tastes. With high performance tyres the GM engineers tested the C4 and pulled 1g on the skidpan. With the ZF sixspeed manual transmission fuel economy is a very reasonable 22mpg, though most folk will go for the silky smooth four-speed automatic ‘box. Late 1980’s cars had a top speed of 155mph and 0-60mph time of 5.3 seconds which satisfies most enthusiast’s requirements. Comfortable figure hugging seats are very supportive and there’s a reasonable amount of storage space behind the seats for weekend away luggage. With the T-Tops removed it can be quite noisy inside the car, though there is a kit available to keep the rear window slightly ajar for improved airflow. With the heavy duty suspension option the C4 can give a pretty harsh ride on poorly surfaced back roads.

Prices

It’s possible to purchase a C4 for as little as £4500 but don’t expect too much for that sort of money! You’ll need to shell out £6000 - £8000 for a car in good condition, and nearer £9000 - £10,000 for a late 1980’s car in excellent order. The ZR-1 model will be much dearer at around £18,000 - £20,000.