Vehicle Description
1986 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
When the C4 debuted in 1984 it was as if a spaceship landed on
earth. It was such a radical departure from the previous
generations of Corvettes and the design was polarizing among Vette
enthusiasts. But eventually, as they were refined over the years,
they developed quite a following. After the initial year's
production of 51,000 cars, subsequent years dropped to about half
that number making them relatively uncommon.
For consignment, a third year C4 in two tone silver on black, owned
and garage kept by the consignor since 2006. It has 87,353 title
verified actual miles. With some bumps and bruises, it could use
some TLC, but C4's still represent an ideal car to jump head first
into the classic car world without the need for a Brinks truck full
of cash. They're fast, fun, supported by an aftermarket community,
and still have the iconic American sports car look and feel. This
one comes to our Hallowed Halls with a transmission swap for the
better with a Tremec T5 replacing the Doug Nash 4+3 unit along with
a new clutch as well as a new battery and radiator hoses.
Exterior
Distinctive silver over black paint envelopes this car which like
most Vettes, has a long hood, steeply raked windshield, and sloping
and curved rear window. The wide, inset marker lights were new for
the Corvette and were accompanied by side mounted indicator lights.
The gills on each side are topped with embossed "Tuned Port
Injection". Even if you didn't know what that was back in the day,
the fact that it was perched over the gills was just plain cool.
Our car features a red pinstripe at the mid line and as we'll
learn, this is a hint at the interior color. The inset twin
taillights were definitely space age at the time, clean and
unencumbered looking very much like afterburners. The reverse
lights which were integrated into the circles in previous
generations, are moved to the license plate cove. The pleasantly
symmetrical rear also includes twin exhaust tips on both sides. The
16-inch "salad shooter" wheels are original and despite aftermarket
wheel availability, nothing quite fits a C4 like the originals. The
paint is in decent condition. Love marks on this car include damage
to the glass targa top and some aging and discoloring on the
wheels.
Interior
We go from somewhat subdued silver and black on the exterior to
fire engine red on the interior. The multi material door panels
include a carpeted lower half and black plastic controls. Corvette
seats are often the subject of disdain and complaints, but the red
leather buckets of this '86 are supportive and sporty. The side
bolsters are still firm though the driver's seat showing just a bit
of wear. The back cargo area is covered in red carpet and without
the benefit of tinted rear window, some fading has occurred. The
pre airbag standard two spoke steering wheel is present. Looking
very much like an arcade game and certainly mind blowing in the mid
80's, the digital dash with its graph-like displays and segmented
digits is the stuff of Radwood dreams. The center stack has
controls, an info center with idiot lights, and an aftermarket
Jensen AM/FM/CD radio. The padded dash in front of the passenger
was probably a better choice than the molded steel dashes of
yesteryear. The center console is red and shows some wear and
cracking and an aftermarket shifter squeezes into the slot where a
Doug Nash 4+3 once lived. More on that soon. The plush carpet in
the footwells looks good.
Drivetrain
A 5.7 liter V8 with tuned port injection is accessible via the
reverse opening hood, yet another Vette fun feature made even
cooler because in the C4, the entire front clip moves and swings
up. A T-5 5-speed manual transmission was installed according to
the consignor in 2010 when the original clutch went bad. This unit
replaces the Doug Nash 4+3 manual transmission from the factory.
Power is sent to the rear wheels and 3.07 gears. The engine bay is
in driver condition and we note new radiator hoses and battery in
place per the consignor. Power disc brakes spin at all four
corners.
Undercarriage
Pure driver quality underneath with its share of surface rust,
general patina, some dry bushings, and oil residue splattered
about. The dual exhaust joins one catalytic converter, then splits
again to exit from tips that leave two mufflers near the rear. The
standard suspension exists with a front single fiberglass composite
mono-leaf transverse spring with unequal length aluminum control
arms and stabilizer bar. The rear comes to us as a fully
independent 5 link system with a transverse fiberglass single leaf
spring, aluminum upper/lower trailing links and strut rod tie rod
assembly.
Drive-Ability
I love me some C4 and was anxious to get this one out on the loop.
It's like an old friend and that exhaust note on start up brought
it all back. The tail end digs in as the powertrain sends
significant torque to the rear wheels and the car settles into its
acceleration, which belies its 230 horsepower. The wide
255/50ZR16's keep the Vette planted and stable, even around turns.
She runs well and sounds good but we note a number of items that
are not functional: the speedometer, (the consignor states it needs
a gear), the horn, reverse lights, passenger power window switch
which sticks, the passenger headlight does not rotate all the way
up, the A/C is not working, the dash lights pulse, and the Service
Engine Soon light is illuminated.
C4's are the gateway drug to the car hobby. While they sometimes
come replete with common issues, there's a vast aftermarket network
and support community and clubs that are there to help. Great
father and son project car that runs and can already be taken to
cruise nights and the ubiquitous Corvette club gatherings.
1G1YY0784G5100471
1-USA
G-General Motors
1-Chevrolet
YY-Corvette
07-2 Door Coupe
8-350ci V8 230hp
4-Check Digit
G-1986
5-Bowling Green,KY Assy Plant
100471-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
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acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
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