‘LS1Tech’ Member Selling a Running Corvette for $3,500

C4 Corvette has a newer crate engine, but it needs some work before passing a state safety inspection.

If you are looking to buy a running Chevrolet Corvette on the smallest budget possible, your best bet is to search for cars from the C4 era. The C4 era was one of the longest, covering 13 model years and they aren’t as quick or as powerful as the other generations of the legendary American sports car. When you couple a high volume of vehicles in the used market with relatively lackluster performance and two decades of aging, you get a collection of Corvettes that can be had for the smallest purchase price.

The problem is that many C4 Corvettes being offered on the cheap are in terrible shape and don’t run. While looking through the LS1Tech Marketplace, we found this black C4 listed for just $3,500 by Brian.Moritz. It isn’t in great shape, but it also isn’t in terrible shape. More importantly, it has a newer engine, so it is running. It just needs a little work to be properly roadworthy.

C4 Corvette Introduction

When the OP first posted this 1984 Chevrolet Corvette for sale, he provided the key details on the car. This includes what he has done to it and what else needs to be done to get it on the road. The OP is specifically talking about the things that need to be done to pass a state safety inspection, so if you live a state with an annual inspection, you could probably start driving this car as it sits.

Just finished up swapping in a refreshed L31 SBC 350 in this Vette and looking to sell & upgrade to C5 or C6. This is a project car and needs minor work, majority of the difficult work is done. What it has:

Refreshed L31 Vortec crate motor
lapped valves
new LS3 valve springs
new valve stem seals
New brake booster, starter & battery.
Holley TBI

What it needs:
Dash gauge cluster is dead, I’m installing mechanical water temp & oil pressure gauges.
Tires
Interior is what you would expect from 36 yr old car.
Fiberglass patch work on floor.
minor things to pass inspection (horn don’t work for example).
Drivers window motor does not work.

The OP also included 11 pictures of this Corvette and the engine that was installed in various stages of assembly. We have shared a few of those pictures here, but for a closer look, click here to visit the original listing. The OP also linked a video, which we have included below, and in it, you can hear the new engine run.

Needed Repairs

In the video, this 1984 Corvette sounds good enough to assume that it is in proper running order. You may be able to drive it just how it sits, but there are a few issues that will make it less enjoyable on the open road.

It isn’t hard to buy new tires and the driver’s side window motor is an inexpensive fix. The non-functional gauge cluster would certainly be an annoyance and that will likely be the hardest problem to diagnose. It could be a bad cluster, it could be a wiring issue. The buyer won’t know until he or she tears into the project. The patchwork on the floor could be a concern for someone who doesn’t know how to do that kind of work.

The “ugliest” part of this car is the badly aging seat leather, but that could be repaired with a new set of skins, or a set of aftermarket seats. Really, it looks like new seat skins and new carpeting would completely transform the cockpit of this C4 Corvette.

So, if you are looking for a very inexpensive C4 Corvette and you are willing to do a little work, this car might be your ideal project.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com