The C4 Corvette has always been somewhat of an underdog in the car world. It was dismissed by the throwback muscle car guys when it was new, it was largely ignored by the Euro exotic crowd and its even been panned by most of the hardcore GM EFI enthusiasts. The only real exception were the twin-turbo Callaway cars, and the ZR-1.
However, it’s been nearly 25 years since the last one rolled off of the Bowling Green assembly line, and those of us who grew up wanting one as a kid are now becoming nostalgic for them. It’s the same thing we’re now seeing with third-gen F-bodies, G-bodies and even Fox Mustangs.
Yeah, most barely cranked out over 200hp and they were poorly made. Sure, they creaked, rattled and squeaked. Obviously, there were faster cars out there and the early C4s would even be dusted off by 6-cylinder Buicks. However, that’s not the point anymore. If you want to go fast for cheap in a Corvette, you’d get a C5.
Those of us geeking out on C4s are the ones with disposable garage space and cash to play with. You can get into a decent, running and driving early C4 for around $3000 these days, depending on the local market and what season it is. The later cars can be had for not much more than that. They truly are a great bargain for someone looking for a relatively quick summer car or weekend cruiser.
There’s still plenty of aftermarket support for the TPI cars, and with the right selection of parts, you can even wake the ’84 Cross-Fire up enough to go 11s, and still look stock. With their fully-independent suspension, these cars are beginning to become a favorite to the stance, and ’80s retro “wave” set. Composed of mostly guys in their 30s and early 40s, these enthusidtass are fan-=boying out over anything and everything 1980s — including the Corvette.
Check out the video above from Go Harder Media on YouTube to see what we mean!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
