I have been giving more thought to C4 Corvettes (1984-1996) lately as I see many of this generation selling for reasonable prices. The earliest versions don’t hold as much interest, but by 1991, the year of this subject Corvette, they seemed to turn a corner in terms of a more refined exterior appearance. There was also an attempt made to earn back some of the ‘Vette’s diminished horsepower, a drain that started in the early ’70s. This example is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $1,263, seven bids tendered as of this writing.

The bidding started at $1,000 and hasn’t progressed too far but that may be due to a sequence of events. The seller initially states, “Transmission needs rebuilt, it works enough to drive in 1st and reverse” and then adds, “Engine runs well, very smooth, snappy revs” and finally concludes with, ” ***this car is currently NOT RUNNING**** I’m not sure why, I have not been able to diagnose the issue. I’m not a mechanic, so don’t know what’s going on”. Also, there are two images of the engine, one where it’s together and another where it is partially disassembled, which one is current? The seller has replaced a bunch of parts including spark plugs, fuel injectors, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, fuel pump assembly, intake sensors, broken drive belt brackets, and the CCM. Being a 245 net HP, 350 CI V8, that is pre OBDII, the problem is more than likely something basic that is just being overlooked. But getting to the fix could be a challenge with the chain of events that has occurred. The situation reminds me of a sign that you sometimes see in a mechanic’s shop that states a labor rate of $75 per hour, $100 per hour if the owner insists on watching, $125 if he insists on helping, and $150 per hour to fix the mess that’s he already made. The needed six-speed manual transmission service is of concern too.

The car presents pretty well at a distance but the seller does mention that the paint on the hood is cracked, the Targa top is cracked and the windshield is cracked too, he adds, ” probably hit by a tool“…a result of the engine mechanical mishap perhaps? The biggest offense looks to be peeling clearcoat and faded paint but the fiberglass integrity seems to be good, there are no noticeable cracks or seam separations.

The interior is in surprisingly nice shape for a car with 160K miles on its odometer. I had initially forgotten what Corvette seats from this era looked like and thought the red leather chairs in this ‘Vette were replacements, but no, they appear to be the originals. There is only one interior image in the listing, and it’s not too revealing, but from what can be seen it doesn’t appear to need much, if any attention. There is an R-12 refrigerant-based working air-conditioner system in place – a bit of a surprise considering the non-working status of everything else. Of note is the non-operational tachometer, it may point to an electrical glitch that is keeping the engine from starting.

According to the seller, this ‘Vette was planned to be a “weekend warrior” but it sounds as if it has now devolved into a weekend worry.  But one’s loss, can be another’s gain; anyone have an interest in trying to right this Corvette’s owner-induced wrongs?