A cool GM promotional video showcasing some mechanical aspects the 1984 Corvette. Included are some cool scenes from the assembly line and some body off the chassis shots.
Here's a suggestion: How about you C4 haters go troll somewhere else. If you don't like the car, go talk to people who care. Hint hint: People watching this video LIKE the C4 Corvette, so this isn't a smart place to start. (Who knew?!) Your contributions to this conversation are as useful as a helmet in a barber shop. Shoo fly.
@@sammysez lol u got something in your ass bud. the corvette like this was near the super cars of this age. 0-60 in 5 seconds and enough tech for anyone to go mad, so stfu
Stepping out from a modern sports car into a C4 is a but a revelation. Newer cars have isolated the driver from the road so much so that there is not a lot of 'feel' coming through the car. C4's communicate with he driver VERY well. You sit 'in' the car and become part of it, it becomes a part of you. Dave McClellan and his team on engineers had a lot of pent up frustration from years of Corvette neglect and built a no compromise car as a result. These are very well (hand) built cars that would cost a fortune to product today. Issues are minor and everything is fixable from the digital gauges to anything drive-train related. Just a great car.
Yeah, you feel things alright. If it drives wrong you can actually pinpoint which corner has the problem. Thank the thin, under-insulated glassfiber panels for that haha
Thanks for posting. I remember as a kid, my neighbors dad got one of the first 1984 Corvettes. I loved that car, the look, the sound, think that was the car that started my love for cars. Good times.
Everyone gives C4 a bad wrap for being boring and slow. This video is one of the many examples that proves GM really wanted to reinvent the Corvette. The C3's chassis and drivetrain was initially carried over from the C2, easly 60s technology. It's apparent that GM was focused extremely on performance versus looks with the C4 and really wanted to make something classic and sporty. Despite the hate, the C4 is arguably one of the more innovative Corvette generations and for that reason, it should be respected for what it was.
I routinely beat C5 and C6 Corvettes that have not been modified in Auto Cross, with my Z51 Optioned '84. It does depend on the course some, but the tighter and lower the speed course it is, I can even compete with the Grand Sports and Z06 models. Open it up however the horsepower wins out.
True 70's were the worst. Carburetors pushed to perform beyond there design limits. no electronic controls. Everything was on thermo- vacume switches. Hell you couldn't even see the intake for all the vacuum lines. All man. pushed up average op temps which aged everything under the hood faster; remember all those vac. line. with in 5 yrs they all stated to leak and a fuel system already on the ragged edge of lean stall. Wouldn't even idle when cold. no HP and crap MPG. Tightening EPA regs caused paints to be reformulated so orange peel was the norm. Then if parked outside flaking off in 5yrs or so.
The 70s mustang was fugly and week. The Corvette, although beautiful, had no horsepower. Thank God for the Foxbody mustang and C4 Vette. 80s cars saved the auto industry. If it weren't for them we would still be driving underpowered, terrible quality ugly tin cans.
Nathan.....Based on what you said above, can you tell us the big differences between a (for instance) 1978 Corvette and a 1980 as far as "character" is concerned??? I've had a '68, '75, '76 and now an '82 Corvette .....and they're all pretty much the same car as far as looks and character are concerned.
I have the Z 51. It is extremely unforgiving but you cannot beat the handling. You can tell the difference in the vettes that have the Z51 and the ones that don't by doing a simple test. Toss a dime in the road, run over it, it you can tell if its heads or tails you have the Z51 handling package. ;-)
The C4s are the best cars on the road for the money. My 84 is the most fun of any car I've ever had. It's not the fastest the road but there are very few even today that can hang with it in a turn acceleration is quite snappy too, tho mine has a small cam. Car is loud as hell and rides like crap but you can't help but love it !
Really cool video. I've been driving my 85 Z51 for 20 years and it is still fun to drive and gets compliments. Last year I replaced the stock TPI with a Lingenfelter Super Ram and it pulls even harder at higher RPMs. I'm running Edelbrock heads and Comp roller rockers. I also swapped out the 4 plus 3 for a TKO600 five speed. This car is so balanced and simple. Most reliable best car I have ever owned. I can afford to buy a new Corvette, but as long as this thing still puts a smile on my face I am keeping it.
I have a 1986 with the Z51 handling package and I love it! The steering is so tight and quick. The l98 acceleration is very quick! I know it isn't that fast by modern standards but still very peppy. It will roast the tires from a stop no problem. I'm very impressed at how the car has aged. Yes it has squeaks and rattles from being over 30 years old but it still feels solid and gives me confidence everytime I drive it. The weird 80s quirks are very cool to me. Personally I like the 80s digital dash and also the cornering lights that come on when you switch on the turn signal. It lights up the road a little better where you're turning. They put a lot of innovation into this car that still holds up today. Sure I think the c3 is a sexier body style but this Corvette definitley isn't ugly. It's a lot quicker than the c3s ever were anyways.
Took mine through windy hills and up into the mountains today. Held up pretty good with the rest of traffic, hugs corners and has a shit load of power. FUN FUN FUN, and white c4's look great.
I have an 84 Corvette it drives great I don't think it's slow at all. I was actually surprised and how quick it was when I first bought it. And handling is great 👍👍👍
Hello, I live in Brazil and only now, with 30 years of life that we can import the C4. I got one made in January 1984 and should be receiving it in March 2014. I look forward to welcome you. Tenh sure did a great buy.
This video, although incredibly dated, really does provide some cool facts about the launching of the first C4. [In retrospect, this generation saved Corvettes behind]. Honestly though it takes a special love for the brand and this generation to own the car. Having owned 7 - C4's, I can't think of a more fun car to drive(obviously by the end of the model, the car had become something really special). Sad thing is the interiors don't age well(and yes before 1990, the 'Star Wars' dash is so incredibly dated. But for the era, they were really admired). My current daily driver is a 1996 Chevy Corvette convertible. (The car is perfect for being almost 23 years old).
1st time someone showed up in a silver 84 with silver interior and opened the clam shell hood we were in awe. If I bought one nowdays it would be a ZR1. Theyr reasonably priced.
I have a 87 convertible, I enjoy it , Family love to barrow it for parades !! lol. At this time I am using a 84 vet chassis system as donor to a 56 F100 , also built as a unnibody and mounting a Crate 454 engine. I nick named it " ForVette" . I worked at Gm auto sales In the body shop as a teen ager , Im in my upper 70's now and still building customs. I hope I have a fun time driving the ForVette as much as the 87 convert.
The 1986 C4 is a great car even by today's standards. I have owned many performance cars, vettes, vipers, Porsches, SVT lightnings, Sl65 AMG, Dodge Challenger hellcats and more. Out of all of the cars I've owned I've kept just 3, my 1986 C4, my 1986 Porsche 944 turbo and my 2002 true blue SVT truck. First,vThe vette has several advantages over the same year Porsche. Since the Porsche 944 was its competitor in all CUP and SCCA races Ile use it for comparison. Next, the suspension on my Porsche 944 turbo, again the nemesis of the c4 , is a rear torsion bar with eccentric bolts. It uses a rear shock which allowed an upgraded M474 Koni yellow. It's not IRS like the corvette and installing coilovers is a popular option but the corvette beats it because when I hit the gas on my 944 turbo the rear end drops at least 3 inches and you feel it is lost acceleration momentarily.Next, on 944 The front suspension uses a strut assembley and 24 mm sway bar. The optional mo30 brought the larger 28 mm sway bars but is suspension is heavy, springs and struts alone are almost 25 pounds each. Corvette again wins with much lighter and better reponsive suspension parts. The 5.7 liter engine has better off line performance but the Porsche kills it from 45 mph or third gear onward when it's turbo spools up. It's very fast from 45-90 mph and not many cars can run with it. 944 turbo wins in the midrange. Both have top speeds of 170 . Also, The 944 uses a unique transaxle design which provided near perfect 50/50 weight distribution and the transmission on the Porsche is very durable, LSD or live axle was an option only for 944 and very rare in 86, it's code 220 and it became standard on 944 only in 1989 turbo S models. However, Corvette offers live axles on all cars and My 86 vette also has the Z51 sport package plus the rare G92 performance axle option which makes it very fast off the line compared to standard vettes. On the inside, Overall the corvette is more luxury and the Porsche is more business with simple typical German gauges and layouts.Very ergonomic. Both of my cars the Porsche and the vette have sport seats, the vette offered them factory standard but the Porsche 944 offered them only as rare factory upgrades. They both offer good support but the vette offers them in more power settings then the recaro made seats for Porsche. However, the Porsche seats recline and the vette seats barely recline with my height. The corvette offers telescopic steering wheel and a nice wide steering wheel grip but no tele option on the Porsche unfortunately. Finally, the rim and tire packages on the corvette offer 9.5 inches compared to the standard 7 and 8 inches on Porsche turbo 944 so the wider track helps with cornering and grip. Performance is close on both cars but for a few grand more in aftermarket modifications the Porsche can be put to 400 hp and at 2900 pounds it's lethal. In the end I love both cars equally. The Porsche however is worth double of my vette for some reason. Both cars had an msrp of $34000 in 1986 but today my vette with only 18k original miles and a rare Malcolm Konner edition package only books out at 17k compared to my much higher 49k miles Porsche 951 which would bring almost 30k and is still climbing. Perhaps a low mileage guards red Porsche turbo is more exotic than a 2 tone corvette but to me they are both equal in form, function and appeal.
@djenne08 I agree with 1baddecepticon. Crossfire Injection works just fine. My stock '84 Vette is very fun to drive. There are stroker Crossfire engines with port matched extrude honed intakes, bored throttle bodies with higher flow injectors, and computer mods that make 400 Horsepower. When '84 Corvettes are 50 years old, no one is going to care how fast they are, they will only care if the car has an original properly functioning Crossfire Fuel Injection system.
@HairykinAngel Be sure your radiator is flowing well and the thermostat is opening fully. You can also get a updated coolant sensor for the fans that will kick them on at a lower temp than stock.
I have a new Mustang GT and an 86 Corvette. Although the Mustang is obviously awesome in every way I still don't get the feeling I get when I'm driving the Vette. When the lease is up un the pony car I'll get something else interesting, but I'll always keep the Vette.
Loved my 1989 vert! Dark Metallic Red, with black interior and black top. It was a stunner to look at. Sold it, still miss it. Driving a 700 horse Viper GTS nowadays...
Late model C4's are my favorite Corvettes... well, maybe except for the C7- but it ripped off the Viper, which I like better than the vette. The rear suspension is a freak of nature and the use of aluminum suspension components and fiberglass springs makes this car truly unique, especially with that clam-shell hood. I had a 78 and now a 96, the C4 is a such a better driving car.
C7. I can beat at high speeds but probably not in a courtier mile. They have traction control. If I slip.im done. So I'm kinda interested. In traction control.
@BigRodJohnson69 Those base wheels were never offered to the public. The only ones in existence are on the only 1983 Corvette in existence and it sits in the National Corvette Museum.
I appreciate the C4 so much I just had to get 95 low mileage one ..have many Camaros..and C3 vettes and even c5 ..but sitting in C4 is definitely my favorite
I had one of these ones, a 1984 and regret had to sell it. It was a good car, faast engine response, great suspension, nice seats, and I kept everything working like new. I fixed my car and didn't let anyone else touch nothing. I had expierence with the upholstery guy in Norwalk,CA. he used bad materials and had problems because that. He didn't know anytthing about Corvettes.
The ZR1 project actually began in 1986.... the LT5 powered prototypes were being tested on the roads in 1988 because GM originally planned for the ZR1 to be debuted in 1989. GM decided to hold them off for a year so they could redesign the interior. About 150 1989 ZR1s were ready to head out to dealers and they held them back. I think Rick Hendrick owns a couple of these 89s.
I've stuck in a 396 stroker motor, with a D-1 procharger along with a 4L80 transmission, replaced the breadbox, installed the best looking autometer gauges. Stripped every part off the car it's all being sanded down. And before it was tore apart for the new paint job I pull up to vipers mustangs cheveles you name it and I throw down a complete woomp down on them, oh yeah and the zo6 also. After the paint is done I'll be looking for a z07. 1986 revamped 👊👊👊.
Fun video. I have an '88 so there are some differences (mostly in drivetrain) but it still "helps" me get the story behind my car. Typical of an '80s video, the whole thing does come off a bit like one of those "Turbo Entabulator" gag shows -- a bit stiff and jargony. The narrator/on screen character is a laugh riot -- you can watch his eyes track the teleprompter most of the time.
@LeesVette Thanks. I always wondered about this. Also in one of these videos one can note the battery is rotated different than normal. I also had an early repair manual that illustrated the cruise control servo positioned forward of the left front tire instead of over the battery.
Just picked up a mint condition 96 LT4 (6 speed). Its gets lots of attention and hugs the road and just performs. For the money, nothing comes close. Its my weekend ride.
Just picked up a 84 c4 needs some work going to keep it og not looking to make it a drag/street car just a drive around feel like I’m in the 80’s car and enjoy it some people my age (30 year olds) find it crazy I just want to leave it stock and don’t want high horse power I’m a factory car kind of guy
This car was a dramatic jump technology wise from the C3, much like the way the C7 is compared to the C6. My buddy who's a Corvette nut had a 94 and an 88. He had to get rid of one of them. I advised he get rid of the 94. The 88 is the last year before the mid generation refresh (no digital gauges) with the 84 model year kinks worked out. He has no regrets on getting rid of the 94 and loves his 88.
I've owned three C-3 corvettes ('68 327 roadster, 71 ls5 454 roadster, '71 ls5 454 coupe) and have been a Corvette fan ever since I can remember. I currently own '71 ls5 SS 454 El Camino (poor mans Corvette) that I've done quite a bit of work on and it's just about finished (they are never truly finished) and I'm thinking about getting a C-4 Vette because they are so affordable right now. I also consider them a "good looking car". I work for a large auto auction and as luck would have it we had a '92 rag top come in today. It only had 66,000 miles on the clock and was in fair shape for it's age but a huge disappointment. It "rattled" horribly and it's 300 hp 5.7 was anemic at best. I know at some point it will be a "future collectable" like the C-3 but for now I just can't seem to justify putting 20,000 grand into a car that on it's best day might sale for 10,000. For me this is one of those cars I might buy because "I've always wanted one": come to think of it. I'm pretty sure that's how I buy all my cars.
I think the red corvette at 1:03 ( and I believe the one they were showing drive ) was one of the few 1983's. I never seen a 1984 with those rims. Only on the 83.
geepuller1 oooooh strange thought it was a joke because the inoperable hatch release issue seems pretty consistent among a lot of c4’s which now that I’m here any chance you know if there’s a manual release somewhere or what the cause would be haha
@BigRodJohnson69 Those base wheels were never offered. if you saw a car with those wheels on them then the National Corvette Museum would be very interested in them. There is only one car in existence with those wheels and it's the only 1983 Corvette in existence - it sits in the National Corvette Museum.
Why is the C4 hated on. I can tell you what my theory is. It is because it was released in the 80's - 90's when Euro cars tricked down to the masses and became the cars to wish for. Unfortunately most of society doesn't have the ability to like more than one thing at a time. So they feel the need to hate anything American and love everything Euro. The C4 falls right in that time pocket. Those dads have preached it to their kids and the "reviewers" of today follow that same model. Great car it just doesn't get the respect it really deserves.
I have a 93 with 130 K on it and its still in show room condition. They can have little problems spring up but with proper maintenance they can be great cars to own. Long drives dont beat you up and they handle like a dream in the hills. I like the the early 90's version myself but my dad had an 85 with the Z51 package and that was a beast on the street.
cptmiche nah, the ones that were asking decent prices were pretty much needed full restoration or were water damaged, the only halfway decent looking one the guy talked it up big, made it seem like it was going to be a good decent price/deal then all of a sudden says "the price i'm looking for is a solid $92K" i just walked away laughing. Then literally the day after, they announced the mustang was finally coming to australia i put an order in and am waiting to collect it next year
I did, in the USA,it was pampered by the previous owner, he even rebuilt the AC control head being an electronics whiz. And then asked if it would be a daily driver to which I said no.Only put 4k miles in the last yr on long drives.
i have an 85 corvette and mine did the same thing, you might want to check coolent levels. if its not full the thermostat will not open. makeing your corvette over heat. you might also want to clean the radiator. cleaning the radiator alone will reduce heat by 10 degree's
1984 best corvette ever? HAHAHA! Don't get me wrong, I am very attached to my Crossfire but it's caused my more grief than my four children combined. But I'll daresay that I like the way it handles better than my stock 2004.
I disagree with some of what Roadghost88 said. Here's my reality as an owner of several sports cars- The C4 is an excellent value for the money. The articulated early sports seats are amongst the best ever put in a car. The suspension no better than a go kart? Not true. Forged aluminum double wishbone front suspension. Forged aluminum independent halfshaft suspension was bettered by the C5, but it's still good for autocross. FX3 Bilsten electronic adjustable shocks designed for Lamborghini. I'd say the C4 is about 85% as agile as a Miata, but is 250% more powerful. Nothing wrong with that considering you can buy a C4 L98 with 45K for $6000.
Roadghost88 It handles great, and has lots of power. Took mine in the mountains and it hugged curves, not to mention is a blast, had the top off, and played the radio. Talking a almost 30 year old car here.. it's fun and we both love it. Nice stereotypes though, sad you look at the world with such a closed, judgemental mind.
Ha! My '84 Z51 Suspension with Khumo street rubber out handles a Miata without breaking a sweat. It also out handled a twin turbo Mazda Rx7 with Khumo Competition race rubber. I've got the times to prove it.
Cheap is not the operative word for most of us that have owned an '84. Radically changed and performs so well, I routinely can beat 1990's C4's, C5's and some C6's in auto-cross competitions, despite burning off rust from an 11 year hibernation. Currently giving some C6 Grand Sports and Z06's some reason to turn their heads. Rebuilding the Cross Fire Throttle Bodies and getting an alignment, last one was in 2006, should put me on their heels. Cheap... nope, damn good technology and a value for the money, when a car of 3x's the price is not much quicker. Exhaust... wow... that exhaust was tame, until you put aftermarket mufflers on it.
wow amazing you have a zr1 i cant wait to get one i want the the 96 but everytime i see a zr1 for sell the price is too much im looking for under 6g one day though
@bajabusta See my other videos for another promo vid that describes those wheels. Those first wheels shown were supposed to be "base model" 15 inch wheels, and the 16" wheels we all know about were the upgrade. I MIGHT have seen 1 84 Vette in 25 years with those base wheels & I'm not even for sure cuz it was just a glance. Does anyone know if those wheels ever made production? If they did they are EXTREMELY rare!!!
I couldn't open can of kick ass,just not legal,I used STP instead,My Red Corvette could pull a boat ,that most trucks will back out of, Corvette is cool,first Corvette was 1985 Black,very classy,ladies loved that muscle car, awesome
