Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

This C4 Corvette convertible rolled out of the Kentucky factory in 1992 - meaning it’s powered by the desirable 300hp LT1 V8 - and was specified with the ZF 6-speed manual gearbox. The car was ordered in Bright Red with Black hood and Black interior, and was specified with the following optional extras: (1YY67) Convertible Corvette ; (AC1) Power Passenger Seat; (AC3) Power Driver Seat; (AR9) Leather Seats; (C68) Electronic Air Conditioning Control; (U1F) Stereo System with CD Delco-Bose. The list price for the convertible Corvette was 20% higher than the coupe and, as a result, only 5,875 were made for the 1992 model year. This Corvette was exported to the UK in 1999 and registered with the DVLA in December of that year, it’s a very good example that has been looked-after well, with a few age-related marks gained over its 33-year life.

We sourced this car for one of our good customers last summer, it had been in the same ownership since 2016 and was serviced by the owner every year without fail, even though it had completed only 1500 miles in his ownership. Prior to this, the car had been looked after by Claremont Corvette, and had also been serviced by them nearly every year since 2007 (judging by the history file). Once we viewed the car and agreed purchase, we sent it to CCM Vettes for a full inspection, where Matt (who runs CCM and was the head technician at Claremont) verified the serviceable items were indeed fresh and sorted out a couple of smaller issues (exhaust fouling on chassis). He also reported that the front wheel speed sensors were reading differently across the axle and causing the ‘Service ASR’ light to appear on the dash; we have since had these replaced including new front hub assemblies and bearings. The rest of the inspection was all clear and the car was noted to be free of any of the common C4 issues (corroded fuel & brake lines etc.).

We took the C4 in part-exchange in April this year, as our customer fancied a change to a 60s sports car, and have been using it over the summer months to ensure it’s all in fine fettle and ready to go for the next owner. We jumped at the opportunity to take it back in, as these Gen-II C4s are really fantastic cars and we’ve found they are particularly suited to the bumpy UK roads. 

Today, the mileage stands at just under 89,000 miles, the majority of which were completed early on in the car’s life, as it has only travelled approximately 10,000 miles in the last 20 years. As previously mentioned, the car is in vey good mechanical and structural condition, there is no rust to the chassis or frame and no signs of previous repairs either. Some components do have surface corrosion in areas, but nothing that will cause problems down the line, and we have coated the underside in clear ACF-50 to prevent any further corrosion. The bodywork is excellent, with great shutlines and the paint is totally straight on all of its surfaces. The paint looks to be mostly original, however, there are a few lacquer defects on the bonnet and rear deck lid, and a number of small stone chips on the front-facing surfaces (see photos). The interior is in very good condition, the seats have been re-trimmed in high quality leather as the ‘leather’ used by the Corvette factory wears very quickly on the figure-hugging bolsters. The dashboard and surrounding plastics are free of any fading or cracks, the switchgear is in excellent condition too and everything works as it should, including the original Delco-Bose radio and all of the accompanying speakers. There is some wear to the interior door handles (paint worn off) and the window/hood rubbers, although the car is still totally water-tight with the hood up. Speaking of which, it is still the original hood and - along with the plastic rear window - is free from any damage, with only a small amount of wear on the edges to show for its 33 years. All four of the ‘sawblade’ wheels are in near-perfect condition with no kerb damage, and the tyres are all matching and have a good amount of tread.

As expected, the Corvette drives perfectly and the LT1 sounds great through the aftermarket, big-bore exhaust system. There are no unwanted noises from the suspension or the drivetrain and the car goes, stops and handles very well indeed. We have thoroughly enjoyed this car over the summer and have just bought another ZR-1 for our own collection as a result. We believe the second generation C4s are truly underrated cars and make for comfortable and quick grand touring, an interesting alternative to the hoards of SLs and Boxsters that fill the local car meets and Instagram accounts.

The car is currently based at our studio in Bicester, please contact Greg with any questions, or to arrange a viewing.