1986 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

-5.7L V8
-Automatic Transmission
-30k Miles
-Silver Over Red Interior
-Indianapolis 500 Official Pace Car May 25th, 1986

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 140 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, and a link to the Corvette's accident-and-damage-free, low-mileage Carfax history report, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“Little red Corvette, baby, you're much too fast

Little red Corvette, you need a love that's gonna last.” –Prince

The lyrics to Prince's 1982 song capture the timeless appeal of every Corvette (red or any other color), certainly including the C4 cars which were in the late stages of development when the song hit the charts. This fourth Corvette generation would endure for a dozen years, from 1984 through 1996.

The C4 Corvette represented a major development for Chevrolet and, over its long production run, featured many firsts for the legendary marque. Not least of these was the replacement of earlier Corvette body-on-frame construction with a steel “birdcage” uni-body, and a center spine connecting the engine to the differential and supporting the drive shaft. Body stiffness improved dramatically. The new exterior body design incorporated a track-inspired, clam-shell-style hood, hinged at the front, which exposed the entire engine for easy-access servicing. A horizontal rub strip bisected and surrounded the body and, in addition to giving the car a design signature for its wedge look, also concealed the seam where the two fiberglass body panels were joined.

The C4 cars were lower, but also shorter than the earlier C3-series Corvettes, and delighted owners with more interior room, and a more comfortable seating position. Digital instrumentation and a completely re-designed interior with new seating technology were significant changes. Other innovations included power rack and pinion steering, forged aluminum suspension components, fiberglass transverse-mounted front and rear springs, and four-wheel disc brakes. The C4 was truly an all-new Corvette.

In 1985 and '86, there were developmental improvements over the '84 model. As Car and Driver noted approvingly: “That's the way it has to be when your stated goal is producing the world's best sports car.” The more efficient L98 350 cubic-inch (5.7 liter) TPI (Tuned Port Injection) engine rated at 230 horsepower was standard. On overall performance, Hemmings Motor News declared: “… the C4 was a world-class sports car, capable of 150 MPH and .95g on the skid pad, at a fraction of the cost of a Ferrari.”

The very well-maintained, low-mileage, 1986 silver-over-red Corvette convertible offered here captures the Eighties vibe perfectly. At just 30,428 original miles, the car has traveled fewer than 900 miles per-year on average, making it a true (and rare) very low-mileage Corvette.

The car's original light silver paint retains its like-new gloss overall; there is no sign of fading or significant wear. With the red interior and black fabric soft-top, it's a classic combination that has retained its timeless appeal. All badging is present in the factory-applied locations on the body including the "Tuned Port Injection" nomenclature on the front fenders. The rear-deck luggage carrier is a handsome extra. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear and undamaged. Original-equipment, crossed-flags-logo, 16-inch styled aluminum wheels in pristine condition are mounted with Sumitomo® performance tires.

Inside, the highly regarded bucket seats created specifically for the C4 by Lear-Siegler are upholstered in crimson-red leather. The seats are known for their comfort and highly effective side-bolstering. The striking red leather (included on door trim, too) is lightly creased from normal use, but free of rips, tears, or discoloration. Switchgear is vintage 1980s including the fully functioning, colorful digital displays framed by a black steering wheel wearing the Corvette emblem. The automatic-transmission shifter is mounted on the console. Interior badging includes an emblem commemorating Corvette's honor as the Official Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500 May 25th, 1986, as well as Corvette badging with specifications list on the console (the surface of the console shows light patina from use). A Kenwood® audio head unit is mounted in the factory-radio location. Red carpeting is in place throughout the cockpit and continuing into the rear cargo area.

Beneath the front-hinged hood (and fenders), the engine compartment is in order with no sign of add-ons or aftermarket modifications. The 5.7-liter V8's design stands out with its center cold-air-supply feeding air overhead to the valve intakes. (Be sure to watch--and listen to--the video of the car at GarageKeptMotors website to enjoy the smooth, throaty L98 engine audio signature.) All related components—including air conditioning--are properly mounted in a clean, but not overly detailed, engine bay. Viewed from below, the car's chassis shows no damage as might be the case from too-aggressive driving styles; the dual exhaust components are entirely free of damage. Only light surface rust is present on some untreated metal surfaces, and of course, the fiberglass body panels are immune to rust entirely.

While the more than 140 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '86 Corvette Convertible in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

From music lyrics to pop culture, the Eighties were a time when “much too fast” was pretty much the way things were. For anyone for whom that decade was a coming-of-age time, this Corvette could be a time-travel machine to transport them back to those good times, even as it provides ample sportscar performance today. To borrow Prince's lyrics again, this silver Corvette may well be the next owner's "love that's gonna last."

(And for the record, we're pretty sure when Prince mentioned a “red” Corvette, he was talking about the interior.)