1992 Corvette Convertible - 6 speed manual, 27k miles!

1992 Chevrolet Corvette Description

I’m sure I’m going to regret this, but I have owned this Corvette for 21 years, and have only driven it 12k miles. On top of the 15kit hadwhen I bought it, it's 27k total, and that's crazy. It is time for someone else to take stewardship of this car, and enjoy it! There is still plenty of summer left, and it is convertible time. If you are looking specifically for a C4 Corvette, or just want a quality, affordable collectible that you can drive and enjoy, this could be the one for you.

Options and Equipment

Withthe benefit of Mike Antonick’s very helpful Black Book,I think it is safe to describe this car as unusual - perhaps even rare. I have yet to see another one like it. Bearing in mind there were 20,479 Corvettes built for the 1992 model year, and 5,875 of those were convertibles, the production numbers below certainly point towards this being a different C4.

Paint Color: Black Rose (1 of 1,886, so less than 5% of total production)

Top Color: Black

Interior: Black Leather

Engine: LT-1, 300 hp. This was the first year for LT-1 revival in the C4’s.

Transmission: 6 speed manual (1 of 5,487, so less than 27% of total production)

Others:

CC2: Removable painted hardtop (1 of 915, so less than 16% of the convertibles)

FX3: Adjustable suspension (1 of 5,840, so less than 29% of total production)

U1F: Delco Bose Gold, but see below

C68: Climate control A/C

AQ9: Dual power leather sport seats (1 of 7,973, approx. 39% of total production)

History

Corvettes were coming back in a big way when this car was built. This model year marked the return of the LT-1, coming in very strong (for 1992) with 300 horsepower. This is an early build car, with a build date of September, 1991. I bought this car with 15,210 miles on the odometer from Wide World of Cars in Spring Valley, NY in the summer of 1996. This dealership sells new Ferrari, Maserati, and BMW, and they took this vehicle in trade on a new BMW 328 convertible.

When I got the car home, I realized they forgot to really clean it out well, and I found an insurance card for the previous owner, including his address. I wrote him a short note, and told him I had bought the car, and that if he had any other paperwork, etc., I’d be glad to have it. He called me a couple of days later and told me he had no paperwork, but. . . he had kept the factory removable hardtop, hoping to sell it separately and make a few bucks. A deal was struck, and I now owned the factory hardtop, together with a rolling aluminum stand. He also told me the factory hardtop had been on the car once – at delivery, and he never put it on again. I have never put it on at any point during the 21 years that I have owned the car.

The previous owner was a fanatic. He actually cleaned the underside of the car a couple of times a year, never drove it in any sort of bad weather, etc. I tried to do the same, but was less successful. I was cleaning the underside about twice a year, taking off the wheels and cleaning out the insides, etc., but I couldn’t really keep up. I did not drive the car in weather, but it’s been a couple of years, and maybe three thousand miles since the last time the underside was cleaned.

Condition

Drivetrain and Suspension

This C4 idles smoothly, accelerates strongly, and shifts perfectly. Handling is great. Every year, I have a full synthetic oil change done, and a top-to-bottom inspection. In 2016, the water pump was replaced and the coolant flushed. I saved the original pump. Somewhere around 1998, the electronics on top of the rear shocks that control the FX3 adjustable settings broke. I had those replaced, and kept the originals. The FX3 works, and I can feel the difference from changing the three settings. Other than these two issues, the car hashad virtually no mechanical needsover the course of my ownership, aside from oil changes, etc.

Interior

Interior condition is excellent. The optional sport seats have really held up well and are exceptionally comfortable. Carpets are in nice shape. Original floor mats are in good shape.No smoking, no odors, nothing weird. The materialthat covers the sunvisors is a little loose. I think that is the only negative on the interior.

Top

The exterior cloth and headliner on the soft top are both in great shape. The window is still clear, with few scratches. There are little Velcro wings that attach the headliner to the inside of the B pillars. Unfortunately, if the Velcro is not undone, they bind in the top when it comes down, and it tears the binding on the wings. They are 100% usable, and look ok, but if we’re nitpicking, the binding does have a couple of breaks in it. The factory hardtop has not been on the car since originally delivered in 1992. It is on a rolling aluminum stand in my garage, and comes with a cover. The headliner in the hardtop is musty from sitting in my basement for so many years.

Paint and Body

For a 25 year old car, it'sin great shape, but I think the Corvette buyer is probably holding it to a higher standard, so I would say it is better than driver quality, but not quite show quality. The nits are as follows:

There are a few stone chips, but they are small and tough to photograph. There are a handful of garage rash scratches too. One on the driver's mirror is photographed, as is one on the right rear. Neither are particularly noticeable, but, full disclosure.

During my ownership, the car has had no accidents, and I have not seen anything to make me think there were any before I bought it. However, the top of the driver’s door was repainted. In 1998, I went to pull the car out of winter storage, andaccidentally chipped the fiberglass on the top of the driver’s door on the garage frame. The chip was probably the size of a quarter. I had it repaired, and the repair itself is fantastic. I believe the repair was $400, which should give you a sense of the magnitude of the damage (i.e., small). The color match is not perfect, but it is about 95% right.

Somewhere around 1997, I left the car out in the rain, and it got some waterspots on the top of the hood and rear deck. They are super faint, but they are there, and the hardcore enthusiasts will notice them on close inspection. I’ve tried a bunch of different things to remove them over the years, but nothing was ever able to quite get them gone forever. I tried to photograph them, but I could not get them to show up in a single photo. At this price point, I would be extremely surprised if they stopped anybody from buying, but again, full disclosure.

Electronics and A/C

Windows, locks, remotes, seats, horn, etc. are all working well. The A/C was converted to 134a aboutfour years ago, and works well.

Severalyears ago, the Delco Bose Gold system basically fell apart, one component at a time. First, the CD player stopped working, then the speakers blew out one by one. Frankly, the system was never very good. After much deliberation of rebuild or replace, I opted to replace. The unit that went in is spectacular. When off, it blends perfectly – it is simply a black screen. At night, the buttons have been color coded to the same orange as the dash. The new unit is AM/FM/CD/NAV, and has anApple adapter hidden in the glove box so you can stream from your phone. The nav antenna is hidden under the car. The system works great. For the purists, I saved every part that came off the car when the system was replaced – the head unit and every blown speaker. I have them all. The only nit here is that the power antenna stopped working recently.

Tires and Wheels

The car currently rides on Michelin Pilot Sport PS2’s in the original size (275-40-ZR17), which are mounted on chrome American Racing Torq Thrust M wheels. I bought the whole combo from Tire Rack, at a cost of $2,200. In addition, I have the original wheels, with the original tires still mounted on them. These tires still have enough tread depth to pass New York State safety inspection, but again, they are the originals. They are 26 years old, and I would not run then any longer for fear of dry rot. The original wheels are in reasonably good shape. Minor curb rash on one of them,and some clearcoat chipping on all of them.

Documentation

I save everything. I have every receipt since I bought the car in 1996. I have a reproduction window sticker and the build sheet obtained from the National Corvette museum. I have the dealership sales brochures and all of the owner’s manuals. I have the VHS tape that came with the car on delivery, and I also have the 1992 promotional VHS tape. I have the ad for the car that Wide World of Cars placed in the New York Times the week that I bought it, and I also have the salesman's card.

Sales Terms

Car is sold as is, where is. I make no warranties or guarantees about condition. Buyer is responsible for shipping and inspection costs, but I will do whatever I can to facilitate the process. If you are the winning bidder, you have bought the car. Ask questions now. My mobile number is 914-319-4626, and I will also respond to all questions coming through ebay. I will not disclose the reserve. For the winning bidder, there is a $500 non-refundable deposit due within 24 hours of auction close. Full payment is due within seven days. I will not release the car until I have cash in hand, or if paying by check, funds have cleared my account.