1989 Chevrolet Corvette Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I bought my 89 C4 last year. Only one owner for its first 24 years. Did a carfax and found no issues. The previous owner took impeccable care of this automobile. Even after sitting for a month she starts right up! I had to replace old vacuum lines, hoses and a few electrical connections, weatherstripping and complete new exhaust.... but it is 25 years old. Runs great! And my wife and I take it for a little highway joyrides on weekends weather permitting. She still has her flawless bright red finish and is a head turner. I plan to leave it as is. Fun to drive. And fun to clean and wax! Not the fastest car on the road, but I don't intend to street race anyone. If you really want to go that fast you should've become an astronaut! My wife and I receive compliments on the car all the time. But since I've only owned it for one year I always give credit to the gentleman who owned it before me. I always wanted a Corvette. It was a great price and structurally sound. A C4 Corvette is a great investment if you are looking for an inexpensive introduction to Corvettes and have some spare dollars (2-4 thousand) to get up to speed so to speak. All total I have vested $13,000 on a beautiful piece of machinery. Not a bad investment for a mid-life crisis. I've seen people shovel over a great deal more $$$$ on something that they only drive for a few years. And start all over again with a new lease costing $$$$. I have my daily drive older pick up truck. And a beautiful weekend cruiser.May 30, 2014

I was on the hunt for the very best 1989 II could put my hands on. Why a 1989? While I'm in the minority, I LOVE the digital LCD gauges, the 1st generation C4 body, and the classic L98/350 combination. '89's have all of the frame, chassis, and standard Z52 suspension refinements while retaining a the original design introduced in 1983 1/2. A few books mention that the 1989 a good year from a build and quality standard (along with the 95-96) although I love all of them. Mine was purchased with 14,700 miles, top notch condition, garaged kept and all original down to the 089 code Goodyear Gatorback tires. The only thing not original was the battery. So this review is as close as it gets to a brand new '89 Corvette Convertible with 700R4 automatic transmission. First, from the factory, these cars are not about all out speed (especially in 2014) and are all about cruising. In reality, the early C4's restored the Corvette's performance pretty close to that of the pre '71 350HP cars. The TPI gives you an unnatural torque push from idle to 4500 RPM's and then it drops off rather fast. Still, for an around the town cruiser, you are always in the meat of the powerband all of the time making the L98 an entertaining car to drive even if you have faster cars in the driveway. There are plenty of paths to get more out of the factory short block i.e. heads, a cam, an intake, and exhaust can get you back in the thick of the action for a couple thousand bucks. Minor bolt-ons like Headers, exhaust, and 1.6 roller rocker arms will improve the horsepower by 25-30 horsepower. Mine, however, due to its originality will remain stock. The car drives very nice. It feels firm and planted with exceptional road feel. The factory Bilstein shocks and spring rates are well calibrated for sport with a good ride. The seats (mine are base leather seats) suck you in and make you feel like you are part of the car. The rack and pinion steering heavy weighted and just feels nice on the road. Brakes work extremely well but they do not seem to have the initial 'bite' of newer brake systems. This is probably due the factory pad composition. If you are going to do spirited cruising, the convertible is a great option. These ares do require diverse mechanical and electrical abilities. I've repaired the Factory Delco Bose amps and deck unit myself which involved replacing all of the electrolytic capacitors . You'll probably need to perform a bushing replacement on the headlight motors. Fluids changes are VERY important especially the braking and power steering system. Also, be prepared to replace some interior plastics as these parts seem to become brittle with age. Weatherstrip and moldings will eventually require attention too. The more of the stuff you can do yourself the better and all of the information needed to tackle these items are on the internet step by step.Jan 31, 2014

Although it still needs some work, this is a great car to DRIVE and that's what I plan to do with it; take road trips and put some miles on it - not restore it to show-car quality and just garage it. Really fun to do research and learn about the car, too - almost as fun as driving it. I've obtained the original owners manual (invaluable), The Corvette "Black Book", and have gotten tons of help from online forums. One person put me in touch with the Corvette Museum in KY, where I was able to order the original "build sheet" and "window sticker" for the car, which had NO paperwork, at all. I do what work I can, myself (detailing, interior work) and for the rest of the work (mechanical, electrical, body work painting) I'm having done at a local shop as well as at Corvettes of Auburn, a Corvette specialty shop near Seattle. Have also been obtaining needed parts online - both from parts houses (Ecklers, Mid-America, Corvette Central, etc.) and private parties. Have learned that it pays to shop around. Have joined "Corvette Forum", online, and have gotten some great tips. People are always eager to listen and help! In all, a great Experience!Jul 07, 2012

This is my first Vette, something that I dreamed of since high school. Now that prices have come down, I was able to get into it for less than $5k and it has only 80k miles. It also has the 6-speed manual transmission, selectable ride, leather, targa top, and power everything. The 240 HP along with the incredible torque, highly reactive steering, and low stance is enough to give any driver a thrill. For a 350 V8, this car is getting 20 MPG, better than my wife's little SUV with a 6 cylinder. Feb 29, 2012

For being 20 years old, my Corvette is an awesome Value.The car will only go up in price.It Drives well,braking could be better,I will update this,corners very well.Mine is put together well,I'm the 3rd owner,tops are a problem not a cheap fix.Mines Red and never fails to get a thumbs up ,still sharp even today.Premium fuel,mobil 1 oil,It's a Sportscar,it goes with the turf. Fun,My Shetland Sheepdog(Alice) loves it,you can't buy a better endorsement than that.I have a Spitfire and an MGB,Alice likes the 'Vette best.(so do I)Dec 12, 2009

One of my Uncle's strictly for profit "flips" that my dad and me took on a little joyride. Once again, I did not get to drive, just ride shotgun, but hey even riding in a Corvette, especially a convertible, is fun. It was white with a black top and red leather interior, and had only 20,000 original miles. Being kept in storage so long had taken its toll on the car, and my Uncle had to do quite a few repairs to bring it back to life. The car was not yet finished when we drove it, and it was leaking antifreeze and the brakes were not working well. He has long since sold it.Apr 01, 2008

My 50th birthday brought a new mistress into my life - a beautiful 1989 Red Corvette. I'd been looking for a while and most of this era are totally trashed - inside and out. On a drive-by, spotted her in a small used car lot. Ran state title on her and found one owner for 16 years and two years with one owner. Definitely garage-kept and maintained well. Dealer was motivated and got her for $7000! Needs rubber weatherstrip work, new stereo system, tires sometime this summer, but interior is immaculate and exterior very clean. Exterior molding is fading but that can be corrected. Mechanically checked out in great shape - mechanic was pushing me to sell and I only had her for two days! Her first drive was in the Smoky Mountains along the Little Pigeon River. Never been in a car ever that held flat in a 30 mph turn at 50. Got to watch for cops! Feb 23, 2008