wanted to get some info, is a 84 crossfire ok or would it be worthwile to get a 85 or newer injection? also anything to look out for in a c-4 if purchasing? thanx, any info appreciated

 

I don't know anything about the 84. I have an 85 with 4/3 transmission I've put about 14 thousand miles on it in a little over a year love it

 

Only you can decide if it is worthwhile or not, but generally speaking, yes, the tuned port is enough of an improvement over the crossfire that it is worthwhile to get it. The crossfire is not a "bad" setup, but it does not produce as much power as a tuned port and if you want to mod, I think there are more options that will yield more power with the tuned port.

 

An 84 is fine for just everyday driving, Many people bemoan the crossfire, but it's usullay from no actual experience and they are going by power numbers or something they heard. If you just want to cruise then your golden, if you want to mod it, it gets more complicated. They are rated at 205 hp. and 290 lb ft. Whereas an 85 has 230 hp and 330 lb ft plus gets better mileage.

On paper I'd take an 85 or later over an 84, but in real life a good 84 is better than a bad 85 anyday.

 

Well,seeing how everbody here more or less seems to think all 84s are junk,this should be an easy one.

 

"junk" might be a bit harsh but everything I've read and heard points to an 85 or newer...I've got an 84 and it's hardly junk. btw Jeff...did you receive the MO I sent?

 

I for one don't think my 84 was junk, I wish I still had it, first of the generation and a real head turner, just fast enough to get your attention. I think they did well enough on the track to get them in a class of their own.

 

It all depends on what you want to do with it. If you want easy mods that you can buy from a catalog and slap on there with instant improvement, then an 85 or newer is your bet.

If you're not that worried about mods or aren't afraid to mod the crossfire yourself, then there is nothing wrong with an '84. I've had mine 9 years and wouldn't trade it for an '85. I haven't really done much along the lines of mods, but it's still fast and still looks good.

 

thanx for the info

 

^^ please hold of on the gratuities.

I especially like the "junk" statement.

VT, if you would like to start off on the right foot, search out the epic battles on this very topic, there are about a gazillion of them that contain actual intelligent postings.

Things to look out for include the fact that the Xfire is a very reliable platform, and noobs claiming that they are junk....well there is always some drunk yelling "Freebird" at a live performance.....kinda the same thing.

Also the argument that you can get tons more out of a Xfire given the same money is spent both ways.....You can always throw out tons of money and make anything run.....You can do simple porting mods to the xfire and get a lot more out of it than you would an '85......EVEN money is the key word here.

Let's examine the premise of why "Junk" is thrown out. Allow us to go back to '84......which Chevy mechanics were prevalent in dual carb adjustments?? very few understood that you had to balance the two throttle bodies to get the thing to run right.....hence...."Junk" Fast forward to 2008 and you still have a drunk holding up a lighter and yelling "Freebird"!!!!

'84=standard SBC with a couple of injectors squirting into dual throttle bodies. If you have a guy that is having a hard time with a standard SBC.....you may want to excuse yourself from further discussion and seek out an 8th grader in Auto Mechanics...most of them have the SBC figured out by now and wouldn't allow a dual intake to throw them.

My 84.....25k miles since I've had it and it runs great. I have yet to fool around with the TPS or any other fuel component....it just runs fabulous for a ~23 year old car.

CFI will surely set the record straight in the morning...

 

Don't let crossfire be the issue-if it's a nice car, priced right-buy it. If you can find a newer one in the same condition for the same money, it's a no-brainer. They are all great cars, but at 20+ years old, a lot depends on the treatment they have had. Good luck, hope you find a good ride!

 

I had an 84 and yes it had some issues. Got it tuned and it ran quite well. The prior owner to me though swapped out the engine with a mild rebuild (9.5:1 comp with .450/.460 cam) but retained the Cross-Fire injection system. He sold it because he said it didnt run correctly. Got the tb's correct and it became a whole different car. The prior owner said it had gears in it too, it must have but I am not sure what they were but it ran about 2,200 rpms at 60 mph (7 years ago so I cant remember exactly). I ended up rebuilding a tranny, put on a good sounding exhaust and had NO trouble with keeping at my friends 95 Z28. He had an exhaust, cai, a handheld tuner, and 3:73 gears. He and I were within .5 cars at 110 and I started to gain on him.

His ran only 13.99@101. So I would say after my work my Crossfire was around a 14 flat car. Not bad performance for a low budget car.

If your going to mod I would buy a high mileage LT1 before the 84-91 cars. Just my .02 but if your going to just cruise and you want to stand out a little bit the 84 is a great car.

 

Hi Dave,I got the MO,will send out the parts tomorrow.These cars are far from junk,Ive owned one for years but this seems to be the consensus whenever this question is asked and 84 Corvette comes up.These cars are far more reliable than people give them credit for.

 

My '84 is anything but a pile of junk...I love the way it looks and sounds especially my C4 with the Low vin # just makes it more special to me....its ruff around the edges but still runs like a new vette sound great with the flow-master exhaust, its lowered down for better handling and better Drag..... I'd look into a 1984 for the rareity of the car you can mod it out with a manifold porting and good 170cc heads, slap some headers on and go

 

i agree with you on all points..... i've had my '84 for more than a year and most that think they know anything about a SBC will call it a pile of SHEEEET .... most are driving a 90 hp metro with 5 turbos strapped to it( A 12 hp gain..... My Vette is all stock and for the most part untouched the tb's were tuned for better performance and you can still hear them firing in unison if you stomp it It will GO GO GO 9and get squirlly on a rain-soaked highway, gets 33 mpg on a good day or 28 any other day...

 

My 84 is VERY reliable. The Crossfire works just fine. If you're looking at an 84 find one that the owner hasn't done half-assed mods to the crossfire system. Mine's stock and works great.

The 84's are a real bargain, but if you're looking for real power than go with a 92 and up. It's your money.

 

I have had my 84 for almost 6 years now. I knew nothing about the 'Ol Crossfire when I got it. When it was stock it ran like Timex watch once I took the time to understand it and get it dialed in. The TBs are key. Throttle shaft wear, balancing the TBs and fuel pressure are key to a good running Crossfire. Like others have stated, it depends on what you want. Now I have a extensively modded Crossfire that turns high 12's and I get "how in the heck did you do that?". I just .

It is like anything else, it depends on what you want and regardless of what year you select you need to gain an understanding on how it works. CFI or TPI does not matter you still need to understand it. At the end of the day you are just talking about air, gas and spark.