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IMO the C4 is probably the only modern Corvette which doesn't take well to body kits. Probably because the lines are so clean and it doesn't need a kit. The only C4 kit I like, if you can call it that, as it's almost a re-body, is the Callaway Speedster. Apart from that I think all the C4 kits look ricer. Just my opinion. The above kit for example makes the nice and clean Pininfarina-esque C4 lines look like a 80's Trans Am.
Great color too. It's on the top of my list if I don't go with just red. Metallic red.
The only thing Chevy never got 100% right with the C4s in my opinion were the wheels. The GS with the five point wheels look ok. Much better than the 5 point wheels on the C5 for sure.
But I guess this is not exclusive to the C4. It seems the times these cars were made. Many cars from the 80's and 90's look good but benefit immensely from a wheel update. While I wouldn't mess with the wheels of a 308 GTB or Countach and Diablo, because they look classic, other cars wheels look dated. Such as the BMW 8 series, which desperately needs new wheels these days. Not only they look like skateboard wheels so small they are for the car, but they are ugly and dated as well. Good thing wheels are such an easy thing to replace if one feels like.
With the C4 the only ones I truly dislike are the very early ones. The ones above are actually my favorite C4 wheels. It would be good if somebody made replicas in a larger size though. The C4 looks great with larger wheels.Are your wheels 16"?
I tend to like the above wheels more than the turbine ones from the 90's C4s, which I think are 17"? Again the turbines look more futuristic while the above is more sporty.
Talking about perfect look, sometimes I think the perfect classic C4 would be a 1990 ZR-1 but with the original round tail lights and rear bumper cover on the wide body rear. Throw on enlarged versions of the wheels on Izzy Dizzy 's car and that would probably be my ultimate C4.
I think it would be such an easy job to take a standard 1990 rear bumper cover and widen it to fit the ZR-1 rear. But it would probably bet better to buy a standard 1990 C4 and change the rear quarters to ZR-1 to do that. As not to mod a ZR-1. Especially the 1990. I think in the future the 1990 ZR-1 will be the most collectable and highest priced C4. It was only made that way for a single year. Many more 1991 and newer ZR-1s and they look all the same for the last 5 years of production. The 1990 seems to be more rare.
Although, the process would be reversible. You could just keep the stock ZR-1 rear bumper cover to change back in the near future if you so wish. Hmmm.
BUT! Sometimes I love how futuristic the post 1991 cars still look. So slick, just as sexy really. I used to think if it's red I would want a pre 1991. Black or another slick color I would want a post 1991. That was before I saw MatthewMiller's red post 1991 C4. It looks fantastic! I think I know what it is. The smoked front light covers make the post 1991 cars look futuristic and less sporty, while the pre 1991 are pure sport. But MatthewMiller seem to have taken the smoked lenses off of his red C4 or something and it brought the car to the sporty side. I'm not sure you can understand what I mean by sport vs futuristic. Of course both are sport. But I hope you understand where I'm coming from.
Thanks, Zak. AFAIK the front lenses on my fog and turn signal lights are stock and original. The 96 did do something a little different than prior years, though: the little piece of the body work that comes across the lenses at the front corner is body color instead of black, as on all previous C4s.
1995:
1996:
I'm not sure if the smoked lens really changed or whether that's just the lighting in various photos.
On a more general note about C4 looks, I'm amazed at the difference just lowering an otherwise stock C4 and putting wide tires at all four corners makes. I get a lot of compliments on my car, even though that's the only two changes on it that affect its appearance (well, okay, Corsa mufflers in back). If you put my car next to another red 96 with stock ride height and wheels on it, it's like night and day. Even my car on the stock sawblades (but still lower) doesn't look the same at all.
Last edited by MatthewMiller; 10-29-2018 at 12:05 PM.
Thanks, Zak. AFAIK the front lenses on my fog and turn signal lights are stock and original. The 96 did do something a little different than prior years, though: the little piece of the body work that cones across the lenses at the front corner is body color instead of black, as on all previous C4s.
1995:
1996:
I'm not sure if the smoked lens really changed or whether that's just the lighting in various photos.
On a more general note about C4 looks, I'm amazed at the difference just lowering an otherwise stock C4 and putting wide tires at all four corners makes. I get a lot of compliments on my car, even though that's the only two changes on it that affect its appearance (well, okay, Corsa mufflers in back). If you put my car next to another red 96 with stock ride height and wheels on it, it's like night and day. Even my car on the stock sawblades (but still lower) doesn't look the same at all.
Thanks for the explanation Matt. So it's not a lens but just a piece of the body which is colored black? That's interesting.
I agree with you. Wheels and ride height make so much difference with C4s. The C4 really benefits from some lowering and wheels. Nothing too low. But just a little drop already fully changes the looks of the car as you say.
By the way, what is really different between the post and pre 1991 cars? Is the whole body shell different? To me it seems the front bumper with lights, rear bumper with rear fascia and taillights and fender vent piece is different. But the rest is the same? Sometimes I get the impression the post 1991 cars have a flatter side, especially around the front fenders. But it may be just an optical illusion. And if it's only a few body parts which are new, I wonder if anybody has ever made a hybrid with different parts of each. But then again this is basically what the 1990 ZR-1 kind of is.
For starters, I prefer the coupe to the convertible. I also prefer the late model front. And the round taillight rear. And the late interior. As for wheels, the sawblade design is nice enough IMHO that aftermarket isn't all that appealing. The '94 I got is close enough. But the greenwood 572, now that's what I'd like to see in my driveway.
it is also my opinion that chrome is often not a good look on these cars.
Thanks for the explanation Matt. So it's not a lens but just a piece of the body which is colored black?
That's correct.
By the way, what is really different between the post and pre 1991 cars? Is the whole body shell different? To me it seems the front bumper with lights, rear bumper with rear fascia and taillights and fender vent piece is different. But the rest is the same?
I don't know for sure. I know there were upgrades over the years to the frame underneath, but I'm not sure if the shape of the body other than the parts you point out are different or not.
10-28-2018, 08:25 PM
Who’s got the look
