I bought two C4 Corvettes for $4500 for both. One (the 1988 Yellow one) now, thanks to this forum, runs and drives (well as soon as I bleed the clutch). The other (Red), the owner said all it needs is a new fuel pump and it could be a daily driver. He took pictures from in Earth's orbit, did not show the interior and it was raining heavily and was outback through the deep mud. So, for that price I just went ahead and bought both. I mean for $4500 for both, what could go wrong? I towed the Yellow 1988 Corvette home, and it was running and driving, that is how he got it on my trailer (and almost ran me over doing it). I waited more than a week and came back for the other. The Red 1985 (out back in the mud) has not been on the road since 2011, They left the top off, someone could not find the heater core (it looks like), so disconnected everything and threw it all in the back (and front seat). When I hooked up the battery I got nothing. Not one light, nothing. I 'm not willing to trace all the wiring down and fix that car, but I would like to get it running and driving for a little cash.
I have heard you can get an intake manifold and a carburetor and not need any computers. Is that true? I can get the dash together hot wire everything needed to make it run and drive a little, and sell it as a car that needs electrical work. (And a LOT of TLC.) So can that be done?

 

C4's with Carbs don't sell for much. I think You are tettering on the edge of a Rabbet Hole. I would be tempted to place an add on the for sale section of the forum and see what interest you get just the way it is. It would be nice if it had a manual trans and the Dana 44.

 

Intake, carb, HEI should do it. You just need 12 volts to the distributor, no sensors or ECM needed. If you have these things laying around, go ahead and do it. But if you need to buy these items, used, I don't think you'll recoup those dollars. New is out of the question. For the little cash your looking for, sell it as is.

 

One of the reasons I bought the red corvette was it had an automatic transmission. And I only bought the two for $4500. That is $2250 for each, As long as it makes that back (and a little profit) who cares. As a retired truck driver, I am absolutely tired of shifting gears. I wanted the automatic, but the guy lied and said all it needs is a new fuel pump. This does not look like it only needs a fuel pump, to me no. But I had already bought it (sight unseen) and had the title in hand, it was mine, Caveat emptor, Buyer beware.

 

Yeah the HEI I bought for this truck cost $300. I only got $5500 after restoring it. (Cheap asp bastarts around here.)

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And $5000 for this 1997 Corvett.

And was paid only $5000 after the restoration of a 1975 Rolls Royce and the carb cost $300.

 

$2250 each? Regardless, pretty good deal.

 

At least the heater core looks new.

 

Yeah but the price to try to install it apparently was the Vette sitting for 10 years with the top off and to turn into a POS.
Maybe I should do a body swap of the Vette onto my tractor and have it look like this.