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1 of 124 built. It's time to let this great car find a new garage. 2nd owner, but had it since 1996. All original paint, still in great condition. Multiple magazine articles have been written about the only Z07 1994 copper coupe built.
Fully maintained with Mobil1.
Spring 2018 new tires
Summer 2017 new clutch
Fall 2016 new shocks
Winter 2017 headlight servos
Summer 2021 A/C Compressor and Radiator
It's been a great car, with no problems in the 26 years we've had it. Doesn't use any oil between changes. No accidents.
JVC radio/cd/tape head, Bose head available.
Located in the Phoenix, AZ area. 264000 miles. $10000.
Last edited by Sabre34; 06-12-2022 at 05:08 PM.
Reason: sold
No, that's not a typo. 260k. This car was my daily driver for all those years, along with a bunch of cross country trips (Bloomington, Vettes on the Rockies, Black Hills, etc) and a lot of VetteNet Southwest get-togethers. My commute was not stop and go, but not freeway either. Phoenix has wide and higher speed streets for the most part.
It doesn't use a drop of oil between changes, and doesn't drip on the garage floor. Still a solid, hard pulling motor with no problems. Fully maintained by the same shop all those years.
The only things I haven't fixed is the strip in the antenna motor (motor still works) and the cruise control stopped working. I haven't been able to debug that problem.
The car "copper_94" has F/S is one of the more unique late C4s which has come on the market recently. As I know the owner and his wife and had personal experience with the car prior to their owning it, I thought I’d post here. I've excerpted parts of a feature article about the car which I wrote a couple of years ago for Corvette Magazine. Here’s the first excerpt...
The rise and fall of Copper Metallic is one of the odd episodes of the late C4 period. Originally known inside GM by the peculiar name "Melon Metallic", it was first shown on 30 June 1993 on a convertible at the media preview for '94 models. The stunning, bronzy-orange-toned color was well-received. At start-of-production in early-August, Bowling Green began building Copper cars but, after only three days, production of "paint code 66" was stopped and subsequently discontinued. Only 92 coupes and 24 convertibles were Copper and, of those 116, only one was equipped with ZO7.
The color got axed because it turned out that the Bowling Green Assembly paint shop couldn't do such a complex metallic with consistency. The result was front ends which didn't match hoods, which didn't match quarter panels, which didn't match convertible deck lids, which didn't match rear fascias–you get the picture. The problems may have been caused by angles with which each microscopic fleck of metal in the paint reflected light, proportions of base coat and metallic along, depth of the base coat and how the automated equipment sprayed the paint.
How did GM get 116 cars built with body panels having paint that didn't match? The explanation is unknown, but we can imagine the response of GM executives when reports of Copper's complication worked their way up the food chain. "Wait–what?! You guys built how many of these cars? And none have panels which match? How could you guys miss that in pre-production? Go clean out your desk."
This writer visited Bowling Green in the Fall of '93 on assignment for the now-defunct, Corvette Quarterly, doing a story on (ironically) quality auditing and was told by Chevrolet that all the Copper cars were purchased by GM and would be auctioned as used cars.
The Copper '94s are a rare case of a Corvette becoming collectable because a quality defect forced a production stop after a small number of units. Today, any Copper '94, other than a wreck, brings an above-average price and the few which are low-mileage and have minimal paint variance command top dollar.
“copper_94” is actually the third owner of this car, if you consider that for part of its first year, it was owned by Chevrolet and was assigned to the West Coast VIP/media fleet.
The car's first media loan was to journalist, Nina Russin. She picked up the car up at Mesa and drove it around Arizona for a "road tour" article which ran in the April 1994 Vette Magazine. The Copper Z07 took Russin to various Arizona scenic icons like Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, the Wupatki Pueblo and the Painted Desert.
Six months later, the car's final media loan was to this writer. I did a near-5000-mile road trip in mid-July to cover the Black Hills Corvette Classic in Spearfish, South Dakota for the Winter '94 issue of Corvette Quarterly.
I was the last media member to use the car and, after I turned it back in to Chevrolet, it went to a dealer auction and was then sold to an owner in San Bernardino County, California. The story of how "copper_94" found the car is interesting.
In the late-'90s, before the World Wide Web really took-off and way before social media, a common way for computer types to meet on-line was "internet user groups". ("copper_94"), who's worked as a software engineer since the late-'70s, was a member of a Corvette user group and that's how he learned a Copper '94 came on the market in California. I have been friends with (him and his Wife) since the mid-'90s so, when they learned about the car, he emailed me. After reading his description, I explained how to identify a ZO7 then suggested he and his Wife go look at it because there was a good chance it was the same car which I used for my CQ article three years before.
In early June, 1997, ("copper_94" and his Wife) set out for the Inland Empire area, 80 miles to the east of L.A.. After looking at the Copper '94 and liking what they saw, at my suggestion, they took it to the late Jim Van Dorn's famed Automasters Corvette Service in nearby Palm Desert. Jim gave it a clean bill of health and, at the end of the day, ("copper_94" and his Wife) owned their second C4, the 457th '94 built and the only Copper Metallic, ZO7.
Of the Copper Metallic C4s, 114 were either base coupes or convertibles. One was a ZR-1, which, unfortunately, was nonsaleable and got crushed, and one was "copper_94's" ZO7.
So what's the deal with ZO7? Offered from 1991 to 1995, it was package of chassis parts which made a car so equipped the best handing C4. No doubt, after saying that, we'll get nastygrams from the ZR-1 community, but reality is: while C4 ZR-1s were World class GT cars of that era and their 32-valve LT5 V8s are Chevrolet engine icons, GM's marketing minions never viewed ZR-1 customers as aggressive drivers and, thus, mandated the car have a comfortable ride. As a result, ZR-1s debuted in 1990 with the "FE1 Soft Ride Suspension" used on base models and, for 1992, was softened even more.
Conversely, ZO7s, while lacking a ZR-1's straight line acceleration and speed, weighed less, had better weight distribution, much stiffer springs, larger front stabilizer bar, stiffer front lower control arm bushings, "Selective Ride Control" adjustable shock absorbers and the HD brakes. This gave Z07s higher handing limits and better balance made it easier to drive at those limits.
I owned a C4 ZR-1 for 20 years and for about the first 10 years, I can remember thinking that if I could afford to buy a second Corvette, I'd try and buy that Copper ZO7 from "copper_94" because of my history with the car and that it was so freakin' unique, but I knew they'd never sell it.
Even in private hands, the Copper Z07 continued its service to media. Before she retired from teaching in 2007, (Mrs. "copper_94") was a middle school journalism instructor and, on the side, wrote articles for Corvette magazines about their road trip adventures. One of those had the well-traveled Copper Coupe returning to the Black Hills Classic in July 1999 for a story (she) published in the January 2000 Vette Magazine.
The Copper C4 is little changed from the day it left Bowling Green. The car had a pretty good paint match except for the rear fascia. Other than the first owner adding green belt-line pinstripes and ("copper_94") stripping the silver paint off the wheels then painting their cooling fins to match the body, the car's exterior is untouched in 22 years.
(The owner) is one of the rare Corvette guys who drives one every day to work, rain or shine. For 19 years, it was a 60-mile round trip and for the last two, it's been 40-miles a day. Plus, the (owners) are avid road trippers and have driven the Copper car on several Vettenet Southwest Tours, to the National Corvette Museum, to Bloomington Gold, to Detroit and at least two trips to Lake Tahoe, on the border of Northern California and Northern Nevada.
In our interview ("copper_94") told us, "It's been a very dependable car. With proper maintenance, it's lasted quite well with very little downtime." He went on to say that, even after 242,218 miles, it's LT1, Generation 2, Small-Block V8 uses so little oil he never adds any between the oil changes he does every 6000 miles or so. About a year after buying the Copper ZO7 car, it needed a clutch. It, also, had its "Optispark" distributor replaced and the shocks have been rebuilt twice. The car's sound system went out, so ("copper_94") had it repaired. It failed a second time, so he replaced all the audio hardware with modern JVC car audio which has a CD player and supports an iPhone or iPod. The seats have Covercraft neoprene, two-tone seat covers installed. Finally, since the original Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires are no longer made, they upgraded to Goodyear's Eagle F1 GS-D3 which are available in the ZO7's 275/40ZR17 size. ("copper_94") told us, "Because I drive during southern Arizona's 'monsoon season,' the Goodyear GS-D3's great performance on wet roads gives me greater confidence in using a the car daily regardless of what the weather forecast might be."
So there you have it–the consummate Corvette magazine feature car: a unique survivor with an interesting story...and that stunning Copper paint.
Yeah, it has 260K on it but the car has been well-cared-for by a couple of true Corvette enthusiasts. If I had room in my garage and wanted another C4, this one would be at the top of my list because it's so freakin' unusual.
Last edited by Hib Halverson; 09-21-2018 at 02:21 PM.
I was living in the Phoenix area (Peoria) when these came out. There were 5 cars available throughout the different Chevy dealers, 3 coupes and 2 convertibles. Of the five, none had body panels that matched. Had I had my crystal ball, I would have bought the copper convertible with the black top and interior as that's the only one I've ever seen. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Awesome car. I have bought many corvettes over the years both low and high mile. Ask me which I would prefer to depend on and it will shock most but you have lived the experience. I see too many people complain in forums for buying extremely low mile but old corvettes and it never fails in the end they sell it due to the problems. For a collector that has more money than any type of need, he or she can museum any and all without ever depending. The average Joe on the other hand may think they would feel a lot more comfortable in the low mileage car but tried, true, and proven miles on a corvette is more valuable. It has been well cycled and well lubricated. Not much fails unless they sit and rot... (Hell I am trying to help sell one on here that is a prime example. It only sat for four years and it looks like 200k car but only has 65k on it.) I wish I had the funds and space. I would buy that car in a heartbeat.... I am about to put my 69 up for sale on ebay, so if it goes before this car does maybe we can talk depending on what it goes for. Otherwise my hats off to you and good luck with the sell....
Nice car, but if I'm being honest, the high miles kills any chance of getting any collector or rarity proce bump. Looks like a nice car, and maybe someone out there values that color more than me, but in my eyes you have a really clean looking really high mileage car. If it had a typo with the extra zero, that'd be one thing.
Awesome car. I have bought many corvettes over the years both low and high mile. Ask me which I would prefer to depend on and it will shock most but you have lived the experience. I see too many people complain in forums for buying extremely low mile but old corvettes and it never fails in the end they sell it due to the problems. For a collector that has more money than any type of need, he or she can museum any and all without ever depending. The average Joe on the other hand may think they would feel a lot more comfortable in the low mileage car but tried, true, and proven miles on a corvette is more valuable. It has been well cycled and well lubricated. Not much fails unless they sit and rot... (Hell I am trying to help sell one on here that is a prime example. It only sat for four years and it looks like 200k car but only has 65k on it.) I wish I had the funds and space. I would buy that car in a heartbeat.... I am about to put my 69 up for sale on ebay, so if it goes before this car does maybe we can talk depending on what it goes for. Otherwise my hats off to you and good luck with the sell....
our previous car to this one was an 89, bought in 94 with 6k miles. it was a never ending battle fixing everything that had rotted out or deteriorated just sitting there. we put almost as much $ into it as it cost to purchase. a car that's moving often doesn't seem to have as many problems, ime. ymmv.
WOW and people say no cool C-4s WORNG . I had a few years back a 96 LT-4 with 175,000 on it ( not 260,000 ) but it ran like a new one if you take care for there LT-1 and 4s run for a long time . I have 93 with 125.000 miles runs and drive like new .. Cool ride . Good luck ..
another Vette i have is a yellow 96 convertible lt4, with 98k miles on it. that's also a great and dependable car.
upgraded my garage with a 2016, so looking to make room. our new 2016
Hi Copper,
Curious, what color interior on the yellow LT4 convertible? Options/hardtop? There are so few yellow LT4 convertibles, it's great to see one driven and with higher miles! Are you the original owner?
09-18-2018, 05:47 PM
SOLD!! F/S 1994 Copper Coupe Z07: Sold
