1990 Chevrolet Corvette Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Most unique Corvette, engineered to be the forefront during it’s tenure. The only one to have the front of it raise forward to have access to the engine compartment. The ZR-1 was considered advanced enough to compete with the exotics of that time, at an affordable price. The parts for the C4 are plentiful and their prices are increasing rapidly. It’s design was very soft unlike it’s predecessor that was designed to look like a graceful stingray. Getting into it can be a challenge if you’re too tall or wide due to the interior’s design. There were so many made and so many were abused, so make sure the car has plenty of paperwork. Enjoy the hunt! Sep 12, 2022

The ZR1 is a classic in Corvette history. With just under 7,000 produced from 1990-1995 they are the first real "race car" from Chevrolet. With the engine by Lotus, suspension by Bilstein, and sound by Bose, they were a magnificent engineering achievement. The saying went "life begins at 180mph". 11" rears, six speed, and an adjustable ride make the car a lot of fun to drive. Very visceral when compared to newer Vettes. Got rid of my C5's and C6's and kept just this one.Aug 28, 2014

sweet 1990 vett zr1 garage shape, excellent, , top comes off easy for convertible look, motor only 63000 miles , just broke in, 375 hp , , only driven on holidays and weekends for a pleasure cruse, handling awesome, fun car to drive, all stock, , sucks in the rain, but plenty of dry road excitement. handles like a dream on fast , long turns, smooth shifting, with all the style a vette has, a better feel than a European sport coupeMar 29, 2014

This is my second "play car" so I drive just for pleasure and something to tinker with, For that purpose and giving the cheap price, it fits my purposes very well. I paid as much for my C4 as it would have cost to turbo one of my other cars and tune it. That being said, it's a unique and interesting car. The L98 engine is a classic Chevy 350 underneath so there's cheap power and modification options. The car responds well to modification as well, but is fine as-is. The powerband of the engine is narrow, but very good at the same time because of the torque. I love the clamshell hood which makes servicing a breeze. It feels much faster than it actually is and will keep you entertained around town. Handling is very good. The car rides firm, which I like, and turns very flat. This car begs for sticky tires. I also like the subdued styling and the "older" C4 body style. Other nice additions are the forged aluminum bits both front and rear. Paint is very good and better than a new Camaro SS I examined. The engineers put the money where it counts. The 6speed shifter is not very good and the ring that locks out reverse is not durable. The Hurst shifter is a worthwhile upgrade and is a traditional American modification to cars like this. The interior is loaded, but the materials are typical GM. For the convertible, the storage is not good. There's some room under the top when it's down, and more when the top is up, but you have to hold up the rear of the top with your shoulder to get access. The brakes are good, not great but I may need to bleed them. I'm able to get in and out of the car no problem and prefer the strapped in feel. Older folks will have a real tough time living with this and should look at another car or try one 1st. Car is also hand built with fasteners like torx head or screws used all over the place. I love this feature as it simplifies things for me, but have locktite handy or the screws will fall out. The engine runs out of breath at 4500-4800 RPM. The power is excellent until that happens though, but it should be noted. Factory Bose audio system have amps on the speaker that have capacitors that are now dried out. Budget for repairs of this system or replace with a standardized sound system. Overall if you like to hod rod or modify, this is the car for you. Nice big hood and no sheet metal to rust. If you like it as it is, it's a great car too. Just budget for complete fluid flushes at this point and perhaps weatherstripping to get it up to snuff.Jul 09, 2013

I like the looks and the gas mileage is not bad. Rides good for a Corvette. They are not made for alot of room. Iam 62 and we don't drive it much. We need more room now days. So we bought a clk Mercedes Convertable. My wife really wanted the more room. And I have had Corvettes for 20 years,. All in all, it's a nice car. Never had to do much maintance to it. Keep your oil changed and greased and everything should be fine for a 1990 Corvette. Acceleration and braking are good. It's alot of fun to drive, and you will get alot of looks. I think it's a eye catcher. Jan 30, 2013

i once had a dream of owning a corvette. i spent my money on a porsche 944 instead. the porsche broke, and set the stage for my new story here... This car was hard to find, even in a highly urbanized area, finding a black corvette coupe with removable hardtop and six speed manual transmission was something of a miracle. i had to settle for one that wasn't a ZR1 (thank god. as much as i'd have liked one, turns out they don't make a lot of LT4 parts these days), and red leather interior. Looks good, actually, few dings on the paint (as can be understood from a car old enough to drink) but said interior takes some getting used to. Squeaks a bit sometimes, going over big bumps, but with over $4000 into sport suspension, it's my own damned fault for trying. Driving? there is no driving this car. It's more like wrangling than anything. not a car to own on a rainy day. if it snows? guess who's walking. this vehicle is aggressive, unforgiving, and acts like a jilted teenage girl on crack. It'll snap you around in a heartbeat just for thinking you had control. at least, untill you get used to it. Accelerating is an art. there is no Wide Open Throttle (WOT) on take off. if you try it, you won't go far, but you'll make some pretty smoke for a few minutes. with propper clutch control, however, it's possible to fire this 2600 lb vehicle to 60 mph at an astounding rate. i can honestly say this is one of the fastest cars i've ever driven, and by far the fastest i've owned. it pulls hard through first. through second, shift to third and feel it pulling. fourth gear is still rough, but i wasn't able to test it all the way through, going over a buck fourty at this point. with its six gears and a slightly modified (ha ha) v8, gas milage is actually not as bad as you'd think either. looking at 35+ highway, and 20+ city, it's almost twice as good as my camaro. now if i can just keep my foot off the pedal long enough to acheive such numbers for more than the week or two i took to test actual MPG. fixing this car? a headache at first, since it's all electrical and primitive at the same time. the good news is, there's no engine with cheaper parts than a good ol' bowtie 350. as long as it's a part for the motor, you can breathe a sigh of releif. if it's induction or chassis related... well it's a corvette. what do you think? handling is amazing and disappointing at the same time. This car is built for high speed turns and with a bit of practice, you can pull stunts that make every fastandfuriouswannabe jealous. the disappointing part? the fact that this car wasn't made for a parkinglot is painfully obvious when trying to get a spot. the turn radius is horrendus. there's been more than a few times i've wanted to just dump the clutch so i could whip out the back end and turn sharper. all and all, worth the money, but unless you're a hardcore driver or running from the cops, you'll probably want something else a bit less 'car.'Jan 31, 2011

It rocks! Loud, fast, stinks of exhaust, what isn't to like? This car has a 415 cid motor with big valves and long duration cams, studded bottom end, port/polish of heads, siamese of plenum, headers, wide open exhaust! Interior is stock, exterior sports lowered suspension with coil over shocks, 49th street rocker panels. Car is red, interior is saddle.Dec 09, 2008

Love my car!... HATE her previous owner. She used to drive really well but the idiot before me tried to put BOSCH quad tip platinum spark plugs in her and stripped out the #8 cylinder, which caused metal to get between the piston and cylinder and so now a rebuild is required! Other than that the car is perfect!!! Gas mileage is about 26/gal. on the highway. Paid 8 Grand for her 2 years ago.Sep 08, 2008

I owned a 1984 Cross Fire Corvette at the time and I switched over to this one darn near the same body but the drive and the power difference blew me away I will keep this car for as long as I live. I remeber seeing this car in the magizines and once in a very moment to see on the road. One might say its just a Corvette and I will tell you no. Its a ZR-1Apr 06, 2008

i have a friend whose 1990 C4 I have driven to compare with my 1987 C4. Both are awesome and fast, fun and reliable. As with anything you must maintain it to keep it in top condition. I am 6'5", built like an outside lineman at 310 lbs and have no problems getting in or out and the legroom is fantastic. the only car I have ever been able to sit and drive comfortably is a Corvette and I have owned 8 of them now from 1965 thru to 1987. For best bang for your bucks the 85-90 C4 is the best all around funtastic street menace you can get an adredalin rush with and not mortgage your soul for. I have never found finding parts either new or used a problem at all with all the internet stores and Ebay stuffed with anything you could want.Dec 28, 2007