With its aggressive aftermarket body kit and low mileage, this custom 1984 Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car deal you can’t pass up.
Whether you like them or not, body kits are a cheap way to change the way a car looks in a big way, for better or for worse. Some panels can be replaced with kits that make them look a little bit more aggressive, imposing, or even luxurious. Those who are more daring can go all out and make something completely new with a little bit of handywork. The 1984 Corvette that is now for sale on Cars and Bids fits this description.
The C4 Corvette was a popular car in the 1980s, but this custom version looks like it was inspired by another popular car of the time, the Ferrari Testarossa. So, let’s put on some New Wave music, put on an oversized turtleneck, and find out more about this car that combines two of the most famous sports cars from the 1980s.
A C4 Corvette With Ferrari Aspirations
This particular Corvette is a 1984 model—the very first of the C4 generation—and is a coupe with a 5.7-liter V-8 engine. But it doesn’t look like a typical C4 device. The listing states that American Custom Industries created a one-of-a-kind (and likely custom) body kit for this 1984 Corvette. The Vette’s front fascia, which includes the nose, has grown in length significantly.
Ahead of the front wheels, the C4’s square fog lights have been recessed deeply into the front clip and are flanked by sharply styled inlets. The standard Corvette’s nose is more squared off, but the bumper in this body kit is curved and slopes downward. Narrow horizontal inlets sit just behind the front plate holder. If you squint really hard, you can see similarities between the nose and the Bugatti EB 110. It’s possible, with extreme magnification, to find motivation there.
The 1984 Corvette’s front clip may not scream “Ferrari,” but the side strakes “scream” Testarossa. The inlets are much less eye-catching on the Vette than they are on the Testarossa because they are limited to the lower halves of the doors. But their fashion isn’t the only reason they stand out. The Vette’s overall width is increased after the addition of the side strakes to the wide rocker panel kit.
Although the strakes draw the eye, the custom Corvette also features unique wing mirrors that create a triangular shape from the A-pillar to the Vette’s waistline. This Corvette, in contrast to the original Testarossa, has wing mirrors on both sides of the coupe.
Behind the cabin, where the original Corvette’s wraparound rear windscreen used to be, a new, custom unit has been installed to continue the Testarossa-inspired design. The smaller rear glass is framed by faux roll hoops, evoking the Ferrari Testarossa; a bump on the piece of body kit also suggests the engine is located in the trunk, as it would be in the Ferrari.
Some Key Features and Benefits:
The odometer reads 42,800 miles.
Evolution of 5.7-liter V-8 Engine 205 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque
Transmission with four preset speeds
A set of 17-inch alloy wheels
Inflatable headlights
American Custom Industries’s Bumper Assembly
Sony stereo system muffler deactivation
Paint the exterior a pale blue and the interior black.
A bigger, curved spoiler hangs over the decklid behind the new rear glass. Since neither the Testarossa nor the 1984 Corvette had a rear spoiler, this is one area where the body kit appears to forge its own unique path. The effective widebody kit continues below the conventional quad circular taillights with a squared-off rear fascia and flowing rear inlets that are styled similarly to the front units.
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