Facts by generation:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/generations/articles/100444/article.html?tid
C4 Technology
Evolution: 1984 to 1996:
Compiled by Tibor Magyar:
http://vette.hu/198397.html.
C4 Corvette Facts 1984-1996
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/4310/vetfacts.htm
Specific C4 Cross
Fire (1984 Corvette) facts:
Author unknown--if
you know the author of this information, please contact us so we can
attribute it properly!
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VIN Ranges: 1G1AY0782E5100001 thru 1G1AY0782E5151547
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Production: 51,547 coupes
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The 1984 Corvette was a complete redesign in almost every aspect.
Handling considerations dominated and the result was praised by the
motoring press as the world's best cornering automobile.
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The 1984 Corvette was introduced in March 1983. Because it met all 1984
federal requirements, Chevrolet decided to skip the 1983 model
designation. The result was a very long production run and the second
highest model year volume in the Corvette's history. 1983 Corvettes were
built, serial numbered, and tested by both Chevrolet and the motoring
press at the "long lead" preview at Riverside Raceway in December 1982.
But 1983 Corvettes were not released for public sale.
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Design criteria specified that the 1984 Corvette have more ground
clearance and more interior room, but less overall height. In order to
achieve it, engineers routed the exhaust system through the central
tunnel.
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A "4+3", 4-speed manual transmission, built by Doug Nash, had overdrives
in the top three gears for improved fuel economy.
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All 1984 Corvettes were designed with one-piece, lift-off roof panels
and rear hatch windows. At the time, the rear window glass was the largest
compound glass ever installed in an American automobile. The front
windshield was raked at the greatest angle, 64%.
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Brakes remained disc at all four wheels, but components were new and
included aluminum calipers supplied by Girlock of Australia.
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Electronic instrumentation was standard and included digital readouts
for engine monitoring and liquid crystal graphic displays for speed and
engine revolutions. Analog instrumentation was not available.
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The 1984 Corvette was designed with a pad protruding from the passenger
side of the dash. This was part of a passive restraint system conceived
when it was assumed the federal regulation would require such restraints.
The Reagan Administration dropped the restraint proposals, but the
Corvette's pad remained.
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The 1984 Corvette was designed without fiberglass seams on exposed
panels to eliminate factory finishing. The exterior seams were under the
rub strip extending around the entire body.
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The radiator was a new design using aluminum for the cooling fins and
plastic for the reservoirs. A thermostatically controlled electric fan
operates only when needed and only under 35mph. The fan cut in when engine
coolant temperatures reached approx 227-228 degrees F (110 deg Celcius).
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Chevrolet built specially modified 1984 Corvettes for the export markets
of European, Middle East, Japanese, and Latin American countries. Changes
included different license plate provisions, leaded fuel capability, and
electrical, glass, lighting and mirror modifications.
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Single transverse plastic leaf springs were used front and rear.
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A 350ci, 205hp engine, 4-speed automatic transmission, removable
body-color roof panel, and cloth seats were included in the base price.
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Optional leather seats were the same design as the base cloth style.
Sport seats were available in cloth (different material than base) and
featured inflatable lumbar support and power-adjusted side bolsters.
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The RPO QZD 16-inch tire and wheel package, initially intended to be
included as part of the Z51 option, and as a separate option for base
models, was required for all 1984 Corvettes sold. The scheduled standard
15-inch alloy wheels and P215/65R15 tires were not used.
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RPO Z51 included heavy-duty front and rear springs, shock absorbers,
stabilizer bars and bushings, fast steering ratio, engine oil cooler,
extra radiator fan (pusher), P255/50VR16 tires and directional alloy
wheels, 16x8.5-inch front,16x9.5-inch rear.
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All wheels were alloy with similar exterior appearance. Base models had
all 16x8.5-inch. Z51 models had 16x8.5-inch front, 16x9.5-inch rear.
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Road & Track magazine tested the 1984 Corvette to a best time of 7.1
seconds 0-60mph, 15.5 sec @ 88.0 mph 1/4, and a top speed of 137 mph.
Braking from 60-0 mph was 112ft.
'84 Clarification from Geeky_Bill at
http://www.crossfire.homeip.net/
CFI = Cross Fire Injection
TBI = Throttle Body Injection
TPI = Tuned Port Injection
CFI is based on the old 69 (I think) Z28 302 Cross-Ram design, where
there were two diagonally-opposed carbs feeding the opposite side of the
engine. CFI uses two TBIs instead of carbs...and has much smaller intake
runners. CFI was only used on 82 and 84 Vettes and 82-84(?) F-bodies (camaros/firebirds).
A TBI setup is similar to a carb, except that instead of a "nozzle" or
"jet" you have an electronic computer-controlled injector. After CFI
came TPI. TPI is a "dry manifold" (no fuel flows through the intake
manifold) setup, using an injector-per-cylinder setup.
Corvette Forum link that explains the different
engine nomenclature
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=728037
What the critics had to say
about the C4 Cross Fire:
Author unknown--if
you know the author of this information, please contact us so we can
attribute it properly!
"To amplify on these cold objective numbers, we can report that the
Corvette's handling is a delight! Gone is the previous version's
overshoot steering that caused you to uncrank some lock as the car took
its set. You point this new Corvette and it goes." -- Road and Track
Magazine, March, 1983.
"Steering quickness is the most noticeable of the Corvette's
handling traits when you get off the Interstate and onto the twisty
stuff. After the other three cars, the steering feels almost too quick
and darty, but once you get used to it, the quickness works well with
the basic point-and-squirt driving style needed to get the big car
through tight corners. With its special and very wide Goodyear Eagle
VR50s, the Corvette provides excellent adhesion and good cornering
balance at all speeds, and recorded the highest skidpad figure of the
four cars. On a fast, smooth track like Willow Springs, that cornering
power makes the Corvette the easiest and most effortless car to drive
fast, and at least one driver reached his quickest and most consistent
lap times of the day in the Corvette." -- Road and Track Magazine,
August, 1983. (comparison test including Ferrari 308 and Porsche 928)
"All but one driver placed the Corvette last in the
cost-is-no-object rating. The car was well liked for its driver comfort
and great torquey acceleration in traffic (driver quote: 'The best
thing about the Corvette is putting down your right foot and throwing
great big clouds of Corvette dust on all the other traffic'). The new
Corvette is much improved over the old, but still lacks the finesses of
the other cars in the test. Most complaints centered on excess rather
than shortcomings; 'too big and bulky,' 'overdone instrumentation' and
so on. Poor ride and body rattles also made the Corvette the least
pleasant to drive on an extended 3-day road trip. Make no mistake--the
Corvette is an excellent car, among the best in the world, but again the
cars in this test it lost several small battles of degree." -- Road
and Track Magazine, August, 1983. (comparison test including Ferrari 308
and Porsche 928)
Corvette Forum thread, "Is the '84 really the best handling Vette?"
Author: vetnutjim,
alfordjim@aol.com,
Columbus
Georgia,
http://www.geocities.com/csgcorvetteclub/
"I
have one each:
84 Z51 Vette
91 Coupe
02 Z06
The 84 is DEFINITELY the best handling/driving
Corvette in my stable.
I DON'T mean by just a little bit either.
It handles and drives about 10 times better
than my 91.
It handles and drives about 2 times better than my Z06.
It is a little down on power but it drives like
a large size go cart.
It is rough on bumps but it handles turns...well...like it was made to.
The 84 is in it's own element going through hard turns.
It steers quicker than the 91 or the Z06.
It turns in quicker and sticks better than the 91 or the Z06.
Feels like it has glue on the tires. Gives plenty of warning when it's getting
close to the adhesion limit.
The 84 Vette comes a LOT closer to 'reading my
mind' than the 91 or the Z06.
I've just got to get some more horsies in it to
be the perfect Vette for me.
The 84 is a DRIVERS car.
It's a smart car too...knows what I want to do and just does it.
Don't get me wrong. The Z06 is F-A-S-T. The 91
is more powerful.
Both are more 'refined'.
But I'd rather drive the 84 than either one of
the two others.
I'd have a hard time letting go of the 84 simply for the reasons listed
above.
It's just plain more fun!!!
I'll say this:
If your L98 or LT1 Vette isn't tuned up just right, I'll hand you an empty
lunch plate with my old Crossfire 84.
I ain't taking on any LS1 cars, now. They're quite a bit too much in the
power department. (I KNOW, I've got one..98 LS1 Z28)
The 84 Vette.....It's rough, it's tough, it's raw around the gills and it
rides like a truck. But it HANDLES like a WET DREAM. I LOVE mine.
Or can't you tell?"
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