1986 Chevrolet Corvette

1986 Chevrolet Corvette 2-Owner, 30-Year Family Car with Doug Nash 4+3 and Fresh Mechanicals

Why This Car Is Special

The 1986 Chevrolet Corvette holds a specific place in C4 history that often gets overlooked. It was the first model year the Corvette received standard four-wheel anti-lock brakes a genuine engineering milestone for an American production car at the time. Chevrolet equipped the '86 with the Bosch ABS II system, the same technology appearing on European sports cars that cost considerably more. That alone makes the 1986 model year a turning point in the Corvette's development, not just a year in the middle of the C4 run.

This particular 1986 Chevrolet Corvette has two things going for it that most do not: a documented two-owner history with 30 years of family ownership, and the optional Doug Nash 4+3 transmission a gearbox that Corvette buyers specifically sought out and that has a story worth telling on its own. Add a clean Carfax report and a fresh round of mechanical work to the cooling and drivetrain systems, and you have a C4 that is ready to drive rather than sort out.

The 1986 Corvette was built in Bowling Green, Kentucky the first full model year out of that plant, which had taken over production from St. Louis after the 1981 model year. Approximately 27,794 coupes were produced for 1986. The coupe is the only body style that year; the convertible did not return until 1986 was already underway as a show car and did not reach production buyers until the 1987 model year.


Features List

- 5.7L 350 cubic inch Tuned-Port Injection V8 230 horsepower, 330 lb-ft of torque
- Doug Nash 4+3 four-speed manual transmission (factory option), recently rebuilt
- Two-owner car, 30 years of family ownership
- Clean Carfax
- Bosch ABS II four-wheel anti-lock braking system
- Aluminum cylinder heads
- Magnesium valve covers
- 5-link independent rear suspension
- Rack-and-pinion steering (recently replaced)
- Removable Targa roof panel
- Digital LCD instrument cluster
- Power-adjustable sport seats
- Tilt and telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Delco-Bose premium audio system
- Vehicle Anti-Theft System (VATS)
- Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp
- Black exterior
- Red leather interior

Recent Services in January 2026
- Antifreeze/coolant flushed
- Clutch master cylinder replaced
- Clutch slave cylinder replaced
- Lower radiator hose replaced
- Rack and pinion replaced
- Radiator cap replaced
- Radiator replaced
- Upper radiator hose replaced
- Water pump replaced


Mechanical

The engine in this 1986 Chevrolet Corvette is the L98 5.7-liter 350 cubic inch V8, fed by the Tuned-Port Injection system that Chevrolet introduced on the Corvette in 1985. The TPI setup uses individual runners tuned for low-end and mid-range torque rather than peak horsepower, which is why the L98 produces 330 lb-ft of torque at a relatively low 3,200 RPM. Rated at 230 horsepower, it pulls hard from a stop and delivers a driving experience that rewards the driver on real roads rather than just at a test track. The aluminum cylinder heads and magnesium valve covers were notable engineering choices that kept weight down and gave the engine bay a purposeful, finished look that holds up nearly four decades later.

The transmission is the Doug Nash 4+3 RPO MM4 and it deserves a proper explanation. Doug Nash Engineering, a Michigan-based firm with motorsports roots, developed this gearbox specifically for the C4 Corvette. It is a conventional four-speed manual with an overdrive unit bolted to the back, giving the driver seven forward ratios in practice. First through third gear each have an overdrive position engaged by a computer-controlled hydraulic clutch pack. The system was designed to improve highway fuel economy while keeping the mechanical engagement of a manual transmission. It is a co