price on a C4 corvette crate motor?

Call you local dealer they should be able to give you an exact price, but it's going to be a lot. I'd wager >$20K with the extra parts you mention.

If your not to attached to the idea of a new motor, Prob better off searching for a salvage car, with rear end or side damage...

Good luck.

 

20K?!? Hardly. I know a Porsche 986 crate motor with everything minus the A/C and flywheel (even has exhaust manifolds w/ CATs and O2 sensors) comes in at about $6-7K (or so they say on Rennlist). That's also with a bad exchange rate. I'd imagine the Vette engine would be in the same ball park if not a bit less. But certainly not $20K.

 

Just my best guess. Like I suggested, call the dealer and find out. I'd be shocked if it was under $15K...

 

You must be thinking of a C6Z06 motor or something.

If it's an 85 to 91 C4, that would be an L98 engine. 92-96 would be an LT1, unless its a 1996 manual tranny, in which case it's an LT-4 (basically an LT-1 with some intake/top-end mods). A hot item is to swap in a ZZ4 crate engine which makes a bunch more power than any OEM C4 engine - the ZZ4 crate motor is around $3,500 from your GM dealer. An L98 crate engine is around maybe $2200. I'd say the LT1 would be maybe $3500 or so (dont know for sure). That is probably not the complete engine with wiring harness and manifolds, etc... but check eBay. You can buy a *complete* LT-1 out of someone's Corvette for $2k which includes *everything* including ignition, manifolds, pulley-driven accessories, the whole nine yards.

Doing the motor in a C4 isn't really that much work. Pull the hood, front bumper, side "gill" panels and wheelwell panels and it's very easy to get into every part of the engine bay.

What year is the C4? If its engine-less it ought to be cheap. Not many C4's are worth over $10k-15 in good running condition, so if its a 94 for example, you better be buying it for almost nothing to make it worth it!

 

Agreed. I'm surprised that wasn't the first thing he did.

I'd be shocked if it were over $15k. I think you've been living with the F40 too long. Maybe it's clouded your judgment a bit. You know, "well I know the price for that with the F40 would be X dollars so 20% of X would be about right for that other car."

 

GM LT-1 crate engines - "MSRP" is around $8k (which is weird considering the LS1 from the newer Corvette has an MSRP of $4,500). The dealers have HUGE HUGE markup in their engines, you can buy an LT-1 brand new from GM for $3,500 and an LS1 for $2,900

You'll pay more for the manifolds/water pump and all that, but not $12k... maybe add on another couple grand a most if you are buying new parts. eBay parts and you could be ready to drop it in for less than a grand more.

 

I have an early C4 Corvette and a popular crate motor is the ZZ4:

http://www.crateenginedepot.com/store/ZZ4-Crate-Engine-350CI-355HP-HO-with-Aluminum-Heads-24502609-P4C2.aspx

From what I understand this motor runs so clean that is passes smog without any issues... you can also use the TPI (tuned port injection) on it.

Brad

 

Here's a higher output ZZ4 motor... I can't vouch on whether it will pass smog:

http://www.crateenginedepot.com/store/FastBurn-350-Crate-Engine-425HP-with-Hot-Cam-Installed-12496769-HOT-CAM-P962C53.aspx

Brad

 

Honestly, I am in the midst of stroking my LT-1 Corvette...

If you want a C4 with a stock LT-1 engine in it, stroll down to your local used car lot and buy one in good condition for 8k. The car that you are looking at sans the drivetrain is the PERFECT candidate for a hot rod. Why would you want to buy a car and turn it back stock if the stock drivetrain is missing??? It will NEVER be worth what you are going to pay to make it right again, especially since the Corvette crowd is HUGE on number matching...

If I were you, I would call and get an outrageous crate engine for around 10 - 12K and SMOKE everything else on the road, or if you decide to pass on this car, call me so I can put an 10 - 12k motor in the car and kill myself.

 

Buy used. Find a good low miles "relative" engine in a poor condition car and rebuilt it.

 

As cars age, their prices drop. Engines can easily exceed the used value of the car.

 

Thr 986 isn't a very desirable car among all car enthusiasts and is you compare yours to the OP's engine they are night and day. Not the same thing.

 

My point was that a Porsche engine shipped from Europe with all of the ancillaries comes in at well under $15k even with a very high exchange rate (dollar to euro) so a mass produced GM engine made here in the U.S. should be less or the same. Price was the point, not desirability of engine type.

 

1984 was the year of the Crossfire Injection - aka the 2nd worst engine that ever went into a Corvette. You DO NOT want to replace the missing engine with one of these. At the LEAST you would want to go with an L98 of 1986 or newer (iron block, aluminum heads, TPI injection), or an LT-1 or an LS1. But really, you want to go with a ZZ4 and that will be a real mover of a car.

But a 1984 Corvette without a motor - I hope you are getting it for free! If the rest of the car is *complete* and in good shape, it would be worth maybe $5k in parts, which means a junker would *maybe* pay $500 or $800 for it. If you are paying even that, I would run away. A 1988 Vette with 17" wheels and a good, stout L98 can be had for probably $5k if you shop around. You can get a 92 LT1 for maybe $7k in good shape.

 

If no one wants it... it will be cheaper than a very desirable item. It is the whole point.

 

Not true, it will simply just not be made.

 

+3000

84 is lumped in with all the other "1st year vettes" that are less than "coveted"...68', 63 (slight exception), etc.

I'm not sure I'd take an 84 sans' engine for free...

Sorry, but IMO chevy didn't make a corvette from 73-85 (and I put 40K miles on an 81')..... those years were filled with "parts bin trash and bailing wire". Again I still tehcnically own an 81....

I'd be concerened about getting an 84 car through "smog" (depending on where you live) w/ a crate motor. In the end the $ you have into it will be very hard to recover...but if you simply want a fun project and don tcare about the $ then "go-for-it"!

 

You could put a LS1 in it.

 

JohnG what transmission is in it? Auto or that bizarre 4+3 manual. With an auto it's a pretty easy swap. If it's the manual check it over well. Those are expensive to repair and putting in a different trans is very difficult. Also pick up a Super Chevy magazine and check the ads. There are quite a few places to get an engine that will easily double the horsepower of the stock 84 motor for less than that 8k. My best friend bought a 85 with a blown engine and the auto trans. He spent 3k for a used LS1 from a SS Camaro with all the wiring and we installed it in about 3 hours. Would have been quicker but he had a wiring short in the old harness. It passed smog easily. He's only put 5k into it, including the price of the car.

 

By no one, I meant hardly anyone. And there weren't a lot of 986's made, so that's another huge strike against.