Few things are more representative of American car culture than the Chevy
Corvette. The Corvette once was the king of the road, then went through a major slump, but is currently undergoing a renaissance. When did Corvette hit its all-time low? Car historians will debate this, but we think the 1982 Corvette was the worst model year-end ‘Vette.
The Malaise era of American cars
In the 1950s and 1960s, it seemed that oil would always be cheap and abundant. As such, the big three automakers made large gas guzzlers believing that the era of cheap oil would never end.
But American drivers would receive a rude awakening in 1973 when OPEC imposed an oil embargo on the US. While the embargo only lasted for about a year, its effects echo to this day. The government was highly concerned about America's lack of oil independence, and thus imposed the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulation.
Under CAFE, car manufacturers would have to abide by certain fuel economy standards. While European and Asian car companies would flourish under this regulation, American car brands would struggle. This would hurt American muscle and sports cars especially hard, including Chevy's Corvette.
What made the 1982 Corvette so bad?
The 1982 Corvette came out when Chevy was struggling to keep up with CAFE standards. Additionally, the US had undergone another oil crisis via the Iranian revolution. And to make the perfect storm, the 1982 Corvette would be the last of the C3 generation.
The 1982 Corvette could be described as a collection of compromises and failed ingenuity. The car still carried a typical 350 V8 engine, as reported by HotCars
. But its real downfall came with its Crossfire Injection system. To oversimplify, the Crossfire Injection system would balance fuel injection between left and right side cylinders. The result was a more economic and fuel-efficient engine, but it came at the expense of power. Critics have suggested that the Crossfire Injection system essentially over-engineered a V8 into a V4.
Problems didn't end there for Crossfire Injection. It was so complex that many mechanics couldn't work on the engine. Many DIY gearheads would accidentally destroy their Corvette trying to tinker with this complex injection system.
Ironically, computer-aided direct fuel injection would be invented just a few years later. Direct fuel injection was much superior to Crossfire Injection, making the 1982 Corvette outdated in just two years.
How bad is Crossfire Injection compared to direct fuel injection? Let us put it this way: a 1990 Chevy Cavalier could smoke a 1982 Corvette in a drag race. Even a 2008 Dodge Caravan has a comparable 0-60 mph to the 1982 Corvette.
Buying a 1982 Corvette today
MORE: Your Chevy Corvette Could Be Worth Much More Than You Paid
While certainly not a speed demon, the 1982 Corvette still has a nice aesthetic. Just don't do any under the hood improvements unless you are an expert on its antiquated fuel injection system.
When it debuted, the 1982 Corvette had an MSRP of $21,800 for the base trim. Surprisingly, they seemed to have maintained their value for the most part. If you're looking for a 1982 Corvette with 10,000-50,000 miles, then you can expect an asking price of around $25,000.
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