At $33,000, Is This 1987 Twin Turbo Callaway Corvette Too Much Of A Good Deal?

If some is good, then more must be better, right? That's the thinking behind today's Nice Price or No Dice Callaway Corvette, as it has not one but two turbos feeding its brawny V8. We'll have to decide if the only thing this cool 'Vette needs less of is its asking price.

Neon is an inert noble gas that, while scarce here on Earth, ranks fifth in abundance in the universe, its production resulting from nuclear fusion in stars. When an electric current is passed through neon in isolation, it produces a noticeable glow, giving us the gas's most common use: neon signs.

Chrysler chose the Neon nameplate for its line of compact cars in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sold as both a Dodge and a Plymouth, the car's origins may not have been as dramatic as those of its monoatomic gas namesake, but it still acquitted itself well in the market. Few of them are left these days, but we managed to snag one for our contest yesterday. That 1998 Dodge Neon had modest miles, cheerful and tidy upholstery, and, unfortunately, an automatic transmission. The manuals being much more fun, that affected opinions on the car's $3,999 price tag. So too did the seller's complete lack of background or maintenance history on the car. Ultimately, cheap won out as the Neon lit up our poll with a 66% 'Nice Price' win.

What do you instinctively think of when you hear the name Callaway? Are you picturing golf clubs or turbocharged cars in your head? Both businesses belong to the same family, but the sports equipment company was started by Ely Callaway Jr., while the car tuner arose under the auspices of his son, Ely Reeves Callaway III. Both companies are still going strong today; however, neither founder is still with us, Ely having passed away in 2001 and Reeves in 2023.

Callaway Cars got its start back in the 1970s when Reeves, a driving instructor at the Bondurant School, sought to eke out more power from the BMW 320i that served as his classroom. The development of that kit led to a small run of add-on turbo packages for BMW owners and a contract with Alfa Romeo's American distributor for a twin-turbo edition of the GTV-6. So successful was that collaboration that Callaway went on to offer turbo kits for a number of other makes and models. This culminated in the creation of what is arguably Callaway's most famous and enduring creation, the Callaway Corvette.

Initially built on the C4 platform between 1987 and 1991, the twin-turbo Callaway Corvette wasn't just a tuner car; it was fully factory-approved, carried an RPO (Regular Production Option) code of B2K, and came with full manufacturer warranty coverage.

This 1987 Callaway Corvette convertible looks stunning in its Arrest-Me Red and black canvas chapeau. According to the seller, it sports a mere 42,000 miles on the clock and, while not perfect, it's claimed to be very clean inside and out. 

Allowing the car to lift up its skirt and go is the Corvette's 5.7-liter L98 V8, to which a pair of big turbos and equally sizable air-to-air intercoolers have been bolted, fed by NACA ducts punched through the hood. This first model year, the mill claimed 345 horsepower and a staggering 465 pound-feet of torque. Mated to that is a four-speed manual transmission, and the seller claims the car "Runs and drives very well. Starts right up, idles clean and smoothly, runs absolutely amazing, sounds incredible.

It also appears to be quite the time capsule, lacking only Hammer Pants and a Blockbuster VHS box to complete the era-appropriate look. The bodywork appears pristine in the pictures, with no paint issues and a clear plastic window in the top. Opening the door presents leather seating and the C4's amazing digital dash. That's accentuated by a Callaway-branded boost gauge taking up one of the four center-dash air vents. One does need to be fairly limber to get in and out of a C4 Corvette, as both the sills and seat bolsters are crazy high.

Craigslist

There's more Callaway branding on the wheels and bodywork, all adding to the car's originality. Per the seller, the car has a clean title and will come with a plethora of paperwork documenting all service and repairs back to when it rolled off the lot. Also in possession is the original Callaway owner's manual.

This is claimed to be one of 65 Callaway Corvette convertibles built for the 1987 model year, and one of about 150 total. When the color combo is called into play, the seller says it's one of 5 cars from this model year. Those are fun stats, but we now need to decide whether those figures and the car's presentation add up to the $33,000 being asked for its purchase.

That's not cheap, but it could be considered a decent value when the car's history, uniqueness, and originality are taken into account.

What do you say? Is this Callaway Corvette worth $33,000 as it sits? Or, like the two turbos, does that price tag totally blow?

You decide!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Whatsupdohc for the hookup!

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