1985 Classic Cars for Sale
Corvette finally gets a manual gearbox, Mustang GT reaches 210 horsepower, and the Buick Grand National starts its run
1985 cleaned up the C4 Corvette story. The manual transmission arrived, a proper Borg-Warner T5 unit that gave buyers what they wanted in the first place. Horsepower climbed to 230 on the base engine with the optional L98, which was the one to have. The Corvette was finally driving like it looked. Prices held strong at around $24,878 base and the waiting lists were real.
Ford pushed the Mustang GT to 210 horsepower with a revised camshaft and better breathing. Still carbureted, still running the same basic H.O. block, but the tuning was tighter and the results on the street were obvious. The GT convertible was gaining a following. Five-speed manual cars from this year are the ones to find. The automatics were a compromise that most enthusiasts avoided.
The Buick Grand National had been around since 1982 in various forms, but 1985 is where the turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 started delivering serious performance. Estimated quarter-mile times in the high 14-second range were legitimate. A black car with blacked-out trim running turbocharged sixes was something nobody expected from Buick. The muscle car crowd took notice, slowly, then all at once.
- Chevrolet added the manual Borg-Warner T5 five-speed transmission to the C4 Corvette for 1985 and introduced the tuned-port fuel injection option on the L98 5.7-liter V8 producing 230 horsepower, ending the Crossfire Injection era.
- Chevrolet introduced the IROC-Z package on the Camaro, named after the International Race of Champions series, featuring a 305 cubic-inch V8 with tuned-port injection, Bilstein shocks, and performance-tuned suspension as a $1,000 option.
- Ford increased the Mustang GT 5.0 H.O. output to 210 horsepower for 1985 through revised cylinder heads, a new camshaft profile, and improved exhaust manifolding, maintaining the four-barrel Holley carburetor setup.
Showing 71 listings
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet Suburban
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1985 Chevrolet Blazer
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1985 Ford Bronco
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1985 Chevrolet Suburban
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1985 Dodge D250
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1985 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet K20
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1985 Chevrolet Suburban
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 GMC K1500
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1985 Ford Ranger
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1985 Chevrolet S10
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Chevrolet C10
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1985 Dodge D150
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1985 GMC Sierra
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1985 Chevrolet C/K Series
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1985 Toyota 40 Series 4WD
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1985 Chevrolet C10
Market: 1985 Corvettes with the L98 engine and five-speed manual trade between $14,000 and $28,000 in good condition. Buick Grand Nationals from this year are the affordable entry into the Grand National story and range from roughly $20,000 to $40,000, with original-drivetrain cars commanding the top end.
Buyer's note: On 1985 Grand Nationals, verify the turbocharger is the original unit and check the intercooler hoses for cracking, as deferred maintenance on the boost plumbing is extremely common and affects both performance and value.