LT4 10 Years of LT4s!

[Roadster Guy]

Ok, the champagne is out....

Hey B17, you are remarkably efficient! Could use someone around my office like you.

Sounds like you have the bases covered in your Vette search with those people watching out for you as well. I am sure we shall all hear when you find it.

Yes, I too am suprised at the rapid C5 price drop as well considering it is such a great Vette. But, I guess there are many C5's around, the C6 is out and with such a selection to choose from they depreciate almost on a normal car basis. I sometimes get tempted to switch to a C5 Roadster (check out this beauty on the CAC C5 Corvettes for sale in black with red interior).
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77583
They flex less and are more sophisticated and have a trunk, but I am not overly keen on the lines of the C5 and I do not like the interiors....they are disappointing in look and quality considering the cars engineering is so superb.I much prefer the 94-96 C4 interior. Plus I think there is more road noise inside the C5 roadster versus the C4. And then there is the fact I love mine and there are not a lot of 96 CE Roadster LT4's with the F45 suspension around so it is nice to have something a little unusual. And I find it very reliable and virtually problem free. But, looking around is always fun....tempting.

You are right about the 95. It is a good Vette and Dave Hill made a huge difference to the final few years of the C4. So, about the LT4..... It appears unless I am looking at things incorrectly, that the LT4 only seems to bring a mild price increase of about $750 (correct me if I am wrong). Perhaps it's because some people prefer auto and the LT4 is married to a 6 speed and therefore that lowers demand for it. A pretty good deal I think for $750 regardless.
Thanks for all the info.
RG
p.s--yes a 2% slide for the CE does seem to show they are holding up well. The GS heading up is cool. Those numbers were limited (1000?) so it's logical.

 

[Reno Rob]

B17-----I saw in your post that you are looking for a 95-96 Vert. I have a beautiful 96 LT4 convertible that is in great condition. I have been waiting
for spring to market the car. It is white, black top, gray interior, 37,000 miles.
I can email pictures and information if you or anyone else is interested. I'am selling because I purchased a new 2006 vette. The wife said I can't have two corvettes.

 

[B17Crew]

Roadster Guy,
It’s easy for me to be efficient when it comes to Corvettes, they’re on my mind most of the time!

That is one heck of a nice C5 vert, great color combo too. I certainly understand the temptation to move to a C5, as you mentioned, they are superbly engineered and are cavernous in cabin space when compared to the C4. I like the C5 very much, but I’ve had difficulty warming up to the proportions of the C5. I felt that the exterior proportions became too large with the C5. With the C6’s external size reduced, I was happy that GM maintained the expansive interior space of the C5 with the new C6. The C6 is more in line with what I like to see proportion wise with the exterior of a Corvette. I’m glad they reeled it in.

I too prefer the C4 interior over the C5, just my personal preference, I also feel the seats in my C4 are a tad more comfortable than the C5. The C6 seats even seem to resemble C4 seats when it comes to support... C6 seats have that nice support that C4s have.

As for reliability on my ’96, nothing more than normal maintenance, not a problem in site.

You are correct, $750.00 is added to the base numbers when the LT4 is part of the package. The ’95s are right on the heels of base ’96s when it comes to pricing. Collector Editions and Grand Sports are listed significantly higher. I’m confident that a well taken care of CE or GS is going to bode well for their owners in the future.

There were 1,000 Grand Sports produced. 810 coupes and 190 convertibles. Collector Editions numbers were 5,412 total CE production; 4,031 coupes and 1,381 convertibles.

B17Crew

 

[B17Crew]

B17-----I saw in your post that you are looking for a 95-96 Vert. I have a beautiful 96 LT4 convertible that is in great condition. I have been waiting
for spring to market the car. It is white, black top, gray interior, 37,000 miles.
I can email pictures and information if you or anyone else is interested. I'am selling because I purchased a new 2006 vette. The wife said I can't have two corvettes.

Reno Rob,
Thanks for asking about my vert search, sounds like a sweet color combination, white with gray interior.

At this time, I’m looking for a Bright Aqua Metallic or Competition Yellow with a few other specifics. If you haven’t listed your vert in the for sale section here on the CAC, you may want to try there.

You’ve got to be excited about getting a C6, that is going to be one heck of a jump going from a C4 to a C6, enjoy that beast!

B17Crew

 

[Roadster Guy]

All this talking about Lt4's makes me impatient for spring...

B17 I agree with you. Though that black 03 Vert with the red interior is very very nice, a C6 in the same colour combo would be nicer! Better proportions, better interior, more power, quieter and even more tech stuff in case you like that. In the end if I did switch it would be for a C6, not a C5.

And yes, I find my C4 sport seats very comfortable. As a matter of fact, when winding back through the country roads late at night in the summer from further up north in the Muskokas my wife often falls asleep in the Vette while we are cruising along with the LT4 just purring. The LT4 seems to always be happy, whether you are just slowly touring or making it wake up and show its stuff when challenged at a light down in the city.

The CE was a nice package. I also think it will do well. The LT4 is an engine that should appreciate in time, though as we all know the new Vettes have gobs of power. However, if you want a C4, then to me a C4 with an LT4 is a very nice combination and with the upgraded computer etc. in the 96 it is a pretty good way to go.
RG

 

[garlt4]

I enjoy reading all your comments guys. I have had my first and only Corvette for about 3 years. It is a black/black LT4 25k miles. The performance is impressive and I think I will hang on to it for awhile. They don't seem to be too plentiful around here and I am hoping for it to hold some value over the years. I must say though, that those prices you showed look pretty high. My car is REALLY nice and I was thinking it was worth about 18-19k these days. Keep up the interesting chat.
Best to all

 

[B17Crew]

RG,
I agree, the C6 has so much going for it that I would leap frog the C5 to land in a C6 if I was going to make that kind of move. The ’06 Z51 Corvette is almost as fast as the ’04 Z06, you would probably need a stop watch to tell the difference. On the C6, the steering wheels finger grips on the back of the wheel are comfortable as all get out, nice to see attention to detail. The C6 is the finest quality Corvette that has ever been produced, that’s for sure. Will it ever achieve Split Window Coupe status, or ’57 Fuelie status, doubtful, but it is one heck of a fine Corvette.

I’m with you on the comfort of the seats. I took a 375 mile, nonstop trip from Ohio on through West Virginia, and into eastern Pennsylvania. Drove nonstop for six hours and was snug as bug in rug. Had a great collection of CDs to load into the Bose and a perfectly sunny, clear blue sky July day.

It was rewarding to drive the LT4 through the Allegheny, Tuscarora, Blue, and Kittatinny mountains in Pennsylvania. With the sweeping curves and steep grades to power up, the LT4 was right at home. Also fun were the descending grades to push the car down on its suspension in the falling corners. I have the FE1 base suspension which I’ve found to be pretty comfortable for long highway cruises.

Can’t see this car leaving my stable anytime soon. Now I’m pushing for spring to get here too!

Happy motoring,
B17Crew

 

[B17Crew]

garlt4,
With 25k miles, your LT4 must look new! I have 51K on mine so far. I enjoy detailing the heck out of it. I spend hours under that clam shell hood just noodling away keeping things tidy. Once it warms up a little, I’m going to get back in the garage and finish the drivers side.

The prices listed do sound high. I do know of one Corvette dealer that seems to price their cars in the upper part of the C4 pricing spectrum. Rogers in Orlando Florida gets some pretty nice cars in. They seem to buy the low mile, excellent condition cars and price them accordingly. I’ve attached a link to their C4 section, it’s like a Christmas wish list. http://www.rogerscorvette.com/generationlist.php?GenerationID=C4

I hope to one day visit Rogers just to see their cars. They always seem to find well preserved mint condition C4s.

B17Crew

 

[Roadster Guy]

"Happy motoring,
B17Crew"

And to you.
RG

 

[6 Shooter]

Entering their 15th year - This 1's gettin a wake-up call...

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[LT4CE]

A well deserved wake up call! The LT4 is OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[B17Crew]

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Hope all is well with you, 6 Shooter!

Hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the LT4 was produced. I still have my ’96 and enjoy every moment of owning a car like this.

B17Crew

 

[6 Shooter]

B17 Crew - Doing fine, hope all's well with you also!

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