Info on 1991 Vette

[mrmarauder]

Hello everyone,
I am going to look at a 1991 Corvette tonight and wanted to find out if you can decode the car from the VIN?
I know in 1992 the Vettes had the LT-1 engine, but I do not know too much about the 1991 Vettes.

What is 350 motor they put in the 91 Vettes and were there choices? What can I look for to distinguish one from the other?

Thanks and I appreciate any information on what I can look for this afternoon when I look at the car.

Thanks much!

LARRY

PS, the guy told me that his mechanic had told him the car had a special engine that was worth a ton. Now I do not know how to take that or if it is true, this is kind of why I am looking for info on how I can figure these things out!:cool

 

[Edmond]

If it does have that "special engine that's worth a ton," it may be a ZR-1 or have a nice crate motor in there.

The regular L98 motor in the 91' Vette' isn't that power, lots of torque but not much horsepower. Here's more info from the CAC: Corvette Action Center | Research Center | C4 | 1991 | 1991 Corvette Center

For the ZR-1:Corvette Action Center | Tech Center | Research Center | 1990 - 1995 Corvette ZR-1 LT5 Engine Specifications

 

[mrmarauder]

Thank You

Well thank you for the info. I guess there is nothing special about the engine, because according to the VIN, it is a L98, not any of the other choices. Oh well, still super nice car. That is exactly what I was wanting to find out.
Thank you for the help on this, this chart is great for figuring everything out!

LARRY

 

[mrmarauder]

Another quick question

I have test driven about 10 Vettes from 92 - 96. Is there going to be a BIG power difference between the LT-1 and the L98? In other words, will I notice a big power Decrease between the LT-1's I have driven and the L98?

Thanks again!

LARRY

 

[Edmond]

Re: Thank You

Well thank you for the info. I guess there is nothing special about the engine, because according to the VIN, it is a L98, not any of the other choices. Oh well, still super nice car. That is exactly what I was wanting to find out.
Thank you for the help on this, this chart is great for figuring everything out!

LARRY

Maybe he has a high performance crate engine and some other nice mods done to it. Definitely still worth checking out.

 

[Edmond]

Re: Another quick question

I have test driven about 10 Vettes from 92 - 96. Is there going to be a BIG power difference between the LT-1 and the L98? In other words, will I notice a big power Decrease between the LT-1's I have driven and the L98?

Thanks again!

LARRY

Depending on the gears of the cars, it could be significantly different. But from what I've experienced, everyday street driving isn't much of a difference. But on the expressway, when you're on the higher end of the RPM band, the LT1 is definitely stronger than the L98. I'm not saying that the L98 is going to pull like a Civic on the expressway, I'm just saying that it seems to labor just a little bit more during higher RPM's as compared to the LT1's.

 

[mrmarauder]

Re: Re: Another quick question

Do you know the horsepower difference between L98 and the LT1. I know the LT-1 is about 300 or so?

 

[Edmond]

The 91' L98 should be 250hp with ~340 ft.lbs. of torque. I don't know where peak HP is, but I think peak torque is at 3200.

 

[mrmarauder]

Thanks Again

OK, thanks again for the numbers. Bigggggg Difference. 250 to 300. Wow, I did not realize that there was this big of gap. I had fun in the LT-1's. Loved the power and when I buy a Vette this week, that is one thing I do want is power. I will have to see how it goes tonight!
Thanks Edmond, for all your help. That answered everything for me.
The Corvette decision is one of the hardest used car decisions I have ever made! They are all over the place in price, mileage, options, motors, etc. BUT, one thing in common - FUN TO DRIVE!

LARRY

 

[Edmond]

Larry,

You have to consider future maintainence as an issue as well. The L98's are much simpler vehicles than the LT1's and the L98's, I think, are more home mechanic friendly. The L98 is pretty cut and dry.

The LT1's have the optispark, which can be quite expensive to replace. Changing plugs on the LT1's isn't a job for novice mechanics, not saying that you're a novice mechanic.

As for the lack of power from the L98's, that can be solved quite easily with so many options for modifications.

 

[92ghost]

In stock form the L98 in 91' did the 1/4 m in low 14's (14.2 I think) with a 6 speed. The 92' LT1 vette did it in 13.6. I doubt you can tell the difference by seat of the pants feel between the two years even though there are 50 more HP from the LT1. As mentioned the LT1 just keeps pulling well past 5000 rpms up to it's red line. The L98 drops off quickly just past 4500 but the L98's torque builds earlier. Somewhat of a trade between TQ and HP. Both are great engines though.

Wayne

 

[mrmarauder]

Hey Edmond,
That is great advice. I am still interested in the 91 without a doubt. I just have not test drove one yet. I am sure that once I do, I will be impressed.
And YES, future maintenance is something that I will keep in mind since my pockets are not endless.

I do know the owner told me that it has a brand new tranny in it that is warranted for another 12 months so I guess that would be one less thing that I would have to worry about.

I am very glad that I now know the HP and torque differences. I would not want to get to the guy's house tonight and sit there and wonder why there was so much power difference in between the ones that I have test drove!

Thanks again and I will keep every body informed if I get this bad boy tonight!

LARRY:cool

 

[mrmarauder]

Wayne, thank you for the specs on that. I agree with that small of a difference, probably would not recognize it too much.

It all really comes down to bang for the buck and if I can get a good enough of a deal on the 91, then I am not going to let 50hp stop me!

Thank you once again for some super advice and information!

LARRY:cool