New member, soon to be Vette owner

[96Shark]

I've been a long-time Mustang owner/enthusiast, but I've recently decided to look for a C4 Vette. I am specifically interested in a 95 or 96 with a 6-speed. Are there any inherent problems or anything in particular I should watch out for when shopping? Can anyone recommend a Vette-specific dealer who leases preowned Vettes? My current lease (01 Cobra) is up this summer, so I'm still in the information gathering stage. Although this site is very informative, I would like to know if there are any C4-specific books available (I already have the "Corvette Black Book"). Thanks!

 

[Tuna]

Check out Kerbeck Chevy in Atlantic City - www.kerbeck.com.

In '96, the 6-sp was attached to LT4 and LT4 only - not a bad choice if you ask me.

There is a book called "Illustrated Corvette Buyer's Guide" by Michael Antonick you might want to check out at your local Barnes & Noble also.

 

[Ctfoodguy2000]

Welcome to the May I suggest calling Rick Daniels; a supporting vendor --> http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=3919

 

[Daryllawman]

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center.....Glad to hear you are dumping the Rustang....You will soon see , that the Rustang and The Vette are not even in the same class.......Rustangs are a dime a dozen and no class.....Good luck on finding the right Vette for you.....Enjoy....The Lawman Said That

 

[GS Diva]

Welcome, 96Shark! You've come to just the right place! Glad to have you with us.

Elaine

 

[supernatural400]

I've been a long-time Mustang owner/enthusiast, but I've recently decided to look for a C4 Vette. I am specifically interested in a 95 or 96 with a 6-speed. Are there any inherent problems or anything in particular I should watch out for when shopping? Can anyone recommend a Vette-specific dealer who leases preowned Vettes? My current lease (01 Cobra) is up this summer, so I'm still in the information gathering stage. Although this site is very informative, I would like to know if there are any C4-specific books available (I already have the "Corvette Black Book"). Thanks!

All depends on what you want, 95 you could get a ZR1, 96 a Grand Sport with and LT4 motor, regular vette with and LT4 or LT1 , Collectors Edition with either and LT1 or LT4 . 95 and 96 had several models to choose from. Curious to know why a long time Mustang person would make the switch, couldn't find a 500KR to your liking

 

[RLD92]

Welcome either year would be a good choice, biggest draw back is the dreaded opti, which is really not that bad just time consuming to replace.

 

[78SilvAnniv]

Welcome 96Shark!

Welcome to Corvette Action Center.
You'll be sure to get lots of opinions and information here. My personal preference would be for a 96CE or a Grand Sport.
Heidi

 

[MsSchroder]

96Shark, welcome to the CAC!

 

[96Shark]

Thanks for the info and the welcome guys! As far as why I'm switching from Mustangs - I guess it's just a natural progression. I've owned a nice mix of Stangs (2 new - 89 LX 5.0 & 01 Cobra and 3 used - 67 289 2v, 82 Capri 5.0 & 94 GT, along with a few other less interesting cars), but like most red-blooded Americans, I've always longed for a Vette. My career is finally progressing nicely and I'm a fairly active enthusiast (I've ran my cars at Englishtown, Maplegrove, Limerock & Watkins Glen), so Vettes seem to be the next logical step.

After doing some research, it seems like the 96 LT4 is the way to go. One question though: What is the dreaded opti?

 

[Tuna]

The opti is the distributor that is on the LT1/LT4 motors. It's isn't well liked by a lot of people. It is mounted on the front of the motor between the water pump and the timing cover. It doesn't like water and if it gets wet, it's expensive to replace.

Means you don't hose down the motor at the car wash and expect to drive home!

My 92 LT1 has one. Since 92, it's been pretty bullet proof. Then again, I don't wash the motor and I'm particular about how I clean under the hood just for that reason.

Check around here, there are lots of threads on the care and feeding of OptiSpark motors. With a little knowledge, the Opti isn't a big deal. At least not to me.