ZR - 1 vs LT 4

[YESZREE]

:L Ed,

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center.

Thanks, you know I had been posting on Corvette Forum and someone showed me this site. It is fabulous!

The boys @ CF need to witness this site and follow your lead. Keep up the bgreat work and I'll be seein Ya!

 

[Rob]

Ed,

Thanks for the kind words. Enjoy the site.

 

[JT ZR-Won]

Re: Can a person ever . . .

. . have too many Vette's?

That's a negative on that

Jay

 

[wx briefer]

I have the LT4. The main difference that sets the engine apart from other small blocks is the good low end torque and phenomenal high rev capability. You will bounce off the rev limiter easily with no indication that you are approaching red line from the pull of the engine. The engine simply gathers more and more steam the faster it revs. I can't imagine not having it in my garage.

I have never been in a ZR1. From what I have read and studied it would appear that the engine is very smooth and responsive. You know some of the negatives such as cost, complexity and such. However, if I could justify owning 2 C4's, I would get a ZR1, if for no other reason than it broke the ground for a new level of performance in the vette.

 

[phrogs]

Isn't the ZR-1 a 350 CI Small Block Motor?

Ummmm Thats a BIG NO shooter

you are talking about something that you have never seen or researched
Do you just think that your LT4 is better than the LT5 because its newer. I hope not that is truly sad...

As it was said above the only thing it shares with a 350 is the bore & stroke measurements other than that this motor was a totally new design

My 90 puts down 319HP at the rear wheels that's no mods stock!
needing a tune up and probably some better gas!


and personally the only modding I ever intend to do to this car is headers and exhaust that's it....

I may get another one some day that I can mod if the wife lets me
as of right now she say 2 vettes is more than enough...


She will have to be turned to the dark side!


later

johnny

 

[Rob]

Also, if I'm not mistaken, there is a seal on the LT5....I want to say the rear main seal, that it shares with the small block motor, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Evolution1980]

...let me tell you that there is NO OTHER like the LT-5 and there never will be.

Don't be so quick on that one... one word for ya, possibly ending up in the C6, C7... Northstar

 

[phrogs]

Don't be so quick on that one... one word for ya, possibly ending up in the C6, C7... Northstar

Did you know the Northstar engines are the offspring of the LT5...
Gm got the initioal ideas for the northstar after GM power train and Lotus built the LT5 your talking about 89s technology

I hope that GM can put out something with more horses than the LT5 for the C-6 but we have yet to see it!

BTW I had a 02 Z06 and my 90 ZR-1 at the same time and while I really liked my Z06 when It came time to buy my wife a truck I sold the Z06! And I kept my beast!


Later

johnny

 

[MoeJr]

I know I am a bit late on this ope but I would definitely take the ZR1 for the simple fact that in the hands of a driver that knows how to drive it the ZR1 is a weapon. Lt4's are great cars but a ZR1 is still King. If you can drive an Lt1 and get all of its potential out you can do the same with an Lt4 but the ZR1 is a different beast and requires the skilled hand of someone who has spent alot of time in the seat of one. This is just my .02 and I know I could never get the most out of a ZR1 unless I spent some time in one.

 

[YESZREE]

I know I am a bit late on this ope but I would definitely take the ZR1 for the simple fact that in the hands of a driver that knows how to drive it the ZR1 is a weapon. Lt4's are great cars but a ZR1 is still King. If you can drive an Lt1 and get all of its potential out you can do the same with an Lt4 but the ZR1 is a different beast and requires the skilled hand of someone who has spent alot of time in the seat of one. This is just my .02 and I know I could never get the most out of a ZR1 unless I spent some time in one.

This so true. Many of these grest cars (including LT1 & LT4) have been destroyed in the hands of drivers that had no experiance with this much raw power.
In the LT5 case,this engine has been so detuned that the potential is boundless.
I hear all of the cases for high cost ,complexity and the like but if the heat is too hot in the kitchen then get out!
The ZR-1 entertained a class of buyers that were simply in a income bracket that could support it. You can buy one of these cars for much lower than the original price but to OWN IT and keep OWNING IT has you either car poor or satisfied as you are in the income bracket that can support such a car.

I read all of the stories and this performance issue with all Corvettes is simply checkbook performance. It's not so much what engine or what year. It's how deep are your pockets.

The ZR-1 just started out a little further up the ladder than other Corvette models.

No worries though, I've got one and I'm very fortunate to be able to afford to play in the kitchen. With Mother's permission of course.

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

The numbers on paper look like the ZR1 is outstanding... in the real world the LT4's do nip at the heals of the ZR1's though... take a look at the added weight of the ZR1's, and the super high costs of any modifications.

Funny I seem to remember the GS's at BG being far behind the stock ZR-1's that were being raced at the same time.

 

[MrCrowley]

Well I have both cars, and I can tell you this. You would have to put about a 200 shot of nitrous for the modded lt4 car to feel like the zr1.

 

[secondchance]

"Well I have both cars, and I can tell you this. You would have to put about a 200 shot of nitrous for the modded lt4 car to feel like the zr1."

What would that do to the long term heath of the LT4?

 

[MrCrowley]

Well a 200 shot on a lt4 would probably do some damage and not have any long term longevity. But a 100 shot setup right will be easy on the lt4, and turn out some good results. I had an L98 years ago with a 125 shot, I got about 30 full 1/4 mile passes out of the 90,000 mile engine before I noticed symptoms of slowing down. Of course technology has advanced from the L98, compared to an lt4.

 

[phrogs]

Don't be so quick on that one... one word for ya, possibly ending up in the C6, C7... Northstar

You do know where the northstar engines came from right???

The northstar engines were built by GM power train with the knowledge learned building the LT5, I wouldn't say they are anywhere near the performance level of a LT5 and I hope that anything that goes into the C-6 can beat the lt5 its been a long time since the LT5 was developed and the Z06 dosent impress me like the ZR-1!!!


So Like I said I hope thye can come out with something better!!


johnny

 

[secondchance]

well, the Northstar was developed for, is it IRL league? Hopefully, lessons from that development would filter in to next DOHC motor for the C-6.
Having tasted a large displacement DOHC, LT-5, even the best of OHV(we all know what I am talking about, just don't impress me.

 

[ZROne]

I would get an LT4 only because I already have a ZR1 ... and I like the Grand Sport package. Of course, I could get an Admiral Blue ZR1 with a red interior and be more than satisfied - but I've already promised my wife we'll get a '98 Pace car next (for a convertible).

The LT4's with drag radials were putting down about the same time's as ZR1's on street tires at the tracks I went to in the northwest.

The ZR1 is more fun, but a "regular" vette can be a blast too (hence the C3 L-48 in my stable).

sirhC

 

[brooks]

i own a GS (427) with the LT4...the ZR-1 is faster...0-60, 0-100, 0-150, 0-180. it has a more sophisticated engine, capable of much more HP than the LT-4. the only concern about the ZR-1 is parts availability. my understanding is that GM can no longer provide items such as a water pump.