vetteleft22

Hey you guys, howdy from Seattle Wa!

This website is awesome, ive read a lot for a long time and i am finally making the plunge to join the community because i am in the market for a C4 Corvette. With that being said, this will lead to my first question and i embrace all sarcasm and fun poking Im hoping i can get answers from people who have owned both L98 AND LT1 Cars (THIS IS NO DEBATE!)

In my city you can find a 88-91 vette for a solid $5k and very respectable miles (give or take 50-65k), and the LT1's go for about 7-9k (70-80k).

Here is my dilemma - I like how the L98's look vs the LT1's & I LIKE TORQUE! i would be a first time vette owner, and understand the L98's are great for lowend torque, but the LT1 are stronger in the upper end RPM's (test drove a LT1 the other day and loved how it caught me by surprise when the LT1's power kicked in). My lead foot is mostly in the city, and i prefer to cruise on the highway (*** backwards right?)

Would it be worth to get a L98 and throw in a few grand to get a couple of more horses, so that i can still get a punch at higher rpms (and more torque for the lower end ) or it is worth spending the extra money on a LT1 and throwing money to improve its torque.

It sounds like i am leaning toward a L98, but am not oppossed to a LT1. Answers and opinions are much appreciated, lets hear what you have to say?!

Respectfully,

Vetteleft22

John A. Marker

Welcome to the Forum. Lived up there for a long time....by the way...Washingtonians don't tan.....we RUST!

Have had the L98 and now the LT1. Auto and manual. The L98 was fun, but even more so once I upgraded to the ZZ4 engine and cam. Did all the work myself so the major cost was parts. You would be looking at paying out $6000 or more in the way of parts to get the additional HP.

The LT1 is newer and would probably have fewer rattles and seem firmer. Look at the 95-96 LT's because of the upgraded OPTI.

After saying that...go with the car that you like. There is both positive and negative throughout all the years. You didn't indicate automatic or manual. The 85 automatic had 3.07 gears and it was nice to just get on it and go. The 95 is manual and more fun to run up and down thru the gears...but is a pain in stop and go traffic.

You might want to check out the Pacific NW section of the Forum...often have someone wanting to see their car.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...northwest-127/

Or check out cars on the C4's for sale section. The advantage of looking to Forum members is that you can search their Forum name and read their past posts and get a history of the car....something your probably not going to get from a private seller or dealer.

Good luck on your search.

vetteleft22

Hey there John,

Thanks for the handy advice! I will do. Love the washingtonian comment about us rusting. Sad but true!

For anybody else wondering im really up in the air about auto. or man. This would be a weekend driver (no need to drive to work with a bus pass). Would be driven Friday nights, saturdays, and only a little on sundays

antfarmer2

Both are good just get the one that speaks to you and drive it. The more you do to it the more it costs and breaks. So it is up to you what you want And afford.

sahhas

I think the question you have to ask yourself is which do you prefer:
the L98 or the LT1?

which would you be happier with?

last summer I drove only LT1 models and I liked them.

I just drove my first L98 a few weeks ago, and drove 2 more last week.
I think the L98 is ok, but I prefer the LT1, honestly.

I would recommend driving a few of each and seeing what you like/dislike about them.

if your intention is to get the L98 and instantly modify it, I guess that can be a good or bad thing. bad for resale-most people shy away from buying or recommending buying modded cars--I know, b/c that seems like all it is I look at! ha!

but the modded L98 I drove last week, was a nice sounding car. and drove great. it was an '87...

John A. Marker

One thing to keep in mind is that the 700R4 transmission (automatic) will usually have to be rebuilt somewhere between 100,000 and 130,000 miles. Not sure what kind of mileage the cars have that you have looked at. Your looking at between 2000-3000 for a rebuild that is good quality.

Rusting does not seem to be a issue this year.

corvetteronw

http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/vader86/

Pa'svette

IMO unless you need to get to 110+ mph in less than 14 sec. the L98 with 3.07 gears is a great combination and no OPTI to worry about.

ghoastrider1

I have the auto. It never misses a shift nor get my left leg to hurt. once you decide on the tranny you want, you gotta decide whether you want a base model or a Z-51 option (the heavy duty one). mine is an 86 with the Z-51 option. The best time it has ran in he 1/4 was 14.037 at about 98 mph. The c-4s will not out run the new mustangs or the chyr. stuff. Don't matter to me, I love the way the L-98 will get sideways on you when you nail it from a standstill and better yet, at about 5 mph or so, how it breaks loose the tires when nailed. if you can afford ( or want) the Z car option with the LT-5, its the top dog for the c-4 cars.

HeavyLifter

Welcome! I'm in Redmond - for now. Moving to Bonney Lake in a couple weeks. If you're willing to look outside the immediate area, there are some good deals in Oregon. I got my 96' 6 speed with the LT4 engine for just under 7k in Salem - 97k when I bought it back in February. The downside was paying sales tax to register it :/

If you're close, you're welcome to take a ride in and drive the LT4.