Paul G

I want to know which is a better performer in stock form? Which is quicker on the street? How does each respond to simple mods. Just bare numbers has the LS1 ahead of the LT4 in HP and torque.

I am going to move up from my 88. I am finding that a 96 CE LT4 vert and an early C5 vert are about the same cost right now. The C5's may be just a little pricier. I wonder about future depreciation between the two. Will they depreciate the same? Is the CE bottomed out? Is the CE really a collector or just another pretty Vet?

Thanks

owen lancaster

Have LT4 vert and never had LS1or6. mine is stock motor with 3.92 gears, Corsa catback, air foil, and 125 shot nitrous. 1/4 mile et's mid to low 12's, mph mid to high one teens. I can out run most ZO6's if they are stock and any LS1 that is mostly stock. I also run on street radials. borrowed ET streets once and ran high 11's at low 120's. The track ask me to leave because I do not have a roll bar. Hope this helps.

John Row

JMHO - LT4 & early LS1 are just about a dead heat. Depends on driver, especially with a stick.

JMHO - 96 CE LT4 would be the best of the C4. Early C5 will be the worst of the C5s.

JMHO - A 96CE LT4 would retain higher resale primarily for the LT4, I don't think a CE is much more than a pretty car. In 25 years, in pristine shape, it may be worth something.

I think the general rule still goes... Buy the newest best shape Vette you can afford.

Billy

Paul...you might need a crystal ball to answer your question....BUT in my opinion it boils down ones own preference. Now the C5 compared to the C4 is a appearence factor and that is the C5 rear end is ugly in my book. To me its like a very hot girl and then you see that butt..no dice.. Now the collector is the other factor and I did own a 1996 silver/black LT4. Again in my opinion silver is a crappy color , I never had anyone say to me in the time I owned the car..hey buddy nice car or color..
For the money I,d pick up a LT4 convertible the ride is a rocket and the value should hold its own. Good luck with any decision you may make.
Sorry to all those silver vett owners but I wouldn,t walk across the street to look at a silver vett. Happy vetting..........................Billy

larryfs

I too think the C5 butt is ulgy, that's why I brought my C4.
however I dearly want the C5 technology. After speaking with the C5 enginners at the 50th anniversary party, the C5 has awesume technology.

mackeyred96

The C5 overall is a far better car :yesnod:

froggy47

I have a thing/theory about the last year of a series, like the 1962, 1967 and 1996 Vettes. They are always the culmination of all the good things that the mfg. came up with.

Likewise have a theory/problem with the first (even second) year of a new model. Take a look at the recalls & tsb's for the 84 & 85 in the Corvette Black Book. Pages of them for 84 & 85!

I vote get a sweet LT4 of your liking for 16 -22K or go ***** out & buy a Grand Sport! As for the CE they are nice but wouldn't pay much xtra for them, but I would for a Grand Sport!

As for performance, all LT4's are sticks & from my reading (not experience) will stay with or beat a LS1 up to about 140 then the aero of the c5 wins.

JMHO


[Modified by froggy47, 2:05 PM 7/3/2003]

vader86

The C5 is going to be an all-around better car. In a race the LT4 would win just barely, the C5 might be more comfortable to ride in.

Depends on what youre really looking for, the LT4 CE will hold its value better though, especially with the C6 slated for 05.

NavyVet

My 96CE LT4 roadster will absolutely blow the doors off my GF's '98 Pace Car. And, it will definitely outhandle it - hands down. But, before mods, I'd say they were closer and the LT4 would only outrun it enough to win, not embarass it. At very high speeds, the C5 can pull it. I don't think a LS1 can stay with me from about 0-115 or so, then they start gainng. After I hit 5th, they are stronger. Maybe hers is not an exceptional performer though? My LT4 has always run very strong - dyno'd over 307 stock on two different dynos before mods. It's sort of gotten stronger since then.

OTOH, the C5 is easier to get in to and out of. It has more creature comforts and space inside for the riders. It's trunk is amazing. To me, the C5 is more of a "BMW-ized rendition of a Corvette Sports Car." The LT4 has more of an animal grunt feel to it. If I was smart, I'd have bought a Z06 a long time ago. Instead, because I happen to like the C4 better, I've spent a lot of $$ to try to beat Z06s.

Besides, the C5's have a VERY BIG (can you say huge?) butt :D

John Shiels

I have both and the LS1 was faster than the LT4, slightly. C5 is a better car. Buy what you like neither will make you money.

ralph

I'm with Mackey. The stock heads on those LS engine are superior to most after market heads. Add some porting and they can't be touched. The intake is also a nice compromise between le torque and he hp; its super smooth and doesn't retain as much heat as aluminum.

Examples: Edgar runs mid 11s with just a cam, converter and gears. Lou gagliotti just ran in the tens with a cam and boltons. Simple heads/cam packages are making over 500hp. Try that with an LTanything.


[Modified by ralph, 10:42 PM 7/3/2003]

Midgetfist

For myself, it was both the exterior and the interior styling of the C4. When my wife and I were looking for another car in addition to the '95, cost was not much of a factor. We looked hard at muscle cars that I've always been partial to ('69 Camaro BB's, '70.5 - '72 Trans Am's), several Viper's ('99 - '02), and new Z06's, but when I ran across the '96 CE LT4 (original owner, 8,000 mi.) I knew that I had found exactly what I wanted. Last of the C4's, groovy color (although CY's are awesome), cockpit seating for both occupants, great seats (leather is superior to C5), and overall styling that just continues to capture me. Quite frankly I don't care if it is not the fastest car out there (okay, so maybe a few mods - just to keep up), or how much attention it draws - these cars simply kick @ss. Call me crazy, but I guess I'm just a C4 guy through and through.
:chevy


[Modified by Midgetfist, 10:44 PM 7/3/2003]

SouthernSon

Last month issue of one of the vette rags had a C4 build up using LT4 cnc'd heads, zz9 camshaft and good exhaust with some programming. They dynoed at 390HP at the rear wheels. That was at the REAR WHEELS. Can you say, "Here, viper, viper, viper............"

SurfnSun

LS1 is a better motor. Just look at what an airfilter does on a stock car...20rwhp. Heads and cam - 440rwhp. I love the LT4, but the LS1 is hard to touch.

Paul G

Thanks for all the replies. To add more confusion to my thinking, even though the ZR1's are not convertibles I am considering a ZR1. It seems prices for those are in the upper $20's to low $30's as well. ZR1 405 HP, ZO6 405 HP. ZR1 about half the price of a ZO6, what do you think?

What got me going was all the special cars we saw in Nashville and BG. Pace cars, CE's, anniversary editions. And here I am driving a run of the mill 88 convertible. I love my 88. It looks, runs and drives great. (I am going to have a hard time parting with it after all the work I have put in to it) I have had it for 3 years now. I think it is time to move on to something else. I would prefer the next one to be something special. Like stated above I also dislike the C5 rear. It kinda resembles a baboons bottom. (no offense to C5 owners) What really caught my eye were the 78 pace cars. They just look so sweet but performance wise there is nothing there. (how about a second Vett, a 78 pace car????? keep dreaming!!!)

Thanks,

SkunkCar

Yeah, I'd say so :cheers:


[Modified by SkunkCar, 1:36 PM 7/4/2003]

Dr. Evil

C5 technology is great till you have to work on it. They are a PITA to work on even with the correct tools.

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I'd go with a solid C4. The performance isnt that different. When you start modding its anyones game depending on $$$ spent. I beat everyone at the cruise in autox with a stock LT4 that has the FE1 softride suspenstion including ZO6s, stroker LS1 and heads cam cars. To be honest I did have better tires but they are old and hard and stock size AO32 H compounds. I ran 13.32 at beech bend during the cruise in and here at home I've run a couple of 8.54s in the 1/8th mile with it still pretty much stock. KN filter and muffler elims. I didnt gain anything from the muffler elims at all either. I DID dyno it to find out. IMO I'd get a 96 C4 over an early C5 but thats JMO.


[Modified by Dr. Evil, 11:51 PM 7/4/2003]

rainsux89

Never drove an LT4 but I did drive a 99 T/A last weekend. The LS1 pulls very hard compared to my stock L98. I'm a believer!

PS Paul, now I know how my Vette would look with a black top! :cheers:


[Modified by rainsux89, 12:03 AM 7/5/2003]

dizwiz24

OK, i know this post is about LT4/LS1, and we've been over the C5 rear end before, but....

Overall, I like the C5's looks.

I like the C5 rear, it looks modern. What I dont like is the C5 front.

What I dont like about the C5 is

1. It looks even bigger than the C4 (park two next to each other)
2. The front styling makes me wonder if I am seeing a 91 Trans AM GTA (which also had the symetrical tear drop radiator air intakes flanking both sides of the front license plate area).

Shockingly similar in looks from the front.

SurfnSun

If youre looking at a ZR1, youre in a different league than the LT4 or LS1. If you drive a ZR1 you'll probably want one. A nice ZR1 can be had for mid-low 20s too. Probably the best C4 buy out there right now. :cheers: