Saying Hi!
I'm Jim, from Yorkville, IL, 48 years young, married with 3 boys.
I've had 4 vette's, a 69 350-350 4 speed when much younger, and 2 C4's and a C5 I bought new in the 90's.
In 99, I sold my 98 c5 and bought a 68 camaro vert, which has occupied my last 7 years in the garage. 2 years ago, I painted her back to the original Lemans blue, dressed her as an SS, and replaced the interior. Last year I rebuilt the original 327, strangely it displaced 383 when it went back in, and added a tko500 trans. Her story is here: http://home.comcast.net/~Jimragtop
This past July, the vert and I did a 3000 mile run to Billings, Montana.
I spend a good part of my free time at Team Camaro, where I moderate electrical and copo.
Lately I've had the urge to wrap myself in plastic again. The C4 has always been my favorite, and I'm hoping to soon find an LT1-auto-loaded coupe in polo green to be my latest daily driver.
Jim











a quick question;
383 from a bored out 327? Shouldn't that have come out as a 355?
Anyway, good luck in your search, but do consider the more manly Manual tranny. Afterall, you got 3 boys who're going to be fighting over it for inheritance, right?
My 17 year old daughter already wants her next car to have a manual, she now has an automatic Sunfire.
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts





As for the manual/auto question, I do prefer to row my own, no doubt about that, but parts of my sneaky plan to free the $$$ from the "wife police" is to offer to let both her and #2 son (to be a newly licensed driver in just over a year) have the keys everyonce ina while, and they demand an auto. Sometimes compromise is best.
The 327 turned into a 383 with a .030 overbore (for cleanup only) and a scat 9000 3.75" stroke crank, with 6" capscrew rods and SRP forged pistons. It all fit nicely with only minor grinding. If anyone wants details for thier own project or curiosity, shoot me a pm and I'll send you some links. Being new here, not sure how they feel about direct linking to another forum.
As far as learning anything from me, well yes, I know my way around a 40 year old camaro with the best of them, but that's a long way from a mid-90's corvette. 3 of my vette's were just stock drivers, dealer serviced, I never laid a wrench to them. This one will be different (lots different) and I plan to learn a lot from you guys on how to deal with a computer controlled car that's so tightly packaged you can't even see the bolts much less reach them!
Thanks again,
Jim





As far as learning anything from me, well yes, I know my way around a 40 year old camaro with the best of them, but that's a long way from a mid-90's corvette. 3 of my vette's were just stock drivers, dealer serviced, I never laid a wrench to them. This one will be different (lots different) and I plan to learn a lot from you guys on how to deal with a computer controlled car that's so tightly packaged you can't even see the bolts much less reach them!
Thanks again,
Jim
If possible, I'd recommend a '95 or '96. They have the improved opti design, slighty better electronics (engine management) overall and other refinements. Plus, according to our transmission guru here, PeteK, the 4L60E is actually simpler to rebuild than the 700R due to fewer mechanical parts. These cars as a whole just got better with age, right to the end of the C4 era.







What he said. 





Miss her