86dude

I am looking into this 1996 LT4 corvette manual trans with 160k miles. The dealership is asking $5k for it. It seems to be in pretty fair shape. Anything I should look out for? I am not sure what the reliability is like on the LT4 and what to expect from it. It would not be a daily driver. Any advice would be great!

Brooks94Z07

$5k is not bad for a 96 LT4 with manual trans even with that mileage, pictures ?

vette196

Once you hear from people what to look out for on here. Match it with that '96 and the high miles and low ball the dealer. $5k is not bad, but anything below that would be a steal....LT4 w/ 6sp.

Things that might scare me or make me low ball:
bad paint(scare me)
crappy weatherstripping (full set + labor could cost $800+ (low ball)
crappy/beat up interior vs normal wear (ie: seat bolster)...(scare/low ball, depending on severity)
lots of oil/fluid/grease on the front of the motor (opti time sooner or later)...scare if you are not mechanically inclined, lowball if you want to get your hands dirty

I'll let others chime in....good luck!

collector man

I would look out for everything. A 23 yr old car with 160k on the clock will have some problems now or in the future. Down hear that's a good price, but you'll double.
Looking at front & read suspension, hub assemblies, clutch hydraulics, clutch, ZF shape, engine condition (compression/leak down test a must). Looking at cooling & heater core, climate control, we could on & on. Not saying the whole car needs to rebuilt, there are well maintained hi mileage cars out there. If you get be on the look out for those things. Sense it a weekend ride you can take your time and work on what's needed the most.

silverja

My suggestion after owning four Corvettes over 20 years of my life:

Have a mechanic inspect it. Hopefully a mechanic who knows Corvettes. Well worth the $100 tp $150 cost. Higher mileage examples can lead to serious mechanical attention. Paint and interior can be very expensive. You may be better off with a lower mileage C4, especially if you are incapable or uncomfortable with mechanical repairs. Another one at $8,000 or more may be less expensive in the long run. Last year a friend of mine bought a 50,000 mile Collector Edition LT4 in great shape for $10k. Patience is wise. Remain logical and unemotional, especially if this is your first Corvette.

Do do a VIN check too. CarFax and Autocheck reports may assist.

Just be cautious. Many here will offer good advice here.

Best if luck.

cv67

In a nutshell, anything and everything at some point will need replacing. As said a few k more will buy you one with 80k less mi give or take.

Its all a crapshoot, new cars break too.....if its something you have to have and wanna keep long term maybe this ones for you. Hi mi cars can be tough to unload later on it that matters.

Mr. Peabody

A whole lot is going to depend on how the car was maintained and how much routine service and replacement of maintenance parts you are capable of doing yourself.

If by some chance this car was a trade in at this dealer and he can get you in touch with the previous owner..... and the previous owner can tell you about the maintenance.... then you have a good starting point.

But without that ............ don't expect this to be a reliable weekend cruiser without spending another $5K to get it there.

BTW the advice given by silverja is good advice! See if you can arrange a pre-buyer's inspection with a reputable mechanic. Well worth the price!

FAUEE

Where is it located? 5k is pretty much a lowball price to begin with. Even if it needs paint and new everything, its a decdnt price.

Getiing a runnin 6 speed car for 5k is hard. Running lt1 6 speed harder still. Running lt4 gor 5k? Thats probably just too hood to be true.

65Z01

What is oil pressure on startup and after warmed up??

mtwoolford

Every Chevy small block wanted to grow up and be an LT4. Do you enjoy doing your own wrenching? If you do, go for it. It's an LT4 and you'll be well rewarded for whatever you have to put in it; as, for comparison purposes only, a similar L98 or an LT1.

jayjones

Can't make it to 160k without basic maintenance. I would be more warry of cars with accident history than high miles. If it looks good after inspection and test drive, I'd easily pay $5k. When you find something that needs replaced, upgrade it!

Kevova

States have rules for dealers and standing behind what they sell. It's always good to know the rules. Marked " As Is" is a flag it means dealer doesn't trust it for 30 days. Definitely want atleast a safety check. 160k is in the window for clutch replacement. During Road test check all the buttons. At 5k it should be good deal unless it's beat to death. I would expect to invest another 3k in rehabilitating wear and tear, 5k is cheap.

mark970

at 5k I'd buy it almost under any condition. the only feature in a C4 i avoid is the adjustable suspension and in 1996 its the F45 Real Time Dampening. its thousands of dollars to restore those systems and they are almost always broken (however, the car is still VERY driveable, you just cant adjust the ride firmness). but with 1996 you get the HD J55 brakes by default, either seat package is a winner (i prefer the comfort of the base seats myself), you have the LT4 so you get the ZF 6-speed transmission. as long as it starts and passes a road test you're golden...the distributor is the only real issue but you will know that by the road test.

i'm not sure i could pass that deal up!!! i do my own work including the Opti distributor so that doesn't concern me

FAUEE

Agreed. I would bypass the f45 and be done with that and drive the **** out of it. 5k for an lt4 is a steal.

856SPEED

could be $3500 car.........who knows...? It could be well over $10K after getting it right after purchase...at that price you get into a C5 or something more desirable....

prosoft

We had a 1996 Collector Edition with the LTR. We traded it in at about 127,000km. That was two years ago and we got about $10,000 Canadian Pesos. It was a great car on the road and the track. To reiterate possible problems that have been mentioned:
- make sure it is really an LT4. Should be confirmed with the VIN and the red plate on the intake.
- check the seat bolsters especially the rivers side. You may not even see it until you look from the passenger seat. At that age, unless the leather was replaced, it should show cracking and wear, especially on the left side of the seat.
- check for leaking from the opti-spark. It may not be significant, but one drip in the garage every time you park it adds up.
- check possible porosity of the differential case. It is not a major problem, but may cause the odd drip from the sweating out of the fluid.
- weatherstripping will be a significant issue. Easy to replace, but does add to cost especially if you buy a quality replacement. Make sure you check the weatherstripping with the hatch open and the roof panel removed. The windshield weatherstripping is probably toast, but should only be an issue if you need to replace the windshield. You can use dielectric grease to help the cracked weatherstripping swell and add back some pliability.
- the generation uses a side mounted fibreglass leaf spring that can delaminates over time.
- take a close inspection of the wear of all tires. Unless they have beenrecently replaced, that can be a good sign.
- measure the max height of each wheel well to help determine potential suspension problems or other damage. You should get similar measurements on both sides of the front and both sides at the rear.
- ideally play with all electronics in the light and in the dark. There are lots of bulbs in the radio and comfort controls. Just a way you can bargain down the price.
- automatic antennas tend to go after a period of time. Again, not the end of the world, but is another bargaining chip.

There is a wealth of explanation in the Forums to do virtually all repairs. Good luck!

Regards,
Mike

FAUEE

If it has heads, wheels, and an intake manifold its worth more than 3500 in parts.

856SPEED

precisely....part it out ....worth more at times...depending on the rest of the car.

then the question can become, how much are you willing to pay for used heads, c4 wheels, and an LT4 intake....I would tell you $3500 for those parts would be generous. Especially when crate motors with a full warranty are out there for similar prices .

JBPC4

What are the details on the crate engines you’re seeing in this price range? I know you can find some carbed Iron block/head 350’s starting around that price, but that would still take a lot more money and work to install. I don’t know that you’ll find a new crate engine equal to or better than an lt1/lt4 that would be a bolt in engine at that price.

jayjones

Anytime I see these claims regarding the LT1 cars I ask for details. I've never gotten a response.