I would so wish i could have modified a 96 gs the way i did mine

SLammed with 19" Hres, probably white powercoated 845 Rs, could stick a 12 inch rim in the back cuz of the flares.. 3.73s, a big solid roller cam, fully ported heads .. fully forge the rotating assembly and tons more... would be so much more flashier than a plain old quasar

 

There's a local skunk owner who's running an LT4 Scoggin Dickey 383 short block with GM 847 cam and Lingenfelter ported LT4 heads. His original engine is saved in a crate. He put the engine together himself. Other than Movit brakes and aftermarket wheels the car looks stock. You could do something like that, even pay a shop to assemble a short block and a pair of heads. Check it out in this thread What a skunk

I guess you have checked the Lingenfelter price for an LT4 383 package?

Even that package won't match the run of the mill stroker LSx C5, but the skunk is rare and impressive. As long as you know what you're getting into, go for it. Even my heads/cam LT1 car has the guts to run with C5 Z06s, and the feel of driving it is quite different from the usual C5.

There is a skunk reunion at Carlisle this year, one of many reasons the GS is getting a higher profile. They may be the first of the C4 special cars to appreciate strongly in value. You see one, it can't be confused for anything else.

 

I'm going to modify the heck out of my GS. Everyone says its not worth much because it has high miles. Soon it won't be worth much because its modified. Oh well. Fock 'em. When you buy the car that gives you the right to do whatever you want with it.

Also in regards to the LT1/4 versus LS1 debate....You guys should venture over to LS1tech.com and look at some of the LT1/4 cam only dyno's as well as the heads/cam cars. If you only hang around Corvetteforum, you'd believe that the only way you could get 400RWHP would be a fully built stroker with extensively ported heads. There's a big world out there and more potential in the LTx engines than most realize.

 

 

The absolute biggest advantage of the LS engines is the angle at which the air is delivered to the intake valve and combustion chamber. This cannot be duplicated by any SBC head that I know of. That being said, unless you're trying to build the fastest street Vette in the world, either engine can be modified to make insane power and still have reasonable driveability. The LSx can just do it more easily and better for any given level of mods.

 

You will spend less on an lt4 equiped vette, if you don't get the GS, and use the money you saved not buying a c5 to do a lot of mods.

 

 

This is going to make me look like an idiot, but a while back I added up all the mods that I have performed on my '92 (including stuff that I removed and replaced with 'better', but not including regular maintenance stuff or used up tires). It came to over $30,000. Now, that does include the $11,500 that I paid for the car, but it is not a racecar, still has a stock radiator, stock stereo, original FADED paint, untouched 14 year OLD interior, the stock brake calipers, original ZF6, and I've never replaced any of the wheel bearing assys, any halfshafts or their U-joints. Except for mounting/balancing tires and 4 wheel alignment, I have NEVER paid anyone to work on the car. This should give you an idea to how it can add up and 'look' like it has horribly gotten out of hand! I bet a $20,000 C5 with $10,000 worth of mods would walk away from me at the drags, kill me on a roadcourse, get way better gas mileage, and still have much better street manners. Other than having a platform that appears to be difficult to wrench on, the C5 is, hands down, the no-brainer winner!

 

If you're an idiot, you've got plenty of company around here. I too am probably at least at the 25K level including the purchase of the car. It could use a paint job too. I've never added it up because I probably don't really want to know. But it doesn't matter to me. Even though I've driven a C5 and they're nice, they're just not what I want. My '95, which has my personal touches from one end to the other, suits me just fine.

 

I'm not that deep but after 8 years of owning my 146K 92 I definitly know that feeling. My paint, interior and weatherstripping is absolutle **** but it still makes good power!

 

Kid has a good point. Either can be modded to make more power. With the LT4 though, if you don't want to go into the short block + want to stay N/A, and emission legal (passing on a dyno in MD) then the real world limit on power is around 380 rwhp 360 rwtq. If you want more and without block work, go LS1.

That said--the LT design has big disadvantages that bit me in the _ss. For one, the gear-driven waterpump. My wp seized slightly and the gears are crap in the LT4 or LT4 ED so it ruined the motor with metal. The timing chain on the LT cars is a not so great.

Another is the disadvantage is the opti. Not as reliable on a stock set up and a stumbling block for highly modded (high rpm) cars.

Another-- is just that the LT cars are by definition older and likely to be more maintance. Not an issue if you DIY but if not, getting something newer with no maint. starts looking attractive. And the flywheel is very expensive on the LT and it does go. Slave Cylinders have also been a quality issue.

On the other hand, the C4 has the best manual trans. in the ZF that I have ever driven (includes vipers, C5s, Z06, etc). Nicest clutch feel too. And I like the lines of the car better for the most part on the C4. Also, much nicer seats for track use in the C4 and they protect you in an accident. I hated the C5 seat at the track--my face was almost on the window as a passenger.

 

I have to agree with the points above. ill say it again it all depends on how much money you have to spend. everything about the LTx can be upgraded and when youre tearing into the motor it all depends on how far you want to go. being able to have the options is what counts. Sure the ls motors make huge power but when comparing a fully modded built ltx to an ls.. theres not much of a difference. heres a few points listed above and what i've done..

That said--the LT design has big disadvantages that bit me in the _ss. For one, the gear-driven waterpump. My wp seized slightly and the gears are crap in the LT4 or LT4 ED so it ruined the motor with metal. The timing chain on the LT cars is a not so great.

I have a mezziere heavy duty pump. with dyno proven 10 rwhp @ 5500 rpm.. im expecting it to free up much more at 8k. eliminates the waterpump issue and allows use of a heavy duty double roller.


Another is the disadvantage is the opti. Not as reliable on a stock set up and a stumbling block for highly modded (high rpm) cars.

I went with a distributor in the back of the lt4 manifold. eliminates the opti altogether. Not sure if an aftermarket ecu is required but im using a gen 7 dfi. this is an expensive alternative but it does fix the issue doesnt it.

And the flywheel is very expensive on the LT and it does go.

Using a mcleod ALuminum flywheel. Saves over 30 lbs. i dont mind the noise

Slave Cylinders have also been a quality issue.

thats why mcleod includes one in their street twin setup.

I have to agree with the zf tranny.. the feel is awesome compared to many cars. I had mine balanced and blueprinted with all the synchros welded and bearings upgraded with oil passages massaged out by Bill at ZFdoc. shouldnt give me any problems there either

 

Actually, McLeod includes a master, not a slave.

I've owned both, the LS1 is the better choice. It's not even a contest.

You can band-aide the problems with the LT4 all day long, preach about the collector's value, and talk about all that other silly crap until the cows come home; at the drag strip, the road course, and on the local boulevard the C5 is the clear winner. Go to your local drag strip and count the sub 12.00 C4's and sub 12.00 C5's. You'll have triple the number of C5's. Park a C5 next to a C4 at a busy restaurant and see which car attracts the most attention.

He didn't ask what your opinions on the styling of a C4 VS a C5 were, so interjecting that is really pretty pointless.

 

Welcome to the "idiot" club.

 

I agree that a newer car will attract more people. Just like a C7 will attract more than a C5 few years ahead from today. C4 sold from 1984-1996. 13 production years (Base, 35th, ZR1, 40th, Callaway, CE and GS), people already were attracted by C4 long time ago.


If you like a C5 and invested 30K on your 92 but think C5s are winners then...


Go and buy a C5 for 30K or less. Many C5 for 30K or less listed here.....
http://motors.search.ebay.com/C5_Pas...Z3QQsacatZ6001

 

I guess it is nice that we all have different opinions or we would all be wanting to buy the same car.

For me, styling is everything.
As an example, if someone produced a Ferrari engine in a stiff and agile Volkswagen package, I wouldn't buy it.
That's why I will keep my C4 instead of buying a C5.
And, that is why I still have my C2 that I bought 38 years ago.

Sure, my '92 will run circles around my C2; but, my C4 isn't even in the same ballpark when I look at my C2.

Of course, this is all personal opinion, your mileage may vary.


Tom Piper

 

There's a lot of good opinions on this thread, and I think everyone has valid points. I personally agree that for the money being spent, you could get so much more bang for the buck with an LS1 based project.

One thing that's important to point out is that the original poster currently lives in California. With that in mind, our LT1 and LT4 packages are both CARB legal, with EO numbers, so if you plan to stay in CA, I would think there would be an advantage in being able to drive the car you want, with the power you want, and not have to worry about any reprocussions from the state.

Hope this helps,
Ed

 

The LT4 GS is one sexy car.. however its hard to beat a LS1 or LS6 for power..

Hell, I just did this last night... stock 02 Z06 with a set of emmission legal headers w/cats , a vararam, and a catback. well and a tune

 

Hmmm, I was going to post that for a Kali owner the Lingenfelter package is LEGAL.

But there's another point. The GS is a collectible, and modding it with the Lingenfelter package would not diminish the value at all. Initially he wouldn't recover the LPE cost, but down the road it would almost pay for itself in desirability. Down the road when these cars are the stars of B-J auctions.

Sure any of the thousands of C5 Cartek, Vette Doctors, ECS, MTI, LGM, DRM, <name it> package will be quicker at the drags. But so many C5s have been customized six ways to Sunday and 427 packages are run of the mill. An LPE skunk will always be rare, desirable, and valuable.

And C4s are just plain more fun to drive than C5s.

 

They'll always be a market for all original Vettes. But remember, this is a performance car above all else. And a properly done package such as the LPEs, Callaways, DRMs, etc. should not hurt the value of a desirable car. Quite the contrary, IMO.