Are all LT1 the same or are there certain years better such as performance, upgrades, and reliabilty? Thinking about trading my 87 for a LT1.

 

the 96 would be my first choice (newer = better) UNLESS you want a LT1 6spd then you will need to go for the 95 because the 96 6spd is a LT4. The 95 and 96 both have the new style vented opti spark which is worth the effort by it self.
good luck

 

Quality in the 95 and 96 vette is better over previous years including mine. ASR is supposed to work better too.

 

94-96 OBDII(no chip)& updated opti-CRAP VETTE :D :flag

 

92-93 were speed density cars, '93(and up) had 10 lbs/ft more torque due to a slight cam change.
92'93 were multi port fuel injection where the 94-96 were sequential fuel injection.
95-96 had the upgraded optispark.
There are a few other slight differences.

 

This is partially right. No chip, but the '94 had the earlier non-vented opti. :mad Trust me, I know. :mad :mad I'm upgrading with the engine rebuild.

The '95-'96's also came with the J55 BIG BRAKES standard.

 

96 LT4 (all 6 speeds of that year) is the most preferable

but 95-96 have the vented optispark, so i would go for those.

 

96 :D

 

The 94-95 had OBD-I and the 96 had OBD-II. 94-96 can be easily reprogrammed without the need to burn a chip.

General advice around the forum is to buy the newest and lowest mileage vette you can afford.

 

newer the better, but 1993s are 40th anniversaries ... :D

 

I agree with 5abivt!!! As long as it's a Vette, I'm happy! :seeya

 

Good advice posted here, get the most recent you can afford.

 

All things being equal. But more importantly, get the one in the best condition and that has been properly maintained over newness. They are so close that condition matters more than age.

 

All LT1's have the same crappy, oil-leaking intake sealant though. :)

 

:confused:
Never heard of that. I haven't leaked a drop that I could measure in 10 years.

 

Thanks guys for all your advises. I will be looking for a 95 or 96 six speed. AquaMetallic94LT1 mention the ASR works better on the 95 and 96. What does ASR mean? Thanks again.

 

Its an Active slip reduction system. Don't know if those are the exact words but that is close enough. It engages the brakes when it detects rear tire spin. I hate it but it was introduced in 92 and pretty much stunk through the rest of the C4 run. The C5 had a better version that also improved throughout the years and was optional instead of stock. The new C6 is supposed to be better still but I don't have any details on that. I turn my ASR off always except in heavy rain or snow. Too bad it is always on when you turn on the car.

 

Thanks 92TripleBlack. :cheers:

 

What do you plan on doing with the car? Autocross? Drag racing? Do you plan to modify it?

I don't want to start a war, but it seems to me that the '96 LT1 auto's are faster than the earlier C4's. Case in point, John Panuzzo's and John Mackey's red 96 A4's ran in the 12.4x range in good weather with nothing more than a torque converter, 3.73 gears and drag radials. In normal weather, they are good for et's in the 12.7-12.8 range. The earlier LT1's don't seem to come close to that.

If you are buying a six speed then ignore the next few paragraphs.

The '93 has a non electronically controlled transmission. Which means if you mod the car and you need to adjust the WOT shift points, then you need to go into the tranny.

94 and up have the electronic transmission so shift points are controlled by the PCM. The shift points can be adjusted with a Hypertech so it's literally "point and shoot" driving. However, some people have problems with the OBDI PCM in the '94-'95 cars. The complaint is that the car will bang the rev limiter on the 1-2 shift on cars with heavy mods. The current theory is that the PCM doesn't not respond quick enough or simply ignores the increased VSS signal. Believe or not some guys switch from OBDI to OBDII to solve this problem.

The 96 has OBDII and shifts great.

If you plan to do PCM mods yourself than LT1 Edit is very affordable for OBDI but very expensive for OBDII. But keep in mind if you do PCM mods, many states are planning to check emissions by checking the codes on OBDII cars, so there are some implications to be considered.

So it all depends on how you plan to use the car.

 

It's not matter of if, but when. There's a TSB regarding this issue as well. You are probably just on the high end of the bell curve. :)