1996 Grand Sport

[John M.]

Looking at purchasing a 1996 Grand Sport, I'm a C2 guy and not well versed in the "newer" models, what's the good, bad and ugly on a '96 GS?

[Mark E.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Search C&S Corvette on YouTube. They have a good series of videos on the pros and cons of each generation.

Overall, these are solid, reliable cars relatively easy to maintain. Compared to C2, you'll appreciate the performance, handling, and comfort of these cars. Great for trips.

Issues include the distributor (not a big deal with proper care), ingress/egress, speaker amps, weatherstripping leaks, foot room (good legroom though).

Great value!

[Michael J.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

I love the one with the red interior, convertible, someday I may get one. Good luck.

[Joe R.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

I purchased by C-4 1996 version for 5K when it had 93 thousand on the total milage. Now it has 317,000 miles. After a half dozen Opti-Sparks (distributors) I still think I got a great deal. Drives great and is comfortable with all the features needed for an old man!

JR

[Floyd B.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

I agree with everything Mark said. I don't have a Grand Sport, but I bought an LT4 convertible off a wholesale lot with 98k on the clock. The only original items that had been swapped out were the air filter, serpentine belt, oil filter and battery. When I washed the engine bay the first time, the car wouldn't start until I dried out the Opti. It also had various minor oil leaks, but not from the rear main. My biggest complaint to GM, is the use of the Dulso coating on the interior hard surfaces. Dulso is a soft rubbery coating that is easily marred and wears of in a relatively short amount of time. As you may imagine, the interior on my 12-year old 98k LT4 was atrocious. I had to replace ALL the Dulso parts. Fortunately, in 2008, it was easy to obtain lightly used and NOS replacement parts and compared to C2 parts, they were inexpensive. Not the case anymore.

I replaced most of the interior and fixed all the oil leaks with new seals and gaskets. I also replaced the Opti and Water pump with circa <2000 NOS units and scored 98+ at FL Regional in 2020. Since then, I needed to replace the passenger side Cat and O2 senors and one fuel injector. If you do decide to buy one, I highly recommend buying one of the Tech II clones for about $350. It will pay for itself the first time the PCM starts throwing DTC's. It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of "when." These cars are very complex, especially if your experience is with C2's.

Best of luck,

Floyd,

BTW, if you plan on attending the FL Regional in January, I noticed the AMCM has a complete collection of 4 GS's. Red guts coupe and convertible, black guts coupe and convertible. There were only 53 red guts convertibles produced and most are very low-mile collector cars. I have noticed recent prices in the $60k+ range.

[Mark E.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Floyd,

I agree getting a Tech 2 clone is a smart investment with the OBD 1 cars ( I have a '93). But do these also work with the '96 OBD 2 cars?

[Joe L.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Floyd,

I agree getting a Tech 2 clone is a smart investment with the OBD 1 cars ( I have a '93). But do these also work with the '96 OBD 2 cars?

Mark------


Some do; some don't.

I have found that scanning OBD 1 cars is virtually useless at doing any meaningful diagnosis. So, if I had to do it over again, I would only buy an OBD 2 scan tool. So, that, of course, means 1996 and newer (although there are a few post 1996 vehicles that are OBD 1).

[Floyd B.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Mark,

The Tech II was the unit Vetronix/GM developed for OBD2. The Tech I was the OBD1 version. I've never used a Tech I so I don't know if there is any advantage to using one on '92 - '95 OBD1 cars. I doubt it since OBD2 and the Tech II were designed to be backwards compatible with OBD1. You can find used/original Vetronix Tech I's and II's on ebay but they are usually rather pricey. I did quite a bit of research on the Chinese clones vs. original Vetronix units, assuming there was a reason people were willing to pay $2k for the original units. I found no good reason. In fact, professional shops that used both units on a daily basis reported no difference in function, quality or appearance.

I have been 100% satisfied with mine and have used it several times on both my LT4 and my wife's '98. There are certain jobs you can't do without a Tech II. For example, when replacing the power steering pump on the '98, you must remove the ABS unit which is mounted on the frame rail just forward of the pump. This compromises all the brake lines attached to the ABS unit. The bleeding procedure requires cycling of the secondary valves in the ABS. The only way to initiate this procedure is with the Tech II. I also have Proscan software (now TOAD) running on a laptop with an ELM327 connector. This was pretty sophisticated, professional scan software in its day but it doesn't support bespoke manufacture-specific functions. IMHO, If you have a 1996 - 2013 GM car, a Tech II is as important as a good set of wrenches in your toolbox.

Floyd

[Pat M.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

I don't have a Grand Sport model, but my 1996 LT4 has been a trouble-free joy since new. Dependable and super quick. It's mild-mannered when putting about, but it will get your attention when you hit the accellerator hard.

[Mark E.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Mark,

The Tech II was the unit Vetronix/GM developed for OBD2. The Tech I was the OBD1 version. I've never used a Tech I so I don't know if there is any advantage to using one on '92 - '95 OBD1 cars. I doubt it since OBD2 and the Tech II were designed to be backwards compatible with OBD1. You can find used/original Vetronix Tech I's and II's on ebay but they are usually rather pricey. I did quite a bit of research on the Chinese clones vs. original Vetronix units, assuming there was a reason people were willing to pay $2k for the original units. I found no good reason. In fact, professional shops that used both units on a daily basis reported no difference in function, quality or appearance.

I have been 100% satisfied with mine and have used it several times on both my LT4 and my wife's '98. There are certain jobs you can't do without a Tech II. For example, when replacing the power steering pump on the '98, you must remove the ABS unit which is mounted on the frame rail just forward of the pump. This compromises all the brake lines attached to the ABS unit. The bleeding procedure requires cycling of the secondary valves in the ABS. The only way to initiate this procedure is with the Tech II. I also have Proscan software (now TOAD) running on a laptop with an ELM327 connector. This was pretty sophisticated, professional scan software in its day but it doesn't support bespoke manufacture-specific functions. IMHO, If you have a 1996 - 2013 GM car, a Tech II is as important as a good set of wrenches in your toolbox.

Floyd

Floyd,

Completely agree. Answering my own question, I acquired a clone Tech II preloaded with software that supposedly works with most 1991-2013 GM vehicles (I've only used with my 1993). See the last three posts of this thread:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?131513-1993-LT1-Intermittent-Crank-No-Start

The device really helped diagnose a crank- no start.

[Floyd B.]

Re: 1996 Grand Sport

Mark,

It also helps that many of the troubleshooting procedures in the FSM are based on Tech II use. For $350, I really can't imagine owning a GM car prior to 2014 with an ODB2 port without one.

Floyd