any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

**Tom H.** · September 4, 2009, 05:59 AM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Car looks pretty nice in the video. I did not notice the mobile 1 badge on the underside of the hood. I would inspect the hood closely to see if it has been replaced. The missing emblem is not a sure sign, but always calls for closer inspection.

Red / black LT4 is a cool car. Best of luck.

**Jim T.** · September 4, 2009, 09:26 AM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Brandon I really like my 96 LT4, could of had new convertible, but the desire to have the tinted blue see thru top in the coupe was more desirable. Best Corvette I have owned, no problems. First Corvette I have owned since new that does not use any oil. Really like the performance of the LT4, even gets really good gas mileage. Best yet 30 mpg on a road trip according to the computer readout. When it went from 29 to 30 was impressive to me.

I have seen some nice used LT4 convertibles for sale in the past on the Corvette Forum site. If my wife would drive a 6-speed I would of got real serious about buying a green one about a year ago.

Be patient and keep your search up, good luck on finding the black LT4 you want, I really like the triple black convertible with black interior. I would want the standard seats if I bought another one. I have the optional seats in my LT4 and have had no problems with them, just believe the standard seats would be more comfortable for us on long road trips. However have not taken a trip in the standard seats.

**Brandon T.** · September 4, 2009, 12:41 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Thanks, yeah I either want a red/black/black or a triple black. Keep me in mind if you guys run across either with low miles and in great shape.

**Floyd B.** · September 4, 2009, 01:05 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Brandon,

A couple of years ago I suffered from the same fever you now have.

There was only one cure: I bought an LT-4 vert.

>> As far as a newer corvette I've always wanted a lt4 convertible in red/black/black and also must have atleast sport seats as an option my 95 had those and I really liked that option.

Sounds exactly like the car I bought. One word on the Sport seats though: they do look cool and perform reasonably well but the seat adjuster/tracks are junk. GM filled the gear house with crummy nylon gears that are notorious for becoming stripped. If you get a car with the sport seats, start collecting good used seat tracks because it is not a question of "if" they will fail, it is a question of "when" they will fail. The usual catalog companies offer a rebuild service but I have not heard good things about the quality of work and the price is higher than finding good used ones.

>> So, I was just curious if we had some LT4 owners out there, I hear all the time the c4's aren't really corvettes and that they're the black sheep of vettes.

I wouldn't call them the black sheep in the Corvette family. You'll find plenty of C4 devotees on this site and even more in the C4 section of the Corvette Forum. It is true that C4's haven't quite come into their own within NCRS or the restoration hobby in general but I don't that is due to any prejudice against the C4 generation, it's just a function of time. You need to realize that the car you are interested in ('96 LT-4) won't even be eligible for judging for a few more years. Heck, even late model C3's haven't really sparked much interest in the restoration or collector car hobbies yet.

>> True, they don't have as much character as the older years but I've always loved the wedge look that a lot of sports cars had in the 80's.

I would politely disagree with this assessment. In fact I think the C4 generation has MORE "character" than any other generation. Many would say they have too much character. C4 owners love to joke about how our Corvettes shake, rattle 'n' roll down the road. We spend endless hours lamenting how they squeak and rattle but brag about it at the same time.

I always cop a grin at how C5 and C6 owners get offended when the fact is pointed out that the C4 is the most complex Corvette ever produced - as if somehow more complex is better. I am an engineer by trade and when I look at my LT-4 I think to myself, "this is exactly the Corvette Rube Goldberg would have designed."

On top of all that, the LT-4 engine is an odd duck in its own right.

>> Here is a youtube video of the exact car I'm after, so if you know where one is let me know! btw I would take a triple black lt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz_M_ydjzbw

The car looks nice but I tried to purchase a white/red/white LT-4 vert from a dealer when I was looking for mine. They wanted WAY above market value for it, so I walked. Nice LT-4 verts are out there so be disciplined and patient. There is no reason to overpay in this economy. Don't fall for that "this is a collectible" crap that a dealer will try to lay on you. '96 vets are not considered "collectible" in the real world - and this is coming from a guy who loves them - they're just used cars. A few things I noticed about this car: The cigarette lighter is missing which indicate a problem with the shifter/console surround. You can still get the plastic shifter console surround new via GM authorized parts dealers but it will set you back about $300. It is very difficult to find nice used shifter and radio surrounds for these cars because they are coated with a material called "Dulso" which is the exact opposite of durable. Also, I'm *pretty* sure that those chrome wheels were NOT an option in '96. I think the only wheel options available that year were the Grand Sport (Z16), CE (Z15) and Z51 coupes but you had to order those option packages to get them. And all those wheels were based on the previous year's ZR-1 five-spoke wheels.

>> How do you guys feel about lt4 convertible that are non CE's? I love um.
Personally, I don't like the CE color scheme - I think it's dawg ugly - but that's just me. From a future collect-ability point of view, CE's don't bring in any more money than nicely optioned LT-4 verts. There were just too many CE's delivered so they really aren't that special. Overall, I think the LT-4 is a great buy - especially a convertible. There were only about 1300 LT-4 verts produced and they are near the bottom of their depreciation curve. You should be able to obtain a nice LT-4 convertible for about $15k - I got mine for considerably less than that but it had a few "issues."

**Pat M.** · September 4, 2009, 01:35 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Like Jim and Floyd I LOVE my LT4 roadster. The design has a crisp coolness to it that I think few Vettes can match. Absolutely trouble free, corners like its on rails, and SUPER quick. The engine just seems to crave performing. Even after all these years, I always come home with a huge smile on my face.

P.S. And as per Jim's seat comment, I have the standard seats and really like the look and comfort of them.

**Brandon T.** · September 4, 2009, 01:35 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Originally posted by Floyd Berus (38878)

Brandon,

A couple of years ago I suffered from the same fever you now have.

There was only one cure: I bought an LT-4 vert.

>> As far as a newer corvette I've always wanted a lt4 convertible in red/black/black and also must have atleast sport seats as an option my 95 had those and I really liked that option.

Sounds exactly like the car I bought. One word on the Sport seats though: they do look cool and perform reasonably well but the seat adjuster/tracks are junk. GM filled the gear house with crummy nylon gears that are notorious for becoming stripped. If you get a car with the sport seats, start collecting good used seat tracks because it is not a question of "if" they will fail, it is a question of "when" they will fail. The usual catalog companies offer a rebuild service but I have not heard good things about the quality of work and the price is higher than finding good used ones.

>> So, I was just curious if we had some LT4 owners out there, I hear all the time the c4's aren't really corvettes and that they're the black sheep of vettes.

I wouldn't call them the black sheep in the Corvette family. You'll find plenty of C4 devotees on this site and even more in the C4 section of the Corvette Forum. It is true that C4's haven't quite come into their own within NCRS or the restoration hobby in general but I don't that is due to any prejudice against the C4 generation, it's just a function of time. You need to realize that the car you are interested in ('96 LT-4) won't even be eligible for judging for a few more years. Heck, even late model C3's haven't really sparked much interest in the restoration or collector car hobbies yet.

>> True, they don't have as much character as the older years but I've always loved the wedge look that a lot of sports cars had in the 80's.

I would politely disagree with this assessment. In fact I think the C4 generation has MORE "character" than any other generation. Many would say they have too much character. C4 owners love to joke about how our Corvettes shake, rattle 'n' roll down the road. We spend endless hours lamenting how they squeak and rattle but brag about it at the same time.

I always cop a grin at how C5 and C6 owners get offended when the fact is pointed out that the C4 is the most complex Corvette ever produced - as if somehow more complex is better. I am an engineer by trade and when I look at my LT-4 I think to myself, "this is exactly the Corvette Rube Goldberg would have designed."

On top of all that, the LT-4 engine is an odd duck in its own right.

>> Here is a youtube video of the exact car I'm after, so if you know where one is let me know! btw I would take a triple black lt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz_M_ydjzbw

The car looks nice but I tried to purchase a white/red/white LT-4 vert from a dealer when I was looking for mine. They wanted WAY above market value for it, so I walked. Nice LT-4 verts are out there so be disciplined and patient. There is no reason to overpay in this economy. Don't fall for that "this is a collectible" crap that a dealer will try to lay on you. '96 vets are not considered "collectible" in the real world - and this is coming from a guy who loves them - they're just used cars. A few things I noticed about this car: The cigarette lighter is missing which indicate a problem with the shifter/console surround. You can still get the plastic shifter console surround new via GM authorized parts dealers but it will set you back about $300. It is very difficult to find nice used shifter and radio surrounds for these cars because they are coated with a material called "Dulso" which is the exact opposite of durable. Also, I'm *pretty* sure that those chrome wheels were NOT an option in '96. I think the only wheel options available that year were the Grand Sport (Z16), CE (Z15) and Z51 coupes but you had to order those option packages to get them. And all those wheels were based on the previous year's ZR-1 five-spoke wheels.

>> How do you guys feel about lt4 convertible that are non CE's? I love um.
Personally, I don't like the CE color scheme - I think it's dawg ugly - but that's just me. From a future collect-ability point of view, CE's don't bring in any more money than nicely optioned LT-4 verts. There were just too many CE's delivered so they really aren't that special. Overall, I think the LT-4 is a great buy - especially a convertible. There were only about 1300 LT-4 verts produced and they are near the bottom of their depreciation curve. You should be able to obtain a nice LT-4 convertible for about $15k - I got mine for considerably less than that but it had a few "issues."

Cool deal! do you have any pictures of your lt4 vert? would love to see them I love the red/black

**Floyd B.** · September 4, 2009, 02:26 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

I don't have any recent photos because I started an interior restoration soon after I got the car. These are the pictures I took just after I got it home. My wife's reaction was a bit like Luke Skywalker when he first laid eyes on the Millenium Falcon - "It's a piece of junk!"

You can see the stock "saw blades" in the first two pictures. I included the 4th picture because it is a testament to the orginiality of this car; only factory originals have the cylinder number printed the full length of the wire. which at 98k miles is both good an bad. This extreme amount of originality on such a high-mile car is a clear indication of a lack of care over the years. But as a restoration project, I don't have a lot of parts to buy - which is why I bought it. Oh, and did I mention it was cheap.

Attached Files

**Brandon T.** · September 4, 2009, 03:21 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Originally posted by Floyd Berus (38878)

I don't have any recent photos because I started an interior restoration soon after I got the car. These are the pictures I took just after I got it home. My wife's reaction was a bit like Luke Skywalker when he first laid eyes on the Millenium Falcon - "It's a piece of junk!"

You can see the stock "saw blades" in the first two pictures. I included the 4th picture because it is a testament to the orginiality of this car; only factory originals have the cylinder number printed the full length of the wire. which at 98k miles is both good an bad. This extreme amount of originality on such a high-mile car is a clear indication of a lack of care over the years. But as a restoration project, I don't have a lot of parts to buy - which is why I bought it. Oh, and did I mention it was cheap.

Looks like a pretty nice lt4 to me! sounds like you got a great deal. IMO thats the best color combo hence why I'm after that certain combo!

**Floyd B.** · September 4, 2009, 03:50 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

When I was shopping I was willing to accept any of the following in this order of preference:

Red/Red/Black
White/Red/White
Yellow/Black/Black
Red/Black/Black

I have always loved red-on-red vettes of all generations. It's a color scheme that seems somehow to be uniquely Corvette. And it's difficult to ignore white-red's significance in Corvette history. I had been monitoring the market for over a year when I found a nice, low mileage, nicely optioned white/red/white at a Sarasota dealer. This was at the height of the muscle-car rage (what I sometimes refer to as BJ stupidity). The dealer wanted about 5k over the car's market value. I really liked the car and was willing meet them half-way between market value and their asking price but they didn't want to budge - so I walked. A week later three more LT-4 verts popped onto the market - including the one I bought from a wholesale dealer in Memphis. One of the other three was a red/black/black only an hour from my home but he also was trying to cash-in on the hot market at the time. That's why I would advise that you be as patient as you were when looking for that '69. Keep in mind that this is still very much a buyer's market.

Since I'm originally from Michigan I also like black exterior cars, which works fine in the northern climate. After living in Florida for a few years, I eliminated black as a possibility.

BTW, I just sent you a private message containing a link to a site you might check out if you haven't already been there. I seem to remember there being a red/black/black LT-4 vert on there a few weeks ago.

Best of luck in your search.

-Floyd-

**David S.** · October 27, 2009, 05:20 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

I spent a year looking for my first Corvette and bought an all black LT4 coupe last March. I picked up the car in April (it was in WI and I'm in Norfolk) and have put 11,000 mi on it this summer. I tried a convertable but didn't like the big blind spot when I turned my head as a check for a lane change. 45yrs of riding motorcycles, it's a good habit! Also the sport seats hurt my legs after a 20 min drive. With the standard seats I've driven to KY(10hr), FL several times (12hrs) and to VT (16hrs). The Vette seats don't let you move much so I find changing the tilt of the seat helps vary the stress on your legs. I average 28mpg but I like to merge into traffic at the speed limit..in 2nd gear..LOL. The 5.6mpg gradually climbs to 28 so it is more than that most of the time but I enjoy letting her strech her legs. When I want an open air drive I put the top in back. Above 70mph have everything secure or the wind will remove any papers from the cockpit. At 85mph the dash pad starts to flap and that's the signal to slow down!!
I've found no sign of feeling the LT4 is not a great motor. Not as many aftermarket internal parts as the LT1 but with the first tune up due at 100,000mi I expect the motor will outlive me. 56,000 on the car now.
I paid 17,000 which was 2000 over book but due to fine condition and mileage I don't regret it.
All LT4 owners should check out the Grand Sport Registry website as they have some great articles on the differences between the LT1 vs LT4.
I got a new shift surround in May from Corvette Central for 149.95 (P/N 234328) and it has a soft touch coating that very,very, VERY closely matches the origional. New sun visors from Eckler's (169.95 for 2) match the origionals and use a plastic insert rather than cardboard and will be much harder to break.
Dave (50140)

**Floyd B.** · October 27, 2009, 05:33 PM

Re: any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

Originally posted by David Stoodley (50140)

I tried a convertible but didn't like the big blind spot when I turned my head as a check for a lane change.

Hey Dave,
To fix that, you put the top down.

any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

any lt4 owners out there? thinking about another c4..

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