Mr.Powers

Get the LT1 car if the engine looks like this...

Only LT1 I've seen that I like as far as the engine goes...
(Looks and performance...)
http://www.musclerides.com/forum2/showthread.php?t=1329

Otherwise... LS1 f-bod

GMmexican

iTrader: (7)

wow 7 people voted c4 over and ls-1 f-body......care to explain?

Platinum WS6

iTrader: (6)

so......yea thats what my interpretation of owning a LT1 car was. 94 Z28, 96 TA, and 97 TA WS6 were the three cars. I did the LT4 kit on the 97 and barely kept up with a few bolt on's LS1 WS6. Both cars were 6 speed and the LS1 pulled me ON TOP END.

Benjamin Russick

iTrader: (1)

I really like my C4, but wouldn't take it OVER a similar condition LS1 F-body unless it was a LT4, Grand Sport or ZR1...

AnimalSS

iTrader: (1)

The LS1 F-Body is a much more comfortable and useful ride. I think the performance difference would be negligible. Unless you're looking for the cache of being a "Corvette Guy" I'd say go with the LS1.

99 Black Bird T/A

iTrader: (4)

C4's are very hard to get in/out of due to the high door sill. Most women DO NOT like getting in/out of a C4.

1992 and up are the better C4's. Make sure the C4 has at least the LT1 (LT4 is even better).

I would avoid any TPI C4 because they are slow.

A C4 w/Z51 suspension will tend to rattle the fillings out of your teeth on rough pavement.

Having raced several C4's when my T/A was bone stock:
a) TPI C4's are a joke and they get owned with ease.
b) LT1 C4's were a fun race but the T/A beat these too without much problem.

Optisparks tend to give problems so be sure you budget for a replacement one.

Otherwise, if you want a Vette sure get the C4. They decent all in all. Their prices are reasonable and probably getting near their low point. The LT1 is a very good engine and you can have a lot of fun with the C4.

burnzilla

iTrader: (3)

Yeah uhmm, if ya didn't know LSx motors have great/better topend then LTx motors.
Stating the obvious doesn't rationalize anything.

And the LT4 "kit" is the biggest waste of money there is.
Lloyd Elliot does a LE1 Package that will get most LT1's 350rwhp, give or take for far less money then the LT4 Kit, which is basically just heads and valvetrain parts... it doesn't even include the real LT4 hotcam, which is different then the LT4 cam.

And if you had an opti problem, oil problems and crappy times, you bought shitty cars and shittier mods because many LTx owners on here are low 13's, high 12's with bolt ons,stickies, gears and a stall (if auto).

I will tell the OP to get the LS1 Fbody, its much easier to work on and makes power easy, but other than the over-amped opti problem, which is mostly due to poor maintenence and installation, LT1's run 180K + miles easy and run strong the entire time, a very reliable and torqey motor.

My friend has a 99 SS and it feels gutless compared to mine for around town driving, but its topend poise and high rev's are insane.

560SL

It depends on what you want. Do you want a road race car or a drag race car? If you are into autocross/road course events then get the C4 for sure. It takes thousands of dollars to get a LS1 F-body to perform like a stock C4 Corvette can when it comes to handling.

If you want to go fast in a straight line, LS1 > LT1, that's a given. F-bodies are meant to be drag racers, so if that's your thing, get the F-body. If you need a back seat, get the LS1.

However, if you want the car that gets the most attention out of the two, get the Corvette for sure. C4 Corvettes are far from ugly. Just a set of nice after market rims improves the looks enormously and people young and old love Corvettes. If you like to fly "under the radar" so to speak and dislike attention, DEFINITELY go with the LS1. The LS1 gets a lot of attention, but it's nothing like a Corvette gets (I'm speaking from experience here). Driving a Corvette around is like owning a cop magnet.

A lot of misinformed people talk trash on C4 Corvettes for some reason. They are VERY capable performers and they will shred an F-body to pieces anywhere but the drag strip. It just depends on what kind of car you want.

Bottom line: The all-around better street car is the LS1 F-body. It has a back seat, it's suspension is WAY softer, it gets better mileage and it attracts less attention. If you want the harder-edged and more "pure" sports car, get the Corvette.

Andros

iTrader: (5)

The C4 only if it were the ZR1

Tobynine9

iTrader: (17)

My brother has a '96 LT4/M6 Vette with only about 10k more miles on it than my '01 M6 SS.

They're completely different cars. Even with my Koni DA shocks, coil over sleeves, 550lb front and 150lb rear springs, rod ended panhard bar and control arms, etc. I can't keep up with him in a corner unless the pavement is smooth as butter. If I get a good, smooth corner I can hold with him but if there's any uneven spots or bumps... I'm catching a tail slide while he's pulling away.

That said, stop light to stop light, even with a lighter curb weight and the LT4, that's my race all day.

The interiors are about the same, they both suck a$$.

F-bodies are easier to modify.

I'd love a Corvette but I've wanted an SS since I was 16. Get what you like.

burnzilla

iTrader: (3)

Not if both cars where stock.
It'd be pretty close.

AronZ28

iTrader: (2)

If you were going to road race or auto-x the car, a C4 is the way to go. Better suspesion setup and about 3-400lbs weight difference. If you are going to drive the car every day or hit the strip a lot, the ls1 fbody is the way to go.

rel3rd

iTrader: (43)

Some pretty interesting replies, I must admit. I very recently made the switch...

I just sold my 85 Corvette....when I first got it, plenty of torque, serious lack of top end...Mine was a 4 speed (actually 4+3) 5.7 TPI car that had the Z51 suspension and it wasn't rough riding at all, but it did handle exceptionally well for a 22 year old car, without a doubt. No complaints at all with the looks of that style. I prefer it hands down over the C5, exterior-wise. Interior, C5, C6 all the way...JMO. I did a simple head cam and intake swap, ported all the intake parts myself and also added some longtubes. Car made 287rwhp/374rwtq, with over 300ft/lbs of torque from 2200-5200 rpms. Definitely a fun street car to toy around in....
Here's a pic...(it was in the June 2007 Vette magazine fwiw.)



Anyway, I bought it for $5500, did the mods and drove it for a year, then sold it last Sunday, for $7200. I kept a ton of extra parts that new owner didn't want and when all is said and done, I'll have gotten 8 grand out of it. A day after selling it I bought my first LS1 car...a 2000 Camaro SS. People wanted $10K for it and when all was said and done, I got it for 8 grand....so it was a wash on the Vette sale....

Overall impressions so far.....

NO COMPARISON. The Vette was more of a "raw" car, with plenty of character by way of squeaks, rattles, moans and groans....The Camaro is a much more refined, much better overall car and it's with 100% certainty that after driving this car (bone stock still), I can say I won't ever own another C4....

Here's what I basically "traded" my C4 for: (aside from it sitting like a 4X4, I have no complaints...lol.

Platinum WS6

iTrader: (6)

I am very aware of the difference between the LT4 HOTCAM and the LT4 cam that came in the vette's and some SLP cars that were pretty rare. The hotcam is the biggest waste of money i ever bought and should have gone with maybe the CC305 or 306 to utilize the heads. My friend Blackbird on here did a heads/cam package on an LT1, LT4 AFR heads, custom grind Futral cam to match the heads, intake of course to match, complete vavletrain, 3.73 gears, 6 speed, Hooker LT's and GMMG exhaust. Car sounds mean as heck but he still can't outrun my bolt on LS1. We are dead even. Car ran strong, no problems, and was also tuned by Jeff Creech at Carolina Auto Masters so it was tuned right. He was never happy with the performance and tired of dealing with the opti and leaking so he sold it. I just have a bad taste in my mouth about LT1's b/c you just dont get the gains and get way more problems. We can argue all day, and i would have argued against me when I had my LT1 cars b/c yea they do run a long time...heck my 96 LT1 had 178k on it and ran a 13.5@106 right before i sold it, but now that I have the LS1 car I realize how bad it really did suck. Just my opinion though. Im out!

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

Screw em both and get a 87 Grand national.

Sharpe

iTrader: (7)

I laughed out loud when i saw your sig pic.

Cobra2WS6

iTrader: (22)

I use to own a 94 LT1 vete 6 speed. Pretty nice car, I though it rode nice and had decent power. Went 13.9@101 stock... But the LS1 is much better then the LT1, and the looks of a WS6 or SS are far suporior to any C4 Vette.. Soo there is no choice

Blackss99

iTrader: (1)

Lt4's are not slow look up the times.They were faster than 97 vette ls1's. Both car's are nice.

rel3rd

iTrader: (43)

Wow, I guess the LT1's aren't/weren't any quicker than the TPI L98's after all. Mine went 13.92@100 with nothing but free/cheap mods.

MGorman

I agree. They are dead even with a LS1 Fbody in the ¼ and will pull from a roll. I had an LT4 Vette and it ran 13.0x @ 110 100% bone stock. That said there aren’t that may of them around and they’re not cheap. I would take the LS1 Fbody over the C4 unless it’s an LT4 or ZR1.