Looking to purchase a 92, why HP Difference Between 90-92 and 93-95?

[edram454]

I had the pleasure of running a 1996 lt4 6 speed car for about 3/4 of a mile. It was a ridiculous race. He was there for about 2 seconds then he was gone. Once my rpms spun up I ran away from him easily. I shifted at 6500 and the my zr1 was just grinding up that lt4 car. The guy wanted to see how fast my car was compared to his since he thought they were about equal. He had headers too. No contest. A lt4 car is maybe equal to a stock c5 automatic. Maybe a stock zr1 would have made it a closer race but once you have some good mods the difference is huge like Steve (we gone) said.

ed ramos #3028

[csavaglio]

I currently own a '96 LT4 as a daily driver and a '91 ZR-1. I traded a CE LT4 on the ZR-1 when I bought it. My two current cars are stock. Being able to drive them back to back, I do have some opinions....(what's that saying...opinions are like something something....).

First, my CE, which was stock, ran 12.7 in the quarter consistently. My current one, which I owned at the same time as my CE for about 6 months, feels every bit as quick. I haven't raced the ZR-1, but judging from numbers that go thrown about, they seem to run similar or slightly slower times.

That said, the ZR-1 revs much faster and feels racier. Driving on the street, the LT4 feels like it has more grunt and keeps up about the same until about 100mph, then it's the LT5's game.

Because of the low end torque the LT4, it actually feels stronger than the LT5 in the lower revs. For me, this means that, at 55mph in 6th gear, the LT4 accelerates much quicker while the LT5 needs to be downshifted. I typically keep the LT5 in a gear lower than I would in the LT4 and shift later into 6th.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, but, considering that most LT4's are stronger than their rated hp suggests, the gap between them at everyday speeds isn't as great as you'd think.

As far as the early/late LT5's, I think the desirability of the 405hp motor is simply the power rating and not real world. Because the later cars got a little heavier, it offsets it and, from everything I've seen, the real world performance difference between the early and late cars isn't much, if at all.

All just my humble opinions, of course and this is assuming stock, or relatively stock cars. Comparing a modded ZR-1 to a stock LT4 is apples to oranges. Years ago, I used to see an Astro van (complete with curtains in the windows) run 13's and a Chevette running 10s.....


Chris

[KJL]

Chris- Thank you very much for your thoughtful insite. I love my LT4, it too is my daily driver, the only thing that drives me crazy about it is the transmission whorling sound it makes when it is in neutral with my foot off the clutch. I can only guess it has a single mass fly wheel installed. I bet a set of headers would really wake her up.

Checking out the 92 has been put on hold, the owner was trying to do what I have been told is called a skip title, basically to avoid our ridiculous new tax law which requires the purchaser to pay the full property Tax on the car upfront instead of yearly installments. It is a way for the state to reclaim some of the lost sales tax revenue from private sales. The problem is the title is still in the previous owners name and my county requires a signed bill of sale from the current owner. That would have been a problem.

I wish there was a way to dial in on a true market value for these cars. The prices are all over the boards on these. There is a car locally for sale by a dealer, 1990 ZR1 with only 1100 miles on it for sale for 40,000. 1100 miles? really? Why would a car like that end up on a used car lot? Looks nice but not like a pristine 1K car should look. I have seen several cars over the years that looked more like 60K cars showing 12K on the odometer. Makes me wonder...

[csavaglio]

My CE made the same noise and it had the original clutch/dual mass flywheel in it. My current (dual mass when I got it and single mass now) doesn't make the noise. The single mass noise is more of a grumbling. Some describe it as rocks in a can, but I went with a heavy single mass to try to dampen it.

I think the noise you've got is the throw out bearing starting to go south. When you press the clutch pedal, you're putting pressure on the bear and the noise goes away. I used to only hear it in neutral with my foot off the clutch. That said, I drove it for a year and over 10k miles like that and it never got worse.

[KJL]

I have had it for 4 years and has not gotten any worse. The noise could also go away because once the transmission is decoupled from the engine when the clutch is engaged, everything stops turning if you are at a stand still. Could be some other component in the transmission that is making this sound when unloaded but coupled (in neutral), including the throwout bearing. My experience with throwout bearings is the opposite, they scream when that are depressed, quiet when disengaged. From what I have read about these ZF transmissions is they are very good but known to be harmlessly noisy.

[5ABI VT]

Originally Posted by KJL

I have had it for 4 years and has not gotten any worse. The noise could also go away because once the transmission is decoupled from the engine when the clutch is engaged, everything stops turning if you are at a stand still. Could be some other component in the transmission that is making this sound when unloaded but coupled (in neutral), including the throwout bearing. My experience with throwout bearings is the opposite, they scream when that are depressed, quiet when disengaged. From what I have read about these ZF transmissions is they are very good but known to be harmlessly noisy.

Has the clutch been changed before? My bet is on the throwout bearing.

[KJL]

I don't know. not while I have owned. I doubt it. The car only had 40,000 on it when I purchased it.

[5ABI VT]

If the noise changes clutch in or out.. theres not much changing inside that bellhousing besides that bearing moving... That's what Im thinking anyways.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by csavaglio

I currently own a '96 LT4 as a daily driver and a '91 ZR-1. I traded a CE LT4 on the ZR-1 when I bought it. My two current cars are stock. Being able to drive them back to back, I do have some opinions....(what's that saying...opinions are like something something....).

First, my CE, which was stock, ran 12.7 in the quarter consistently. My current one, which I owned at the same time as my CE for about 6 months, feels every bit as quick. I haven't raced the ZR-1, but judging from numbers that go thrown about, they seem to run similar or slightly slower times.

That said, the ZR-1 revs much faster and feels racier. Driving on the street, the LT4 feels like it has more grunt and keeps up about the same until about 100mph, then it's the LT5's game.

Because of the low end torque the LT4, it actually feels stronger than the LT5 in the lower revs. For me, this means that, at 55mph in 6th gear, the LT4 accelerates much quicker while the LT5 needs to be downshifted. I typically keep the LT5 in a gear lower than I would in the LT4 and shift later into 6th.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, but, considering that most LT4's are stronger than their rated hp suggests, the gap between them at everyday speeds isn't as great as you'd think.

As far as the early/late LT5's, I think the desirability of the 405hp motor is simply the power rating and not real world. Because the later cars got a little heavier, it offsets it and, from everything I've seen, the real world performance difference between the early and late cars isn't much, if at all.

All just my humble opinions, of course and this is assuming stock, or relatively stock cars. Comparing a modded ZR-1 to a stock LT4 is apples to oranges. Years ago, I used to see an Astro van (complete with curtains in the windows) run 13's and a Chevette running 10s.....


Chris

Bench racing at its finest!

Well, when you actually race your ZR-1, you'll come to appreciate the marvelous differences. Like the LS1/C5s, they too come to appreciate the DOHC arcitecture!

(This isn't me, but the scenario has played out many times.)

Link

[Kevin]

ls1 c5's are so slow I don't even bother with them anymore. And my car is stock