1996 Chevrolet Corvette

1996 Chevrolet Corvette LT4 Coupe The year was 1996 and the voice of Chevrolet was extolling, 1996 is going to be a vintage year for Corvette aficionados and Chevrolet performance enthusiasts. Two very special Corvettes, the Grand Sport and Collector Edition, will add to the marque's legendary mystique. A new, optional 330 horsepower 5.7 liter LT4 engine, available on all Corvette models, raises the revered small block's performance level to a sensational new height. Motor Trend, April 2018 For consignment, a 1996 Chevrolet Corvette LT4 couple showing 79,822 miles, but the true miles are unknown. Owned and enjoyed by our consignor for 20 years, he's only had to replace the water pump and radiator along the way and the car presents cleanly. Exterior Corvettes are legendary, red Corvettes are iconic and ours is dressed in two stage Torch Red paint covering the sinuous lines of America's sports car. This would be the swan song for the C4 and Chevrolet does a nice job of rounding corners and putting all lights, except the inset tail lights, flush with the body for aerodynamic prowess at speed. The 17-inch sawblade wheels seem to be moving while parked and the streaming ribs of the fender vent also portray windblown motion. Quad exhaust tips are symmetrically matched by the Vette's characteristic round tail lights, slightly squared in the '96 and flanking a third brake light and stamped CORVETTE in the flexible shell. Imperfections are limited to some chips and scratches in the paint, some flaking plating from the wheels along with some curb rash on the lip. Interior This is a red over red car, starting with the door panels which actually alternate black plastic flowing panels with red, leading to the front bucket seats in red leather. We note some heavy wear on the driver's seat with tears in the leather and faded creasing and cracking, along with some typical compression. The passenger seat fares much better and they are intersected by the center console which shows patina and houses the leather booted shifter in black. Up front, the steering wheel presents in nice condition and leads to the analog dash with orange backlit digital center screen and the plastic housing flows to the right, creating a driver canted center stack housing the digital information center, push button A/C panel, AM/FM/Cassette player, and CD changer. Medium pile bright red carpet floods the floor and both in the footwells and rear storage area, showing some staining and use. Drivetrain Under the hood and dressed up with some red trim is the 350ci LT4 V8, capable of 330 horsepower, fuel injected and mated to a ZF 6-speed manual transmission that routes power to the rear axle with 3.45 gears and limited slip. Undercarriage Generally clean with some typical surface rust throughout and residual oil on the pan. We note an area of fiberglass with exposed fibers. Beyond that, we find power disc brakes on all four wheels and dual exhaust that run straight pipe to the back, no mufflers. The race inspired suspension is independent front and rear and comprises aluminum components, a transverse monoleaf spring, stabilizers, and in the rear, U-jointed aluminum driveshafts. Drive-Ability This one's been loved but also nicely maintained and the V8 comes to life without hesitation as we roll this red flyer onto the test loop. Performance wise, the car tracks straight, hits turns while maintaining its flat attitude, and stops on a dime. Oh, and the acceleration is exhilarating but that's stating the obvious! We note some things not working included the driver's power mirror, the up and down operation of the passenger's power mirror, the power antenna, and the reverse lights. All other functions operate as they should and it's back to the mall to find a showroom spot for this '96. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the ti