Vehicle Description
Grand Sport number 533 out of 810 produced.
Named one of Hagerty's 10 best collector cars to buy this year! 1
of 10 on the 2019 Bull Market List.
Read Here:
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/01/07/best-collector-cars-to-buy-now-2019-bull-market-list#
"Old names carry big weight in the Corvette world, mainly because
Chevrolet, wisely, has never tossed around badges such as Z06, ZR1,
and Grand Sport lightly. When you laid out for one of the special
Vettes, you truly got something for your money: substantially more
horsepower, for one thing, plus exclusive trimmings and maybe a
pleasing retro paint scheme. People who buy Corvettes tend to like
the fact that they're joining an old and illustrious family, and
the 1996 Grand Sport plainly evokes the model's racing
heritage.
A one-year gift to the Corvette faithful to celebrate the close of
the C4's 12-year production run, the RPO Z16 Grand Sport option was
collectible the minute the first of the 1000 examples-810 coupes,
190 convertibles-hit showrooms. Yes, for another $3250 above the
Corvette coupe's $37,225 base price, you got more power, as the
placard on the center console next to the six-speed shifter proudly
proclaims. Besides calling out the LT4's 330 horsepower and 340
pound-feet of torque, the placard tells you in large type that the
5.7-liter engine has a 10.8:1 compression ratio, not a common stat
found on an interior car badge.
After building Corvettes for four decades, the Chevrolet of the
mid-1990s knew that its Vette customers like to quote figures
because they get asked a lot.
You could have any color as long as it was Admiral Blue with an
Arctic White "skunk stripe" down the center and twin red hash marks
on the driver's front fender. The majority came with black
interiors, but a few years ago, John Crynock-who owns two Vettes,
this GS and a '98 Indy Pace Car Replica-pounced on one of the 217
Grand Sport coupes delivered with red seats. The C4 will rocket you
back in time in terms of interior electronics and GM build quality,
but the rumbling LT4 can still rocket you forward with equal
ferocity. The view over the wide bat-wing hood has been and will
remain a Corvette trademark, at least until the mid-engine Vette
arrives next year to once again evolve the Plastic Fantastic.
1996 CORVETTE GRAND SPORT
Engine V-8, 5733 cc
Power 330 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque 340 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Weight 3400 lb
Power-to-weight 10.3 lb/hp
0-60 5.2 sec
Top speed 168 mph
Price when new $37,225
Hagerty value $36,100-$49,500
THE HAGERTY VALUATION TEAM SAYS:
Just 1000 examples built in one year means these cars are rare,
fast, and distinctive. In a Corvette-in fact, in most cars-those
factors add value. Plus, most Grand Sports were treated as
collector cars from new, which means lots of low-mileage choices
out there." - (via Hagerty.com)
Despite its long twelve-year production life, the C4 Corvette
really only has two truly collectible models. There's the first
generation ZR-1, a car that introduced a different flavor of
sophistication to Chevrolet and continues to be popular today. And
then there's the ZR-1's more exclusive sibling, the 1996 Corvette
Grand Sport. The two cars share a lot of the same DNA, with the
mighty Grand Sport benefitting from lessons learned during five
years of ZR-1 production. But with only 1,000 units built, 810 of
those being coupes, the Grand Sport is definitely the hotter
collectible. Loaded with a long list of standard equipment
including a 330 horsepower LT4 engine, this 1996 Corvette Grand
Sport shows ONLY 21,906 ORIGINAL MILES and currently presents a
virtually flawless original appearance. If you're in the market for
a clean, unmolested Corvette that has serious collector appeal,
this sensational C4 is the car for you!
The most striking feature of Chevrolet's C4 Grand Sport, is, of
course, the paint job. I don't know what kind of favors John
Heinricy and his crew had to promise to get it built, but 90s
General Motors culture usually didn't let stuff like this see the
light of day. The Admiral Blue base, a Corvette mainstay for many
years, is a brilliant, vivid hue that seems to literally glow when
it hits the sunlight. The stripes are Arctic White, another
familiar Chevy color. And of course, the two bright red hash marks
on the driver's side front fender are a hat tip to the historic
Grand Sports that used red tape for identification on the race
track. At any rate, this car has been beautifully maintained and,
as you know, Grand Sports have been collector's items from the
moment they were announced. By 1996 Corvette build quality was
excellent, and the fit and finish on this Grand Sport suggest the
guys in Bowling Green knew they were building something that would
be remembered for decades to come.
Vin Decode :
1= USA
G = General Motors
1 = Chevrolet
YY = Std Corvette
2 = Hatch Back
2 = Active Seat Belt System
5 = LT4 Engine 350 / 330 HP
4 = (Check digit)
T = 1996 Model Year
5 = Built in Bowling Green Kentucky
600553 is sequence numbers ( the 553rd Grand Sport built )
The Grand Sport option in 1996 was $3,250.00
Beyond that bright paint, there's not a lot of detail work on this
Vette. The car did get its own chrome badges on the front fenders,
just in case you happened to miss said paint. GS coupes also
received rear fender flares which were designed to cover 11 inch
ZR-1 spec wheels, the largest wheels ever fitted to a C4 Corvette.
Because of their obvious paint ridges, a lot of guys think Grand
Sports are actually white cars that had Admiral Blue painted around
their center stripes. But, in reality, vinyl secondary stripes,
which border the car's main stripe, were created half Arctic White
and half Admiral Blue to provide the illusion of paint ridges.
Fortunately, even as decals, the smaller stripes are in excellent
condition. The car's glass is all original and undamaged, and the
circle markings you see on the hatch glass are the result of the
polarized glass used to help control interior temperatures combined
with the circular polarizer lens filter on our camera.
As I mentioned earlier, power comes from the best iteration of the
second generation of Chevy's small block V8. Dubbed the LT4, and
boasting 330 horsepower and 340 lb./ft. of torque (up 30 horsepower
and 10 lb./ft. from the stock C4 Corvette's LT1), this stout engine
is one of the most potent pushrod Chevy blocks to date. As with its
body, this car's mill is dressed up in fine fashion, with a bright
red intake manifold, a special throttle body, bright red ignition
wires and a special plate with red lettering unique to its model.
The car's engine compartment is in excellent condition, showing few
signs of use and a very factory-correct appearance in every way.
Like every other GS, the car is loaded with options, including A/C,
power steering, and a traction control system that GM calls
Automatic Slip Regulation (ASR). Those very clean ancillary
components still carry all their original belts, hoses and decals.
And since this Corvette is already a Bloomington winner, all it
needs is preservation and excellent care to continue to be perfect
in virtually in every way.
The only drivetrain available in the Grand Sport was a 6-speed
manual transmission and a set of 3.45 gears. (As if you'd want
anything else...) The Grand Sport coupe received a more aggressive
suspension setup than its convertible counterpart, as well as those
aforementioned extra-large wheels. The chassis on this cou...for
more information please contact the seller.