LT4/6-speed. 26,340 original miles. One of only 357 built in
Bright Aqua. Still sitting on original Goodyear GS-C tires, second
set of OEM wheels & tires included. Excellent example of the last
of the C4s.
With just two adult owners, this beautiful LT4 Corvette is a great
reminder that the last of the C4s were pretty darned good cars. Our
cameras struggle to properly capture the Bright Aqua color on this
particular Corvette, mostly showing it as bright blue, but the
handsome paint looks especially good in the sun. It’s aggressive
but sophisticated, the ideal look for the last of the C4s, and it
cleverly hides the awesome performance that hides within. Of
course, this car has never seen winter weather and fiberglass
doesn’t rust anyway, but the paint remains in fantastic condition
overall, with just a light scuff on the nose where, ironically, it
was fitted with a removable “bra.” We removed that and it cleaned
up beautifully and shines as well as the day it was new.
20-year-old cars don’t get much better than this.
The light gray leather interior remains in excellent condition and
it’s the ideal choice with the Bright Aqua paint. The supportive
Corvette seats were some of the best in the industry in 1996 and
they adjust in enough different directions that anybody should be
able to get comfortable behind the wheel. There’s also a fat
leather-wrapped sport steering wheel and a stubby shifter for the
6-speed manual, which was only available with the LT4 engine in
1996. The combination of analog and digital gauges actually works
rather well to convey the important information at a glance, and is
comprehensive enough to include an oil temperature gauge, and the
Bose AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo system sounds great, even today. The
automatic climate control system is powerful and effective, and
other standard features include cruise control, power windows and
locks with remote entry, and dual power seats. Overhead there’s a
clear blue roof panel, which stows neatly in the nicely preserved
rear hatch area.
For its last hurrah, the C4 got the most powerful small block ever,
a 330 horsepower fuel-injected powerplant that is smooth and docile
enough for your mother to drive, but at the same time it snarls to
redline in every gear and pulls with way more gusto than the
numbers would indicate. As a derivative of the bulletproof LT1, it
remains incredibly reliable and there’s a massive aftermarket to
support it if you need even more power. Fortunately, this one
remains 100% stock, including the air filter and mufflers, a
side-effect of having two adult owners. It starts instantly and
idles smoothly with just a hum from the exhaust tips, almost too
calm to be such a furiously fast car. The LT4 is easy to spot with
its red intake manifold and “Grand Sport’ badge on the throttle
body, but those are both easy to fake, so always be sure to check
the RPO codes for the all-important LT4. The rest is similar to the
other Corvettes, with a tightly packaged accessory drive, the
interesting ASR system on the driver’s side (which slackens the
throttle cable when wheel spin is detected), and the big air
cleaner up front. It’s all quite stock save for the chrome caps on
the oil filler and power steering reservoir, which do dress things
up a bit. It’s clean, well-maintained, and fully operational, ready
to enjoy.
The chassis is likewise totally original and untouched, showing no
signs of ever having been in inclement weather. A few signs of use
here and there, but it’s obvious this has always been a
fair-weather toy. The car is completely stock, with things like the
exhaust, shock absorbers, and perhaps even the brake rotors being
1996-issue. The ZF 6-speed manual transmission shifts cleanly and
is burly enough to take just about any abuse the LT4 can dish out,
and with a towering overdrive 6th gear, it just loafs along at
insane speeds (how does 1800 RPM at 80 MPH sound to you?). The 3.45
gears out back were a great choice, giving it plenty punch off the
line, and this car is equipped with the desirable J55 Performance
Brake package for a little extra stopping power. The car is
currently sitting on its original 17x9 and 17x10 aluminum wheels
and 255/40/17 front and 285/40/17 rear Goodyear GS-C tires, but for
more recent driving, it has been running on a second set of OEM
wheels with color-matched inserts and fresh Firestone radials in
the original sizes. The best of both worlds!
The C4 is collectable, but only some of them. The end-of-the-line
1996 models are arguably the most desirable and those with the
top-performing LT4 engine are more appealing still. Add in the rare
color, the low mileage, and the beautiful preservation, and you
have a high-quality, low-mileage C4 that’s ready to enjoy as it
appreciates. Call today!
For more information and photos, please visit
www.HarwoodMotors.com
