How well do the LT1 vettes really handle in autocross and track days and any problems associated with them (besides optijunk)?

Reason I ask is I'm thinking of a trade (I know one that I will regret for the rest of my life). I'm not right in the head to consider a no optioned 2002 Z28 for an all option older Vette. Bloody wife, kids and life is making me think of the $ that would be included in the trade.

Ha! Similar thoughts ...

The financial part aside, one of the reasons I will be buried with my black Camaro (rather than a black 'Vette) is that it does seat my whole family. It will always be a dual-purpose street/track car, at least for the foreseeable future. Not to mention that it's been paid off for years, it's been extremely reliable, and I just plain would kick myself for ever selling it.

Not to mention that it takes me a looong time to set up a car to my liking, what with family life, the house, work, etc.,... (Read: years ;-).

Nik

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Black [-----] twin turbo

I haven't looked in a few months, and I don't know your budget....but the market on Vette's was soft a few months ago....I would look to "push" and get a NEWER than LT1 year Vette....you won't regret it!

The LT1 Vette would be in trade plus almost 10K. Its a tempting thought but as stated by someone else you can fit 4 people and its paid for. Although the car seats are hard to get in and the wife sits on the dash when they are in.

my Z is not a driver and is a garage queen that gets pounded on on occasion. So the waste is really lettingmy Z sit and collect dust. The friend/person trading already has a garage queen 35th aniv edition that came in on the same truck as mine.

I think I'm seeing $$$ , maybe it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all .

C4's are great!
that said, if you make the decision and end up wanting to buy one straight away, let me know.
I'm kinda in the same boat. With the CMC car almost finished and a daily driver Z28 I almost never drive my C4 any more so I'm thinking of selling.

Unless you're looking at a C-5, you're better off with the no options '02 Z28. My '02 can hold its own against the average C-5 on a road course, but gives a lot up to the later Z-06s. C-4s, unless well modded aren't a match for the no optioned late M6 Z28s.

The ones that run AX in my area do great, often getting FTD.

The differences between a well set-up 4th gen fbody, a C4, and a C5 are very small on an AX course. It really comes down the driving.

The guy that usually gets FTD in my club drives a '96 C4 with an LT4. He always beats another guy with a 2000 C5. But there are two other old guys (read experianced) with '93 C4's that can also beat the '96 C4 maybe 50% of the time, if they show. And the guy with the '96 C4 also has a C5 Z06, but he is no faster in that car than the C4.

The same guy hasn't driven my SS enough to get used to it, but he was within two seconds of his best run in the Z06 the day he tried my car. (the Z06 is stock though, and my SS is highly modified.) Yet another guy with a stock 1LE 3rd gen can beat me every time.

See what I mean? These are all good cars that only differ by hairs, if set up well and driven well. So in the end, it's a matter of "choose your weapon."

A C4 vette will easily outhandle and outbrake an f-body that is similarly prepared, and as a result will usually be faster on the track or an autocross course. Better suspension, lighter weight, better weight distribution are all in the vette's favor. If someone is faster in an f-body than in either a C4 or C5, then you really should take into account the biggest variable of all, the driver. An LS1 f-body might have a power advantage on an LT1 vette in stock form, but both are great platforms for making good power. You really have to decide what your priorities are and decide based on those which is the right car for you.

Thanks everyone, knew the ls engine has a bit on the lt but just didn't know about handling. Since they are only a hair from each a little less hp and starting over on a stock car may not be that bad.

Now any advice on getting this by the wife .

Explain to her that in order to be competitive, you have two choices 1) Start spending all your free time and money modifying the hell out of your Camaro or 2) Just buy an old used Corvette that is competitive in stock form and have more time left over for the familly. Add to that used Corvettes are a good value because they can be bought very cheap for what they are.

If I didn't need a back seat, I'd still have a Vette, the question is whehter it would be a C4 or a C5 Z06. If your primary focus is autox, there isn't going to be a big enough difference between an f-body and a C4 to worry about it, however, if you are going to do a lot of track use, then I'd definitely go for the C4 or better yet a C5 Z06. Stock for stock, an LT1 C4 Vette will be slightly faster around a track than an LT1 f-body, and about the same as an LT4 Firehawk/SS or mildly modded (springs/shocks) LS1 f-body. The pluses for the C4 are that it "feels" better in the handling department, and can be upgraded to be very fast. If you really want to be fast though, pick up an 01 Z06 (the prices have really come down on them), you'll be WAY faster than any of those others right out of the box in stock form. The other good choice is a 96 C4 manual (all 96 manuals were LT4s), however, there have been some overheating issues on the LT4 C4s for track use (due to higher redline, higher HP, etc), so I'd definitely upgrade the cooling system on one of those. (Heck, even LT1 C4s are right at the limit of their cooling system for track use.)

Anyway, having owned an LT1 f-body, LT1 Vette, C5 Z06, and the LT4 Firehawk, my choice would be an 01 Z06 if you don't need the backseat (or an 02-04 if you can swing the extra $$).

yes join the dark side of owning a y-body.

for when they were designed the C4's are amazing cars. Go to an autocross and only a very select few cars can outrun it. C5's are even more amazing. I typically took FTD at local events (with the exception of a F500 (i think) and a MG midget with a rotary powerplant, and the midget didn't beat me by much If I didn't buy the Z06 I probably would have gotten a C4. Dollar for dallar they are the best car you can buy for the money.

One of the biggest advantages a 'Vette has over an F body is the tire size, at least in stock class. I've been within a second and change of Gil Smith's A/S '94 Corvette, but those days are rare. Maybe this year on new 710's.