Thinking about pro-touring my C-4, what would you do?

[bergsvette]

I have been kicking this around for a while now and I am interested in your opinion. I have an 85 corvette, attached photo, and I have been thinking about doing an LS swap with the t-56. What else would you do to the suspensions, body, interior?

Thanks for your input and if anyone is a wiz with photo shop or can make a half decent rendering visuals always help.

Thanks
Nick

[SLO_Z28]

LS7, T56, C4ZR1 wheels. Lose the wing. Drop it 4 inches front and rear. Have someone like "Recovery Room" go all out on the interior.


Honestly, rather than "pro touring" a C4, id buy a C6 ZR1. Cant really make a new car pro touring...

[twosaturns]

IMO, the problem w/ 'new' corvettes (yes, I know it's 26 years old) is that they don't look 'vintage' yet; instead, they look stuck in the '80's. it looks like something the rich preppy kid would drive in a bad teen movie.
that being said, I agree that it needs to be dropped, w/ an LS swap. non-polished wheels, lose the wing and get/make a wide body kit, or at least ZR1 bodywork.

[jknight16]

Based on your picture and an assumption that your budget is not unlimited, this is where I'd start:

Lower it while improving the shock/spring package.
Replace all worn bushings.
Look into a modernized seat/carpet combo.
Steering wheel swap (looks like non airbag so shouldn't be an issue)
Lose the wing
Clean up the exhaust exit/tip situation.
Can't go wrong with an LS-swap. Probably smarter than trying to wake up the LT1.

I'm also keeping in mind that you said pro-touring, not pro-(build the baddest street car ever to roam the earth). The body looks to be in good condition.

[Mr. Anderson]

Big C4 fan here! I have to argue with my buddies about it all the time, they get no respect! The later C4's with the convex rear ends look FAR better in my opinion, so if you could get rid of the spoiler and swap out the rear end at the same time that would pretty much take care of all the visual cues (and a nice set of wheels). Your C6 wheels are not bad! I prefer less chrome though.

The suspension is ok out of the box but some shock/spring and brake upgrades would be first on my list. The powertrain can come later. But even then, I doubt it would be too difficult to drop an LSX and 6 speed in there. There have got to be kits for it.

This is one of my favorite looks on them. The ZR1/Grand Sport wheels while not huge, are awesome.

[elitecustombody]

Don't waste your money, sell it and buy a car you really want with the money you plan on dumping into this one. It looks to be in decent shape,so you might get some money for it.

[Vicinity]

Don't waste your money, sell it and buy a car you really want with the money you plan on dumping into this one. It looks to be in decent shape,so you might get some money for it.

Unless the car has sentimental value, I'd do this.

[JohnUlaszek]

If it was mine, I'd go for it. Seat upgrade, Roll bar, six point belts, CCW forged wheels, Baer 6S brakes, LS motor.

C4's are cool.

Not big on the rear wing though.

[pw2006]

My 63 vette project uses alot of the C4 suspension, so in my opinion you are starting with a nice base. If you plan on keeping the car, my list would consist of an LS2/3/7/X, T56, headers/exhaust, new bushings, shocks, brakes. I also agree on the interior, C5 sport seats and maybe a new gauge cluster.

[MyFriendScott]

Wow, you all are harsh on the wing thing. What I don't get is, that vette is probably better at handling than the majority of classic pro-touring cars here and it can't be called "pro touring"? Hey Nick, leave the wing on, drop the car 2", tint the windows, and call it finished. Your vette in reverse would run circles around my '67 camaro.

[bergsvette]

Well, new is a term that has never been used for that car since I have owned her, 10 years. And her name is Jennifer and she is the longest relationship I have ever had. I bought her with my bonus for joining the Army, so she is not leaving me.

I am just looking to increase performance and looks. I found this picture of a guy that put flares on front and back.



Thanks again even if you don't like my car I enjoy hearing the comments.

[BayouSS]

Nick,

I was a 96 C-4 owner up until late last year. It was a nice vehicle and handled like you would not believe but I was not happy with it, I like the 60's and early 70"s muscle cars but I do miss the power it had and the 25mpg it would get with the LT4 engine with 6 speed trans. The C4's in my mind was the last of the real corvettes. Keep what you have, do a few upgrades and enjoy your car, its paid for.
I see that you mentioned you bought your car when you joined the Army, Thanks for your service.

[pw2006]

A pinch of this...


a sprinkle of that...


a little of this


and some of that


...and then drive the wheels off it.

[mikedc]

Drivetrain swaps? Yeah, do it.

Suspension retrofits? I wouldn't bother. There is room for improvement on the C4 platform but it's already good enough that the gains aren't huge. Save that kind of project for a few years later on when guys are trading cheap C7/C8 chassis parts on Craigslist.

[Derek69SS]

I'd prep it for B-stock or BSP and go autocrossing... C4s can be quite competitive yet.

[406 Q-ship]

It is an 85 year, the frames are weaker, C4 got much better after 1986. The suspension geometry is not the best of C4s (that belongs to the 1987 and up zero scrub C4s). Cage that thing, loose the wing, put in an LS2 or LS3 with a Tremec TKO600. Is that Vette a 4+3 trans car, if not you will need to change out the rearend center section (autos used a Dana 30 and the Manuals got Dana 44 like the Vipers). I would not sell it, the early C4s are worth nothing on the market today. Awesome handling Corvettes for the dollar.

[srh3trinity]

I have always liked C4's. I think if you put in a proper powerplant, and spent some money on mild suspension and brake upgrades, you would have a car that is much more capable and fun than most of the cars on the board.

[NJSPEEDER]

I would do a warmed up LS?+ T56 like you are considering for sure.

For chassis I would go coil overs at bother ends and lower it as far as is reasonable for where you live. Great thing about C4's is they can stuff a ton of tire, 315's in the back and 285/295's in the front would make for some serious corner carving even on the most compliant suspension.

Not a big fan of spoilers and wings on that body style so that would have to go. Maybe go for some under car aero, there are side exhaust kits for those cars that aren't tacky that would clear room to flat pan the bottom and guide the air through a nice diffuser at the rear.

Not sure what a good solution for hte front would be, definitely gotta get it lower but not sure how well the stock body work lends itself to a splitter. Not a fan of the Calloway front end and not sure what else is out there.

C4's are to Corvettes what 3rd gens are to Camaros, cool cars that have a lot of potential and get overlooked far too often.

Good luck with it!

-Tim

[Ishmael]

All this has been said but - The first thing I would do would be lower it. Next would rims with flat black centers and chrome lips or chrome centers but not both or straight grey. I would rather see a rear center exit exhaust that's nice and tight to the bumper than something that looks like the guy at the local garage hung it - I hate seeing exhaust tips hanging on those cars ( or any for that matter). I also agree that it needs to be tinted. Then C6 brakes (the vette forums must have covered this by now) and the LS swap which I know I've seen on ls1tech. Just get rid of anything that looks like some guy with gold chains around his neck would have on the car and it would be a good start.

[bergsvette]

The car is the 4+3 car so I am good with the rear. I also have 295's on all 4 corners already with BFG KDW's. I would also love to put some custom glass or carbon fiber work on there, like a splitter or something, but I don't know of anyone that does stuff like that. From what I have read I can only lower it about an inch with shaving the bushings on the stabalizer bar.

I wonder how much work it would be to convert it to coilovers? And I get it first order of body work is remove the wing. Hahaha good times.