thegame

I was wondering for the guys that own or have good amounts of experience with both engines the following question. A gentleman I work with has a 96 grand sport LT4 bone stock and was talking about running it next season against a friend of my fatherswho owns a 1993 ZR1. The ZR1 owner said he would give the LT4 the go and still pass him by the end of the quarter mile. Do you guys think that is what will probably happen? Not trying to start a flame war here so please don't misinterpret this but since they know I am a vette guy myself they were asking me what I thought would happen and I don't have enough experience with either car to give them an honest answer so I figured why not check with the experts.



Chris

lcvette

I cannot speak from the ZR1 side as I have not had a chance to get ours to the track for some before runs, but our two 96 LT4's ran very strong in comparison to our LT1's.. the polo went a 12.7@110mph with the stock paper filter and a set of 315 pilot sports on the back, and this was a stout car from the get go putting down right around 310rwhp as she sat from the show room floor.

my 96 CE LT4 put down right at 298rwhp and went a 13.0@109 on a set of bald 285 eagle GSC's. also stock down to the paper filter. the mph shows they came underrated from GM, but the Z should still have the advantage but I would bet only by a smallish margin, I htink both cars running in stock form and in healthy condition it would probably be a drivers race as the torque comes on MUCH stronger in the LT4's then the ZR1 from seat of the pants feel but the Z has a nice long and broad consistant torque once she is in her power range. if the Z snags the LT4 out of the hole and hits his shifts.. I say he has it.. if the line goes to the LT4.. the Z better hit his shifts and it will be a knuckle biter at the traps.

just my take on it.

Chris

Bans25

My stock 90' ZR-1 ran 12.97 @113.3 MPH, that was with 7 year old tires (2.151 60' )

On the dyno it was 331 RWHP

-Bill

90 zr-1 206mph

The 93 ZR-1 was the fastest year of the 405hp version because it was the lightest. some lt4's were putting out over 350hp from the factory. In the advertisements they showed 0-60 runs in 4.3 seconds. the best ive seen from the lt4 was 4.7. because the ZR-1 has more top end power It just pulls that much harder after you get going. But if you dont launch right it wont get you into the power band quick enough and the lt4 will take off and youll have to play catch up. The typical ZR-1 driver gets 12.80's but ive seen down to 12.40's from a stock 93. If they are both good drivers and get a good launch the ZR-1 should take him by .3-.4 seconds.

90 Corvette ZR-1

ummmm what

zr1fred

If ALL things were equal, I certainly wouldn't put any money on the LT-4! There are alot of variables though, and alot of L-98's and LT-1's are claiming mid 12's!

cv67

Maybe we just dont have the same kind of air (DA) as some of you , (which I know has a LOT to do withit), but I have a hard time believing most stock Z owners can easily crack off 12.8s. without a tire or some mods.
I more inclined to say low to mid 13s are the norm.

Size XXX flame suit on

88BlackZ-51

speaking to dwight, he mentioned that you would have to be a good driver to run 12's with a stock Z. the norm is low 13's, or when i was at BG mid 13's.

AtsZR1

My son's LT4 stock ran...13.0 110 mph consistantly...with minor head work and headers he is now running 12.65, 110 mph.

My 91 Z with intake work, headers and BB run's 12.75 @ 114 MPH. We have a lot of fun racing the cars.

Our races and the one that you are talking about will be close and will depend on the driver and the track condition....my son's car hooks up the ZR does not. The 60 foot is the race.

If the two cars are on the hi-way....with a 50 mph punch the ZR1 will win every time...or at least mine does!

Have fun that's what it is about.

P.S. We race at US131 Dragway in South West Michigan.

BiZ

Put money on the LT4. The ZR-1 will pass him but not by the 1/4 mile if the ZR1 is giving the LT4 the jump. Both being stock the 1/4 mile is a drivers race.

Rkreigh

the LT4 is a lighter car and will get the jump. the ZR1 is a bit tricky to launch. I agree it's a drivers race as they both make pretty similar power, the LT5 just has a much broader power band so after the quarter it's bye bye.

dallas916

But try to run that LT4 to 180 mph.

Aaron71771

It's going to come down to the driver. After the 1/4 mile mark ZR-1 all the way.

90 zr-1 206mph

The LT4 would run out of breath at 168mph.

Aurora40

I would suspect though that this is true of the average LT4 also. I doubt most stock LT4 drivers can easily crack off 13.0's.

I'd sure think it'd come down to drivers too, though.

For me, the very first time I took my car to the track, I was doing 13.4-13.8's and such. I eventually managed a 13.2, but only after about 7 or so tries. Who knows what someone with better skill could have done with the car on that day. If I lined up against someone and made a 13.8ish run, they wouldn't have to be too spot-on to beat me.

The ZR-1 does do a pretty good job of reeling other cars in, though, even if they get away better. I don't know if this was an LT4 or not, probably not, but who cares... This is the ZR-1 section, so lets just pretend:
http://members.aol.com/corvettezr119...nglishtown.mpg

Mr Mojo

It's a drivers race either way. Assuming stock for stock, I would go with the Z. Both cars are capable of the 12's and the best my stock LT1 saw was 12.97, but that's in great air.

So really since we can't predict weather conditions, it doesn't matter what the ET's are going to be, because both cars will run proportionate to each other no matter where they race.

Let's say the Z is 1/10th quicker than the LT4 in California, well it would be 1/10th quicker as well in NJ.

Bottom line is who gets to the finish line first.

I've heard of plenty of forum members with LT4's hitting high 12's bone stock and I have no reason not to believe them. I've seen plenty of Z's hit mid 12's, but with 4.10 gears. I've never seen a stock ZR1 run a 1/4 mile, so I can't comment on it.

Zethco

I've been asked many times recently which car is faster.

My Turbo Trans Am or the Z.

Hard to answer. The TTA has maybe 50 RWHP over the Z (a few mods on the TTA).

Are we talking off the line? The Z, if it hooks.
1/4? The TTA all day. Mid-high 10's, depending on driver.

1/2 - 1 mile? The Z.
Rolling start on the highway? The Z.

Which car is faster? Depends on the race...
That said, depends on the driver just as much. I have a decent 60' time. But not great... A great reaction time will almost always win over a HP advantaged car.

zelement

Stock LT1 will run 170mph.

LT4 will go 178mph.

I have been aroudn C4s for a long time. Never personally seen a stock ZR 1 run 12s. Not saying it hasn't happened, just never seen one myself. I do however, see stock ZR1 trapping higher than 110mph on a regular basis.
I have personally run my bone stock LT4 13.00 back to back to back on stock 315s. I know with some better tires it'll pull off high 12s.

1/4 mile I would give the advantage to LT4 but after that the ZR1 takes it.

glass slipper

The only way a stock LT4 will go 178 MPH is when it's dropped from a C-141 at 30,000 FT. Also, no stock LT1/6-speed ever came close to cracking 170 MPH.

LT1@157MPH w/6-speed (Car and Driver, December 1991, pg. 77-83)
The three major magazines tested a 1996 Grand Sport @ 168, 168, and 165 (estimated) MPH so we'll call it 168 MPH. The three major magazines tested a 1993 ZR1 @179, 180, and 181 MPH so we'll call it 180 MPH. Given the HP differences between the three cars (even taking into account the LT4 being underrated), these numbers are accurate.

I've been around C4s for a little while too, the top end charge of the ZR1 is phenomenal. My brother had a '95 LT1 and can attest to how quickly my tail lights would disappear from him from an 80 MPH roll. After the first time, he insisted on checking to see if his throttle was going wide open when he pushed the gas pedal to the floor.

THISLDO

I don't care for drag racing that much and concentrate more on the long pull. I owned an LT1 and have driven several LT4's. Neither car is a threat to a stock ZR-1 in either a half mile, mile, or top end race. We have had several modded LT4's (head work, headers, cam, gears) run in the shoot out portion of the Sandhills Open Road Challenge. None have done better than 148 in the mile. Stock LT4's run in the low 140's. By contrast, the slowest ZR-1 (bone stock) ran 150. My 91 with P&P plenum and housings, headers, and 4.10's runs consistantly in the 164-165 range in the mile. If you think that an LT1 can break 160 or an LT4 can break 170 on the big end, I have some fine ocean front property available in Western Nebraska for sale. Stock for stock, line either car up against a ZR-1 for a mile run and the result will be ugly for the small blcok cars.

Joe Shown