GS mystery Vette revealed

[rrubel]

Dang... only 320 Dark Purple Metallics that year.... the rarest color.
[RICHR]

[RAW]

I will find out the Vin number later on in the day, time to go to sleep in American Samoa.

[supernatural400]

there were no LT4 automatics that left the plant..there is however one person who change out the LT1 for and LT4 on a auto car, I believe the car is white.. there were no LT4 auto's ..PERIOD.. If it is and it's auto then it's been done after the factory and hence will be lower priced. It's very easy to paint the intake, add grand sport lettering to the throttle body, just adding and LT4 to a car does not make it the GS package, GS's had bigger brakes, heavier springs, bigger sway bar. The car in question if you run the VIN has the LT1 code in it. Fact is GM never put auto's mated to and LT4 because they could not get the required emmisions to pass and it was not worth it to do for a one year production motor. I find it hard to believe that GM would allow a Engineer to have one built knowing that it does not meet EPA standards and having to deal with fines for a lower end employee and if they did I'm sure it was with the stipulation that the car be returned to GM and not allowed to be out in the public for sale. Be very careful on this car. the story in corvette Fever is bogus to say the least.. Sneak through..come on..

[RAW]

Ok, Now somebody tell me?

The VIN # is: 1G1YY22P2S5106613

Now I see the 8th digits is a P, supposed to have a LT1, but it has a LT4.

Now look at the 6th and 7th digit, 2 2, this is Grand Sport Package, and we know all Grand Sports came with a LT4 engine

Now to top it all off, the title and registration say this is a 1996, yet if you look at the 10th Digit, it is a S for 1995, not a T for 1996.

All the rpo codes say this Z16, Grand Sport Options. It has them all, Grand Sport lettering on the Seat head Rest, the LT4 Engine?, Paint Numbers 05U/D82, which are grand sport paint codes, with D82 meaning Special Paint Option, 5 spoke rims, ect...

So what do I have here, Help....

[twiget]

Well, I can tell you that your VIN is not a Grand Sport VIN. GS's had a special series of VIN's simmilar to the ZR-1's. And as the VIN indicates, the car should be an LT1. The 6th and 7th digits just indicate the body style. 22 is a coupe, and I believe 33 would be a convertible.

As for the paint codes, 05U is: Primary Color, Exterior, Dark Purple. Though D82 is indeed the Grand Sport paint.

I've got a fairly complete listing of all the option codes for the '96's. They can be found on my GS RPO list.

The more info we get, the more confusing this becomes.

Jason

[twiget]

In an effort to consolidate the two threads about this subject, I merged them into one thread. Hopefully it will make solving this mystery that much easier.

Hey maybe we should call Scooby and the Gang?

Jason
;stupid

[RAW]

I think so also.

But isn't 22 on the 6th and 7th digit only for Grand Sport Numbering?

Why is the year 1995, a S instead of T?

[twiget]

Originally posted by BigRed
Cool trivia!

If you got the Stick you got LT4 but did you have to get the whole GS package?

Nope, there where 6000+ LT4's built and only 1000 GS's.

Jason

[RAW]

Somebody explain the numbers.

If the vin says its a 95, how can it have a grand sport package in it.

Correct on the numbers of GS and LT4's, Thank You

I just want to know what I have bought.

Can you buy a 1996 2 DR Coupe and add the Grand Sport Package.

[Rob]

From:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/1996/96model.html

Grand Sport (Z16)
A new "Grand Sport" model reminds Corvette afficionados of the legendary lightweight Corvette road racers of the '60s and delivers the advanced technology of the '90s. With a limited production run, all Corvette Grand Sport models include the following:

Standard 330-horsepower LT4 engine and 6-speedmanual transmission (automatic not available)
Available on Coupe or Convertible (Convertible with white top only)
Exclusive Admiral Blue Metallic paint with center white stripe and red "hash marks" on left front fender
Chromed "Corvette" emblems on hood and fuel-filler door
"Grand Sport" emblems on the front fenders
Rear-wheel flares
Black brake calipers with raised bright aluminum "Corvette" lettering
Black five-spoke 17"-diameter Aluminum wheels
Coupe and Convertible: P255/45ZR-17 (front) and P285/40ZR-17 (rear) tires
Perforated Sport seats with "Grand Sport" embroidery
Red/black or Black interior colors
Unique serial numbers.

Regarding the VIN:

S=1995
T=1996

Is it possible to turn a 1995 or 1996 Corvette into a "Grand Sport"? Yes....it is. However, the 8th digit of the VIN on a factory production, 1996 Grand Sport is 5 indicating it has the LT4 engine. That's why the Grand Sport VIN is unique to the Grand Sport only.

[RAW]

Thank You, I think

So you can have a standard 2 dr coupe, put all the Grand Sport options on it, make it look like a Grand Sport with a different color paint job, but it isn't a Grand Sport because it dosns't have a LT4 manual transmission and a 5 in the Vin Number. Then buy it off the lot, but isn't it coming from the factory with all these options on it.

Why would someone go thru all this hassle buying a new car when he could just buy a GS.

Thats is all I really wanted to know here.

I guess someone put a LT4 engine in it after the fact, just to really make it a Grand Sport, but it isn't becasue of the VIN.

Just trying to make sense of this car. It's a very nice vette>

[Rob]

You can have the 6 speed manual mated to an LT4 engine added, yes....the main point here is this: If the the VIN has any other letter in it other than T for 1996 and 5 for the LT4 engine....it is not a true 1996 Grand Sport Corvette built from the factory.

As far as I'm concerned, you can take any Corvette and turn it into a Grand Sport Corvette, but if it doesn't have the Grand Sport's unique VIN, to me, it is not a Grand Sport.

Same goes for a ZR-1. The VIN for a ZR-1 is unique. You can go out and buy an LT5 engine and all the body panels....and the special instrument cluster with unique ZR-1 tachometer....and the trim panel for the Valet key, etc., but if that body doesn't have a ZR-1 VIN number attached to it....in my eyes, it's a fake, regardless of how close it comes to being a factory ZR-1.

Regardless of what I may think, it's still a Corvette and it's your Corvette. It's special to you which is what is important here. If you have a 1995 Corvette with the LT4 engine and transmission and you enjoy it, and love to drive it, then that's all that matters. If you place high value on originality etc., then you're better off finding a true 1996 Grand Sport. That's just my opinion.

[RAW]

All I am trying to find out is what did I buy. If you go to the 82 -96 forum I listed the VIN ad RPO codes that came with this car. Right from the factory.

Now you tell me that the factory put all the GS options on this car. To make a fake. It was purchased this way.

I understand what you are saying about the VIN, but it came from the factory. Nobody went out and bought parts for it.

Please go to the other forum and check out the numbers and tell me what you think. This is all off the car.

[twiget]

I have to agree with Rob on this one RAW. If the car does not have the Grand Sport VIN then its not a Grand Sport. But how this car was built I have no idea. Many of it's option codes indicate it is a Grand Sport, but then just as many indicate it can not be a Grand Sport. Heck even the VIN says it's not a GS.

I hope you can find some info as to how this all happend because you've really got my curiosity piqued.

Jason

[RAW]

Twidget

Go to 82-96 forum and read whats going on.

You think your curiosity is piqued. I don't know what to do..

Read the Help topic under RAW

This is more than interesting.