Parting out 1996 Vette

Big update for the C10 build — we picked up a 1996 manual Corvette that’s going to become the donor for a huge part of this project.

The biggest reason we bought this Corvette is the drivetrain. Since it’s a factory manual ’96, it has the 5.7L LT4 V8 paired with a ZF 6-speed manual transmission. The LT4 is a 350 cubic-inch small-block with an iron block, aluminum heads, 10.8:1 compression, sequential fuel injection, and a factory rating of 330 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque.

Instead of going with a newer LS setup, I think using the LT4 makes this build a lot more interesting. It keeps that old-school small-block Chevy feel while still giving the C10 a fuel-injected performance engine. The goal is to get the LT4 running in the truck and keep as much of the Corvette setup together as we can.

Behind it will be the Corvette’s ZF 6-speed manual, which is one of the parts I’m most excited about. Fourth gear is 1:1, while fifth and sixth are overdrive gears, so the truck should still be fun going through the gears but also be able to cruise comfortably on the highway. More importantly, I wanted this C10 to stay manual.

We’re also planning on using the Corvette suspension and brakes, so this isn’t just an engine swap. The idea is to take as much of the performance from the C4 Corvette as possible and work it into the C10. The Corvette came with independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, which should completely change how the truck drives, stops, and handles compared to the original setup.

There’s going to be a lot of fabrication, figuring things out, and probably changing plans along the way, but that’s part of the build.

For now, we’re starting by tearing down the Corvette, saving everything we can use, and getting ready to bring the LT4, 6-speed, suspension, and brakes over to the C10.

This is only the beginning. Stay tuned as we start taking the Corvette apart and turning these two vehicles into one C10 build.