LT-4PLAY – The Last C-4
Greg Gonzales and his wife Susan qualify as certified Corvette fanatics. They have earned this distinguished title because they have owned ten Corvettes over the years and plan on many more. Greg’s 1996 Corvette Torch Red Coupe has an interesting story behind it. Greg told us while he was driving one day back in 2005 he saw it up on a display ramp at a used car lot in Tucson, AZ. The car was originally purchased for his wife as she needed a daily driver. The problem is that like so many other Corvette owners Greg was bitten by the modification bug. Once bitten, things can get out of hand very quickly.
The first thing that really stood out about the car was the factory original paint job. The paint and exterior were in excellent shape as the car was obviously well taken care of. The real game changer happened when Greg opened up the hood for the first time. The car had a basically stock LT-4 that was hooked up to a T4L60 auto transmission. The stock LT-4 was factory rated at between 300 and 330 hp and you know that Greg was planning for a significant upgrade in the power department.
Greg purchased the car on the spot and spent the next two years transforming it into the beast it is today.
Power upgrades include:
• SLP Chromed Cold Air Induction System
• Intake CO2 Burst System with Halo
• Ported & Polished Heads
• Samco Silicon Hose System (Red)
• Ported Intake Manifold to 58mm
• Granitelli Cold Air Induction MAF
• 58mm Custom Throttle Body (Powder Coated )
• Torch Red Smoothie fuel rail covers
• Polished Alternation w/ Chrome Brackets
• Polished AC Compressor & Condenser
• 3” Custom exhaust system with quad tips
• Edelbrock Performer IAS Shocks
• HD Drilled & Slotted Rotor and Ceramic Pads
• Stereo Pioneer AVIC-F900BT DVD NAV
• 175 Shot Wet Nitrous System Interior and E mods include:
• Custom Two Tone Leather Interior black and torch red leather
• M1 Prowler Front Spoiler
• Lambo Style Door Hinges by Dream Car Customs
• Wheels are Z06 Style Spoke 17” From and 18” Rear
• T304 Polished Stainless Steele Hood Mirror Panels
• 2 X Amplifiers Clarion 250 WATT Per Channel x 5 channels
• Speakers : Polk Audio , Alpine & Kove Audio Rear 8” Sub
Greg enjoy’s working on cars as a hobby and has completed all of the modification himself. A lot of hard work with a little bit of blood and sweat transformed the car into what he has named it, “LT4PLAY”. Greg and his wife Susan enjoy taking the car to shows and just watching the reaction on people’s faces when the look at it. Greg teold us that this in itself makes all the time he has invested worth while.
He loves seeing young kids getting excited when they see the car. The C4 really gives the their young imaginations a kick start and gets them hooked on Corvette’s at an early age. As it turned out Greg’s wife never really took sole possession of her daily driver. She did however wind up with a very nice Electron Blue 2002 C5 Coupe. That is until Greg gets bitten by the C5 mod bug.
The Vette Nuts