My first real car was our 1986 Chevrolet Corvette. Now, previously I’d driven a 85 GMC Jimmy and a 97 Chevy Blazer, but those weren’t mine. I thoroughly enjoyed driving the ’86, and am glad that it’s still in the family. However, it’s currently my sister’s car, and she has utterly trashed the thing (crashed it, ruined a full paint job, nearly destroyed the motor a few times, trashed the interior). I already know that when she’s “done” with it, my dad will be taking it back and likely driving it some, and eventually it’ll end up back in my hands when he’s done with it.

Some web browsing over the past few days as I’ve been replacing the heater core in the ’86 revealed to me an interesting fact – it’s not uncommon, or difficult for that matter, to swap in an LS1 (or better) Corvette motor in to the C4. For those of you not familiar with Corvette motors, “LS1” is the aluminum engine that sits under the hood of my 2001 Corvette, and it’s a family of motors that’s continued into the C6 generation as well. To say that this prospect excites me is an understatement. I’ve always considered the 86’s engine and transmission to be a blast to drive, but quite lacking in overall power and rev range. The LS1 solves these issues right out of the box without any changes needed. So… now I just have to wait for that fateful day to come, and cross my fingers that my sister doesn’t completely destroy the car before then.