What Mike and Tom said is "spot on".
C1 Handling
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 27
From: Monroe Twp, NJ
C1 Handling
Been reading old Corvette Brochures from latest poster on the forum. Most brochures all talk about Corvettes precise handling and cornering. Yet when I hear C1 owners talk about their C1 most talk about its slow steering and poor cornering, one owner compared it to a Buckboard wagon. Was Chevrolet just spewing a lot of sales talk or was the C1 a comparable handling car for its time able to compete with other sports cars from England and Germany?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,987
Likes: 269
From: Greenwood In.
You have to remember that C1 are 40 to 50 + years old and back then, in the 50's and early 60's they were about top of the line for steering and cornoring compared to the family car. Compared to todays cars and todays Corvettes they are like old covered wagons but I would rather have a C1 or C2 then the New Corvettes. My $0.05 worth.
Last edited by Mike Terry; Nov 27, 2009 at 08:40 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 14,634
Likes: 4,684
From: Mustang OK
2026 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2025 c1 of the Year - Modified Winner
2024 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2023 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2015 C1 of the Year Finalist
You have to remember that C1 are 40 to 50 + years old and back then, in the 50's and early 60's they were about top of the line for steering and cornoring compared to the family car. Compared to todays cars and todays Corvettes they are like old covered wagons but I would rather have a C1 or C2 then the New Corvettes. My $0.05 worth.
Terry pretty well covered it in a nut shell.
There are several things which can be done to the 53-62 models to IMPROVE their steering, handling, performance, braking if you choose to do so-------------------but it's still going to be an old car-------------------and still fun to drive.
Tom Parsons
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Ipswich MA
My 60 vette loved to drive on straight roads...it hated to turn corners
until I installed radial tires...best improvement for handling that I found.
I also add a bit more air pressure, 35 psi in the front tires to ease
parking.
John
until I installed radial tires...best improvement for handling that I found.
I also add a bit more air pressure, 35 psi in the front tires to ease
parking.
John
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 11
From: Tampa, FL & Harleysville, PA
In June sold my 89, September sold my 06, now I have more room in my garage for my 61 and his & her Harley Davidsons. But next year we are considering going back again to 67 or I have my eye on a possible 69. The 06 was a quick thrill, but the nostalgic C1's & C2's and possibly C3 are definitely the attention grabber, to each his own!
rustylugnuts
rustylugnuts
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Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,056
Likes: 79
From: central FL, near the beach.
mine handles great!
I pick the venue. My 61 will win against any new sports car.
When i got it in '75, the speedo & tach were broke.
My intent was to do the speed limit, 50-55.
Top down.
Well i'm driving around thinking, WHY IS EVERYONE GOING SO SLOW?
Where i lived, the roads were tared and stoned farmland. Any car would bottom out at 50. HARD
Well, to my surprise, once i got the speedo working, it was going 80-90 and NOT bottoming out. So what newer sportscar can handle that?
and make a u-turn and drive right over a center divider and not bend a rim?
U guys are driving on smooth roads
That's not what a c1 was designed for.
When i got it in '75, the speedo & tach were broke.
My intent was to do the speed limit, 50-55.
Top down.
Well i'm driving around thinking, WHY IS EVERYONE GOING SO SLOW?
Where i lived, the roads were tared and stoned farmland. Any car would bottom out at 50. HARD
Well, to my surprise, once i got the speedo working, it was going 80-90 and NOT bottoming out. So what newer sportscar can handle that?
and make a u-turn and drive right over a center divider and not bend a rim?
U guys are driving on smooth roads
That's not what a c1 was designed for.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 11
From: Tampa, FL & Harleysville, PA
Let's face it! If you want old school nostalgics C1 is it! If you want handling and performance go with the latest production Corvettes, anything in between is just foreplay....
rustylugnuts
rustylugnuts
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,056
Likes: 79
From: central FL, near the beach.
police tried to catch it!
After i had the speedo fixed, i went the speed limit, pretty boring.
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn into someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
.
so u guys dont know what the roads were like in the 50's & 60's and what "good handling" meant back then.
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn into someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
.
so u guys dont know what the roads were like in the 50's & 60's and what "good handling" meant back then.
Last edited by Matt Gruber; Nov 27, 2009 at 04:12 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
Likes: 208
After i had the speedo fixed, i went the speed limit, pretty boring.
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn around in someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn around in someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 92
From: Rochester Hills Michigan
From a Road and Track (not pro-Detroit!) test of a '61:
" We were greatly impressed by the combination of a very good ride coupled with little roll on corners. Most cars with riding qualities approaching that of the Corvette can't match its sticking ability on curves. And those that match or beat its handling usually ride like the proverbial truck."
Edit: Modern comparison: for a given corner at a given speed, the '61 rolls 3.8 times as much as a '92 with the performance suspension.
" We were greatly impressed by the combination of a very good ride coupled with little roll on corners. Most cars with riding qualities approaching that of the Corvette can't match its sticking ability on curves. And those that match or beat its handling usually ride like the proverbial truck."
Edit: Modern comparison: for a given corner at a given speed, the '61 rolls 3.8 times as much as a '92 with the performance suspension.
Last edited by mashinter; Nov 28, 2009 at 08:04 AM. Reason: update
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,610
Likes: 11
From: Tampa, FL & Harleysville, PA
After i had the speedo fixed, i went the speed limit, pretty boring.
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn around in someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
So, one day i go over to Washington Crossing Park in PA.
I find this road called, i think, Lurgin Road. Speed limit 50. So at 50 i'm airborne again and again, numerous times. It was like a roller coaster, except potholes to avoid between the launches. I could not believe how much fun it was and legal too!
So i turn around in someones driveway, and wait a long time for a car to come by so i could turn around and do it again.
So it's a cop car. At first i wasn't worried as he couldn't possibly be after me.
So he blocks the drive with his car. Gets out, walks over, says "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CATCH YOU"
i said, i didn't see any lights or hear any sirin.
He: "I COULDNT CATCH YOU" "so I DIDNT PUT THEM ON"
me: i would of pulled over if i knew.
He: WHY WERE YOU SWERVING?
me: huge potholes to steer around.
He: where are u headed?
me: back up that road again
He. NO YOU ARE NOT. FOLLOW ME OUT OF TOWN AND NEVER COME BACK
rustylugnuts
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,056
Likes: 79
From: central FL, near the beach.
Not River road. The name had "lurch" in it, appropriately named. But it was somewhere around there. I did go back, years later in a different car. Speed limit down to 40 
But it was still fast enough to get air under the front tires, but not the whole car.
That whole area was real nice for a Sunday drive.
Nothing like that around here in FLa. That's one reason why i don't drive much here. What is the point? Also at 57, my back now has a speed bump warning
.
So guys, if you buy a horse, don't complain it won't keep up with traffic on I95. Take it on a narrow mountain pass where no car can fit. Feed it some oats. Don't put on a hardtop, add AC, and then complain of a foul smell when he passes gas.
But it was still fast enough to get air under the front tires, but not the whole car.
That whole area was real nice for a Sunday drive.
Nothing like that around here in FLa. That's one reason why i don't drive much here. What is the point? Also at 57, my back now has a speed bump warning
.
So guys, if you buy a horse, don't complain it won't keep up with traffic on I95. Take it on a narrow mountain pass where no car can fit. Feed it some oats. Don't put on a hardtop, add AC, and then complain of a foul smell when he passes gas.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 17,901
Likes: 751
From: Inverness FL
St. Jude Donor '07
Not River road. The name had "lurch" in it, appropriately named. But it was somewhere around there. I did go back, years later in a different car. Speed limit down to 40
But it was still fast enough to get air under the front tires, but not the whole car.
That whole area was real nice for a Sunday drive.
Nothing like that around here in FLa. That's one reason why i don't drive much here. What is the point? Also at 57, my back now has a speed bump warning
.
So guys, if you buy a horse, don't complain it won't keep up with traffic on I95. Take it on a narrow mountain pass where no car can fit. Feed it some oats. Don't put on a hardtop, add AC, and then complain of a foul smell when he passes gas.
But it was still fast enough to get air under the front tires, but not the whole car.
That whole area was real nice for a Sunday drive.
Nothing like that around here in FLa. That's one reason why i don't drive much here. What is the point? Also at 57, my back now has a speed bump warning
.
So guys, if you buy a horse, don't complain it won't keep up with traffic on I95. Take it on a narrow mountain pass where no car can fit. Feed it some oats. Don't put on a hardtop, add AC, and then complain of a foul smell when he passes gas.
this is just about your speed...
Bill
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
I spent a couple of hours driving "Tom Silver 60's" Z06 this weekend and of course you can't compare that silky ride and wonderful engine and 6-speed to a C1. That car is 'too easy' to drive....if there weren't Florida Highway Patrol every 5 miles I would have gotten into real trouble.
However I think the C1 ride quality is probably given short shrift many times (probably by owners) as some want to promote how rugged they are to man handle these old cars around.
The C1 ride characteristics have been described as driving a "fast tractor".
But I find mine as easy to drive as my '66 Mustang convertible with power everything and my 115lb daughter has driven the stock '61 with no problems. If you are tooling around town in traffic or even on the turnpike its really quite bearable. If you are driving 'on the edge' of course its a different matter.
More annoying to me are the creaks, squeaks and groans of the 50 year old chassis in bumpy conditions. But then I'm never sure if those noises are coming from the car ... or me.
However I think the C1 ride quality is probably given short shrift many times (probably by owners) as some want to promote how rugged they are to man handle these old cars around.
The C1 ride characteristics have been described as driving a "fast tractor".
But I find mine as easy to drive as my '66 Mustang convertible with power everything and my 115lb daughter has driven the stock '61 with no problems. If you are tooling around town in traffic or even on the turnpike its really quite bearable. If you are driving 'on the edge' of course its a different matter.
More annoying to me are the creaks, squeaks and groans of the 50 year old chassis in bumpy conditions. But then I'm never sure if those noises are coming from the car ... or me.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Nov 28, 2009 at 08:14 AM.