Drivetrain durability
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Drivetrain durability
How is the durability of the 327 and remainder of the C2 standard drivetrain? Are there undo-able things I can change to strengthen it? I've begun to search for a 63 SWC and am trying to decide if I want to go the numbers matching route. I would like to occasionally gently auto-x the car but don't want to shell the motor or something irreplaceable when I screw up. Thanks in advance for the insight.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,969
Likes: 532
From: Witness Protection Program Somewhere, USA
2026 Restomod of the Year Finalist
If the car is solid to begin with, the car is reliable and impressive. Probably the weak link are the half shafts but if they've been relaced or serviced regularly, should stand up to pretty much what you can throw at it.
Now if you start to heavily mod it with engine upgrades, sticky tires, etc. all bets are off.
Now if you start to heavily mod it with engine upgrades, sticky tires, etc. all bets are off.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,467
Likes: 8,943
From: northern california
C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
The rods used in '63-vintage 327s are, by reputation, not as durable as later small journal rods. In light of this and when you consider the fatigue life of highly stressed engine components, you might want to freshen the engine with a set of new rods.
Jim
Jim
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
durability of 63 swc (subjective)
As the original owner of a 63 swc with 90,000 original miles along with a 340 hp 4.11 rear I have to disagree with Jims statement regarding engine durability (lack of same). After many miles at 80 mph and reasonable care, engine is all original, uses no oil (small pan gasket leak original 48 years) Full power standard points. Never stranded on highway or street. One flat tire. Regards,Abe G
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 34
From: Ontario
Rear axle bearings
Probably the weak link are the half shafts but if they've been relaced or serviced regularly, should stand up to pretty much what you can throw at it.
Don't forget the often overlooked rear stub axle bearings .
Don't forget the often overlooked rear stub axle bearings .
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 19,777
Likes: 4,592
From: Canada's capital
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I sure wouldn't want to take a numbers matching SWC autocrossing. You have to decide what you want to do for fun with the car. Cruising, it will give you years of fun. Racing an almost 50 year old car with bias tires and drum brakes, you're asking for trouble and $$$ repairs. 
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 15,353
Likes: 2,726
From: Close to DC
C2 of the Year Finalist - Modified 2020
Welcome to the CF. A '63 SWC is a special car. If it's complete, unmodified and correct, I wouldn't abuse it! If you find a car, '63 or other and it does not have it orig drive train, I think you can play with it by autocrossing, but expect things to go south now and then. If a non-original motor is in the car and you don't know the history on it, it would be nothing more than rolling dice when autocrossing
Dennis
Dennis
Last edited by Bluestripe67; Mar 9, 2011 at 01:58 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 789
Likes: 10
From: Las Vegas NV
I didn't know you could "gently" autocross a car.... 
Anyway, regardless of year, make and model of car, if you are going to take a car to it's limits, (which is usually the case when you are racing against a clock), breakage sometimes occurs. That's why they call them "limits". Nothing to fear, just part of the deal. There is nothing on a mid-year that is particularly prone to breakage when maintained in a reasonable manner. However, if you start "abusing" parts, you can expect more than occasional failures. Please note that I am not in any way implying that driving these cars hard is in any way "abuse". These were and are still, "performance" cars, and are capable of and meant to be driven in a "performance" manner IMHO. However, particularly when you begin modifying the car, you will expose the next weakest link after upgrading a part or system with a high(er) performance replacement. It's all about realistic expectations, making good decisions and understanding that unless you are going all out, there will be some compromises. Just drive to your personal limits or that of the car and enjoy it for what it is...
Anyway, regardless of year, make and model of car, if you are going to take a car to it's limits, (which is usually the case when you are racing against a clock), breakage sometimes occurs. That's why they call them "limits". Nothing to fear, just part of the deal. There is nothing on a mid-year that is particularly prone to breakage when maintained in a reasonable manner. However, if you start "abusing" parts, you can expect more than occasional failures. Please note that I am not in any way implying that driving these cars hard is in any way "abuse". These were and are still, "performance" cars, and are capable of and meant to be driven in a "performance" manner IMHO. However, particularly when you begin modifying the car, you will expose the next weakest link after upgrading a part or system with a high(er) performance replacement. It's all about realistic expectations, making good decisions and understanding that unless you are going all out, there will be some compromises. Just drive to your personal limits or that of the car and enjoy it for what it is...
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,467
Likes: 8,943
From: northern california
C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
As the original owner of a 63 swc with 90,000 original miles along with a 340 hp 4.11 rear I have to disagree with Jims statement regarding engine durability (lack of same). After many miles at 80 mph and reasonable care, engine is all original, uses no oil (small pan gasket leak original 48 years) Full power standard points. Never stranded on highway or street. One flat tire. Regards,Abe G
If the early 327 rods were fine as-is, the design would not have been revised:
If I was planning to do any competition driving, and particularly if the engine in my car was original to the car, I'd beef up the rods, at a minimum.
But that's just me. I tend to believe that you can't win if you don't finish.
Jim
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Those early 327 rods were the same as what they used for 283. Maybe not much wrong with that when they were new and not abused. I only knew of a couple 327's that scattered because of rod failure but both of them were in drag engines run around 8000 rpm. But that was before millions of cycles on them.
If I was building another 327, I'd use the '66 rods just for a little safety margin. Those rods are in short supply as some major engine rebuilders use the late rods in bread/butter engines.
If I was building another 327, I'd use the '66 rods just for a little safety margin. Those rods are in short supply as some major engine rebuilders use the late rods in bread/butter engines.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 26,118
Likes: 1,874
From: Greenville, Indiana
Some people can ****** and grab and tear up more in five minutes than somebody that is smooth and never tears up anything. Same car, different results.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
I autocrossed a nice (REALLY, nice) '66 Mustang Fastback with a Shelby-ized suspension in the '90s. Once you are out there running through the cones (or whatever) and your blood is up "gentle" goes out the window. I broke an upper control arm bolt clean off on one run and and broke off a sway bar link on another. Other contestants thought I was crazy running with such a sweet ride - looking back - they were right! As far as durability - the early small block Chevy's are pretty darn phenomenal. I had the throttle linkage stick in the ignition shielding a month after I got my '61 and it buried the tach (redlined at 6,200RPM)...still driving that 283 4 years later.
