I have noticed that a fair share of corvette owners here roadrace their cars and I was wondering if any of you have any knowledge of the effectiveness of titanium rotors, like Red Devil sells. I know that they cost $4000 for a set and they remove about 33 pounds. So far I have heard bits and pieces of contradictory information and I was wondering if anyone here knows the real deal.

 

if you have that kind of money to **** away, i would think you would start with a more capable car to begin with.

 

I would think that if you find your car incapable, you would sell it.

Don't believe the hype. The day one of those small block new models beats my monster is the day I buy one. Modernize a C3 and it is very capable. I also believe that whoever designs corvettes nowadays should be publicly assassinated. It is quite disturbing that Chevrolet finally unveils a real vette in the new Z06, only to be clad in the repugnant body style that most self respecting men abhor. I have never seen any other car with a butt ugly back like that. The profile of a new vette is disgustingly poor. I don't accept females with ugly butts. Why should I accept a car with one?

 

umm...ok
why whould you spend 4000 to save 33 pounds. why not get a aluminum block or get a new frame or upgarde to 6 piston calipers that whould be a lot smarter.

 

I just recently modified the LS6 motor, so I am not about to yank it and build a new aluminum block version. How much do you think an aluminum block costs nowadays + the labor to build the engine? Also, weight in an engine is not the same as unsprung weight rotating on the wheels. If there is little or no advantage besides weight, it obviously would not make sense. However, Red Devil claimed stopping distances of extremely low levels on a C5 vette. Besides, aren't we all interested in these type of mechanical issues?
Is there anything in your house that you spent more than you should have on? Lets put it in perspective. Do you want a Ferrari to beat your car? I don't. Do you want a Viper to beat your car? Not me. How about one of those pencil necked geeks in a shiny Porsche? Hell no, he's not going to beat me. Will he beat you?

 

Yes, he probably will beat me. She may not be the fastest or the prettiest, but she's mine.

For $4000 a set, I'd imagine you could do a whole lot of other stuff to improve your braking/handling to the same level. I'm not sure what F1 or other professional racers use, but I'd think if it worked well and was of reasonable (relative) cost, they'd use it.

 

If you are driving a C3, the Ferrari, Viper and many Porsche owners will indeed beat you on a track. Most won't even be obnoxious about it. Will you?

 

I have heavily modified the motor, which was an LS6 crate motor to begin with. It is now pushing about 650 hp without any nitrous or other detrimental contraptions. The suspension is fully modified as well, from Herb Adams sway bars, steeroids rack 'n pinion, to poly this and that, etc. etc. The only thing left to bring into automotive current standards are the brakes. While $4000 is a lot of money for rotors, it is not even a down payment for a new vette. If you put down 15k on a new vette, what will your payments be every month? In my opinion, in the grand scheme of things, $4000 is not that much money. These C3 vettes are a financial black hole, lets face it. Why stop now (no pun intended)?

A 30 year old car beating them would be obnoxious enough and certainly much more likely than you think, in my opinion. Sure they must be modified. I am not denying that. However, a 454 built to the hilt will blow the doors off of a Viper or Porsche. Ferrari's are overpriced, over-hyped rubbish. Go look at how one is built and tell me it is a well made car. I like how the new Viper's look but they are not so untouchable. Dodge merely modernized what Chevrolet created many years ago. Fortunately for us, there are many vendors providing things to keep our cars competitive (performance wise) with new cars. They will never be as refined as a new car but they sure can go as fast, if not faster. I even saw a video on this forum of a C3 blowing past 2 C5's on a roadrace course as if their engines blew (72 Ray - username who supplied video). Now how did that happen?

Sure you can read the nonsense in a new magazine when they compare a 1969 vette against a new one. Funny, how they pick a 427 with an automatic trans and a 3.08 rear! Look at those skinny tires!! Come on now. Put some flares on that vette with some modern 315/35/17 BFGoodrich's on the rear. A big block needs headers to begin with. The suspension must be heavily modified to bring them up to date, which is only fair in head to head comparisons. Show me a new vette or Viper that can beat a ZL1 vette or a 427 Cobra (which by the way, was compared not too long ago to a viper and blew it off the track). I drove a C6 vette and I admit it pulled harder than I expected. I liked it quite a bit, if it were not so ugly. However, it was nowhere in the same ballpark as my worked 454 LS6. The new Z06 is going to be a beast that will probably put the new vettes out of reach once and for all. I'm just glad it is Chevy who is doing it this time.

 

way to make new friends

 

you are forging new ground here i can assure you nobody here has titanium rotors.

Buy them and let us know how they work.

Make sure you upgrade the calipers as well.

You can go to the roadracing section. They may have some advice for you there.

 

I saw some very nice C3 road racing vettes on this forum. There was a gray one with black stripes that was particularly nice (69autoXr - member username). It has ZL1 flares and looks all set up for road racing. These hard core guys must know something about the titanium rotors. They are also made for C5 vettes.

 

Are you kidding or what? The C6 is an awesome car, stock or other. I'd give up my C3 any day for one of those...

 

If you have that kind of cash to play with, why not shell out the extra cash for carbon fiber rotors?

 

To be honest, I have not heard much information about carbon fiber rotors. I am not aware that they exist for C3's, if they do.
71SCal, I am not saying that the C6 is not a great car. In fact, when I drove one I was pleasantly surprised by the motor and overall car, although it was a bit larger than I would prefer. My worst criticism is the profile appearance and the humungous, chopped off rear of the car. The profile is hideous, particularly compared to a '69 vette, which is magnificent. I wish Chevrolet would wake up and do what Ford did, and retro style it. I have never seen another car with such an obscene and offensive rear as the C5 and C6 vettes. Vipers look great. There isn't any reason that Chevrolet needs to style the vette like that.

My opinion is not a rarity either. I have read countless complaints in Vette magazines about the same appearance issues of the new vettes. They sharpened up the lines on the C6 to be more like the older vettes but they left that hideous rear and overall sluggishly ugly profile.

 

If you are upgrading brakes for any kind of hard core road racing then heat is the issue, not weight. More mass will dissipate more heat. Ever see the size of Nascar brakes for a short track or a road course?

 

I'm thinking about getting a carbon fiber engine block to go with my carbon fiber rotors.

 

 

Weight is always an issue with a race car. Lowering weight, especially unsprung weight, pays huge dividends in everything that the car does. Take this test; put a 2 pound weight on your bicycle tires, front and rear. Ride the bike. Next, remove the 4 pounds and put it on the frame instead. The weight will not seem very noticeable on the frame but will feel like a ton on the wheels. Removing weight from the car adds up. I have already removed over 200 pounds with a combination of aluminum heads, flywheel, water pump, composite rear spring, steeroids rack, headers, 6 pound starter, etc. If I can remove another 100 or so pounds, all the better. By switching to aluminum calipers and titanium rotors, I can remove another 55 pounds. If the rotor and caliper setup reduces 60-0 stopping distances down to 100 feet or so it will be a huge advantage. Taking weight off the wheels and/or brakes also helps acceleration considerably more than you might think.

 

If you have $4000 to invest in brakes. Go with porsche brakes and 18 inch wheels.

I only claim about high 500 hp out my 427 small block and I do have 315/35/17 rear tires. They are a traction limiting device. I have dunlops p-8000 on 17X11 rims. In 18's you can get 345 width. But I really don't think my traction would improve that much from a stop or slow speed.

 

I'm not saying saving weight is not important, all I'm saying is be carefull and don't ignor the cooling end of the brakes. Saving all the weight in the world is not going to help you if your in the wall. I don't need to take a test, I'm a Mechanical Engineer, I know what your saying. As long as whatever you do will stop you well enough (repeatably) then your good to go!
Good luck with the project.