Ever consider this ?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
Ever consider this ?
I love driving my corvette with the top down and I am not concerned with high horsepower anyway so this has been a thought . Since the price of fuel is getting outragious, why not shelf the V8 and put a six or even a four in it during this fuel crisis and wait it out and hope things get better so you can put your original engine back in. That way you can still enjoy riding your vette and save on wear and tear on the original engine. Wa Da Ya Think ? Crazy or smart ?
Former Vendor
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 2
From: walpole ma
Maybe smart to some but crazy to me. My corvette is not my corvette without it's horsepower. I did not build my car with gas mileage in mind.
To me an "economizer" vette is a contradiction of terms at this point and time.
A corvette is a performance car and somewhere along the line it will consume a certain amount of fuel for that performance. I am all for technology that increases MPG as well as preserving performance but totaly against giving up performance to gain MPG.
My car will get about 5 MPG and I will gladly pay it for my 575HP
To me an "economizer" vette is a contradiction of terms at this point and time.
A corvette is a performance car and somewhere along the line it will consume a certain amount of fuel for that performance. I am all for technology that increases MPG as well as preserving performance but totaly against giving up performance to gain MPG.
My car will get about 5 MPG and I will gladly pay it for my 575HP
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 13
From: San Angelo TX
I love driving my corvette with the top down and I am not concerned with high horsepower anyway so this has been a thought . Since the price of fuel is getting outragious, why not shelf the V8 and put a six or even a four in it during this fuel crisis and wait it out and hope things get better so you can put your original engine back in. That way you can still enjoy riding your vette and save on wear and tear on the original engine. Wa Da Ya Think ? Crazy or smart ?
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
I agree that I don't really care about horsepower in mine (I still have the stock L-48 engine in it), but I would not want to have anything less than a 350 under the hood. Almost everything that I own has eight cylinders. I will complain about the price of gas, and keep driving.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,006
Likes: 28
From: Lutz Florida
Interesting concept. Why not pull the body off while you are at it, and drop a convertible VW Beetle body on it. While saving the engine for the future, you could also save the wear and tear on the body and paint too. That would also probably help increase your gas mileage even further. Just a thought 
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Even with the 3.90 rear gears, with EFI and a 6-speed I'm probably getting at least 25mpg on the highway even with the blower and 42lb injectors. I wouldn't doubt if it was more than that given the weight.
I could probably tune it to run low octane and less performance but that would be blasphemy.
The price of gas hurts me bad, like most. But a 4 or 6cyl, no way. My 98 does the 1/4mile in 11 secs with a shot of Nitrous and I drive it every day and get 25mpg+. On the highway it does better than my wifes little Suzuki box.
And if I had a carburated big-block (or small block), I would drive it. Because it's a Corvette and to enjoy the whole experience, for me it would be bite-the-bullett.
I could probably tune it to run low octane and less performance but that would be blasphemy.
The price of gas hurts me bad, like most. But a 4 or 6cyl, no way. My 98 does the 1/4mile in 11 secs with a shot of Nitrous and I drive it every day and get 25mpg+. On the highway it does better than my wifes little Suzuki box.
And if I had a carburated big-block (or small block), I would drive it. Because it's a Corvette and to enjoy the whole experience, for me it would be bite-the-bullett.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,897
Likes: 1,353
From: Santa Ana CA
Price of fuel will NEVER come down to what it was so you will be waiting an eternity. 
Smarter idea is to put an overdrive trannie in it and reap the rewards of increased fuel mileage and possibly, added performance.
Smarter idea is to put an overdrive trannie in it and reap the rewards of increased fuel mileage and possibly, added performance.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
Exactly what i had in mind. It bolts right up with no permanent alterations but i think it is a pride and ego issue that will keep most from doing it , even though if i had a big block hood on mine, you wouldn't know the difference when you admired my car as i drove by. After all in my opinion it is all about styling with these C3's.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,712
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
Jeeze you gas whiners are a bunch of babies... "Oh no, it's a dollar more than last year. Waaaah". Cry me a freakin river.
If you can't afford a vette, then you can't afford a vette. Sell it while gas is still under $5 a gallon, because if it goes above that this summer expect the high C3 prices we've been enjoying for recent years start to slip. When it comes to motor swaps, tranny swaps, and the like, the cost of the motor will likely outweigh the fuel savings anyway. I mean what are you going to pick up, 2 MPG? Five? You would have to drive thousands and thousands of miles to start seeing savings.
Here's a better solution. Take the money you would have spent on the motor and buy oil stocks with it. Then when they skyrocket this summer, like they do EVERY summer, cash out before summer is over and wala, you just made enough money that your gas for the rest of the year is free.
If you can't afford a vette, then you can't afford a vette. Sell it while gas is still under $5 a gallon, because if it goes above that this summer expect the high C3 prices we've been enjoying for recent years start to slip. When it comes to motor swaps, tranny swaps, and the like, the cost of the motor will likely outweigh the fuel savings anyway. I mean what are you going to pick up, 2 MPG? Five? You would have to drive thousands and thousands of miles to start seeing savings.
Here's a better solution. Take the money you would have spent on the motor and buy oil stocks with it. Then when they skyrocket this summer, like they do EVERY summer, cash out before summer is over and wala, you just made enough money that your gas for the rest of the year is free.
Last edited by Ron R; May 18, 2008 at 01:22 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Brandon FL
Exactly what i had in mind. It bolts right up with no permanent alterations but i think it is a pride and ego issue that will keep most from doing it , even though if i had a big block hood on mine, you wouldn't know the difference when you admired my car as i drove by. After all in my opinion it is all about styling with these C3's.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
From: Port Clinton Ohio
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
I only drive mine a couple of thousand miles a year so it would cost more to put in a 4 cyl than to keep driving the V8 and pay for a little more gas.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
