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75 L-48 Top speed?

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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 12:42 PM
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Default 75 L-48 Top speed?

So I've had the car for at least a month now and I was doing some thinking on the road. I decided to test just how fast I could get the car to go at WOT..... needless to say I was impressed yet disappointed. I seen some threads where people were saying that at WOT they are up in the 5500 range, I know i was under 110 with the pedal pegged down, and

I was only hitting the 4400 but under 5k range on the tach, is that normal? Whats the top speed of a stock L-48 and what is the tach numbers showing at that speed.

I also think, I could "feel" some I guess chattering is the term coming from the rear (below me) but it could have been road noise, I guess I should check the diff fluid. and the rear end in general


Swift
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 12:58 PM
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75, L-48......63mph tops. Watch out a Smartcar does not run over you...
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 01:38 PM
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my 90 and 01 Accords hit 120 before the governor kicked and prevented them from going higher..... obviously they rev'd higher.... and the worst part is, I've gotten my 98 Golf.... ya a POS GOLF, up to 115ish it was screamin.... I guess I'll live with the under 120 until I get time / money for some mods. I was just curious if any else has had the same experience or any numbers similar.

First things first, fix the brakes, there a pull to the left when braking and I thought maybe some Wilwoods would be a good investment and lighten "Jenny" up a bit.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 01:40 PM
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i have a 73 ls4 and it seems to top out at 115-120ish in the 5k range.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by VettePower
75, L-48......63mph tops. Watch out a Smartcar does not run over you...
Rude!
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 04:29 PM
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Originally Posted by toolman1981
Rude!
it was pretty much uninformative, but I've grown up around sarcastic people and I've noticed that the 75 gets looked down on, and well with L48 people seem to cringe about it.

I for one don't really care what people say or think about my C3, because thats what it is a C3, even if its crippled. At least I don't have to smog it in Cali, because then it really would have been a bad deal. I do however have alot of people complimenting me on the car and just simply the fact that its a C3 corvette.


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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 04:44 PM
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Depends on the numbers on the speed limit sign. If one chooses to ignore the posted limit, the question becomes how much do you want to pay to find the top end?

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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Easy Mike
Depends on the numbers on the speed limit sign. If one chooses to ignore the posted limit, the question becomes how much do you want to pay to find the top end?

LoL, well I already found my top end, with an L48 and 3 speed auto... at least I can say it got there pretty quick so it wasn't all that bad, just disappointing there wasn't any more scrumph left, well at least not any more pedal to push down, I guess i could remove that carpet cover to check if that was stopping it My question was also see if maybe the pedal has been so its at the end of its play.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 04:53 PM
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C & D timed the 75 L-48 at 129 mph.

Cars tested several 73 models
Originally Posted by Cars
Our choice for the all round best performer must go to the base 350 L-48 engine.... quiet, runs cool, idles smoothly & can cruise at 100 all day if you comute in Nevada.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 06:10 PM
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Thanks, that means I'm not too far from that number, but at least I know where the baseline is.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Swift_C3
I was only hitting the 4400 but under 5k range on the tach, is that normal?
The L48 would not have enough power to pull to redline in high gear so some no. like your 4400 would be normal.

Of course the Car & Driver L48 was new & there were optional rear gears.
I checked later to see if was online, but got this 75 comparison which includes 129 mph.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ertrain_page_5
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 07:34 PM
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well I do have some plans for future upgrades and mods, but safety first, which means, brakes -> suspension -> steering -> Trans / driveline -> engine... lots of sweat and blood to be spilled and a bank account to empty.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 08:32 PM
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with 3.55 gears I used to do 67mph at 3000rpm
Thats 22.3mph for every 1000 rpm.

So at 4400 rpm you'd be doing 4.4 X22.3 = 98 mph.

I'm sure the car can rev to 5000rpm or112 mph.

I pulled the TH350 out and put the 700R overdrive tranny in.
Thats 30mph for every 1000 rpm.
And with a little engine tweeking .... 5000 rpm =
..... a $500 ticket.

Luckily I've never gone that fast.
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 10:20 PM
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In '79 I was able to top out my '77 L-48 with automatic at about 125. A friend in Mobile at the time installed 1969 side pipes on his '77 L-48 automatic and went from 125 to 130 top end.

GUSTO
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Old Sep 4, 2009 | 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by GUSTO14
In '79 I was able to top out my '77 L-48 with automatic at about 125. A friend in Mobile at the time installed 1969 side pipes on his '77 L-48 automatic and went from 125 to 130 top end.

GUSTO
My stock '79 L-48 has done 120mph...probably will do 130 but I ran out of room....Maybe it won't do 130....I'll probably never know........Sure !
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Old Sep 5, 2009 | 08:17 PM
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When I had the original engine, I got it up to 135 mph....couldn't go any faster, the front end got real squirlly! The engine was tunring over 5000 rpm.
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