Interesting article...Is that true, that they could be turned up to 600 hp ?????

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/...vrolet/?iid=GM

Kevin

 

With headers a few turns on the carb and in the dizzy game on

 

It's fairly well known and accepted that 430 was a very conservative number. Why else would a car producing 5hp less than the highest factory rated hp cost so much more?

 

430 hp wasn't a "conservative number"; it was total . And, it was intentional B.S. Chevy and the other 'muscle' divisions of GM were under pressure about the horsepower "thing", anyway. They intentionally tried to minimize sales of the L-88 to the general population by making a very expensive L-88 option appear to have less performance than a much less costly performance option.

Since they only sold a relatively small quantity of L-88 cars, I guess that strategy worked. But, the L-88 engine with open headers and modest 'tweaking' could easily generate well over 500 hp (maybe around 600). Heck, the car coming off the line actually produced about 465 hp.

 

the ratings were all about were they read the RPM.

 

This sounds like a story, but it's true. In 1967 my Dad was 24 years old. He set out to buy the fastest car on the road at the time. He had it narrowed down to a '67 Shelby GT 500 KR, or the L-88 Corvette. The Corvette was advertised to be a couple tenths of second faster through the quarter, so that's what he bought.

I think he told me someone owned it for 3 months before he bought it. He sold it three months after that. In the 3 months he owned it, he put 4 sets of plugs in it, wore out one brand new set of four tires, (you stopped just as hard as you took off is how he put it) and a set of brakes. Make no mistake. He DROVE the car!

Stats he gave me were first hand experience on a relatively new car. 0-60 in four seconds flat in first gear. Mid 11's in the quarter with the back tires on fire most of the way down the track. dyno'ed at 500 H.P. off the back wheels.

When asked why he didn't run stickier tires in the back he told me he asked the dealership about that. They said it would instantly void the warranty. In the salesman's own words, "We're not going to be responsible for the clutch disc sawing off your leg on the way through the roof."

It was supposed to be the only Corvette that could pin the 160 MPH speedometer. He said he was going about 155 mph with a few hundred rpm to go until redline. He had had enough by that point and backed out of it. He told me in third gear at 130 mph, you could chirp fourth gear.

It was a violent machine that had no business being on the street. I wish I could've gone for a ride in it!

 

 

The L-88 was a race setup & Corvette underrated HP, rpm & restricted options so the clueless who might just check the highest hp rating would not buy it. It was expected that the exhaust would be replaced immediately w/ headers. L-88 engine about 560 HP on dyno w/ headers.

 

To discourage use on the street, the L-88 was deliberately listed as less horsepower than the L-71 both years it was available. Duntov and GM reasoned anyone not in the know about the L-88 would see the advertised hp figures and the option cost and go straight for the L-71.



Someone can fill in the particualrs. One of TV hot rod shows took a 60s era hemi, L-88, big block Ford, and (if I recall correctly) the big Pontiac, blueprinted them to factory specs, stock, and ran them all on a dyno. Hemi and L-88 were 1-2. I seem to recall each was a shade over 600hp.

 

very violent and if you ever get the chance, take a ride ,the L88 is like no other.

 

The other issue w/ slicks on the L-88 is the rear holding up.
I was running a bored 427 BB 2 4s, 10 sec. street legal race car w/ slicks before the Vette. That would take any car on the street.