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Hey all, just wondering at what speed do you drive on the high way at? 454 4speed. This is my first classic car and the 4 speed seems to make the car rev kind of high on the high way. Really felt like shifting in to 5th at around 80mph. So if you are taking a nice drive on the free way where do you keep it at?
Hey all, just wondering at what speed do you drive on the high way at? 454 4speed. This is my first classic car and the 4 speed seems to make the car rev kind of high on the high way. Really felt like shifting in to 5th at around 80mph. So if you are taking a nice drive on the free way where do you keep it at?
If it's stock, or somewhat near it, it doesn't have a 5th gear, and that's why it seems you're going WAY too fast...the engine is winding right up there at 80 MPH.
If it's stock, or somewhat near it, it doesn't have a 5th gear, and that's why it seems you're going WAY too fast...the engine is winding right up there at 80 MPH.
I stay about 70mph. We are metric so 112kph. Police tolerance seems about 120kph (75mph). This on a 100kph (62mph) highway. Revs are about 2,800rpm with a TH400 and 3.36 rear.
Yes 70 or 80 seem to be the sweet spot for the C3. But that's awfully slow for a Vette no? Every one is passing me like I am standing still. Supper nice car, supper big engine just crawling along. It sure pulls hard when you get on it though. Needs a 5th gear bad.
I have a 71 454 4speed with a 3:36 rear. 70 mph and done...could use a couple of more cogs!! Sure I've taken it faster just remember, old car, old technology. It was advanced for its time but ancient for today.
Just yesterday i had the chance to drive 20-miles at 80-mph. Very enjoyable... but... i have low numerical rear end gears and a 200 4R overdrive automatic. A profound difference over the original turbo 350 or 400 3-speed transmission.
My rpm at 80-mph... about 2200.
For nice lazy drives - loafing along at 1800-rpm at 70-mph gets it done.
Carl
Originally Posted by CVO2FIXUP
Hey all, just wondering at what speed do you drive on the high way at? 454 4speed. This is my first classic car and the 4 speed seems to make the car rev kind of high on the high way. Really felt like shifting in to 5th at around 80mph. So if you are taking a nice drive on the free way where do you keep it at?
I agree with dan1495 , my '73 4 speed with 3.70 rear, at 70 mph is fast enough for me. I don't care about keeping up with the rest of the cars on the freeway, I'm enjoying my ride too much. Yesterday I went on a trip through curvy mountain roads and a late model Porsche came up behind from nowhere so first opportunity I pulled over and let him by, didn't hurt my feelings at all.
So what did dudes do in the olden days? Drive 70 all day. What about the Mustangs and Mopars? Are they any faster? Gotta be a claim to fame here some where!
I don't take the car out of town much so it rarely gets over 40 mph. But 65 mph is the speed limit around here, and I don't feel like giving the local authorities any reason to pull over the 'speed demon in the red corvette', so I keep it at legal road speed.
3.08 gears and a THM350 in 3rd turns about 2800 at 65, last time I was out.
Remember this too....back in the 70's the fastest speed limit was 55mph.....on interstates now its at least 55 if not 70mph. So I would guess engineers were selecting ratios back then based on the lower speed limits ?
So what did dudes do in the olden days? Drive 70 all day. What about the Mustangs and Mopars? Are they any faster? Gotta be a claim to fame here some where!
We went whatever speed we were foolish enough to reach......my '69 Camaro convertible had a 120 mph speedometer---so...I'm not sure how fast I was going. There were occasions when I was driving 100mph and an 18 wheeler would pass me with his trailer mud-flaps flying horizontally......."That kind'a eliminates any claim to fame!"
Now that I've gotten all that out of my system, I can have just as much fun by driving the speed limit.
Good post, this was one of the things that surprised me the most when I got my 77. My speedometer doesn't work, but i'm at 3500-4000 RPM's with my 4 speed just to keep up with traffic on the highway. I thought for sure one of the previous owners changed out the gears in the rear end.
The 20 mile highway commute to work is not very fun struggling to keep pace with traffic. Definitely planning to put a 5 speed in it when I get my 383 crate motor...
I could be incorrect, but I think the line of thought in the original post, is "Why does my C-3 seem to be all wound out at 70 MPH", when my DD doesn't. And as we all know, overdrive is the answer. My C-5, with the M6 transmission, is loafing along at 1400 RPM, at 65 MPH, whereas the '77 Pontiac T/A that I used to own, with 3.23:1 gears and 27" OD tires was turning 2400 RPM at the same speed..........yeah, I know the speed limit is 55.
Highway speed.
