This might be a dumb question
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 681
Likes: 31
From: Nebraska
This might be a dumb question
Hello. I am taking my 79 to Kansas City next week on a business trip. The car with it's 3.55 rear will be spinning a lot of RPM's for 3-4 hours during the trip. Mechanically the car is just fine, but the high revs for an extended period of time makes me wonder if it's a good idea. I think everything will go just fine, but I'm wondering if high revs for such an extended period of time might be damaging in some way, it does run about 8 degrees warmer on the interstate.
GM built the car that way so it must be ok...right?
79 L48 54,000 miles, auto trans.
If I'm lucky, it will be warm enough to come home with the tops off
GM built the car that way so it must be ok...right?
79 L48 54,000 miles, auto trans.
If I'm lucky, it will be warm enough to come home with the tops off
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,950
Likes: 498
From: Chino Hills CA
Hello. I am taking my 79 to Kansas City next week on a business trip. The car with it's 3.55 rear will be spinning a lot of RPM's for 3-4 hours during the trip. Mechanically the car is just fine, but the high revs for an extended period of time makes me wonder if it's a good idea. I think everything will go just fine, but I'm wondering if high revs for such an extended period of time might be damaging in some way, it does run about 8 degrees warmer on the interstate.
GM built the car that way so it must be ok...right?
79 L48 54,000 miles, auto trans.
If I'm lucky, it will be warm enough to come home with the tops off
GM built the car that way so it must be ok...right?
79 L48 54,000 miles, auto trans.
If I'm lucky, it will be warm enough to come home with the tops off
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,594
Likes: 7,042
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
If putting taller rear tires on the car to drop the rpm by a couple hundred isn't an option........Take it easy on the car and yourself........Relax/listen to some good music and drive 60 mph.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
My 69 with mild 454 and th400 will be a daily driver, lots of cats here say it can't be 
but I will do it anyway 
In 79 lots of people took their then new Corvettes on all kinds of trips and since the rpm the engine ran was the way things were no one cared, my 81 had 100K miles on it by 88 and it was about 1/2 city to highway it didn't hurt the car.....if your car is in good shape it will do as well as it would have in the 80's when it was new....your fears are based in comparing the c3 to modern cars almost apples to oranges....
but I will do it anyway In 79 lots of people took their then new Corvettes on all kinds of trips and since the rpm the engine ran was the way things were no one cared, my 81 had 100K miles on it by 88 and it was about 1/2 city to highway it didn't hurt the car.....if your car is in good shape it will do as well as it would have in the 80's when it was new....your fears are based in comparing the c3 to modern cars almost apples to oranges....
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1969/1971/2021 Coupes
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Port Huron MI
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Keep in mind that the speed limits back then were 55 which provided for cruising at a lower RPM and thus the selection of the gear ratios. Should be ok as long as you keep it to a respectable (did I say that) speed. 
Terry
Terry
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 15,143
Likes: 477
From: NM
Engine should be okay but make sure all sub-systems are up to par. Drove my 73 L82 with 3:55s from central Texas to Bloomington Gold (14 hrs) and engine did okay but had to replace an alternator that went out about a quarter way into the trip.
Tom...
Tom...
Last edited by Tom73; Oct 30, 2015 at 10:35 AM.
