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Ok maybe its a stupid question but I am trying to decide what to order here.
I bought my dream car: 1968 coupe, 454, M-20 4-speed in quite good shape with NOT the original engine. The engine was way under powered and when we pulled it apart it was very VERY worn.
What I am doing to it:
- Wilwood Brakes
- Sharkbite Coil over suspension
- New steering, bushings, brake booster/MC, brake & fuel lines, radiator, and all the components around.
- M-20 will be gone through to make sure its solid (feels great now)
- Staying with my 3.55 rear end.
- Interior back to stock
I am trying to decide if 600hp is too much for a C3 with the specs listed above. I will not be racing it. This is just to build the car I've always wanted. I do want it to be EXTREMELY fast, but I am concerned that the bigger HP might be unusable.
I would love to hear from your experience.
Thanks everyone!!!! Here is a picture just before I started the winter tear down.
Scott.
Last edited by scottjamison; 12-18-2017 at 11:16 PM.
Honestly! How is your car control ability? Eye sight? Faster cars means things happen a whole lot faster! Proof are top race drivers, who can get accustomed very quickly to a higher operating level with concentration, focus, evaluation, etc. But it is all about how the pedal is manipulated! The drivability of the car is a big factor! Some 600 hp cars are very tame at lower street speeds, and some are bastards!
Honestly! How is your car control ability? Eye sight? Faster cars means things happen a whole lot faster! Proof are top race drivers, who can get accustomed very quickly to a higher operating level with concentration, focus, evaluation, etc. But it is all about how the pedal is manipulated! The drivability of the car is a big factor! Some 600 hp cars are very tame at lower street speeds, and some are bastards!
Good points.
Well, I used to race 750 class superbike for Suzuki, but that was a while ago. I have always enjoyed a car I can kick the back end out around a corner and control the slide. So I am not worried about trying to control it.
I guess I am looking to find out if I am making a huge mistake with 600hp or if it truly is in the foot of the beholder. In which case I'm golden.
Having just gone through a frame off on a 76,000 mile, rust free chassis that measured very straight, I would not trust any stock C3 chassis without tearing it down, cleaning/blasting, and checking the frame and all it's welds for cracks. I found over 20 cracks in my frame, all in the suspension areas in the crappy factory welds.
600 horsepower will find the weak links in your drivetrain and probably your cooling system. It's easy to spend thousands of dollars to make it all stand up to the abuse of 600 hp with a manual trans.
I say go for it if you have a racing background, just know it's not going to be cheap!
Too much horsepower?
Not a stupid question at all, I faced the question myself.
After I blew the old non-stock engine in my '81 on the track I had to think about what to replace it with. I decided to go with what I had, a relatively sedate but peppy 300ish hp GM crate stroker that delivered 200hp at the wheels.
I'm in my mid 50's, and I'm sinking a tonne of money in the car to preserve it. It's an ideal older guy C3 because of it's 700 R4 tranny and other creature comforts.
I hope to be driving the car in my 70's and hopefully thereafter....
I have a 450HP 78. I'm running ridetech rear suspension, 285/40-18 tires (Conti Sport Contact DWs) and a TKO 600-0.64 with a 3.70. Going from 255 to 285 got my traction back in first gear. The car occasionally feels a little ridiculous and occasionally underwhelming.
The problem with horsepower is you get used to it. I also owned a 2007 Z06 followed by a 2009, for around 6 years total between the two of them. Lots of autocross seat time in both, and a fair bit of time spent rolling into the throttle hard. That 505 hp engine felt like "enough" but I still wanted more from time-to-time.
I occasionally have thoughts about C6 ZR1s and the new ZL1 Camaro... and 911 Turbos, but that's even more of a pipe dream.
big power in a corvette and you have to start at thr rear lug nuts and work your way forward. every drive train component is on borrowed time with real power.
I'm really pleased with my Blueprint 396 stroker so far
It's at 515hp and 510tq
Changed to 3:55 gears and it's a beast, smokes the poor tires on all gears now
But it's nice and driveable if you want to, the McLeod clutch is really nice and easy to use, only wish the summer was here again
Last edited by stingraymaniac; 12-19-2017 at 08:33 AM.
I had 487 rwhp in my 402/C5. As long as I kept my foot out of it it was fine. Right now i’m finishing up a LS3 454 Stryker fro it. The problem is people lose respect for that much power and they get into trouble.
I have a 70 L46 that tons of fun to drive and is about 1/2 the rwhp of the C5.
big power in a corvette and you have to start at thr rear lug nuts and work your way forward. every drive train component is on borrowed time with real power.
Here in lies my concern. If it is too much for the drive train. Specifically the transmission but yeah that's a lovely pic of the twisted shaft.
It's torque that gives you that rush of acceleration and both of the motors you listed have plenty of that. You might want to see where they peak. I have 477 ft-lbs in my car and it's plenty good enough to smoke the tires at will.
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Newly rebuilt but stock drivetrain is holding up just fine.
I have a 450HP 78. I'm running ridetech rear suspension, 285/40-18 tires (Conti Sport Contact DWs) and a TKO 600-0.64 with a 3.70. Going from 255 to 285 got my traction back in first gear. The car occasionally feels a little ridiculous and occasionally underwhelming.
The problem with horsepower is you get used to it. I also owned a 2007 Z06 followed by a 2009, for around 6 years total between the two of them. Lots of autocross seat time in both, and a fair bit of time spent rolling into the throttle hard. That 505 hp engine felt like "enough" but I still wanted more from time-to-time.
I occasionally have thoughts about C6 ZR1s and the new ZL1 Camaro... and 911 Turbos, but that's even more of a pipe dream.
12-18-2017, 11:12 PM
How much is too much Horsepower?
