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Hi , this is my first corvette but have own a few muscle cars in my time .. I keep hearing you must run a 5 speed if you do alot of highway driving .. why is that !!! did GM makes these cars with a warning you shouldn’t drive on the highway for long periods at a time 🤷♂️ I have own my 69 Camaro for over 25+ years and have spent many hours non stop on the highway will no problems at all
I have driven my 77 app. 5000 miles a year since I restored it.....and the 4 speed works quite well. All the noise about the need for five speed transmissions is just guys wanting something to "upgrade" to.....its by no means necessary or even worth the money. Its just a thing people want to do....doesn't mean you have to, or that it improves anything.
It depends on your gearing at the rear. With 4.10s, you'll be spinning a lot of revs to keep up with 70mph+ traffic. With taller gears (3.23 or 3.08 or whatever), you'll be fine with an automatic.
sure they can run at hiway speeds.
issue to me is motor wear at high rpms.
Originally Posted by C6_Racer_X
It depends on your gearing at the rear. With 4.10s, you'll be spinning a lot of revs to keep up with 70mph+ traffic. With taller gears (3.23 or 3.08 or whatever), you'll be fine with an automatic.
From: Loud, Raw and Dangerous 1968 327 4S in Southern California
I have 3.08 diff gears with a M20 4 speed transmission and it does great on the highway.....2827 RPM's at 70 MPH. Your Camaro probably had a similar setup. Quite a few of these cars came with the higher gear ratios to be quick off the line. 5 speeds allow you to be both.
Last edited by Redvette2; Apr 13, 2023 at 07:36 PM.
I have driven my 77 app. 5000 miles a year since I restored it.....and the 4 speed works quite well. All the noise about the need for five speed transmissions is just guys wanting something to "upgrade" to.....its by no means necessary or even worth the money. Its just a thing people want to do....doesn't mean you have to, or that it improves anything.
From: Loud, Raw and Dangerous 1968 327 4S in Southern California
Originally Posted by Cam33
why would there be motor wear ? I’m not getting it
Each time the engine turns around it wears just a little bit...over time this can add up. With the higher ratios the engine sees many more of these revolutions per distance traveled.
Forgot...with the higher ratios the increased strain due to the higher torque gearing might also increased wear on the engine bearings.
Last edited by Redvette2; Apr 13, 2023 at 07:55 PM.
Reason: Forgot something....
I'm strong believer in OD trans either stick or auto. Better gas mileage. Lower rpms on the high way. You can run taller gears for better acceleration. Smaller rpm drops in between gears.
So with my 82, with a 4 speed, I was running 1800 @ 60mph. Does that seem ridiculous?
No, it seems that you have the 3.08:1 gears, or lower, if they were available in '82. With my '01, with the 6 speed, at 1800 RPM, I'm running a little over 70......
Gearing is the big reason, as stated. Our '68 L71 stick has 4.11's and runs 3k @ 60 mph, 3500 @ 70mph. It will run for several hours at that rpm, but I don't like to go much higher than that for any length of time because it's the born with engine and 55 years old. But it sure is fun to occasionally wind it out to 6500 banging gears.....and you gotta be ready to shift because with 4.11's it gets there fast...........
Gearing is the big reason, as stated. Our '68 L71 stick has 4.11's and runs 3k @ 60 mph, 3500 @ 70mph. It will run for several hours at that rpm, but I don't like to go much higher than that for any length of time because it's the born with engine and 55 years old. But it sure is fun to occasionally wind it out to 6500 banging gears.....and you gotta be ready to shift because with 4.11's it gets there fast...........
just ran my 75 on a trip for 5 hours straight at 60 mph at 2000 rpm’s not a hic
cup
Driving on highway 🤷♂️
