Comparing a chrome bumper small block 68 -70 to a 71-72, how important is the performance difference to you, considering that most minivans made today are faster than any of them?

 

There is a difference, especially if you are talking about the L46 or LT1 engine cars.

 

Granted, but I guess my thought is if your goal is to go really fast, you wouldn’t by a 50 year old car. It’s the look that I like.

 

Can of worms here...is it a car thats getting driven every weekend so you can feel like and irresponsible teen or is it an investment that you just want more power in?? Do you want a big block or a small block? Is it already a valuable car like an LT1 or any of the 427 cars? If you have a run of the mill car then its just aesthetics you are looking at. Some folks dont like the 68 one year only issues, others dont like the shark gills versus the eggcrate gills. Underneath they are virtually all the same. If you have a 300 hp small block car it can become anything you want...high revving small block or torque monster big block....its just time and money at this point. You just have to decide what you are going to do early so you can set up the suspension for the weight early. I got lucky and have a VBP suspension which can be set upfor either engine and I happened to break a roller lifter in my screaming 327 little beast....loved that motor. But now Im in th emiddle of a 500 hp 427 build that will be the final motor so I can put money else where....hopefully. I want a motor that can spin the tires at will more for showing off than anything else. the small block made it a fun car to drive, now i want that and to make it act like it looks and for it to live up to the legends we believed as kids

You can take any one of those small block low HP cars and drop a 4.11 or 4.56 rear into it and it will be a stop light monster and cram you into the seat for a short distance but you would need a 5 or 6 speed to make it drivable on the highway. Thats what sets the new cars apart from th eold ones is the variuable transmissions, gearing and such for the HP they put out. Torque multiplication is highly overlooked in most of the car media

 

Exactly. Last summer I got to drive a Tesla. If the goal is just about speed...nothing compares.
But if you're looking for style, fun, uniqueness, thumbs up, smiles, ....just overall cool...you know what to get..

 

For me.....acceleration is a little addicting...but I have to qualify it, because for me, it need not be drag racer acceleration, detaching retina accleration. I just want the car to push me back in the seat a little....but the REAL important thing to me is just owning and drivng the MADE IN USA icon called the Corvette. Nothing looks as good, and I find great peace and satisfaction in owning and driving one. .....in fact I have two, a 77 and a 2006.....they both are great fun. All it takes to make BIG power is BIG money....and it comes with a long list of issues. Mild performance mods propably won't make any major changes....so sometimes, its just better to no do it.

 

The LT-1 cars ran exactly the same......the large chamber in the 71'-72' models flowed better on the intake as installed and made up for the 1.5 point compression drop.....(LT-1's were really 10.4 to 1 measured, not 11 to 1 as claimed by GM).
The L-48 is the one that took the hit......the 350/300hp unit......they had a puny cam in them and dropped 25-30 hp from an almost 2 point drop........there was no L46 350/350hp in 71' so there is no comparison......to be made......
There was no LS6 in 70' in a Vette...only Chevelle....and the Vette version in 71' had aluminum heads but a 2 point drop in compression......honestly, the low compression LS6 was probably down 40-50 horsepower......
But the question you ask is a loaded one as the engines were poorly tuned from the factory and had **** exhaust systems attached to them so the high compression variants were not making what they should have making anyway......
Well tuned through headers and a real exhaust....you would be hard pressed to tell the difference without a time slip.....but the high compression units run more "crisp" with better throttle response......
One point of compression on a well tuned engine at this level is worth about 15 horsepower......

But to sum up your question......if you are strictly talking about stone stock NCRS spec cars......the 71'-72' cars do not run near as well due to ignition timing specs, but this is easily rectified......
Idiots will tell you how "smogged" they were....but other than compression, the physical engines were the same overall. Cams, intakes, carbs...were all the same......or similar. Idiots will also tell you how much the power dropped without understanding a freakin thing.....
They ALL kinda ran like crap until you tuned them and put real pipes on them.......most ALL musclecar era cars were like this too......

But then there is the reality. Most all of these cars have been rebuilt as some point........so unless it is a true nut and bolt letter of the law restore, it really doesn't matter that much.......
I wouldn't build a 70' LT-1 350 to "11 to 1" spec much more than I would build a 71' LT-1 to 9 to 1 spec.......neither is ideal on the street......so many of these "restored" engines have raised compression in the later models and reduced in the early models to run on 2023 fuel.......

Making a decision on a early model vs. a low compression one on numbers alone is a bad way to judge........most are not setup worth a crap anyway. Buy the nicer car and screw with the engine later......

Personally....I need at least 260ish or better to the tire to make these cars fun to me.......if it won't go low 14's.....forget it......but it is so easy to make them do it.......

Jebby

 

Really ? Curious which one are your talking about or driving ..........................?

 

LOL.... I'll bet you don't have any problem keeping up....

​​​​​​​60

 

WHO ME ???? NAAAAAAAH, I drive like a ***** cat .....................but a stealth / stalker

 

I wasnt happy until; I was at 13 flat...my lazy 396 is in the low 14s and I hate it,,,....aaaaand I just found out I cant get my motor on a dyno until October so I am throwing my good RaceRite heads on the 396...big compression drop but I gain about 100 hp and about another 1000 rpm
just the head change

 

I have no hesitation driving fast on the freeway when conditions are right. My DD is an AMG MBZ; when I need to pass on the freeway, I’m grateful for its rapid and strong acceleration. Its brakes are also top notch.

My ‘69 L46 (350/350) was was fast for its time. I think its 0-60 was something like 6.4 seconds, and its top speed was rated at 119 mph. It was faster than so many other sporty cars of its era. I don’t drive my classic Corvette to satisfy my “need for speed,” and my around-town speed is usually 40-45 mph at most. I think the base 300 HP might not have had enough power (plus I like the idea of a high performance SB), and I didn’t need a BB. My car is capable of, and has done, 65+ on the freeway. It actually feels great, and drives really well, but fortunately I’ve never had to bring it to a sudden stop, and I’d certainly never attempt to pass a big rig on a 2-lane road with it. But, I also didn’t buy it to drive fast on the freeway. I don’t think driving a half century old fiberglass car at high speed is the smartest thing to do. For my purposes, of how I view classic Corvettes, I don’t think a later C3, with 200 HP or so, would bother me. More important to me than pure HP is the experience of driving a classic, manual-transmission Corvette.

My husband’s Tesla is faster than pretty much any other car on earth.

My DD is for transportation. My ‘69 Corvette is for driving. It’s not an apt comparison at all, but it’s like the different clothes we all have in our wardrobe, for different purposes, e.g. workout clothes for exercise, suits for work, and, for me, fancy dresses for more formal occasions (or a tuxedo for you guys). They all perfectly fit their intended purpose. It’s not a drawback that a tuxedo isn’t something to wear every day.

That being said, I’ve seen some driving videos of BB chrome bumper Corvettes on Bring a Trailer. Man, they sound and look totally awesome! I totally understand the allure of a BB chrome bumper Corvette.

If I do get the itch for a fast Corvette, or one I can drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, I’d buy a modern one.