Okay...as everyone who knows me is aware...I do NOT race around corners. I am strictly a straight line 1/4 mile man.
Having said that...the ONE item the C3 needs more than anything else is a conversion kit from the multiple-breakage-points, independant rear suspension, to a nice, solid, one-piece, conventional axle. I know I know....you can hack the crap out of Vette and have it tubbed and have a 4-link suspension installed. But you are talking big $$$ and definitely not a do-it-yourself job. I would like to see a package deal that would install either a Dana 60 or Ford 9" rear end without hacking the hell out of the car. I don't care if it uses coil springs, leaf springs, or the stock transverse spring. Just as long as I can dump the clutch at 6000+ and not have to worry about stubby axles breaking lose and destroying everything in their path. I know there is the Dragvette upgrade. But even that upgrade has a limit as far as how much HP it can take. And you still have those 4 extra u-joints that can let loose, to say nothing of the "medium duty" rear end that can let go.

Anyone else agree with me?

Dep

 

Why don't you just buy a Nova and be done with it...?

 

He's Back.....

I like my IRS, but I'm a cruiser not a racer. Can't understand why you want to hack up a perfetly nice C3 Vette to put a straight axle in it. Go buy a '61. Or a Chevelle, Nova, Vega.......

 

AMEN Dep, We would still be limited to a 10-11" tire because of the frame rails but I think you are exactly right. With the C3's becoming popular cars to modify these days we ought to look at making a kit to do this, hell we could get rich.

 

I was beginning to wonder where DJ wondered off to

Having broken rear suspension parts, the piece of mind a solid axle would give would be nice I never had to worry about breaking drivetrain parts with past cars, but they weren't as sexy as the C3 either. Why have a high HP vette if you can't slap a pair of slicks on without worry

 

you know i just put a 700r4 and steeroids into my C3....using "somebodies kit".....if you think there is a market for it ...design one your self and market it....those other guys did exactly that...they found a "want" and supplied it. good luck

 

If you convert everything over to 31 spline axles they will hold up about 1000 hp. If you do that conversion plus a 12 bolt rear it's good for 1300hp. What more can you ask for? Price is just about the same as a ford 9" complete. If you were to get a solid axle there is no way it can be a bolt-on job. You'll have to fab the frame if you decided to do leafs or coils. The only thing you have to do w/the 12 bolt is cut the battery box and storage box but you can reglass them and be done. Some cars may have to have the shock mount relocated a 1/4" forward but thats a 20 minute job.

 

A C3 that can only do straight line is waste of money and waste of a good Corvette IMO!

 

Hmmm I'll have to count them splines again


Maybe I just have bad luck leaving the line with my street tires

 

Is that rear end in the picture on of Tom's "trick" conversions? My buddy knew of a road racer that had the same thing happen to him on a road course in the late 70"s. I also know of a guy who ran a 66 Vette with a Strange Engineering Dana 60 center section in the late 70's early 80's but, have never seen another like it.

 

 

 

I allways believed the C3 was evoluted competition for europen sports engineering, eg, the Jaguar, now unfortunatly in the hands of Ford, Lotus, Ferrari, we go back far enough to compete with the Sabb Sonet. But I'm sure the Corvette was never ment to be a dragster, allthough I've broken my share of drive shafts in the early Corvettes. That was just for the girls, not for the numbers. We didn't invent the Spitfire, just beat it with the P51!

 

I disagree vettes are famous for dragracing.The bodylines and stance no other car can match.I would rather my car do one thing to its limit then a few things avg.You cant have both a dragracer and a roadracer.Its the owners choice.I choose drag,others might choose roadracing.Roadracing a c3 will be hard to keep up with latemodels.As far as the toms diff. I blew one completely up a long time ago and never looked back.Behind 1000hp with traction BS.Maybe they are better ? I would not waste my money on something that might not live and then still not have enuff tire .

 

Corvette

n : a highly maneuverable escort warship; smaller than a destroyer



I've always loved that definition.

 

Tag IMO around Dep's post and he's absolutely right. What HIS C3 really needs is a solid-rear axle.

I'm happy with my IRS. The one thing that detracts me from a classic Camaro or Firebird is that they are solid rears. Too little weight in the back, heavy engine in front. Great for throttle off understeer and snap oversteer. Not a big deal in a drag racer, sucks in a corner.

I do not think a solid rear axle conversion kit would sell big bucks. Only a select few on the forum run their cars hard enough to necessitate it. If you don't get traction, you don't need a strong rear end.

-Steve

 

...speaking of doing straight lines, welcome back Dep!!!

 

Interesting comments and about what I expected.

Replies:
Why don't I buy a Nova?
#1 I already have a Vette. Duhhhh.
Plus the price of big block 396 Novas FAR EXCEEDS what I paid for my 454 Vette.

#2 Can't understand why I want to hack up a Vette....
I DON'T WANT TO HACK UP A VETTE! That's why I posted that it would be cool if we had a kit that could do this conversion WITHOUT back- halfing the Vette.


#3 I didn't "wonder off", I WANDERED OFF
I been working on insulating my garage. For an old fart like me, that's an all-winter project
But SmokedTires ask an EXCELLENT QUESTION "Why have a high HP vette if you can't slap a pair of slicks on without worry"
My point exactly. The IRS is fine for stock or mild engines with a slushbox auto. If you are running a stick shift with monster HP, blown u-joints are inevitable.

#4 VanSteel: I assume you are talking about the 12 bolt conversion for the stock Vette rear end. The solid axle rear end would eliminate the blown u-joints that happen with high HP cars. A Dana 60 or Ford 9" rear end is WAY more heavy duty than any beefed up 12 bolt setup. THAT'S what more I can ask for.
As far as the "no way it can be a bolt in job"...never say never
I think they also said there's no way man can fly and no way we could land on the moon. They also said that 60 MPH was the FASTEST a man could go without passing out. So much for "no ways"
I suspect a place like Mark Williams or Strange Engineering COULD do a kit. Not sure how much it would cost. Also not sure about the demand...which would also affect the price.

#5 "A C3 that can only do straight line is waste of money and waste of a good Corvette IMO!"
My money, my Vette, and my choice. Newsflash...LOTS of people ONLY race their Vettes in a straight line.

#6 Redshark6974: You need to find some new friends

Dep

 

Why buy a 396 Nova when you can buy a straight-six and hack from there? Nobody(today) buys an L-88 Corvette to back-half it and modify the bajeezus out of the motor. If I wanted to "hack" on any car, I'd pick the base engine. I have no interest in running an engine with L-88 or LT-1 heads on it, much rather slap a pair of modern wonderheads. Odds are I'd use a different block and crank than what was started out with anyways...

...SO... there's that.

Obviously, if someone wants a vette as a base for a dragster, that's his or her choice.

-Steve

 

Thanks AGVI!!!

Understand folks....Pacin' got it exactly right. A solid axle conversion is NOT for everyone. But I think there are quite a few guys that drag race and get queasy feelings popping the clutch with those u-joints spinning around under their butts.
There are bolt-in conversions for just about EVERY "normal" car running a solid axle to convert to Ford/Dana rear end. Granted, the engineering isn't as complex. I'm just surprised that nobody has come up with a conversion for the Vette. And I agree 100% with those who WON'T spend a small fortune on "upgrading" the factory Vette rear end with Mickey Mouse adaptions. The cost involved and the financial loss if/when they let lose just doesn't make it worth the money. Do any of those guys making the conversions to 12 bolt offer any kind of guarantee that it won't blow apart? Nope.

I am wondering about those who insist that they have the Vette for "manuverability". Where EXACTLY are you "manuvering"? Certainly not on city streets. That would be just plain stoopid. If you are fortunate enough to live near a roundy-round track, you are one lucky SOB. Even then, the risk of some idiot bashing into you during a "track day" is just way to high for me to ever take. Kinda hard to tell your insurance agent you were on turn 3 at Riverside when an AC Cobra blew past you and you lost control.

Dep