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Be careful about HP numbers

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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 06:30 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by DJ Dep
Ummmm...WHY?????? Certainly you aren't doing street racing???
No, I meant that the RPMs would run to high to drive it on the interstates.
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 06:53 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by dgruenke
No, I meant that the RPMs would run to high to drive it on the interstates.
That depends on how hard core you are. Back in the "good old days" I ran a 4.10 on the street and that was long before 5 and 6 speed overdrive transmissions. Many more guys ran 4.88 or higher on the street. Of course, there isn't much point in doing that nowadays.
Plus people are more concerned with creature comforts and listening to thumping bass noise than all out performance. My Vette will be strip-only and it will be a 4-speed. Coming off the line will be bringing the engine up to red line and dumping the clutch.

Dep
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 07:30 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Donny Brass
Yeah, the survey results were that 86.2% of guys with big motors wish they were me I guess that means most.

In case you missed it in my signature, I am drag racing the heck out of my car, little motor and little cubes, and that is what I was referring to when I said I was 'having more fun...".

But I guess you have never met a guy with a car that was 'too fast' and 'too nice' to actually, you know, race or even drive ????

Nah, that never happens.................
Maybe a better term, instead of "having more fun" you mean "more useful" ? That I'll take. But like DEP said, define fun. I mean even those people who drag their Bloomington gold all around to shows have their share of fun doing that. Maybe they consider that fun compared to racing. Who knows. I'm not gonna say I'm having more fun with a car with no engine currently, but I'm not going to compare my feeling when I drive my car to anyone elses.
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 07:31 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by Donny Brass
..... I am drag racing the heck out of my car, little motor and little cubes, and that is what I was referring to when I said I was 'having more fun..." .
I gotta commend you for getting-out and 'competing' with your Corvette, which is what they were built to-do:
although I'll only be running dial-your-own brackets with my '82, I'll be joining the ranks of 'racer' soon.

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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 07:48 PM
  #65  
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HP is one part of every car and each car has different importance to every "part" based on the owners useage and interests, different chassis/suspension set ups if its a daily driver, sunday ice creamer, drag car, or road racer. HP can be measured in different ways leaving apples-oranges comparisons. Some manufactures Dynos are known for running higher numbers than others. Some shops will get more business if they put out cars and engines with bigger Dyno #'s.
ARE YA HAPPY....what the hell else counts. I would not want to take redvetracers car on a date nor would I enjoy taking a show C3 to the track......maybe i better rethink that statement.....what the hell I would enjoy both. Anyway every car is built for its own purposes, comparisons on anything are difficult unless they are together on the same dyno, track, etc.
Hey red, if I had 2 seats maybe we could take our sweeties to the drive-in
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 08:09 PM
  #66  
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Wow big inch, big HP bashing, never thought I'd see the day but it has come I guess

Now talking from actual experience and not what I think it is like, I had a warmed over 350ci that put out 300RWHP and 325RWT. Very nice little motor for a while.

I can tell you ( and it probably isn't a suprise to most of the C3 members here ) my 550HP / 510TQ 406ci is 4 times as much fun, actually there is no comparison. The motor is perfectly streetable, probably more so than the 350ci, and is a blast to drive especially with the 5 speed overdrive tranny.

I would think it would be hard to find anyone that would take the car with the 350ci over the 406ci ( actually my father would, but he's 81 ).
My motor goes on the dyno and my car goes on the dyno, kinda like to know how much power I made in my basement

Come to think of, the motor is so much fun I am building another in the basement right now, 18deg 427ci small block

Last edited by MotorHead; Apr 10, 2007 at 09:04 PM.
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 08:19 PM
  #67  
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you missed last year's IRS bashing
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 08:41 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by Donny Brass
you missed last year's IRS bashing
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 08:43 PM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by MotorHead
Wow big inch, big HP bashing, never thought I'd see the day but it has come I guess

Now talking from actual experience and not what I think it is like, I had a warmed over 350ci that put out 300RWHP and 325RWT. Very nice little motor for a while.

I can tell you ( and it probably isn't a suprise to most of the C3 members here ) my 550HP / 510TQ 406ci is 4 times as much fun, actually there is no comparison. The motor is perfectly streetable, probably more so than the 350ci, and is a blast to drive especially with the 5 speed overdrive tranny. I would think it would be hard to find anyone that would take the car with the 350ci over the 406ci. My motor goes on the dyno and my car goes on the dyno, kinda like to know how much power I made in my basement

Come to think of, the motor is so much fun I am building another in the basement right now, 18deg 427ci small block
I'll cover shipping of your old motor

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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 08:48 PM
  #70  
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
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Originally Posted by Yellow73SB
I'll cover shipping of your old motor

Heck you can have it, I'm putting the 350ci back in
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 09:45 PM
  #71  
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Motorhead: I think you misunderstand. People aren't really "bashing" the stroker small blocks. They are just kinda old news now. Plus people seem to want to return to "those thrilling days of yesteryear" and get max performance out of a normal cubic inch engine. Again...it all depends on how you define "fun". Things are probably getting a little tight budget-wise for many folks, and what may have been a "good deal" back 3-4 years ago is now climbing out of many folks budgets.

And of course, you know my feelings on what a smallblock should be
Why should I spend gazillions of $$$ for a 427 smallblock setup, when I can turn 1/4 mile times in the high 10s with a teeny, tiny, relatively stock 302? Plus if I am gonna get a 427, it's gonna be a real 427, not some bored/stroked mouse You are still stuck with quarter-size valves.

Dep
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 10:13 PM
  #72  
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OK I read the whole thread and by the time I was finished it seems that somehow big inch small block was bad and small inch small block is good, I was shaking my head.

Anyway I don't really care, I love what I have, quarter sized valves and all and hope everyone loves what motor they have
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Old Apr 10, 2007 | 10:20 PM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by DJ Dep
Well perhaps we should define "fun". If you get a woody "peeling out", that could be fun. But I have a webpage where a guy runs a SMALL SMALL smallblock. Actually, this is what I plan for my car. This is actual proof that you don't need "Mountain Motor" cubic inches to go fast.

http://www.z28camaro.com/oldrel.html

The specs for Strickler's Camaro are what I will be aiming for. Imagine this:

During the 1968 season, "THE OLD RELIABLE" Z/28 ran elapsed times of 11.70's at 116 mph keeping up with many Super Stock 396 Camaros! This was a stock Z/28 intake manifold and carburetor, stock hood, Stahl Headers, 5.38 gears, and nine-inch slicks.

Current Specs:

TECHNICAL DATA
VIN number 124378N411100
Build Date 04A (first week of April)
Color Corvette Bronze
Interior Code 712, black standard
Car Shipper Shipped on April 11, 1968 to Ammon R. Smith Auto Company, York, PA
Engine Data Cubic Inches, 302
Cylinder heads #3917291, completely stock, no porting allowed!
Stock rocker arms & valve springs
Intake 302 aluminum intake, casting #3917610
Carburetor Holley, #4053, 780 CFM 4bbl
Camshaft Crane, .480 inches lift, 272 degrees duration, valve lash, .016-.016
Pistons GM 302, .030" oversize
Horsepower 456 @7700rpm
Rear Tires 9" x 30.0" Hoosier's
Rear axle & ratio 12-bolt, 5.57 Richmond Pro Gears
Clutch 10 inch, three finger from Advance Clutch Technology
Shift Points 8200 RPM
BEST ET 10.80 @122.30mph

The website worked this moring but appears to be down for maintenance now. But the numbers above are lifted directly from it.
Note that there is very little of the big $$$$ goodies that everyone is running out and buying for their cars. Most everything on there is stock

Dep
no one ever said a small cube motor cant be fast, one word and i hate to say it but "supra" comes to mind. 5.57 gears would be a little harsh for a street d/d that goes to the track on occasion, but for a track only car, who cares what gear you are running as long as it gets the job done with your combo. we really cant define fun because to define fun would use an infinate abount of personal opinions as to what people like and enjoy. i think small cube chevy v8's that turn high rpms are really cool but for my driving style and taste i like the larger cube small blocks. i think many people get too hung up on their own opinions of what they think is the ultimate combo to realize there are many ways to get the same results out of another combo.
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