Chris, are you throwing down the gauntlet???
handling
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 830
Likes: 1
That's kinda true. You know, my 1980 on the scale was 3135 lbs. In regards to the "later C3's" Yes, you are correct but later-later C3's, the 1980 went on a diet with the thinner glass, thinner frame, more aluminum in place of steel etc.
After all of my weight reduction (especially that big @ssed 9 leaf rear leaf spring) has really made my C3 comparatively nimble for its size. Plus, it looks rad as h#ll
Oh...My set-up is very easy for street & track/autocross:
Functional & attractive
It's handsomely lowered
1. VB&P 360# rear mono
2. 550# front coils
3. New Bilstein Sports all the way around
4. 1&1/8 front sway and the really dinky rear sway
5. New poly bushings
6. Rebuilt the steering box
7. new idler arm
8. new PS pump
9. New PS control Valve
10 New SS brakes
All of the upgrades were relatively easy/bolt-on items.
The car rides sooooo much better & handles safer too.
I could easily spend more but that wouldn't really enhance the cars drivability to me for what I use it for.
The only thing I would've done differently would probably have just installed the steeroids rack system. Redoing all of the OEM stuff was just about as expensive when all added up.
Just a suggestion to those thinking about a front end /steering rebuild.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
I thought it might be a little extreme after tossing out the 550# springs, but unless I'm on a washboard road it's really a lot of fun to drive, even for an "all day cruise".
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
We're on pretty much the same page here as I love my heavy springs, and IMHO no one should knock em' until they actually try them. I've done a few cross-country trips on the Daytonas and they just aren't as bad as all the "propaganda" out there against them...
Sometimes the jarring rides you hear about are likely due to overly stiff shock valving and/or overly stiff bars on uneven surfaces (where only one side of the car experiences an upset). Or, perhaps my backside is just better acclimated from all the pounding around places like Sebring.
Race Director
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 136
From: Out of Site...Out of Mind. Corvette: anything else is just transportation.
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
I got the deluxe front end rebuild kit (mid-america, vette products, corvette central, etc.) made a world of difference in my '75. They cost, but it's worth it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,247
Likes: 210
From: Detroit MI
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
I hear you...It would be fun. Unfortunately, we have a wedding to attend so we're going to miss Tulsa this year...but save your nickels and dimes and let's all plan on Colorado Springs in 2009. I may come back to the midwest for an event this year but the plans are real indefinite yet.
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Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: Wichita Kansas
I hear you...It would be fun. Unfortunately, we have a wedding to attend so we're going to miss Tulsa this year...but save your nickels and dimes and let's all plan on Colorado Springs in 2009. I may come back to the midwest for an event this year but the plans are real indefinite yet.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
here,
read through this. Should only take you a few hours.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=junkies
read through this. Should only take you a few hours.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=junkies
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,469
Likes: 275
From: Naples FL
We're getting this a little confused here. We're acting like there's one way to develop a suspension. If you have a Solo car your priorities are going to be a whole lot different than if you have a street car.
I'm reading about massive front spring rates and small sway bars. If you drive on the street you need some ride comfort and you don't need to pull a g on the exit ramp.
So far no one has even defined what they mean by handling. We need to get back to the basics and define exactly what it is we're trying to do here.
Handling really consists of 5 things.
*Response - The time between input to output
*Precision - The consistency of output from a fixed input
*Gain - The amount of output to a given input
*Progression - The consistency of the gain
*Balance - Bias toward oversteer and understeer
Improving the handling of you Corvette would mean improving one or more of these five items.
Richard Newton
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
How to Restore and Modify Your Corvette, 1968-1982
I'm reading about massive front spring rates and small sway bars. If you drive on the street you need some ride comfort and you don't need to pull a g on the exit ramp.
So far no one has even defined what they mean by handling. We need to get back to the basics and define exactly what it is we're trying to do here.
Handling really consists of 5 things.
*Response - The time between input to output
*Precision - The consistency of output from a fixed input
*Gain - The amount of output to a given input
*Progression - The consistency of the gain
*Balance - Bias toward oversteer and understeer
Improving the handling of you Corvette would mean improving one or more of these five items.
Richard Newton
Wheel and Tire Performance Handbook
How to Restore and Modify Your Corvette, 1968-1982
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,526
Likes: 99
From: Apache Junction, Arizona
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16
It's pretty easy to get a C3 suspension and brakes up to the same quality (and better) that C3s had when they ran the LeMans in the early '70s (at over 210 mph) using newer parts. The biggest challenge is the aerodynamics of the body... 
Auctionman - If you want to take the easy way out, just get a full front and rear suspension kit from one of the vendors here. I got the VB&P Performance Plus System along with new wheels and tires. The difference in handling is night and day.
Auctionman - If you want to take the easy way out, just get a full front and rear suspension kit from one of the vendors here. I got the VB&P Performance Plus System along with new wheels and tires. The difference in handling is night and day.
Have a built Binford small block more power!!!
I have ran the car in many auto cross events and have always won my class.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,478
Likes: 4
From: Formerly from the Great White North but now residing in the Desert Southwest NM (The Land of Dis-Enchantment?)