C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

How much hp does the L88 really have?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 9, 2002 | 04:14 PM
  #21  
Fastguy's Avatar
Fastguy
Team Owner
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 26,679
Likes: 17
From: This vette goes to 11 Milford MA
St. Jude Donor '03-'05
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (Bob Turner)

Go to Superfast80's website.
Read "The Mark Of Zora" link and hear it from the man himself.:)
Old Jan 9, 2002 | 04:53 PM
  #22  
SuperFast80's Avatar
SuperFast80
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 10,073
Likes: 1
From: Toronto
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (Fastguy)

'And with unrestricted exhaust, 640. I pick 430, I don't know why. Is just a number.' :lol:

Old Jan 9, 2002 | 07:09 PM
  #23  
Chris Fowler's Avatar
Chris Fowler
Team Owner
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 49,198
Likes: 0
From: All in!
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'10
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (SuperFast80)

'And with unrestricted exhaust, 640. I pick 430, I don't know why. Is just a number.' :lol:
I love it! :lol: :lol:
Old Jan 9, 2002 | 10:32 PM
  #24  
SBR's Avatar
SBR
Safety Car
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,412
Likes: 763
From: Barrington IL
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (Ganey)

Bad L88, Do not run a chambered exhaust it is to restrictive. If you run headers use them with the side exhausts that were a dealer option on L88s. This way you will have the HP you want and it will give your car a vintage racecar look.
Old Jan 10, 2002 | 01:15 AM
  #25  
Chuck Harmon's Avatar
Chuck Harmon
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,286
Likes: 8
From: San Jose California
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (BAD-L88)

BAD-L88,

It sounds like you are doing what I started nearly 15 years ago. I always wanted to experience what the famed L88 was all about. I bought a pair of NOS factory iron exhaust manifolds so that I could have a stock setup too. I have never mounted them and probably won't. The headers are too important to make the power. I can now understand why the L88 is the stuff of legends.

Chuck
Old Jan 10, 2002 | 01:27 AM
  #26  
67HEAVEN's Avatar
67HEAVEN
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 7,245
Likes: 4
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (Chuck Harmon)

Chuck,

Drop a trailer hitch on that baby, hook up a fuel tanker with aviation and come on up for launch day. We'll blast around Mosport like the good 'ol days. :cheers:

And for a special treat, I want someone to videotape the Hemis and 440's oversteering into the woods. We can show the tapes at some of the Cruise-Ins.
:lol: :lol:
Old Jan 10, 2002 | 01:30 AM
  #27  
Chuck Harmon's Avatar
Chuck Harmon
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,286
Likes: 8
From: San Jose California
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (67HEAVEN)

Maybe a better tow vehicle would be a Mopar? Either a Hemi or 440 would be good enough for that, right?


Chuck :lol:





[Modified by Chuck Harmon, 9:36 PM 1/9/2002]
Old Jan 10, 2002 | 04:08 AM
  #28  
BAD-L88's Avatar
BAD-L88
Racer
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 401
Likes: 22
From: SF CA
Default Re: How much hp does the L88 really have? (Chuck Harmon)

Chuck,

I stand corrected on the RPM's. And yes, I soon hope to fully experience the legend.

SBR,

Because of everything I have read here, the chambered option is now dead. It's stock, headers to stock pipes, or headers to side pipes. You are reading my mind on the dealer option side pipes.
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 03:02 PM
  #29  
PMemes Twitter's Avatar
PMemes Twitter
1st Gear
 
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Default L88 Power

I had seen anywhere from 550-580
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 03:14 PM
  #30  
Jebbysan's Avatar
Jebbysan
Dr. Detroit
Supporting Member
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,097
Likes: 4,027
From: New Braunfels Texas
Default

With a modern valve spring and ring pack they will make 580 all day long.......give it a 5 angle Serdi job with Ferrera 6000 valves and a mild blend, that number goes to 620 or so......this is assuming all GM parts.
Wonder what the first guy that drove one in 66' though when he jumped on the first L-88 test mule?.........nobody had even heard of anything that powerful.......what a time that must have been.

Jebby
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 03:58 PM
  #31  
WA 2 FST's Avatar
WA 2 FST
Safety Car
Supporting Lifetime
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,080
Likes: 565
From: Allen TX
Default

Seeing some in "pure stock" form run 10s @122-123mph at the drag strip, all I know is that is a LOT more than 430hp flywheel.
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 06:20 PM
  #32  
'75's Avatar
'75
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
Default

18 year old thread, wonder if this is a record? Still interesting though.
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 06:40 PM
  #33  
7t9l82's Avatar
7t9l82
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
Photogenic
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,930
Likes: 845
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Default

I bought an early 68 L-88 roadster about 1975 from s local SCCA racer going through a divorce. He also had a 67 he was not selling. He had the Stahl side pipes on it.i didn't think it ran as good as it should so I ran through the valves which were all over the scale. Put a curve in the distributor. Then changed to an old 3 barrel Holley later changed it to something else . But just those changes I really have to say it had to be 600 horsepower. 3:73 gears at 100 mph it didn't just burn the tires if your tire pressure was off on one side it was dangerous. I had lots of fun with that car. I raced some kind of Ferrari on the Dulles access road outside d.c and from the time we took off I watched his headlights get smaller till they disappeared.
A buddy at the DMV got me a special tag I8A4RE. I WAS TRULY blessed early in my life by being in the right place at the right time.. good luck with your adventures you will love it
Old Jan 6, 2020 | 08:17 PM
  #34  
vettebuyer6369's Avatar
vettebuyer6369
Administrator
25 Year Member
Community Builder
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,981
Likes: 6,207
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Default

Originally Posted by PMemes Twitter
I had seen anywhere from 550-580
Responding to an 18 year old post. Might be a record.




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:45 AM.

story-0
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-1
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-4
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-5
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-7
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-8
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE