Preparing my 76 for a top speed run
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne FL
Preparing my 76 for a top speed run
What would you suggest to prepare the car? I know many would say don't do it, but i feel like I have to know. Even though it is very irresponsible, I want to keep me and the car safe. I just put in new ball joints, tie rods, tie rod ends, front stabilizer kits. I am going to get it aligned, and then I am going to see what my car can do. What would you suggest besides checking coolant, oil, etc. My steering wheel has some play in it, but i don't think it should affect me to much. Is their any adjustments on the steering box I can do to take some play out? All opinions are greatly appreciated.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne FL
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
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Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
put on 550# one inch shorter front springs. It will lower the front end giving the car rake to prevent front end lift. Get a set of Z-speed rated tires.
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles
The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles
The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Your most important 'component' for this run is the set of tires on the car. Are they even rated for that kind of speed? I'd suggest that you get it up to triple-digits, smile for a few seconds, and bring it back down to reasonable highway speeds. If that won't satisfy your "need for speed", you need to rent a new Corvette.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington nc
put on 550# one inch shorter front springs. It will lower the front end giving the car rake to prevent front end lift. Get a set of Z-speed rated tires.
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles
The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
put on 550# one inch shorter front springs. It will lower the front end giving the car rake to prevent front end lift. Get a set of Z-speed rated tires.
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Get a GPS to get an accurate speed. Unless you have calibrated your speedo they are notoriously off.
I installed a gps for the passenger to get a constant speed read out. No more possible BS. Anyway I only have a 140 mph speedo. So it it takes math and RPM to know how fast you are going.
I might have the record for the highest speeding ticket on the forum. This back when the national speed limit was 55. I had to appear in court and explain why I was driving nearly 100 mph over @152 going down the freeway for many miles
The CHP man told me that he could not even keep up chasing me in his Mustang because they top at at @130
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne FL
Anything above that and your handling is going to into the crapper. The year you have the front will lift at around 120 and it will become unstable unless you have some kind of chin spoiler. The 80-82 are much better suited for high speed, even the 78-79 with that chin spoiler in better.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 576
Likes: 3
why would the front end lift?
It starts generating lift at those speeds.
Saw a documentary either on Discovery or History channel about Bonneville.
They had somebody running a monster motor in a 50-ies or 60-ies body style. Max speed he could do was around 150mph or the front end would lift.
and
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne FL
I would not think that I would reach 150 though right? Even so, I would think a 76 was designed a little bit better to prevent front end lift than the 60's. My car is pretty much stock. I probably don't need to worry to much about front end lift right? My tires are brand new, so I am not worried about them. I'm going to guess I might reach around 130 - 140.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
How was i supposed to know that i had 7 CHP following for about 30 miles. I slowed down and was just driving with traffic when I was surrounded by highway patrol cars. Not a good day and straight to jail at 8:30 in the morning. I lived in Las Vegas and was going down to La for the weekend on I 15
I told the policeman if I had know that they were after me I would have taken an exit
I told the policeman if I had know that they were after me I would have taken an exit
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
When I had a stock 79 body. rake, suspension mods, 355 ci, TH700R4, 4.11 rear end I was able to do 174 mph in the the Nevada Silver state race to try and average 150 mph for 93 miles. The tight twisty parts slowed you to sub 65.
Later on with bigger motors I was able to do 7000 rpm with 28 inch rear tires and 2.87 rear gear final drive ratio at Bonneville Salt flats on a non qualified run because I did not have parachutes............
Now I just have a bigger motor that gets me there faster
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 9,078
Likes: 7
From: DFW TX
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07
Stock 76 motor will blow before you hit top speed.... I would think 125 would be it with 3.08 gears. They usually don't do much after that but overheat. The motor does not like to rev that high for very long and at over 100 mph the air fails to run through the radiator fast enought to cool the motor down. It's kind of like a vaccuum packed bag.
Someone on the forum performed a string test years ago, lots of us learned a lot about how our vettes worked at high speed. Why they installed a small bug looking sheild on the GS cars and why the side vents were important.
Someone on the forum performed a string test years ago, lots of us learned a lot about how our vettes worked at high speed. Why they installed a small bug looking sheild on the GS cars and why the side vents were important.