Best shocks?
Pro Mechanic
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,918
Likes: 1,459
From: South-Central Coast California
Bilsteins for sure.
Bilstein used to offer two different grades of C2/C3 dampers, "standard" and "sport valving". I have sport valved Bilsteins on my '71. They've been there for decades and continue to work well.
The only other shock I'd consider are QA1s, but I don't know if QA1 builds dampers for our cars.
Bilstein used to offer two different grades of C2/C3 dampers, "standard" and "sport valving". I have sport valved Bilsteins on my '71. They've been there for decades and continue to work well.
The only other shock I'd consider are QA1s, but I don't know if QA1 builds dampers for our cars.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 7,764
From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
I'm more than happy with my Bilstiens. Highly recommend them.
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 115
Likes: 15
From: Lebanon Ohio
My 71 has KYBs and as far as I can tell they are as good as new. Probably have less than 6k miles in the last 20 years. But they feel really firm when doing the old hand pull test and car rides truely awful. And on a particular rough road surface you'd think it was a 1947 farm truck. I'm considering the Delco Gas shock sold by most of the Vette suppliers. Does anyone have experience with them? I know these cars aren't smooth riders but there has to be something better than this.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 115
Likes: 15
From: Lebanon Ohio
That brings up a good point. My car is a '71 with 225/70R15 tires. I recently got a quick look at a '76 door sticker that I'd swear said 20 psi front 26 psi rear. Radial tires actually came a long way from '71 to '76, - I mean like virtually non-existant in '71. So I wonder how that would apply to a modern day 225/70R15. Tires are so different today from the early 70's, but it would never occur to me to run a tire at 20 psig. I've never ran these lower than 26 psi or so. Any thoughts?