I hate you ;)

Great cars. I wish my driveway looked like that. :D

 

My solution is to just buy four of these: http://www.qa1.net/shocks/promastar_al.html
And later some 17 inch wheels with good rubber and chrome moly sway bars.

 

One thing to keep in mind is the suspension option that was (is) on your vette from the factory. If you have the suspension I have, you won't stand a chance. My vette has the softest stock suspension from 79. No rear sway bar either. I have a LOT of body roll, which makes it kind of tough to keep the car inline in the twisties. It still holds it's own under most circumstances, but it needs a better rear setup and especially better tires (which means 16 or 17 inch wheels. I have the VBP Performance Plus suspension on the garage shelf while I save for wheels and tires. I'm also getting Steeroids rack and pinion. Overkill? Probably for what I use the vette for, but I don't really care. It's what I want, it's what I'm getting. ;)

 

I have a 68 that I completely rebuilt the suspension on last year. It handles okay. I had an '84 Vette and it was night and day better. It ride very rough but went where you aimed it. The road feel was fantastic. I have an 01 that on paper is better than the C4. It certainly rides more comfortable than the '84 did but the handling feel actually may not be as good. C3's don't compare well to the C4's and C5's. That said, I love my '68. You get that ol' classic feel. It's a different car then the C5. I love them both. Heck, I love them all. I hope to pick up a C4 one of these days so I have another choice when it comes driving time!

 

Handeling per dollar my votes go for:
1) STICKY TIRES!
2) Big swaybars
3) everything else

Unless your tires are doing a good job of gripping the road the best suspension in the world will just be wasted. The tires are critical and everything else follows.

For me that's going to mean 17" wheels. Once that's done I'll start worrying about the rest :) A tire change turned my daily driver from a lackluster turner that liked to bottom out on speed bumps into a thouroghbred corner carver that can handle the railroad tracks without a hitch.

Of course the suspension was first class the whole time. But the incorrect tires with their soft walls weren't letting the suspension do their job. The valving in the struts was set up for stiff performance tires so the cheap tires the last owner put on just didn't let the suspension work the way it was designed.


[Modified by Black Snowman, 6:14 PM 5/5/2003]

 

Im not super familiar with the BMW models but my friend owns a 325is. From what I understand the "is" is a suspension upgrade. I think its a 94-95.

We went up to the mountains and I royally spanked him everywhere. Up hills he has no torque. I do. In the turns I laid out the vette with some 4 wheel drifting and yet again spanked him hard. the BMW has alot of understeer and no power. I think thats the 2.5 inline 6. It has a great topend but it wasn't a match.

The only suspension upgrade on mine is VB strut rods and shocks. The 50/50 weight dist is nice along with brakes that I haven't got to fade yet. I am also very familar with my car and feel comfortable breaking all 4 tires loose in a drift. Of course its dangerous but hey "I would rather die in a Viper than wearing a Diaper"

The BMW feels very very solid but it just didn't have the edge in the mountains of colorado. I don't know about a 318 and I know an M3 would spank me. But thats my .02 cents.

Besides my vette was 10grand less than his BMW :cheers:

And also above poster put some G's up. Remember that most of these numbers are on those kickbutt firestone fiberglass crap tires but agree with a good set of rubber .9's are doable. It is the same basic setup as a C-4, just not nearly as refined. Mostly tires.


[Modified by flood, 6:37 PM 5/5/2003]

 

c-3's do o.k. on road courses ;)

 

Yeah...
My '70 at NHIS

Mom's old '95 318ti at NHIS

The car handles well, but could use bigger sway bars (note slight body roll)and about 150 more hp! It's got almost 175k miles on it. It's FOR SALE if anyone's interested. Was Mom's DD for over 130k mi until she got the '01 325Ci.

 

:iagree:

 

There are a lot of apples to oranges comparisons going on here!

A fully stock spec C3 versus a fully stock spec 318 is still an apples to oranges comparison -- and here's why: unless you're talking skidpad, then horsepower comes into play. The BMWs don't run in the same class as Vettes because of vastly different engine sizes.

In terms of overall handling, BMWs (3 series and 2002) have much better handling. They are much more "tossible." What the C3 lacks in stock handling, it makes up for in a)torque/hp to launch out of corners b)enough aftermarket parts to tune for specific needs.

At the limit, the C3 can be a dangerous handler in stock form, especially if you have the ultra-numb power steering and thin wheel in earlier C3s. BMWs tend to offer better handling "feel" and are a little more progressive in their handling.

Don't get me wrong. In terms of absolute handling (skidpad,) the early C3s were great (only being outdone by Porsche's 911 and De Tomaso's Mangusta and Pantera.) On a tight course favoring a more tossible car, a lower horsepower car can actually beat it.

And as for comments about C3s beating C5s...on equal tires there is absolutely no comparison...the C5s are amazing handling cars, although the stock Goodyear Run-Craps are hard and slippery...A good set of Michellin Pilot Sports and the C5 (even in convertible form) is a 1g car with no other mods! (and faster, because 15 pounds per tire lighter!)