I can't wait to get my car done. Not road worthy; this engine is going to be the cheap & reliable (not fast) backup to my finished project. Road worthy is late this year/early next year. Done is, um... well, when I win the lottery quite frankly. Or when I have a spare $15-20K to blow...

Let's say that at least a worked LS1, T-56 and 4.10 rear gears will find their way into my car and then it will be fast & reliable (not cheap). If an LS6 deal comes along when I'm ready to do that conversion, then I'll go that route. I know I'll end up going with at least 383 cubic inches, possibly more like 427 or 454 and may or may not use artificial aspiration. I wouldn't think a properly tuned supercharged or twin turbo 427 would be considered "slow." Right Monty? :D :chevy

Something about the words "all aluminum engine" in a C3 which had a 49/51 percent stock weight bias sounds so very awesome! So the engine has to slip forward about two inches for bellhousing clearance, big deal. Overall weight declined when the old engine got the boot. It would still be considered a "mid-engined" car as the front pistons are behind the front axle line and pushing the engine/trans. combo. forward would help change that 49/51 stat closer to 50/50. Oh yeah, and I already have 295/50-15 X4, that aids in the cornering department.


[Modified by 1969Vette350, 12:08 AM 9/10/2003]

 

Suppose the difference is that us C3 owners with earlier cars can do quite a lot about it without any constraints on emissions... Myself, I have plans for a 12 second quarter and a low 11 or high 10 with nitrous and tuning (you can read that as removing dead weight :D). It's all relative, that's slow in some people's minds, but it is fast enough for me and my budget.

 

Sort of :D Some minor changes though. :blueangel:

 

Ahhh, another broad-based, over-generalized, unsubstantiated blanket statement based on ignorance. Have him come to my house to see just how slow my C3 is in his own opinion. :D

 

Who cares if they are slow, when I go cruz the local avenue. I can drive 20mph and get watched going by while tongues hang even from the ricers. Vettes their selves are just intimidating and kick butt. Don't have to go fast to race.
My budy always got egged on to race ricers, when I take out the ol 69 the ricers turn away.

Besides any car that can do 135mph stock is not slow.....

 

Well, then, YOU ain't tried drag-racing a bone-stock Cross-Fire then, have you??? :skep:
In all seriousness, the '74-up C3s WERE pretty-much dogs, compared to their earlier brethren, and their younger siblings (C4s/C5s). But, they weren't NEARLY as expensive as the C4s/C5s, MUCH more visually-attractive (especially than the C4s :U ), and they are easily 'tinkered' with.
EXAMPLE: an exhaust kit for a C5 costs $500+, nets you a few (8-12?) HP, and you can't put 'em on (usually) yourself. A similar kit for a C3 costs $250 (?), nets 15-35 HP, and you do it in your driveway on a Saturday afternoon!
P.S.: Weren't the L-88 C3s THE fastest cars EVER clocked on the 3+ mile-long Mulsanne straight at LeMans in the late-'60s/early-'70s?
Remind your 'buddy' to remove the quasi-Top Fuel wing (now, THOSE are fast cars!!!) from his rick-shaw before he runs thru the car-wash.....
:seeya

 

Your right, the ricers seem to respect Corvettes. Even they know the truth. A Corvette garners a lot of respect wherever it goes.
As far as handling... I have had a few four-bangers try to hang with me through an on ramp or transition. Some are fast, some handle fairly well, but it's a rare one that can match a Vette's ability to do both. I like to kind of sand-bag it through the first turn, give 'em some confidence, then turn it up and leave 'em wondering what just happened. This works good with Mustangs too.
I used to auto-X my car and it really likes the fast corners.
It never fails to put a smile on my face. :D

:steering:


[Modified by SharkPilot, 7:59 PM 9/10/2003]

 

mines slow. :seeya
13s is good enough for a street car. especially up at my altitude. C5s run mid 14s here. Z06s are mid-high 13s. when i took the typhoon to sea level, it felt like a diffrent truck. with a non-functioning intercooler it would light all 4 tires up when launching at 7psi, and would boost up to 17psi with the wastegate wide open.

you sea level guys hav an unfair advantage :cuss

 

Auto X a C4 and a C5 in a C3?? :lol:

 

Funny thing you should mention this.

While on my way home from work one night, I was driving my car (OH GOSH, a feat amazing in its own right!) and was on an expressway. I had to baby the car as I had just done the clutch and was breaking it in, not to mention the motor wasn't running 100%.

While pulling away from a stoplight I didn't granny the car, but I wasn't acting like I had just gotten shot out of a canon either. I'd say I went about half throttle in first and about 1/3 on the throttle in second when I see those really annoying high intensity discharge lights bouncing behind me, coming up on my passenger side faster than the rest of traffic. I ID'd the car as having Prelude style headlights and figured I could punch the throttle a bit more than I was currently. I looked in my rear view mirror then double checked the clear road ahead of me. I kept looking forward and waited until the Prelude would have been right next to me, then I got into the loud pedal some; about 3/4 throttle. I looked over through my passenger window expecting to see the car ... nothing. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the funniest thing. Those same annoying high intensity discharge lights were now pointing to the ground; BRAKE DIVE! :lol: :lolg:

No matter what I did from then out, the Prelude wouldn't get next to me. I decreased 10 MPH, I increased 20 MPH, etc etc. I was thinking, Wow! Now that's respect! They backed down from a car before getting engaged with it. Too bad they didn't know she was getting broken in and was down with a "cold." I guess there is something to be said for the reputations of Vettes :chevy

When they finally parted I did give them the thumbs up for being smart and not getting in over their head. I also found out it was a riced Prelude, complete with fart can and big rear wing. I have known too many other ricers that would have taken me up on my "play time" thinking they had a fast car.


[Modified by 1969Vette350, 12:47 AM 9/11/2003]

 

"Base, this is Corvette-1. The enemy combatant has plead 'no joy', and is returning to his base on the island. Do I have permission to pursue the *** Zero and stafe his azz into the drink?????"
:thumbs:

 

My '81 sure is slow. With the exception of a K&N air filter and a high flow catalytic, the car is 100% stock. It has a 4-speed stick, and I can barely spin the tires. I plan to leave the car stock. When you start modifying vettes with too many performance parts, the value goes down. The most valuable cars I saw at Bloomington Gold were completely stock.

 

Never mind the value, that's not the problem. Looking at all the '81's around, even here, there isn't the rarity aspect to push the value up, & being a "late model, overweight, luxury cruiser" (not my words - or opinion) they aren't as in demand like the chrome bumper models. Nope, the problem with performance parts is that once you start fitting them you just can't stop, it snowballs beyond control. It's a disease, an affliction, an obsession but, ignoring the cost, it IS fun :D
Are they slow? Yup. In '81 (I remember it well) it was a performance car dark age, stuck in between the days of the "pour as much fuel in the motor as it can take & so what if it belches smoke out the back" philosophy & the days of lean burn, computer controlled efficient modern engines. There wasn't much around then (at a realistic price) that did have good performance as measured by todays standards. Even performance Bikes in '81 were slugs :yesnod:
:cheers:

 

I read all the replys to this thread and identified with alot of them ( especially the slow people :lol: ).
But essentially I think it comes down to the question of "who do you want to please?" If you are perfectly happy driving a bone stock L48 car, with you r hair swishing in the wind and a big ole' grin on your face, then that should be fine for you (and me :D ). If you enjoy the extra maintanence and toying with a 1/4 mile rice eater then that is fine too. I live in a very rural small farm community that knows little about cars and I think there is one kid with a fart can on his car. I get told about how fast my car is and stuff and I'm not gonna tell them that they're wrong, nor am I gonna prove it. I'm just gonna take the tops off, crank up the oldies tunes (so I can hear it above the wind noise), let what's left of my hair flap, and put a big ile' grin on :D

 

NICE! :rofl: but you missed the avatar :p: I was U.S.A. not U.S.A.F. (shouldda been A.F. :banghead: ) I had the opportunity to do either and I love planes better; F-16s to be exact. I wouldn't be out with a med 40, I guarantee it.


[Modified by 1969Vette350, 11:58 PM 9/11/2003]

 

not mine.

 

:cool:

Evidently some don't know they were meant to be modified !

:cool:

 

Is this thread over yet? No? OK! More money, More funny!!!


:smash:

 

Nope. TTT ;)

 

BTW - my modified 1980's are NOT slow..

:steering: