On ramps and off ramps ?

Your here posting so I guess you didn't find the limits of the car.

 

 

Most magazines in 1983 listed a cornering value of .9G -- https://www.caranddriver.com/archive...ived-road-test
Still, that was much better than any other production car.
IIRC, Chevy "tweaked" some non-production C4s and did get 1.0 G on the skidpad.

 

Alignment settings.

They'd get the car to 1 g...but typical owners wouldn't likely appreciate tire life with typical driving.

 

IA few years back I had a 95 RPO -ZO7 LT-1 6 Speed it would handle with a stock C-6Z ,this one is a 96 LT-4 and I built it with the same sup. parts as the RPO-ZO7 with some very good tire ,the C-6 Zs would out power me but I would catch then in the turns on the track .. Had to really push it to over drive it . A lot of C-6 owners would not talk to me after we went on a run ,they had $85-$100.000 in there new Z I had $20.000 + - in the old C-4 LOL.

 

Oh yeah, any non base suspension or modded suspension will handle very well. Even base cars handle well.

 

Very few people know about the 95 RPO-ZO7 Corvettes , great handling Corvette for the time and today will still hang with most . I wish I would have keep those part numbers ..

 

I sold my auto trans z07 ruby last month. Everytime a C7 owner asked me what options it had, and I told them z07, they looked at me like I was telling a joke.

 

I just drove my 94' yesterday for the first time in about a month. I've only been driving my f-150 work truck so it was strange when I was driving my normal commute and looked down to see I was going 65 around corners I usually go 35-40 around lol. Crazy how effortless these cars are compared to regular everyday commuter cars.

Accelerating, passing, stopping, cornering, all so much better and taken for granted IMO.

 

I know it can't even be mentioned in the same sentence as a C7 when it comes to performance and handling. But how much better is a C5 really? Or even C6? And can a C4 be made to perform as well without rebuilding the whole car and spending a fortune, if at all? Or at that point you might as well just buy a C5? Trying to decide which one to buy for a project. Leaning towards a C4 for several reasons. Thanks.

 

While I have not driven C5, 6 or 7 you can certainly swap rims, tires, springs, swaybars, etc and tune the suspension to get close, really close on the skid pad. At that point th main advantage of the newer generations is ride quality. Eg. I put 19" C6 rims all the way around my 96, big improvement in cornering IMO, but you feel every pebble.

 

Look up road tests for each and you'll have your answer.
The answer is that depending on equipment/options, a C4 can produce about the same numbers as the newer cars. Put the same rubber on a C4 and it will pull very similar if not the same skid pad, slalom, etc. Where the C5^ cars differentiate themselves in a dramatic way is in:
*Ride quality available for a given level of "handling" (objective performance)
*Performance attainability.

The C5^ cars make it easier for the average duff to reach higher performance levels and the newer cars provide a smoother, better isolating ride while doing it. The benefit is if you're lapping a race course, you'll lap faster with the same effort -great if you're racing. The draw back is that you need to go faster to get the same perceived experience (fun).

 

You can kinda see my blue 04 Z - in the video ,its the one right behind the first car . This is at COTA F-1 track right out side Austin TX . All stock Sup with very good tires on it and 100 more HP. ( getting 100 more HP . out of the LS-6 was easy ) and not that expense . Doing 160 MPH + and in the turns some 100 MPH + and was not pushing it at all ,the bottom line this 04 Z with stock Sup. and 100 more HP is all most anyone can handle unless your building an all out race car.. and with a A/C on drove it back to Houston 100 miles back .. With a C-4 could do about the same but not sure you could get the power out of the LT motor . More part are available for the C-5 .. Either would be a fun build ..

 

I don't read something and talk BS like some I build them and drive them . Want to ask about my builds just PM ..

 

I think ride quality is a big factor if we are talking about a road car. But it's good to know the C4 can get really close to the C5 at least in handling.

 

So the C5 has more potential for upgrades? What about prices? Is it about the same or cheaper to upgrade and improve a C4 or C5?

I remember reading an article in an European magazine about the C4 and one things they kept criticizing was the fact the rear suspension was leaf springs. Did the C5 keep that or went with a more modern design?

 

OK Number we all have to learn at some point about something ,I can see for this post you need to start reading all you can get your hands on about Corvettes . First thing you need is a Corvette and money and a metro and just maybe in 20 years you might know how it all works so get started and call me in a few years . I'm going racing in a Corvette I built ..

 

The C4 is a joy on curves and a good way to get those pesky SUVs off your tail. The big limiting factor are, the road surface, the banking on the curve, and the tires you have on the rear. Under power on a curve I can roll the tires which is a big no no. Also you don't want to run into sand or gravel on a curve. A man has got to know his limitations.

 

with radar502 Kind of. You definitely need to do some research, IMO.


I didn't say that. What I said was:

I'd guess that the prices are probably about the same. Some areas, the C4 is cheaper, some areas, the C5 is cheaper.



The C7 still uses leaf springs. So they didn't go to a "more modern design".

Any article that criticizes the leaf spring in a 'Vette is only displaying their ignorance. Why? The leaf spring IS the more modern design. Compared with a steel coil spring, the leaf is:
*about 1/4 the weight
*packages in less space
*adds anti roll characteristics w/o the added weight of a sway bar (depending on how it's mounted)
*lasts longer

Ignorant people associate "leaf spring" with the leaf spring on a truck. In that application the spring is trying to be a spring, the locating members, and also manage reaction tq of the diff. A spring can't do all of that well, so typical leaf springs do all of that poorly, at the same time. The astute observer would notice that the leaf spring in the C4^ is a couple things that typical leaf springs are not:
1. It's a light weight, tough composite
2. it's a single leaf
3. it's a spring ONLY. -It in no way, tries to locate or control anything other than wheel rate. It doesn't locate, anything or manage any reaction tq.
4. adjustable preload and ride height (more so in the rear than the front)

Now, the "downside" to the leaf spring is that to change the spring RATE, you need to change the spring (as you do in any car) and it's more expensive. SO...if you're tracking your car and changing spring rates for different tracks, then a coil over set up (which is also not stock on most cars) would be faster/easier/cheaper to change springs with. But virtually none of us are tracking cars and tuning with spring rates. Certainly the car mags that disparage the leaf spring are not.

So trying to make the claim that it's a limiting feature "because it's a leaf spring" (in the 'Vette) is ignorance and misunderstanding how it works in the car. The composite mono leaf spring IS "more modern".


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I thought this is what I was doing here.

What better research than talk to people who have experience with these cars and real world experience at that?


Thanks for the explanation on the leaf springs in the Vette. Very insightful.
I remember Jeremy Clarkson joking that the Vette leaf spring was the type of thing they used in stage coaches.
I think this is the same as with a Dion suspension. Most assume it's bad and basically the same as having a solid rear axle. But the Dion set up has many advantages over an independent rear suspension for example. It's kind of best of both worlds between rigid axle and independent suspension in many ways.

By the way, am I crazy to like the looks of the C4 better than the C5? I like the longer hood and overall more edgy look over the bubble like C5. But even more crazy, I prefer pre 1991 C4s too. I know most like the 1991 facelift better and I also like that. But the 1991 still looks semi modern while the pre 1991 is starting to look more like a classic, if you know what I mean.