apeacefulstorm

Thinking more about horsepower and fast cars and what I ultimately want led me to this question.

What is the crucial difference between my car (93 LT1) and say a new C6 (or a LT4 or a C5) in terms of what does an extra 100 hp get you? Here is what I mean, yes its quicker, but does the extra horses mean it will top out at 200mph and my car 150? Or just that it gets to the top end quicker? Or what?

Additionally what is the difference between say a LT1 and a LT4? Does more horsepower mean higher top speed? If all the top speeds are similar, then what is the point of having more hp?

Thanks for taking the time to answer the question....

65Z01

The crucial difference between your C4s LT1 and a C6s LS2 is 400chp.

The C6 is both quicker to the win stripe and faster on top end, depending on gearing. The C6 that has a shot at 200mph will be the Z06, not the std C6. Whether the setup runs higher top speed or is quicker also depends on the engine's torque curve and drive train setup and gearing. Usually more HP will bring at least a little of both speed and quickness.

There are a lot of reasons for having more HP besides advertizing, but they depend on what is your application. If you don't "use" that HP, then it is of no value to you. If you use it to "play in traffic", go down the 1/4 mile, make top end bursts, road race or even to bring a higher price on trade or resale then it has some "value".

If you want to drive a Vette with 400-500chp you can get that from your C4 with some well thought out engine and drive train mods. If you buy a C6 it comes with a more HP, stronger frame, more advanced styling, more "features" and you get more attention, higher payments and a larger deprecaition hit on resale.

bogus

you are asking the age old question, what's the difference between horsepower and torque.

Torque gets you there, horsepower keeps you there.

In short, additional hp, unless you raise the redline or change the gears, won't change top speed. Top speed is a result of engine speed, as multiplied/divided by the drive train. Unless you change the rear gears you won't see much improvement in top speed, if any. Also, you can spin the motor faster, with the same gears, and that will get you more top speed.

The LT4 and LT5 equipped cars are faster, at top speed, for no other reason then they redline higher.

What good is more power? the ablilty to accellerate faster! Your 0-60 and 1/4 mile times will improved.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to the C4 out running the C5 or C6 is aero. The C4 is a brick compared to the newer cars.

Chassis is another major difference, and it's why the Z06 is marginally faster than a ZR1. Chassis - weight transfer - is hugely improved in the later cars.

I hope this helps.

apeacefulstorm

Yes, this info so far is clearing alot of things up... so if for example I modify my 93 and add 50 to 100 horses, it may make no difference? If the gearing were difference would it? I thought the wrong gearing will decrease the top end.... I was also under the impression that more hp would translate into higher top end and a quicker car.... you are saying not necessarily so...

USAsOnlyWay

No, more horsepower/torque will make you faster, up to a point. They are saying your car with 400chp will probably not be as fast as a new C6 with 400chp however. Also I say up to a point, because at some point you are overloading the chassis so much that it really doesn't do didilly squat.

apeacefulstorm

So then.... if I modify my 93, say get 450 hp, add a supercharger, that would be a waste?

rick lambert

It all comes down to what you want! And for what application. An application for cross country is going to be alot different than an application for the 1/4 mile.

apeacefulstorm

Cross country, daily use, cruising...

rick lambert

Forget the super charger then. And why worry about top end for what you just posted, I mean where can you go 180-200 MPH anyway? For much less than the cost of a C5,C6, you should be able to build your car to smoke them on the street or track.

apeacefulstorm

Thanks Rick for your answers, I am just sorting through this, trying to make sense of the whole "power" thing.... If I sound stupid I apologize, I have seen some set ups and always wondered what were the benefits, or the drawbacks... ideally I am going to modify my car to get as much power as I can and still be a daily driver... some have suggested that those two goals are not compatible....

rick lambert

I bet there are alot of guys who'd say different. A 383,or 400 with some nice heads, not to radacle of a cam, headers, nice rear gears in the 3's and a shot of nitro would probably put you on the moon-while still being a DD and cruiser.

bogus

I am all for the mild 383. LT4 top end kit, with hot cam, and you touching 400chp. Still smog legal and will flat rock.

65Z01

If you add 100-150chp to your LT1 it will likely rev higher and will have more torque too. This will allow you to pull to higher speeds in each gear and may allow you to run at top speed in a higher gear. Up there it's all about wind drag, rolling resistance, drive train losses and having the torque to overcome those.

You could bring your LT1 up to 400chp with heads, cam and exhaust mods and run well with the C6s. If you want to play with the new Z06 you will also need to increase cubes, as the General has with the LS7 engine.

But first off you need to set your performance goals and then build the drive train and/or suspension to achieve those. And we are here to help.

crkemppainen

i have seen 157 on the clock of my '93 with an auto trans and god-knows-what gear ratio. it was right at 4800 RPM and could have pulled more speed if I would have had more road.

if i would have had 100 extra horsepower, I would have topped the car out instead of running out of road.

rick lambert

Or-maybe if your rear end were different you might have topped it out without that extra 100HP before the end of the road.

rocco16

Much of what you see here depends on your gearbox...auto or 6sp.
If you have a six speed, the only way to increase your top speed is to change gearing or increase your redline, since your top speed is rpm-limited in 5th gear. (Sixth is so high that top speed in sixth is so much less than 5th that you can disregard it.)
So, more hp without a commensurate increase in rpm capability will NOT give you a higher top speed.
If you have an auto, I can't offer much help, since I know little about the top speed capabilities of that trans.
Larry
code5coupe

bogus

There is more to this than meets the eye.

If you increase torque enough, you can actually pull a 6th gear. The trick tho, is to raise the rear gears some to make it meatier. If you add 4.10:1s to the rear, that will allow the overdrive to pull farther. Top end will increase, cause now you can actually USE 6th for top speed.

But the key is RPM. The engine cannot run outta gas at 5700, as it currently does. I would want at least 7k out of it.

apeacefulstorm

I have an automatic....... unfortunately..... how was I to know that I would want to go really fast when I first purchased the car?

Mr Mojo

I have a stock '93 LT1 automatic, my best 1/4 mile is 12.50@108mph.

For the street you don't need much more.
I still only have 300 hp(rated) but I'm quicker than most stock C5's that have 50 more HP.

The key is my gearing. I didn't make more power, but I made better use of the power I have.

A nice heads and cam package will get you roughly 450 at the crank, about 360 at the wheels. With the right torque converter and gears, you'll see low 11's in the 1/4.

Don't worry about top speed, there aren't too many places you can get to that speed anyway.

Arisa has a heads and cam package on his LT4 and the car is extremely streetable(ask bogus, he's driven it), nice exhaust on it and the car screams.

Superchargers will do the trick also giving you around 450 at the crank depending on what else you do.

Then there's always the bottle, a nice 100 shot will give you the kick in the pants you want, although it don't last long since you have to keep refilling.

apeacefulstorm

Is it a daily driver? I keep asking that because I love to drive my car, and I don't want it to be so radical that I cannot drive it everyday...