I'm looking at a 93 with a 388 blown stroker. Owner states 600 to 900 RWHP based on the supercharger setting. The suspension and brakes have been upgraded.

I'm not so concerned about shredding the drive train to pieces as I won't typically be driving it hard but I am concerned about handleing and keeping the car on the road. I'm also wondering how long an engine like that will last even if it's well maintained.

My 275 hp L98 will go sideways if I gun it at the wrong time and apparently this car will do that in 3rd gear.

It sounds like a lot of fun and it's probably the fastest car around but... holy krap!

Is this simply too much power for a C4 on the road?

 

I would want to see some dyno papers...but 600-900 HP?
With what proof?Documentation is what its all about.The engine build specs,dyno sheets,etc etc.

I dont doubt the car would be fast with them mods,but thats a very suggestive HP range in settings.Get some proof first before relying on someones word for it.

 

Too Much Horsepower?

No such thing.

 

Have you heard of others with this setup? Any idea of what HP range this would have typically? Maybe he's feeding me a line. He wants a lot of money for it. He says he's invested $40 in mods.

It sure looks impressive but it's beyond my experience.

 

I would agree if it were a more balanced car like a Chevelle or something, but the C4's are so lite in the back and it would be easy to loose control I would think.

 

Could be 450hp, 600, or?? 900 sounds pretty far fetched to me.
Need some specifics.

Youll get used to it no matter how fast it is evntually. Chances are youll break the tires loose before you break parts. Hopefully
Demand to see receipts, if the motor is all that I guarantee has has to have some of them at least otherwise you could be buying a big $$ motor or a stock time bomb ticking away. Heck, without docs could be a 350 and you may never know.

 

invest in some 555R drag radials on the back and some 555R2's in the front. even with those it will be a handfull if you get on it but the car would be just stupid if you tried to drive it on street tires. you would literally be lighting em up at 100mph

 

I dont think you'll ever be able to gun it with street tires on the back. Even with DRs on normal asphalt the thing will be a handful.

And dont even think about taking it out in even a drizzle.

 

Get dyno sheets and a build sheet. My car had $37k in mods and it was only a 14 second car when I bought it because the tune was so poor. If it has 900 hp, we've probably seen or heard about it in the f/i forum.

 

No car has too much horsepower. Many cars, though, have not enough driver!

 

It has GY F1's all around. I've heard of these before. They must be pretty good.

 

I love old Chevelle's and A-bodies, but they are no where near as well balanced as a Corvette. Your Corvette is very close to 50/50 weight distribution and a typical chevelle is not. A big block chevelle with iron heads is worse.

 

I believe 600rwhp. This I have and I've seen on several occassions. Add nitrous and you'll see about 768rwhp.
900 rwhp with a 383?? That I question. I must have over $47,000 in mine over time. That is believable. Never too much horsepower. You will learn to control it. However, I just changed cams, tore off a Delteq and added a MSD opti spark to help kill the bottom end but retain top end power. Going side ways on the interstate is an eye opener. If your serious, consider making me an offer. The car is in Florida and I'm collecting social security. Although driving with the top down is always a pleasure. Original owner with about 27,000 miles.

 

I 100% agree with you on the chevelle not being well balanced. We have a 67 chevelle that will go on the back bumper with a trick suspension setup we build, but the weight of the car is 2500 on the noze and only 1400 on the rear! NOT an ideal setup to see go on the back bumper and go down the track 180ft with the nose pointed straight up.

The vettes are nearly 50/50 which makes it a much better suited drag car....less its drivetrain pitfalls.

I believe what the poster was trying to say was the chevelles are more sturdy and as a result would handle the power better.

At any rate, I think the 900rwhp is a little far fetched. Just the statement of 600-900 sounds fishy. What most people do not realize it when a motor is built is its tough to gain more than 50hp with a tune-up(I know there are people that will say they gained or lost 100hp) but usually something was wrong that resulted in the huge hp gain. I am talking about spark and fuel tuning. As a result, it would be nearly impossible to make a motor gain or loose 300hp unless you start to unplug sparkplugs. Maybe with boost you have some more flexibility, but 300hp is a LOT to change.

My guess is the car might be making 600, but that is even pretty stout.....and I just DO NOT see cars putting down results like that - here or at the strip on a regular basis. A car making 900rwhp in a typical vette would be running mid to low 8s just to give you an idea...........very few have or will do that. You see how few make it into the 9s; and gains are far and few between with moving from 9s to 8s. It takes BIG, BIG money.

Tell him to take the car to the strip with you and if it doesn't trap even with street tires on it over 140MPH in the 1/4 tell him he is now where near 600rwhp let alone 900. My car is lucky to be making 650 flywheel hp and it runs 135MPH, so his 600rwhp should run those numbers ALL DAY LONG in 3000+DA weather.

Bottom line is guys like to exagerate their motors power; I think it helps rationalize the money they spend, but rarely do the curves follow one another. Cost is usually expodential and the gains are unfortunately a very gradual upward slope. At 900hp and 3200lbs that car should run about 155-160MPH through the 1/4 on street tires, as traction will have little effect on the MPH the car actually runs(actually it will help it). I would expect to see something like 11.5@155MPH; with traction (slicks and a working suspension) 8.7-8.8@155MPH

My guess if you will see something like 11.8@128MPH - meaning he might be making about 600 FLYWHEEL HP.

 

600-900hp? That's it? I'd hold out for something with a little more power.

600-900 hp with only $40 in mods is pretty amazing? I'd be a little skeptical about this one.

 

You have to combine a TPIS airfoil, along with the "as seen on TV" "Tornado", then just stand the hell back.

 

I think he is missing the K after $40.

 

Even 600 rwhp on the street can be a little scary. My C5 with 580 rwhp/540 rwtq can break the tires loose at 80 mph, and at this speed it can be a bit crazy.

If he does have 900 rwhp and it has been driven at that HP level for many miles. I would be wary of how much longer the engine will last.

 

Sounds like rice to me. Slap a bigazz power adder (supercharger or turbos) on a stock bottom end and achieve 900 HP for exactly ONE dyno pass.

Then sell the car and laugh as the new owner blows up the cast crank on the first drive.

 

I am wary of the reliability of the power train. He says he "detuned" the motor down by reducing the blower thrust from 20 to 8lbs to relieve the stress on the motor and because of that "it's running a little rich".

I've heard on this foum of people installing strokers then having a lot of compatability problems with the ECM. I wonder if that's why he's selling it.