TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Winchester Ontario
TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th?
For those who have tested their cars top speed and have a 6 speed, which gear do you reach your top speed in? I have a 383 stroker motor and am in the process of installing nitrous. If you normally reach top speed in 5th, if I spray nitrous in 6th, will this allow me to reach top speed in 6th?
[Modified by black_89_vette, 12:44 PM 4/29/2002]
[Modified by black_89_vette, 12:44 PM 4/29/2002]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,469
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From: Winchester Ontario
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (dgoodhue)
I have the stock 3.33 gear. Why would I not reach top speed in 6th? Is it because of the car not having enough power to pick up speed in 6th? That was why I was asking about nitrous in 6th.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
Yes, it's a matter of torque to overcome wind drag & friction.
Drag2000 drag strip simulator shows about 500lbs of wind drag on a C4 at 100mph. Wind resistance goes up as 3rd or 4th power of speed. So at 150-200mph the drag gets pretty high. And rolling resistance and other frictions add up too.
If you are maxing out the motor in 5th, a spray in 6th might increase torque to net a higher top end. Since you're having the NOS installed anyway, let us know; you will be allowed one phone call, right.
Drag2000 drag strip simulator shows about 500lbs of wind drag on a C4 at 100mph. Wind resistance goes up as 3rd or 4th power of speed. So at 150-200mph the drag gets pretty high. And rolling resistance and other frictions add up too.
If you are maxing out the motor in 5th, a spray in 6th might increase torque to net a higher top end. Since you're having the NOS installed anyway, let us know; you will be allowed one phone call, right.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 3,215
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From: Tampa Florida
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
I guess 5th gear. With 3.33 gear you should hit 183 mph at 6000 rpm in 5th gear. I seriously doubt your motor would be able to pull any rpm in 6th gear if you made the shift at that point-drops your rpm down to 4000 rpm.
That would be pretty interesting to see. Min rpm for nitrous application is normally 3500, so spraying it at 180+ at 4000 rpm would be quite a load.
Try and see-I'd be interested in the results:)
That would be pretty interesting to see. Min rpm for nitrous application is normally 3500, so spraying it at 180+ at 4000 rpm would be quite a load.
Try and see-I'd be interested in the results:)
Team Owner
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From: Sydney, Australia
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-‘17, '22
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (65Z01)
Since you're having the NOS installed anyway, let us know; you will be allowed one phone call, right.
I think the answer here is fifth. For all the top speed tests I've seen involving stock and tuner C4's, top speed has been reached in fifth - even when one tuner in particular installed steep gears in the expectation that the car would pull top speed in sixth - it didn't.
Ultra slow in the ZR1 section is planning on trying for 200mph in sixth in his Callaway sometime soon. I'm sure if all goes well he will post the outcome when the time comes.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2001
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Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
black_89_vette,
I guess you trust the guy that built your roll cage pretty well. If something breaks when you press the red button its gonna be an airplane crash.
I had a rear tire blow out on a motorcycle at 60mph in a curve once. When it happened I was wondering what kind of crash protection sunglasses, shorts and sandal's would provide. The girl on back had on a bikini and sandal's.
Good luck my friend.
Buck.
I guess you trust the guy that built your roll cage pretty well. If something breaks when you press the red button its gonna be an airplane crash.
I had a rear tire blow out on a motorcycle at 60mph in a curve once. When it happened I was wondering what kind of crash protection sunglasses, shorts and sandal's would provide. The girl on back had on a bikini and sandal's.
Good luck my friend.
Buck.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Winchester Ontario
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (Buck96LT4)
I have a stretch locally that has little to no traffic and no driveways on it. It's 4 km from a bend to a stopsign. I can hit the bend probably around 80 mph. I'd leave a km or so for shut down space I guess. So, I'd have 3 km with a 80 mph running start to which I'd be spraying nos. Don't have a roll cage. Hmm, that sounds like a good idea though.
I wonder if there's a track that I could test it out legally and safely? Anyone?
I just want to surprise the hell out of my friends with thier GSX R's. They heckle me when I say my car can go faster than their bikes, I just want to prove it.
I wonder if there's a track that I could test it out legally and safely? Anyone?
I just want to surprise the hell out of my friends with thier GSX R's. They heckle me when I say my car can go faster than their bikes, I just want to prove it.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Johnstown PA
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
I too have 3.33's and this question now has me puzzled! I thought before that i would be able to pull top speed in 6th but i have been told i won't! I guess it's different when your driving the car! :crazy: Let us know what happens!
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 193
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Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
black_89_vette,
The only place I can think of is to do the open road races like the silver state classic and big bend ects. There are tech rules for the speeds you are looking at and the entrys are pricey. The good points would include reasonable risks, no cross traffic and no unwanted official attention and most importantly verified top speed.
http://www.openroadracing.com/index.shtml
One trip under the radar gun on public roads would probably pay most of the costs for the trip to an open road race.
Buck.
The only place I can think of is to do the open road races like the silver state classic and big bend ects. There are tech rules for the speeds you are looking at and the entrys are pricey. The good points would include reasonable risks, no cross traffic and no unwanted official attention and most importantly verified top speed.
http://www.openroadracing.com/index.shtml
One trip under the radar gun on public roads would probably pay most of the costs for the trip to an open road race.
Buck.
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From: Lahti,Finland ,Europe
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
Hi! I tested my stock -89 6sp last friday and made a new record for my vette: 253 kmh (about 153-154 mph ?) I used a gps to verify the top speed. I was a bit amazed to notice that the cars speedo showed exactly same readings. In 5th the engine was revving so that i thought it would blow, but in 6th it slowly gathered its top speed. My vette accelerated to ~140 mph pretty fast but after that it took a while to reach top. I drove about 4 kilometers to get to top speed. It was dark so i had to use high beams and i wonder how much they add wind resistance and therefore affect top speed. Your vette seems to be so much modified that this info is propably useless.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Winchester Ontario
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (Mika Renwall)
Mika, cool. I heard they're supposed to run 250-255 in stock form. Could you list your approximate speeds per gear? My interest is in how much speed you picked up in 6th.
Thanks
Thanks
Team Owner
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From: Sydney, Australia
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-‘17, '22
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
black_89_vette, if you are seriously considering hitting the juice at high speed, would you be safer if you ran a progressive controller to feed it in slowly rather than in one big hit?
I ask this as I read some time ago that Kelly Sievers lost control of his Corvette racecar in the Silver State Classic a few years back presumably because he hit the juice at high speed and the rear tyres broke loose. It did look like an airplane wreck and the car (a tube frame Corvette racer) was destroyed. Seeing as this info is second hand (from what I recall reading in Vette magazine) if I am off on any facts here please jump in and say so anybody.
Just thinking out loud, no response expected. :)
Aside from Bonneville, the only two tracks I could think of where you could do this aren't open to the public anymore (Fort Stockton & TRC in Ohio) unless I'm mistaken. Yeah, I know they are a long way from Canada. :)
I ask this as I read some time ago that Kelly Sievers lost control of his Corvette racecar in the Silver State Classic a few years back presumably because he hit the juice at high speed and the rear tyres broke loose. It did look like an airplane wreck and the car (a tube frame Corvette racer) was destroyed. Seeing as this info is second hand (from what I recall reading in Vette magazine) if I am off on any facts here please jump in and say so anybody.
Just thinking out loud, no response expected. :)
Aside from Bonneville, the only two tracks I could think of where you could do this aren't open to the public anymore (Fort Stockton & TRC in Ohio) unless I'm mistaken. Yeah, I know they are a long way from Canada. :)
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Winchester Ontario
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (Red 90 L98 Coupe)
Right now as it sits I think it'll do 300 kmh (187 mph or so). I was just wondering what a 150 shot of nitrous would do. Is there a computer program that could analyze all this info and realistically tell me what it would do? Seeing 200 mph on the digital dash would make for a hell of a photo. :smash:
Racer
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Plaistow NH
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
Seeing 200 mph on the digital dash would make for a hell of a photo.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is not a good idea. You mentioned that there are no driveways on it? So your not even talking about a highway? Even roads that look really really smooth can get pretty scary at speed! Use yer head!
Bill
Bill
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Winchester Ontario
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (BillRed85)
Well, I'd be using a camera mounted and take a still from that. Actually the more I think of it, it's not gonna be safe, really. It's a 2 lane road that gets very very minimal traffic. There's a major highway (401) basically through my backyard, so maybe I'll take it on that really late at night. Maybe I'll go out and find a spot that's really straight for a few miles. I dunno :crazy:
Racer
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Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (90_roadster)
I'd say 5th gear too, I once hit a 150hp shot on my head/cam 96' LT4 at 170mph, and I truly belive the RPMS would have just droped to low after shifting into sixth to make another hard charge before the bottle would be empty...But I suppose if you had enough road and a very large NOS bottle it could be done...B.T.W 200MPH was achived easily at that point, but keep in mind I had a 600' lift cam that pulled to 7100rpm :D
[Modified by JB'S LT4, 11:04 PM 5/14/2002]
[Modified by JB'S LT4, 11:04 PM 5/14/2002]
Safety Car
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From: Austin Texas
Re: TOP SPEED -- 5th or 6th? (black_89_vette)
Most of the guys that run the Open Road Races in C4's see top speed in 5th. The only way to see top speed in 6th is to change the rear to something like a 4.10. The guys that do that can push top-end in 6th. You just have to worry about the terminal speed of the drivetrain components (if you are going 175+)
It isn't the power of the car that will stop you, it's the air pressure pushing against you. One of our members runs out there and NEVER touches the brakes for the entire course. Just lifting the throttle slows him down 30 MPH in less than 150 yards....
I would suggest IF you want to make a bonzai run, do it in the daylight. You can see everything around you better, because doing those speeds you need to look and be able to see 1/4 mile or more in front of you. Slowing it down is the toughest part....
It isn't the power of the car that will stop you, it's the air pressure pushing against you. One of our members runs out there and NEVER touches the brakes for the entire course. Just lifting the throttle slows him down 30 MPH in less than 150 yards....
I would suggest IF you want to make a bonzai run, do it in the daylight. You can see everything around you better, because doing those speeds you need to look and be able to see 1/4 mile or more in front of you. Slowing it down is the toughest part....
