OK, I mean no disrespect and am not looking for a flame war, I'm just really curious about some of the horse power claims I see on the forum. Could some of you with the 550 and above levels give me a better understanding of how the car drives, traction, etc. My last toy was a 69 Camaro that I built a 434 cu in small block for. It had a forged bottom end and 12.0:1 forged flat tops. The cam was from Comp, mechanical roller with 254/258 @.050 .630 lift, with worked over Dart 220 race heads and a Wilson intake W/ a 950 DP. Crank HP was at just shy of 600. This combination was just not even fun on the street. In traffic it tended to run on the hot side (220) and did not like to idle at stop lights. With the deep gears it ran down the freeway at 4,000 RPM and mileage never topped 6 mpg. Traction was nonexistent in first and second at anything below 60 mph and even then is was loose. How do you guys do it in the Vette? Again, I do not doubt your claims, I just can't understand how you can drive them on the street. Thanks.
Scott

 

Well I cannot claim any high horsepower rating on my basically stock C5, but there is a big difference in a '69 Camaro and a newer Corvette with an LSx engine. I think when people with the 550+ hp engines reply, you will find that they mostly are using forced induction and if they are not real all out drag cars, they most likely are not pulling some crazy high gear. Also don't forget the cooling system on the LS engines is vastly improved over the older Chevy engines.

 

Mine makes 500+ rwhp with stock 3.42 gears. I dd it every day it doesn't rain. It is extremely streetable at 17mpg. Yeah, it idles a little lopey, but nothing radical. The Spec 3+ clutch is tolerable. When I have the Borla straight pipes on during track season, it might be a little loud. I don't drive it too hard on street, so I don't have traction issues . . . . . unless I turn the nannies off and stomp it. I have a Dewitts rad with 160* tstat, so coolant never gets above 190 even at the track. If that is all that is holding you back, forget it and go for it! HTH.

 

Apples and oranges. LS engines were designed for massive horsepower. Better flowing cooling passages and radiator design are far superior to old time cars. Better fueling and engine controls far exceed those of any old time cars. Comparing street manners is almost a laugh. Traction control and better suspension with better brakes make it a no brainer.

My car is very drivable but when you hit the go peddle it's a beast that wakes up and screams down the dragstrip. It's almost two different cars in one vehicle, beautiful and menacing while motoring around but a monster when hauling tail.

There is no comparison between old school Small blocks using 50's engineering standards and LS small blocks using 90's technology. No one takes a 60's chassis/engine and drops a C5 body on it, while it's common to take a 60's body and drop it on a C5 chassis/LS engine.

I do understand that it can be sort of "OVERKILL" to have a lot of power, but it's all about how you learn to not get nuts with it. Youtube is full of people who lose control and don't know what to do with it.

 

Almost 600rwhp here....and it drives like stock. That is until I mash the go-peddle....then it's

 

Well I don't have that type of HP and never will have. But look at it this way. The New ZR1 has 638 out of the box.

 

Ive had the old muscle car type of car as well (79 TA with 455, 71 Camaro with 454, many 350 camaros and similiar cars) I didnt understand how it was possible that the ls series cars made so much power in a motor that was smaller than any of mine, not to mention how they put it down...The other posters here nailed it though..Superior Technology. Nearly stock my vette put down around 340 to the wheels, a bit more than my 455 TA, I was able to stick through almost every gear on the vette whereas that TA broke loose on nearly every gear, through an auto, with less power... Now I have a turbocharger and my car actually is even more mild than before till about 3000 rpm at which point its broke loose in every gear Ive been brave enough to fully try (1st-3rd so far) There's a reason why the 5.0 mustang, RX7, Porsche, and other tuner car guys are putting LS motors in their cars for racing.

 

The only thing I can add is someday I sure would like to experience a Vette with 500+ hp. Not sure mine will ever get there.

 

 

Mine is a LS3 418 stroker with all the serious stuff in it. It's putting out 522 rwhp and 496 tq normally aspirated. It has AR headers and X-pipe emptying into a stock C5Z ti exhaust. The car has a very lopey idle with all that mass spinning around. That gets transferred to the car which resonates when the engine is below 1000 rpm. It's kind of intimidating to first-time passengers who get their first clue that this car isn't exactly stock.

The car is no fun at all in stop-and-go traffic. The Textralia clutch requires a conscious effort to launch the car properly. Once moving, though, it shifts smoothly and the car has excellent manners. I don't really launch the car hard from a dead stop. I'm more into carving up corners and accelerating out of them than making drag racing style starts. Going from 45 to 90 in this car happens in a heartbeat. It's the most fun you'll have with your pants on. When it winds above 5000 rpm it sounds like a race car.

The exhaust is reasonably quiet with no drone at highway speed, but gets much louder under acceleration. If I recall correctly, it's turning about 1900 rpm in 6th at 75 mph. There's more wind noise with the top off than anything else.

In normal driving, gas mileage has been around 15-17, but that reflects zero attempt to try to squeeze out a few more mpg. I haven't tested my gas mileage on the highway yet. On the DIC it says I'm getting 23-25 on cruise control at 75 mph in 6th.

Coolant temps never really vary once the car warms up. The car would be perfectly comfortable on long road trip. I plan on making one this summer.

 

JCS your car sounds bad ***! Pix!?

 

Can't compare old school muscle and new tech engines.

To get massive power back then, that's what you had to do. Now, even with big cams it's a lot better with all the computer management.

By far, it sounds like going forced induction is what you want. There are a variety of supercharging systems out there, but the centrifugal type allow stock driving around town, until you push it and it's fun time.

I have both a medium sized cammed TA and an ECS supercharged Vette. Vette is by far more fun to drive around.

 

My car makes a tad over 600. I am running A&A blower, cam, headers and meth. The car is very streetable and makes good power. All of first gear is not usable and most of second on normal street tires. The cam is a little more difficult to drive with but not bad after a little seat time and my clutch is a stiffer than stock but by no means not impossible. I love a big cam NA car but a moderately cammed blower car makes big power and isn't hard to drive at all


Btw with the Corsa mufflers I get no drone and my car is LOUD but on the interstate it is mellow and I would not hesitate to go on road trips. To the OP if you were closer I would offer you a ride but looks like you are quite a ways from the gulf coast.

Rob

 

Yeah, I have to get busy on that.

I'm the guy who chops the heads off of everyone I try to take a picture of. Either that or they're out of focus. I need to get the family photographer (the wife) out on a sunny Sunday and take some pics.

I'll be at VIR on Saturday. At the very least maybe Finish Line Productions will get a good shot or two.

 

With the LS1/LS6's, it's easy to make big power compared to the old school cars. Guys are making 420rwhp with mild all motor setups, to 500rwhp with "extreme" setups. I say extreme because it's not really extreme at all. I drove in Mike69@ECS's car and it was sick. 500+rwhp on a NA stock cube motor and stock gears. Idled great too. Only thing he complained of was the clutch being heavy, and thats a relatively easy change. With boosted cars, strap on an ECS paxton kit and run 500-600rwhp on a bone stock motor for the most part. The FI makes the car perform like a supercar, yet get the mpg of a stock car. HP claims are just that, HP claims. Ive seen guys claiming 400-500hp at the track running 13's. My car made a measly 331hp through A 6 speed, yet it went 11.80's. It's all in the driver. HP claims mean nothing. If you cant put the power down, people will run circles around you.

 

My sincere thanks to all who replied. It looks like maybe I can look forward to some serious HP increases in the next few years. Besides always wanting a Corvette I made the move because it had respectable HP stock but I could actually drive it, unlike the Camaro. Don't get me wrong, the Camaro was fun and gave mid 10 second runs but it was unbearable to drive on the street. Again, my thanks.

Scott

 

There are plenty ECS cars running 10 sec 1/4 during the day. and then taking their significant other out to dinner or a cruise down the shore at night. I drove doug@ecs 1000+ vette to toys for tots a few years ago. It had no problem in stop and go traffic and think over the last few years tuning has gotten even better.

Heck my own 580rwhp NA car has no issues driving around town. My only issue is staying under the speed limit.

 

This is why I am not a fan of high lift cams with a low LSA. Not streetable. I went with a Supercharger. Drives just like stock until you get on it!

 

I owned/drove at the same time both a 77 Corvette worked all motor and a 2000 Corvette worked twin turbo for 5 years. Both meet your criteria. No comparison. Sold the 77, still have the 2000. Daily driver and TONS of fun. GO FOR IT!!!

 

I decided years ago to build my vette with alot of power but
really a stock feeling car. This is before the C-6 ZR1..
Well my vette drives like a new vette very tame with a
aftermarket auto and torg converter. Driving down the
road you hear a whistle sound but that's about it. I get
24 miles to the gal. There is no pushing or rattling like
the ol cam and head jobs. Very ol man like and that's
what I wanted.
My crank hp is 700.
You couldn't do that with the old school engines and
drive anywhere anytime and not shake your eye teeth out.
Been there done that.....................