Why would you build a car that scares you?
 

Went to a Karl Kustom Car Night last night. Karl Chevrolet is a mega Chevrolet dealer in Iowa and has a separate performance/custom shop that is world class. Once a month they have a car night that pulls in cars of every model and year by the hundreds and hundreds. Last night I ran into a fellow in his 60's or early 70's who owned a C6 GS like mine. He began to tell me all the work Karl's had done to it. He told them he wanted the car to have a solid 600RWHP and they took off with it. Full header exhaust system cam, fuel pump, head/valve work and Lingerfelter supercharger plus tune and tranny work. He dropped about $25k by his estimates. It became apparent he loved to talk about the car, but it scared him to death and he said so. Instead of driving the car last night, he brought his daily driver. I have no doubt he actually owns the car, as buddy of his was involved in our conversation.

I have always wondered just how many of his type are out there. Today incredible amounts of horsepower can be created and technology allows it to get to the ground. With so many "mature" Corvette owners out there, how often does this happen, their appetite is bigger than their stomach?

Corvettes were very well represented at last night's gathering, probably the dominant car in numbers of all that attended. Some damned nice rides!!

I've never been able to relate to how anyone wants a car that will rarely, if ever, get driven for any reason. There are museums for such things. I watch the Barrett Jackson auctions all the time and I see cars I'd love to own and then think to myself, at that price, I'd be afraid to drive it, therefore I'd never bother to own it. I'd be even less likely to own something that had so much power I was afraid to drive it. That said, to each his own. I picked up my C6 a month ago that was driven an average of 2k miles per year. So previous owner's loss and my gain. I've put almost 1k miles on it since I got it and intend to drive it every chance I get.

I'd have to wonder why someone would be scared of a car for any reason. The car doesn't magically use all 600 HP; it takes the driver putting the gas pedal to the floor for that to happen. :confused2:

Sometimes it's simply about bragging rights. I don't understand it, but then again I don't understand buying a car and not driving it. If I own it, it's getting driven. And if it has a power adder, it's getting used every time I want to exercise it. I guess everyone is entitled to do whatever they want with their property.

I have a neighbor who owns a 68 GTO that he bought new. It's been redone twice. He drives it once a month in the summer to a local car get together.

Why build it?!? Because you can!

#Merica

It's something you get used to. Back in the late 90s, I bought a 95 Firebird Formula. It was my first car that I purchased with my own money. I came from a late 80s Ford Escort, with an anemic FWD 4 cylinder (I think 89hp), and a 3 speed auto. The Formula was a 275hp RWD V8, with a 6 speed manual. It scared me when I would slam on the gas. But after a few months, I got used to it. Mod bug hit me as best it could living as a college kid working a part time job.

Yeh, but is it bragging, really, when you admit to people you have a car at home that is so freakin powerful and fast you were afraid to drive it to a car show? Might say a lot about the car, not so much about the man.

I have a friend that has an independent HD shop in the Phoenix area. 70 year old guys come in all fall wanting a faster bike than their buddy, and since they are snowbirds they want a quick turnaround. They will come in with the "money is no object' attitude, then have too much bike when it's done. Now, he usually starts with an air kit and a tune, maybe exhaust, and go from there if they want engine mods. I guess the point is, some guys don't really know what they are asking for.

He sounds like a bitch.

I’m very happy with the stock HP. I know some guys that own vettes that spent a fortune on engine mods . Impressive
hp but they do not race their cars - a waste for them.

Lot's of us running around at 600+ whp, not being scared. :rofl: I've met more guys than I can count over the years who brag about dyno sheets, and never drive it.

It's simple! It's just the same old pissing contest! Mine's bigger than yours:rofl: I have a base car with 436hp 6sp manual now for 2 years, and it still amazes me how fast this car is stock!

I didn't know that! I thought as soon as I touched the gas pedal, I was using all 436hp!:rofl:

:rofl: well you beat me to it buddy....

Wouldn’t mind a clarification on that $25k, is that on top of the cost of the car? If so I’d be mad as hell if $25k only got me 600whp....also not sure 600 is enough to scare a person to not drive it either, it tells you a lot about the owner but not much about the car and why it’s “so scary”.

Now I’ve a somewhat fast C6z and it does scare me, and I’ll be up front about that. It’s a good fear though the kind that keeps you alert locked in and focused. Complacency is what kills, cutting corners and not having respect for shit that’s dangerous never ends well. When I go out in my Z....especially when I’m in Mexico.....your damn right I’m a little scared, that keeps me on my game....same way I operate at work, shooting, jumping, driving boats whatever it is, I keep some of that healthy fear real close. That’s how you come at the end of the night.

The guy OP is talking about is obviously over his head and at this point probably likes to play up the “my car is so fast” I literally didn’t drive it because of that....sure buddy....keep telling yourself that :rofl: sell it and buy a Volvo....or stop being a little bitch and put the time and effort in to learn the car. 🇺🇸

How you doing 913? Hopefully there’s excellent vette weather wherever you are bro!

^ Beautiful here! Enjoying the 90 days of good weather we get out of 365. :ack:

I think some read a lot and hear a lot, but until they experience it firsthand, they don't appreciate how insane it is. Like the guys at work talking about the latest 600-700-800HP whatever. They've never owned anything really fast or used it where they should. The most car I've ever owned was a stock C6 Z06 and I have a great deal of track time in different kinds of cars. My GS will eventually get modified up to a little over stock LS7 power levels and that'll be all I'll never need. Nobody standing around cars in a parking lot drinking coffee will want to hear much about it, but I don't care about them. You might be amazed at how much fun I have and how many fast cars I pass in my 250HP E36 M3 on the track. At the end of the day, to each his own.

Here is a question that kind of ties in with this conversation. What is the top speed of a 2012 GS A6 with no mods? I know where I have been, and I didn't have a lot left.

my car is stuck and it have more than enough power for me.

To Mcrider's buddy...Why would you be scared of a car with 600rwhp? Just don't use all of it at once & you will be fine :cool:

I've seen numbers in multiple sources that put top speed at about 185-190.