How do you keep the C3 from getting light above 120mph?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
The C2 and C3 suffered from the same aerodynamic problem brought on by the design department - the high nose. The hood vents on the 63 were supposed to be functional for exactly that reason (replicating the Mako Shark show/race car), but they were eliminated at the last minute to keep oil off of the windshield. The guys at Jaguar probably just said to wash your windshield more often. 
Last edited by I'm Batman; Apr 25, 2012 at 11:39 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,444
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I really think that Bee Jay is the only one to do comprehensive testing. My only high speed testing was in preperation was for the Nevada Silver state 93 mile open road race. I developed a fast by myself stable vette. What really threw me around to the point of feeling unsafe was being around the turbulance created by other high speed cars. You loose all down force in the wake of the really bad *** cars going by you or coming up to pass slower cars during the open test days.
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
I personally never felt safe in my Vette in the early days until I put in a heavy 1 3/4 1.34 wall dom mild steel tubing, racing seat, and 5 point harness. My cage is not the best, but for stiffening
I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
I personally never felt safe in my Vette in the early days until I put in a heavy 1 3/4 1.34 wall dom mild steel tubing, racing seat, and 5 point harness. My cage is not the best, but for stiffening
I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
Last edited by gkull; Apr 26, 2012 at 12:05 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,802
Likes: 241
From: Niles, MI
But, you'll notice the vents on either side of the hood bubble, and I always thought they contributed to the stability. It'd be nice if someone made a fiberglass vent panel that could be attached to a 'vette hood on either side. It'd be interesting to see how it worked out, and regardless, it'd look cool as heck.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
I really think that Bee Jay is the only one to do comprehensive testing. My only high speed testing was in preperation was for the Nevada Silver state 93 mile open road race. I developed a fast by myself stable vette. What really threw me around to the point of feeling unsafe was being around the turbulance created by other high speed cars. You loose all down force in the wake of the really bad *** cars going by you or coming up to pass slower cars during the open test days.
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
I personally never felt safe in my Vette in the early days until I put in a heavy 1 3/4 1.34 wall dom mild steel tubing, racing seat, and 5 point harness. My cage is not the best, but for stiffening
I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
I personally never felt safe in my Vette in the early days until I put in a heavy 1 3/4 1.34 wall dom mild steel tubing, racing seat, and 5 point harness. My cage is not the best, but for stiffening
I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,444
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,272
Likes: 17
if the 'just what works ' catagory, the hood vents from a turbo charged 90's pontiac, come with drip trays that dump perfectly for a vette, fit vette fenders or hoods like they were designed for them, let air and heat out, come with all attachment hardware, for bout $80 shipped. I put them on my C4 poor mans track car , they are excellent. hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
1. I really think that Bee Jay is the only one to do comprehensive testing.
2. What really threw me around to the point of feeling unsafe was being around the turbulance created by other high speed cars. You loose all down force in the wake of the really bad *** cars going by you or coming up to pass slower cars during the open test days.
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
3. I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
2. What really threw me around to the point of feeling unsafe was being around the turbulance created by other high speed cars. You loose all down force in the wake of the really bad *** cars going by you or coming up to pass slower cars during the open test days.
I tested with some super fast C-5's back in the day and drafting got my heart rate up.
3. I also think that dual adjust front QA-1 coil overs with 600 -700 pound springs and running 4.0 or higher castor make a vette very stable.
My street tires are also 186 mph rated. My slicks might be very high MPH
2. ok... another worry, was that at 120... or 160?
3. how to you feel about bilstine sports and 600# springs?
how much pressure develops under the wheel well? or negative pressure above at that point?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Just thought it worth noting the forward location of hood vents on the ZL1 Camaro...
Highly suspect the General has done a bit of research on this.
Highly suspect the General has done a bit of research on this.
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; May 5, 2012 at 02:54 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 20,841
Likes: 959
From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
Is that the production configuration? That's common on race cars for the last 50 years (I recall seeing some of the early front radiator Chaparrals dumping out the hot air there), but I always assumed the reason nobody did that for a production vehicle was that a share of this hot roasted-bug air eventually makes its way into the cowl cabin air ducts, like in the picture. Did they address this issue somehow?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Apparently that's the production config. 
Viewing a recent segment about the ZL1 on Motorweek got me curious enough to do some followup. I'd think they're far enough ahead of the cowl that extracted air likely doesn't adversely affect cabin inlet air temps.
Viewing a recent segment about the ZL1 on Motorweek got me curious enough to do some followup. I'd think they're far enough ahead of the cowl that extracted air likely doesn't adversely affect cabin inlet air temps.
Last edited by TheSkunkWorks; May 5, 2012 at 04:10 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,956
Likes: 409
From: California
That, is very interesting..... I wonder if you could make a C3 hood look good with something like that in the front middle section...behind the radiator, in front of the engine.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Is that in front of or behind the ZL1's radiator? The L88 hood always looked to me like Zora intended for it to have a functional vent, but it was probably dropped for the same reason the 63's vents were cosmetic - didn't want oily air blowing up on the windshield.
I kinda dig the fender vents.
I kinda dig the fender vents.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 4
you could almost do that right now with an LT1 hood. it might take some tweaking, but i think it would be pretty close as is. ive actually thought about punching a couple holes in mine, but i just cant bring my self to do it.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,960
Likes: 573
From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 955
Likes: 50
From: Jersey Shore
Ive been thinking about a heat extractor hood set up like this...
L88 hood bulge moved back a few inches and the rad leaned forward. The hood hinge mechanism will have to be modified to clear the rad when it is opened. A spreader bar would be in the way, but I think it would be Ok if it was in the airduct
L88 hood bulge moved back a few inches and the rad leaned forward. The hood hinge mechanism will have to be modified to clear the rad when it is opened. A spreader bar would be in the way, but I think it would be Ok if it was in the airduct
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 955
Likes: 50
From: Jersey Shore
The LT1/BB hood vents are too far forward... Mine are cut out and it is just barely behind the rad support