dragonist2

Hi,

I have always heard that the small block engines in the '69s were relatively easy to drive (manual transmission). My question is if anyone who has driven both can compare them. I have read in books & online that the base ZQ3 350/300 is the best if you want to drive it daily, but surely the L46 350/350 can't be worse? It's about the same weight/size producing more horses that you don't even have to use if you don't want to.

Why do people say that the 350/300 is best for a daily driver? Is it because of reliability, torque, ???

Thanks.

terrys6t8roadster

6t8 327/350 4-speed with 3.36 gears was fun and after a good tuning could almost keep up with the 390 hp 427. 69 350/300 auto with 3.08 gears was sluggish to say the least. Did some work on a 69 350/350 4-speed with 3.55 gears fun car to drive. T

derekderek

If hp rating is at or above the displacement, it is sensitive, fussy at low RPM's. It really only makes that much power north of 4k where road daily drivers are usually in the next gear already. The advantage of a big block like that is even with reduced torque at 2k cuz of the high rpm cam, it still has a LOT!

pigfarmer

I was out for several hours in my ’69 L-46 4-speed convertible yesterday. Very easy to drive, handles well. Nothing radical. Ethanol in the fuel – which is almost impossible to avoid in this area - on a hot day can be problematic on a higher compression engine. Pingy-pingy-fart-pop when it gets really hot, OK when cool.

Real LT1s with solid lifters might require a bit more periodic maintenance.

Drivability is subjective. If you’re OK with a 40-50 year old daily driver then go for it. I put 50K on a small pickup truck in one year – 5-speed and no a/c – on the job in heavy city driving. No choice at the time and it didn’t kill me. Wouldn’t choose to do it again. In a convertible with side pipes if I need air conditioning or the clutch becomes a burden I'll go get a different car.I test drove several other C3s a couple of years ago when shopping and once you factor out the condition of tires, suspension etc. I can’t really say that any of the small blocks felt that radically different. Often the drivers I was looking at didn't even have original engines in them so I dunno how you might rank them.

Good luck

cv67

No real difference if tuned well. ANyone saying a stock LT1 isnt daily driveable is a pansy, sorry.
Used the GM 140 cam, ported heads and more compression in my 70 Z/28 it was my one and only car..traffic, hrs on the fwy didnt matter never had to touch it.

pigfarmer

Ran into an LT-1 owner at a tire shop. He bitched about adjusting valves. A lot. Don't really know (or care) exactly why he was bitching because that doesn't sound like the end of the world to me but I remembered what he said. Maybe he was just a doofus.
Didn't say you couldn't drive it daily or that it was radically different.

Iceaxe

I have an L46 and I don't know how you could make the car any easier to drive except to with an automatic, which was not an option with the L46 or LT-1.

CheezMoe

PS/PB are going to have more impact on ease to drive than which motor is in it I think.

stingr69

LT-1 was available with automatic (in a Camaro). Pretty darn good ride.

L-46 is probably the easiest to live with. Closed hood car. I built mine that way on purpose so you know how I feel about it.

350/300 is great ....for a station wagon.

leigh1322

I've had all 3.
It's more a difference in the rev range I think.
350/300 is a real smooth torquer. But doesn't rev too far past 5500. This one always pulls steady. No big power surge.
350/350 gives you a lot more midrange and top end to 6000+ with almost no disadvantage. This one has a nice power surge in mid-range. It feels great and is no-hassle.
LT1 has added hassles of solid lifters and Holley, little less torque below 3000 but can pull to 6500-7000.This one has a mid and upper range power surge. It's still very driveable around town, and revs like a mad-man.
They all make about the same amount of torque.
But the second and third types usually have more rear gear.
More gears will make them feel stronger/quicker more than the difference in power curves.
That help?

LS4 PILOT

Once you BB you never go back.

210ken

I too have owned both a base 300hp 69 auto and a 350hp manual. Both easy drivers with normal maintenance. The L46 was by far the better example of the corvette experience.

terrys6t8roadster

Went from a sluggish 300 hp auto w/3.08 gears in the 69 to a 434 sbc. OH what fun it is. T