Corvette Zero to 60

I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems that
some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to be
nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block engines. Why
is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a budget. I can
pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k is this a good
deal?

Thanks

In a word, gearing.

In the pre-83 Corvettes, you had a 4 speed or an automatic. In the four
speeds, you had a choice of 2.52 (give or take) first gear in the wide ratio
and 2.20 in the close ratio. this meant you needed to have the low rear end
such as 4.11 or even 4.56 for really quick take off, which not that many
really ordered since a 4.11 with a 435 hp big block was good for 5 mpg or
less. Even at $.27 per gallon, you could use a lot.

Also, having a 4.11 or lower rear meant you didn't have much top end.

In the '84 and up, you had the Doug Nash 4+3 or the ZF 6-speed, both of
which had much lower first gears than the old 4 speeds. They also had
overdrive in the top gears. This gave the Corvettes a much better take off
and also gave them top end.

Asking if a car is a good deal without seeing it is like asking if your
girlfriend is good looking without seeing her. The values of the '84 to '90
are a bit low right now, and much of that comes with certain complications
in the electronics that can either give you fits or make you enjoy the
fiddling time.

The '86 will have either the 4+3 manual or the 700R4 automatic. Both are
expensive to rebuild and both are early enough into the existence to break.
Figure an extra $1500 roughly if you need to do that.

Otherwise, most things that go wrong on a C4 can be handled to a great
extent by anyone a bit handy.


"Trader" > wrote in message
...
> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems
that
> some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to be
> nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block engines.
Why
> is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a budget. I can
> pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k is this a good
> deal?
>
> Thanks
>
>

In a word, gearing.

In the pre-83 Corvettes, you had a 4 speed or an automatic. In the four
speeds, you had a choice of 2.52 (give or take) first gear in the wide ratio
and 2.20 in the close ratio. this meant you needed to have the low rear end
such as 4.11 or even 4.56 for really quick take off, which not that many
really ordered since a 4.11 with a 435 hp big block was good for 5 mpg or
less. Even at $.27 per gallon, you could use a lot.

Also, having a 4.11 or lower rear meant you didn't have much top end.

In the '84 and up, you had the Doug Nash 4+3 or the ZF 6-speed, both of
which had much lower first gears than the old 4 speeds. They also had
overdrive in the top gears. This gave the Corvettes a much better take off
and also gave them top end.

Asking if a car is a good deal without seeing it is like asking if your
girlfriend is good looking without seeing her. The values of the '84 to '90
are a bit low right now, and much of that comes with certain complications
in the electronics that can either give you fits or make you enjoy the
fiddling time.

The '86 will have either the 4+3 manual or the 700R4 automatic. Both are
expensive to rebuild and both are early enough into the existence to break.
Figure an extra $1500 roughly if you need to do that.

Otherwise, most things that go wrong on a C4 can be handled to a great
extent by anyone a bit handy.


"Trader" > wrote in message
...
> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems
that
> some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to be
> nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block engines.
Why
> is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a budget. I can
> pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k is this a good
> deal?
>
> Thanks
>
>

I should have added, most things that can go wrong already has. And either
they have been fixed, or someone is trying to pass it off cheap.


"Tom in Missouri" > wrote in message
news
>
> Otherwise, most things that go wrong on a C4 can be handled to a great
> extent by anyone a bit handy.
>
>

I should have added, most things that can go wrong already has. And either
they have been fixed, or someone is trying to pass it off cheap.


"Tom in Missouri" > wrote in message
news
>
> Otherwise, most things that go wrong on a C4 can be handled to a great
> extent by anyone a bit handy.
>
>

Trader wrote:
> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems that
> some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to be
> nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block engines. Why
> is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a budget. I can
> pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k is this a good
> deal?
>
> Thanks
>
>
Zero to sixty is more influenced by gear ratios and torque curve than by
the H.P. curve. Quarter mile and top speed is more influenced by H.P.
That said, it's torque and rpm that determine H.P.

If you optimize H.P. by sliding the torque peak upward you may well
sacrifice torque down below 2000 RPM. That sort of move will look good
in the brochure and sound great in the showroom but cost dearly leaving
the line. Cars that run on rice and produce 400 HP at 8800 rpm may be
dead meat in a good 0-60 duel by some "retro" muscle car that does has
250 HP on the dyno @ 4500 engine rpm and has it's peak torque down at
2500 rpm. Tossing a bit of nitro jumps the torque gangbusters! Never
sell a big block short it's good at other games beside 0-60.

If the engine, suspension, paint and interior eyeball OK, the <5K is
certainly a good deal.

With respect to Wayne,
Mike "foot pounds are gud" Ellison

Trader wrote:
> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems that
> some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to be
> nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block engines. Why
> is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a budget. I can
> pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k is this a good
> deal?
>
> Thanks
>
>
Zero to sixty is more influenced by gear ratios and torque curve than by
the H.P. curve. Quarter mile and top speed is more influenced by H.P.
That said, it's torque and rpm that determine H.P.

If you optimize H.P. by sliding the torque peak upward you may well
sacrifice torque down below 2000 RPM. That sort of move will look good
in the brochure and sound great in the showroom but cost dearly leaving
the line. Cars that run on rice and produce 400 HP at 8800 rpm may be
dead meat in a good 0-60 duel by some "retro" muscle car that does has
250 HP on the dyno @ 4500 engine rpm and has it's peak torque down at
2500 rpm. Tossing a bit of nitro jumps the torque gangbusters! Never
sell a big block short it's good at other games beside 0-60.

If the engine, suspension, paint and interior eyeball OK, the <5K is
certainly a good deal.

With respect to Wayne,
Mike "foot pounds are gud" Ellison

"Paul Hine" > wrote in message
...
> Trader wrote:
>> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems
>> that some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to
>> be nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block
>> engines. Why is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a
>> budget. I can pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k
>> is this a good deal?
>>
>> Thanks
> Zero to sixty is more influenced by gear ratios and torque curve than by
> the H.P. curve. Quarter mile and top speed is more influenced by H.P.
> That said, it's torque and rpm that determine H.P.
>
> If you optimize H.P. by sliding the torque peak upward you may well
> sacrifice torque down below 2000 RPM. That sort of move will look good in
> the brochure and sound great in the showroom but cost dearly leaving the
> line. Cars that run on rice and produce 400 HP at 8800 rpm may be dead
> meat in a good 0-60 duel by some "retro" muscle car that does has 250 HP
> on the dyno @ 4500 engine rpm and has it's peak torque down at 2500 rpm.
> Tossing a bit of nitro jumps the torque gangbusters! Never sell a big
> block short it's good at other games beside 0-60.
>


Don't forget; the ONLY stock cars that could bust the 12's on street tires
in the 60's were Corvettes.

Al

"Paul Hine" > wrote in message
...
> Trader wrote:
>> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60 figures. It seems
>> that some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P. engines seem to
>> be nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big block
>> engines. Why is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a
>> budget. I can pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k
>> is this a good deal?
>>
>> Thanks
> Zero to sixty is more influenced by gear ratios and torque curve than by
> the H.P. curve. Quarter mile and top speed is more influenced by H.P.
> That said, it's torque and rpm that determine H.P.
>
> If you optimize H.P. by sliding the torque peak upward you may well
> sacrifice torque down below 2000 RPM. That sort of move will look good in
> the brochure and sound great in the showroom but cost dearly leaving the
> line. Cars that run on rice and produce 400 HP at 8800 rpm may be dead
> meat in a good 0-60 duel by some "retro" muscle car that does has 250 HP
> on the dyno @ 4500 engine rpm and has it's peak torque down at 2500 rpm.
> Tossing a bit of nitro jumps the torque gangbusters! Never sell a big
> block short it's good at other games beside 0-60.
>


Don't forget; the ONLY stock cars that could bust the 12's on street tires
in the 60's were Corvettes.

Al

"Trader" > wrote in message
...
> I was checking out a website with posted zero to 60
figures. It seems that
> some of the Vetts in the 80's that only had 230 H.P.
engines seem to be
> nearly as fast as some of the Vetts like the 68 with big
block engines. Why
> is this? I'm looking for a Vette to play with but am on a
budget. I can
> pickup a 86 with 100k miles and in good shape for under 5k
is this a good
> deal?
>
> Thanks
>

I got an 84 with 42K miles for 3K.
needed some interior work.
don't believe the engine even has 230 HP.
--
"Key"