Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site qubix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!houxz!vax135!floyd!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!jeff From: jeff@qubix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Stuff big-block Chevy into '84 Vette? Message-ID: <1192@qubix.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Jun-84 23:00:13 EDT Article-I.D.: qubix.1192 Posted: Mon Jun 11 23:00:13 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jun-84 00:11:23 EDT Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA Lines: 86 >From jeff Fri Jun 8 17:20:49 1984 Received: by qubix.uucp (4.13/3.14) id AA10032; Fri, 8 Jun 84 17:20:31 pdt Date: Fri, 8 Jun 84 17:20:31 pdt From: jeff (Jeff Buchanan) Message-Id: <8406090020.AA10032@qubix.uucp> To: idi!kiessig, jeff@qubix.uucp Subject: Re: Ferrari vs Big block Corvette Status: RO In response to your response to my suggestion about putting a big block Chevy in your '84 Corvette, if you are at all thinking about it you should contact me 408-370-9229 408-866-9573 days Jeff Buchanan 2279 Datoro Dr. San Jose, Ca 95130 What I suggested about putting a big block in a '84 Vette is quite possile in principle, but if it were easy to do and there were no disadvantages (relative to leaving it stock) I would have already done it to my own '84 Corvette. I've been building engines and putting them into cars since 1971, so I know a little bit about what I'm talking about. These have all (except for one) been L-88 big block Chevy types and mostly the cars have been Corvettes. Addressing the question of "how can I get more performance out of my '84 Vette?", what I suggested was a way of doing this that is on the far end of a wide spectrum of ideas. In other words, there are maybe a hundred ways of increasing the performance of an '84 Vette. Generally speaking, the better (spelled more horsepower) the performance, the less streeta streetable the car would be. My idea represents the extreme: maximize performance, minimize streetability. There are compromise methods whereby you would get good but not great performance but maintain most of the streetability you now have. A stock Corvette represents the other extreme: fantastically good streetability but terrible performance. Let me give two other examples of performance increase. Keep the small block but make it faster. With this approach, you could replace the cam with a much more radical grind (the stock cam is extremely mild) one like the famous "off road" cam offered by Chevy, replace the heads with the angle plug heads, and install headers (I don't know if anyone makes small block headers for a '84 Vette). Any amount of mods less than this doesn't make sense cause the performance gain would be so tiny you might not be able to detect it. In other words if you only put on headers but keep the same heads and cam, you would still have gone to a lot of trouble and expense but the ultra low performance of the stock heads and cam would keep any header benefits from being felt. Since those three components work together you pretty much have to do all three or forget about it. Of course you would still be stuck with low compression pistons but that's not so bad cause high octane gas has not been available (except at airports) since about 1973. You would also be stuck with the weak bottom end pieces (I assume these engines come with two bolt mains, iron cranks, and little rods) but that's OK too cause you still won't have all that much horsepower. Another performane approach which is much more work and expense and only a little less streetable is to install a big block but one that is much milder than my "830 HP" big block. I can really appreciate your desire to get more ponies out of your Vette. When I step down on the gas of my '84 I say "where's the horsepower?". The thing is, I never consider increasing the performance even though I know how simply because I would never be satisfied with anything less than great performance. The Corvette is not a compromise car, so the only thing that makes sense to me is to have another car for performance and leave the Corvette alone and appreciateit for what it is. I hope I don't sound like I have a pompus attitude because I don't. I'm certainly not critisizing anyone for accepting mediocre performance, it's just that I drove a 10 second car every day on the street in 1970-1975, and that to me is acceptable performanceIf I tried to make my '84 into a 10 second car, I would have to make it unstreetable to the point that I wouldn't enjoy doing the things I do now, for instance I couldn't just jump in the car and cruise up to Lake Tahoe like I can now, or take my girl friend out on a date. It makes more sense to have two cars, one slow and streetable, one fast and exciting that way I've got the best of both worlds. I would like very much to share some of my ideas with you if you still want to get more performance out of your car. By the way, I've never know anyone else with an '84 Vette. How is yours equipped and how do you like it? What color is it? -- Jeff Buchanan @ QUBIX Graphic Systems, Inc., Saratoga, CA. ...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl! ...{ittvax,amd70}!qubix!jeff decwrl!qubix!jeff@Berkeley.ARPA