I blew the doors off a C5!

[ThumbsUp]

As I mentioned on my introductory post, I recently went through 2 late model Corvettes (C5's) before landing in my current ride, an '86 Carrera. So I know the power of the C5 pretty well.

Anyway, I was coming home last night from a business dinner and driving briskly thru the traffic on a divided four lane road. I soon realized that a car with pop-up headlights was behind me keeping up with me. I was stopped at a light and he pulled up beside me. We gave each other a nod and went on down the road diceing thru traffic.

I entered a major highway thru an S shaped on ramp and he was not far behind. I knew that when I hit the highway, he'd let the dogs out. So I hit the highway in 2nd gear and ran to 7 grand in 2nd and 3rd. All the time I was pulling away from him slightly. I had gone about 1/3 of a mile and looked at the speedo. I was doing 130 so I back out of it. It was only then that he came roaring by. This was pretty amazing to me since the road was also an uphill grade (est 5%). We stopped together at the next light. He looked over, nodded his head, and gave me a thumbs up (how appropriate!)

I've had this car for a month or two now, and I've had the feeling that it is not exactly "as delivered". I've replaced the cat with a by-pass pipe, and the car already had a dual exit muffler and K&N filter. But the car lopes and hits hard on idle, like it has a hot cam.

I'm going to try to contact the previous owner to find out what he knows. In the meantime, I've resolved the one reservation I've had in switching from the C5 to the Carrera - more power!

[Superman]

My engine is fairly stock, but with upgraded cams. I'll agree that uphill slopes are the funnest places to burn petrol. As fun as second gear is, the more impressive thing my car seems to be able to do, is accelerate sharply uphill while already going 100 mph. Sure there are stronger cars out there. I mean I'm convinced they're out there. I know they're there.

But I don't see them much.

I mean, at 90 mph in 5th, I step on the gas and the rear end lifts a little and gets stiff, and a few seconds later I am going 120 or 130. And the sound! Nothing compares to the sound my engine makes when it is working hard in triple-digit speeds.

[efhughes3]

Just curious, you talked about hitting 7K in 2nd and 3rd, and mentioned doing 130. Did you hit 130 in 3rd? If so, I'd say work HAS been done to your motor. My '84 redlines at about 100 in 3rd.

[jester911]

Well I don't know about your 86 carrera but mine redlines at 6300. I wouldn't want to push 7000 in a 16 year old car. But hey thats just me

[Kurt B]

The tach will bounch up that high under hard acceleration.
but it's not actually hitting 7k

[JonT]

Is the C5 the new model Vette? If so I find it hard to believe you were pulling away from him. Even the great Widebody could not pull away from a Vette in his beast.

[prattrc]

Racing in traffic? 130mph on public roads?

I just hope you were keeping an eye out for distracted soccer moms in SUV's. I hear they're very dangerous to our little cars.

[ZAMIRZ]

There was something wrong with that C5 or the driver just wasn't pushing his right foot down all the way. Nice run, take it easy on the streets.

later,

amir