66 Vette at Barrett Jackson fastest production car until 09?

[Vette73]

Saw a 66 Vette cross the blocks 427 450 HP..

Advertised as the fastest production corvette until the C6 ZR-1..........That true? Guess so..

I'm sure they are talking about 1/4 mile times.

Car sold for a little over 160 K....

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Saw a 66 Vette cross the blocks 427 450 HP..

Advertised as the fastest production corvette until the C6 ZR-1..........That true? Guess so..

I'm sure they are talking about 1/4 mile times.

Car sold for a little over 160 K....

Mighty nice cars and mighty fast as well.
However the 450 HP number, or 425, they quoted both during 66, even if underrated, it was still gross hp not net.
And tires of the day could not deal with the awesome power the car had, simply becoming smoke instead.
So I would approach that statement with some degree of skepticism.
Sounds a bit like puffery though.
Still, an absolute exceptional car even when judged by today's standards.
Pretty darn impressive considering it's over 50 year old technology!
Worth every penny of 160!
Marty

[efnfast]

if our cars were 160, or even 60, I wouldn't own one. Glad they are undervalued at 20ish.

[KFoster]

My Mom bought my Dad a 66 vert. 427 single carb. Wouldn’t hook up. Pulleys are still in the ceiling where he would raise up the hardtop during the summer. Sold it and got a much quicker 73 Mach 1 with 351c. Sounds like they were just wanting to sell a car. Don’t see how it was that fast myself. He sold that car to get a 73 Pantera which I still have. 20k miles on it. He’s where I got the car bug. Lee Petty built the engine and did the suspension on a 50 Ford coupe for him while he was in college. He always had cool stuff and passed up a bunch of other cool cars we both wish he’d bought. Cobra and GT40 specifically.


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[MarkSS]

Saw a 66 Vette cross the blocks 427 450 HP..

Advertised as the fastest production corvette until the C6 ZR-1..........That true? Guess so..

I'm sure they are talking about 1/4 mile times.

Car sold for a little over 160 K....

Definitely not true... L88, LS6, C4 ZR1, C5 Z06 and C6 Z06 will all take it.... 1/4 mile, top speed, or whatever else you want to do.

[32valvesftw]

I think Car and Driver was able to turn a 12.8 quarter in a 66 427/425. So that would be pretty close to the top for Vettes up until at least the 90's.

[lfalzarano]

Sorry but specific C3 didn’t make the top 25...

http://www.complex.com/sports/2013/01/the-25-fastest-corvettes-ever-made/c3-zl1?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=referral_google_amp&utm_medium=organic


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[bb62]

Definitely not true... L88, LS6, C4 ZR1, C5 Z06 and C6 Z06 will all take it.... 1/4 mile, top speed, or whatever else you want to do.

Not quite:
- L88s were not faster "as delivered" (which is how they were tested back in the day. Their stock exhaust systems really hurt their performance
- LS6s were definitely slower - driven much by the lower compression.
- For whatever reason, the best published C4 ZR-1 time was 12.9 versus the 12.8 for the '66
- Yes both the C5 and C6 Z06s were faster. The author was off by 8 years (2001 Z06 versus the 2009 C6 ZR-1)

This is all for stock as delivered by the factory configuration.

[WARP TEN]

My Mom bought my Dad a 66 vert. 427 single carb. Wouldn’t hook up. Pulleys are still in the ceiling where he would raise up the hardtop during the summer. Sold it and got a much quicker 73 Mach 1 with 351c. Sounds like they were just wanting to sell a car. Don’t see how it was that fast myself. He sold that car to get a 73 Pantera which I still have. 20k miles on it. He’s where I got the car bug. Lee Petty built the engine and did the suspension on a 50 Ford coupe for him while he was in college. He always had cool stuff and passed up a bunch of other cool cars we both wish he’d bought. Cobra and GT40 specifically.


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Wish I still had my 74 Pantera--One owner before me, 35,000 miles, all original save cooling, amp updates.--Bob

[KILLSHOTS]

A base 2008-up LS3 car can run a 12.5 quarter. I was noticing all kinds of incorrect assertions like this yesterday, i.e. Steve Magnante said that the 1988 Z01 marked the first appearance of aluminum heads on a C4.

[MarkSS]

I would happily run my stock ZR1 against the 1966 in question for titles if the new owner would be willing...:)

[KFoster]

Wish I still had my 74 Pantera--One owner before me, 35,000 miles, all original save cooling, amp updates.--Bob



Sweet


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[KILLSHOTS]

I would happily run my stock ZR1 against the 1966 in question for titles if the new owner would be willing...:)

If the '66 had the same 315/35/17 tires and a decent driver, your title and car would very likely be adios.

[Bob Eyres]

In April of 1966 I drove a new 66’ convertible 427/450hp. Flat out to 155mph, at that point aero was taking effect, with front end lifting and tires bobbing on the ground. I backed off. There is no way the car would have come within 10-15 mph of my ZR-1. The C4 ZR-1 is the fastest factory stock GM production car of the 20th Century.


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[spork2367]

If the '66 had the same 315/35/17 tires and a decent driver, your title and car would very likely be adios.

When you factor in suspension, aerodynamics, and torque/hp curve...the '66 would have the 1/4, but not by a lot (assuming similar rear end gearing), the 66 would get smoked beyond that regardless of tire size.

In April of 1966 I drove a new 66’ convertible 427/450hp. Flat out to 155mph, at that point aero was taking effect, with front end lifting and tires bobbing on the ground. I backed off. There is no way the car would have come within 10-15 mph of my ZR-1. The C4 ZR-1 is the fastest factory stock GM production car of the 20th Century.

Stock gearing, factory tires and factory exhaust...I agree completely.

Taken from a post in the other forum:

Here are some ETs that car magazines (http://i.viglink.com/?key=c7ffea5a66f61d8e9acd6abb5f743f16&insertId=6c06f767fcf0c789ab9b27853c2a60ed&type=CD&exp=-100%3ACILITE%3A35&libId=jg2elsot01000b28000DAmvrbos8m&loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corvetteforum.com%2Fforums%2 Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%2F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%2Fref%3Dnb_sb _noss%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Dautomotive%26field-keywords%3Dmagazines&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26 rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1% 26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjxheyFkL_aAh WCt1kKHfJTCAIQFggnMAA%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252F www.corvetteforum.com%252Fforums%252Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%252F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html%26usg%3DAOvVaw3PrWryoMb3nd0XVvv0W6vI&title=1%2F4%20Mile%20ETs%20for%201960s%20Vettes%20-%20CorvetteForum%20-%20Chevrolet%20Corvette%20Forum%20Discussion&txt=%3Cspan%3Emagazines%3C%2Fspan%3E) reported from their road tests:

1. Motor Trend tested a 1964 model 327 / 375 hp fuel injected with 4.11 gears and turned a 14.2 @100
2. Road & Track, 1964 model 327 / 300 hp automatic did a 15.2 e.t.
3. Car and Driver, 1965 model 327 / 350 hp and 3.36 gears got 14.9
4. Road & Track tested a 1965 model 396 / 425 hp with 3.70 gears and complained about wheel spin and turned a 14.1
5. Motor Trend, 1967 model 427 / 435 hp with 3.55 gears did 13.8 @ 104 mph.
6. Car and Driver 1967 model 427 / 435 hp got 13.6 @ 105.
EDIT:
7. C&D, R&T and MT did 4 tests on 1966 and 1967 427 / 425 hp and the average of those were 13.53 @ 107.6 mph.
8. Car and Driver 1968 model 427 / 400 hp did 14.1 @ 102
9. Car and Driver 1971 model (GM mandated lowered compression beginning with this year) 350 LT1 making 330 hp with a 4 speed and 3.70 gears (http://i.viglink.com/?key=c7ffea5a66f61d8e9acd6abb5f743f16&insertId=9446285e97af190ec0e1db7d9e7d7f04&type=CD&exp=-100%3ACILITE%3A35&libId=jg2elsot01000b28000DAmvrbos8m&loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corvetteforum.com%2Fforums%2 Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%2F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%2Fref%3Dnb_sb _noss%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Dautomotive%26field-keywords%3Dgears&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26 rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1% 26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjxheyFkL_aAh WCt1kKHfJTCAIQFggnMAA%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252F www.corvetteforum.com%252Fforums%252Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%252F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html%26usg%3DAOvVaw3PrWryoMb3nd0XVvv0W6vI&title=1%2F4%20Mile%20ETs%20for%201960s%20Vettes%20-%20CorvetteForum%20-%20Chevrolet%20Corvette%20Forum%20Discussion&txt=%3Cspan%3Egears%3C%2Fspan%3E) hustled down the strip at a 14.57 @ 100.55
10. Car and Driver 1971 model LS6 solid lifter 454 / 425 hp with double-disc clutch & 4-speed turned a 13.8 at 104.65 with 3.36 gears.
EDIT: #11. See post later in this thread re the L88.
*11. Car Life, model 1969 L88 427 / 430 hp, 3.36 gears, automatic, 14.101 @ 106.89 and top speed of 151 mph.

*
Car Life couldn't quite match that number for its June 1969 issue. Their test L88 could only muster a 14.101 at 106.89 mph; and judging by the mph, it looks like the L88 imposed its will on those poor little F70 tires. If set up right (gears, sticky tires, headers and sidepipes), the L88 would annihilate anything in its path. Even though handicapped with 3.36 gears (http://i.viglink.com/?key=c7ffea5a66f61d8e9acd6abb5f743f16&insertId=20798ebaf9c707691fd9c1f33418b2db&type=CD&exp=-100%3ACILITE%3A35&libId=jg2es5i601000b28000DAmvrbos8m&loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corvetteforum.com%2Fforums%2 Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%2F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%2Fref%3Dnb_sb _noss%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Dautomotive%26field-keywords%3Dgears&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26 rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1% 26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjxheyFkL_aAh WCt1kKHfJTCAIQFggnMAA%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252F www.corvetteforum.com%252Fforums%252Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%252F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html%26usg%3DAOvVaw3PrWryoMb3nd0XVvv0W6vI&title=1%2F4%20Mile%20ETs%20for%201960s%20Vettes%20-%20CorvetteForum%20-%20Chevrolet%20Corvette%20Forum%20Discussion&txt=%3Cspan%3Egears%3C%2Fspan%3E) and an automatic (1 of 17 built with an automatic), the L88 did shine for Car Life by posting a top speed of 151 mph. The editors pointed out that the car could have gone faster if pushed to the very edge, but they chose to keep it safe."

Also this, but unverified and a bit hard to believe, even with slicks:

One other item of note - A factory 1969 ZL1 (which is an L88 with aluminum block and heads) with 4.88 gears (http://i.viglink.com/?key=c7ffea5a66f61d8e9acd6abb5f743f16&insertId=9446285e97af190ec0e1db7d9e7d7f04&type=CD&exp=-100%3ACILITE%3A35&libId=jg2elsot01000b28000DAmvrbos8m&loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corvetteforum.com%2Fforums%2 Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%2F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%2Fref%3Dnb_sb _noss%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Dautomotive%26field-keywords%3Dgears&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26 rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1% 26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjxheyFkL_aAh WCt1kKHfJTCAIQFggnMAA%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252F www.corvetteforum.com%252Fforums%252Fc1-and-c2-corvettes%252F1274998-1-4-mile-ets-for-1960s-vettes.html%26usg%3DAOvVaw3PrWryoMb3nd0XVvv0W6vI&title=1%2F4%20Mile%20ETs%20for%201960s%20Vettes%20-%20CorvetteForum%20-%20Chevrolet%20Corvette%20Forum%20Discussion&txt=%3Cspan%3Egears%3C%2Fspan%3E) turned a 10.9@132mph with slicks when GM tested it.

Obviously not stock gearing or tires.

[Bob Eyres]

I believe those last numbers because the trap speed indicates 525-550hp., Which is what an L88 actually has, (according to best estimates.)
But these are all qtr. mile numbers. But I thought we were talking about speed = top end?
The Car Life editors proved my initial post, which stated that C2 Sting rays are limited to less than 160, due to aero, no matter what the horsepower.


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[spork2367]

I believe those last numbers because the trap speed indicates 525-550hp., Which is what an L88 actually has, (according to best estimates.)
But these are all qtr. mile numbers. But I thought we were talking about speed = top end?
The Car Life editors proved my initial post, which stated that C2 Sting rays are limited to less than 160, due to aero, no matter what the horsepower.


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Top speed?!!!

It wouldn't even be in the top ten list. Every C6 (LS2, LS3, LS7, LS9) and C5 (LS1, LS6) model would beat it, as would the LT5, LT4 and LT1 C4s. So if you looked at just engines it might be number 10 (if it beat the L98), but if you look at models, it definitely wouldn't.

[Livin' in the 80's]

Wish I still had my 74 Pantera--One owner before me, 35,000 miles, all original save cooling, amp updates.--Bob

I would love to own a Pantera. I drove one years ago and it was one of the insane cars to drive and the prices of these are through the roof. The ZR1 is the better deal as of now. I couldn't afford to fill my 1983 honda accord with gas when the ZR1 came out and now I own one. Can't be any more happy.