Commentary from Corvette Forum?

[Z51JEFF]

Originally Posted by sammy

i also agree in theory, but it sometimes is nice to rattle their cages , just to see what falls out:

The only problem is what falls out smells,as in bull$hit.These guys havent got a clue.Its always fun when the smart guys start spouting facts about something they know very little about.

[Kevin]

i'm sure the big block C3 that i nearly rear ended a few years ago was surprised as hell when I reeled him in like he was standing still. I was behind him at a light leaving the Western Pennsylvania Corvette Club Council cruise and we both made the left hand turn and he jumped on it and so did I...shortly there after I was pulling a chrome bumper out of my radiator.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Kevin

i'm sure the big block C3 that i nearly rear ended a few years ago was surprised as hell when I reeled him in like he was standing still. I was behind him at a light leaving the Western Pennsylvania Corvette Club Council cruise and we both made the left hand turn and he jumped on it and so did I...shortly there after I was pulling a chrome bumper out of my radiator.

Amazing how folks glom onto peak hp number and hang their hat on that. Well, one point on the entire power band does not a trend make!

Case it point:
Ami's L46 (350/350) SBC C3 has a mild aftermarket cam in it, and with headers makes about 400 (according to the Crane cam model), and the car has a 4.11 rear gear.

On the Bloomington Gold Tour, we made a left turn ahead of -=Jeff=- following us in his (more or less stock at the time) Z, and I nailed it and rowed it thru the gears! The little C3 seat of the pants felt really strong thru the close-ratio 4-speed and 4.11s - especially in it's power band. But, when when the SBC was "done", I looked up in the rear view mirror, and saw it was FULL of ZR-1 and a BIG GRIN on Jeff's face!

That made quite a testamonial to differences in average RW torque over the engine's rpm range and how over-rated peak hp values can be. As Bob G points out, it is the reason the LT5s hold their own with LS motors that make 20-25 more peak hp.

P.