Poll

Generally, what is your top mph when you drive your Camaro?

0 = It's still in a box or on blocks...
8 (11.8%)
Less than 20 = Or how fast it takes to get it on and off the trailer to the show field...
0 (0%)
20 to 35 =Cruising downtown...
5 (7.4%)
35 to 55 = Out to the highway doing double nickels like back in the day...
15 (22.1%)
55 to 70 = Cruising? Hey, I'm on the Interstate and it's time to pass...
21 (30.9%)
70+ = As fast as she'll go in a quarter mile!!!
19 (27.9%)

Total Members Voted: 60

Author Topic: How FAST Do You Drive?  (Read 38464 times)

lakeholme

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How FAST Do You Drive?
« on: September 30, 2007, 02:04:36 AM »
Simple question... How fast do you drive?

You checked in all directions and no cops around...   ;)  ;)  ;)
But you love your First Gen Camaro and wouldn't want to do her any harm...   ;D  ;D  ;D
Where do you ease off the gas?  ???  ???  ???

Vote... and post if you've got a good story!
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68Zproject

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2007, 03:36:42 AM »
I had a 68 SS in high school.  It had a 283 in it but was hopped-up a bit.  I took it out on a deserted highway at night and opened her up.  I will just say that I heard, and then experienced, that the rear spoiler would kick in around 70 mph. It does really work.
68Z28

lakeholme

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2007, 01:30:08 PM »
A 283 68 SS???

Interesting about the spoiler... How fast did you go?
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68Zproject

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2007, 03:59:02 AM »
Not really sure.  The speedo only went to 120 and I had it pegged for a while before it topped out.  Right at about 70, the car started to squat down in the rear.  At first I was a little startled as to what it was, but I remembered reading an old Hod Rod or something that said they started to kick in about 70.
68Z28

67camarorsss

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2007, 08:39:01 PM »
Not really sure.  The speedo only went to 120 and I had it pegged for a while before it topped out.  Right at about 70, the car started to squat down in the rear.  At first I was a little startled as to what it was, but I remembered reading an old Hod Rod or something that said they started to kick in about 70.
I experienced the same effect in a 67 I had that had a spoiler on the rear deck. I know they aren't supposed to come this way, but when I bought the car in 78 it was there (it was an 06D car with original Marina Blue paint and white stripe on the nose - dealer install maybe?). At about 75 or 80 you could feel the car squat in the rear. The car had a highly modified 327 with a TH350 tranny (I know, not original - I built the engine and put the TH350 in it) and the original 2.73 gears. I had 14 x 6 Cragar S/S's with 245 wide BFG Radial T/A's. The car topped out way north of the speedo reading (I know cuz I tried - didn't want to lose to a Porsche). But at around 75 or 80 the spoiler pretty much glued the tail to the road. Top speed? Well I used a calculation that a friend had that used final drive ratio, tire height, engine rpm (I took it to 6K rpm for awhile) and a few other factors to determine "how fast" and it was around 150 or so. This was when I was racing the Porsche.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2007, 08:42:37 PM by 67camarorsss »
- 1967 RS/SS 396/TH400 (loaded clone restification)
- 1998 Z28 LS1/M6 (daily driver)
- 2002 Z28 LS1/4L60E (12 sec toy/bookend to the 67)

9T4Z

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2007, 09:09:51 PM »
Sometimes faster than I want to go...

example... coming back from my brothers shop on Saturday.  He pulls up beside me at at a red light,  in his 05 Mustang GT and does not look around.  A cop is hanging back watching.  He does a smoking burnout and the cop pulls him over. 
The officer was watching our two cars all lined up thought it made a pretty nice site.  Complimented my bro with " that was something"... anyway let him off with a warning.

Me, I just zipped by and continued on to the bar... deserted him and thought... that's what happens when you do not look around...

Later that evening I am driving up our highway.... everyone drives real fast... about 140 km/hr (80mph?) and dammed if I was going to let the little ricer riding my ass push me.  Next thing it is reading 90+ mph and it felt just like the good old days.  Runs pretty good except the vibration from the bias tires and bent 38 year old rims!

They just passed a law here this week... 50 km over the limit and they impound your car for a week and suspend your licence immediately.  Guys that is just 30 mph over.  Easy to do when conditions are right.

not condoning street racing... but sometimes driving fast is the right thing at the time..
Gary 9T4Z

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69 Pace Car, 70RS,91Z,91RS

lakeholme

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2007, 01:35:28 PM »
Anyone else got a story?  At least vote...
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wtexz10

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2007, 02:36:59 PM »
My Z10 has a zz4 crate motor in it with the original on a stand in the garage.  I mention this so all of don't think I'm nuts for trying to find out what the top end is on the car.  I've also installaled a speedometer spliter at the transmission which cut's in half my speedometer reading. 

I live in West Texas where the roads are great and straight for miles and miles, so it's not really to difficult to find a place to make a late night run.  My buddy also has a 69 with a highly modified zz4 engine which he drag races occasiounally.  So, what do two 50 year old boys do on a Saturday night?  We head out of town and find our top speed at WOT. 

Since the speedometer in my car is reading half of the true speed, I found the rear does start to squat around 80 and the nose, with a front airdam starts to left about 130.  At an indicated 70mph (140 actual) I got spooked and shut it down.  The car gets really light in the front end.  The car has a 331 gear in the rear and I'm sure I had another 10mph left it. 

Ya'll come join us in West Texas.

Kris
69 Camaro Z10.. 72 GMC C1500
79 Mazda RX7.. 79 Trans Am WS6
06 Corvette Z06.. 10 BMW 650i

tom

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2007, 04:13:32 PM »
How far did it take to get up to speed? 1 mile, 2 mile, .......
69 X11 Z21 L14 glide
looking for a 69 export model (KPH) speed
o

wtexz10

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2007, 07:03:32 PM »
Quite frankly I don't remember, but it could not have been more than a couple of miles.  I wasn't looking concerned with time but speed.

Kris
69 Camaro Z10.. 72 GMC C1500
79 Mazda RX7.. 79 Trans Am WS6
06 Corvette Z06.. 10 BMW 650i

jdv69z

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2007, 07:12:24 PM »
Hey I admit I do not get on mine Z too much, and from what I know of its history, it has probably never seen the drag strip. Which is probably why it still has all the original drive train. Just run through the gears occasionally to test my arthritis!. When I am talking to someone about how it has survived without too  much hot rod abuse, I like to point to the original chrome ball on the shifter (it actually only has chrome left on the bottom near the tapped mounting hole). That ball was usually the first thing removed and replace with a Hurst Tee handle!! Supposedly my car was originally purchased and drive by a salesman who made calls with it. That lasted until the gas price crunch, when it got parked.

Jimmy V.
Jimmy V.

lakeholme

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2007, 01:36:59 AM »
Obviously, my question is drawing out the hot rodder in all of us, and the poll so far reflects that.

Thanks for telling the other side Jimmy V.  What do the rest of you have to say?  And vote...

"carpe iter itineris"  ;)
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lakeholme

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2007, 09:50:17 PM »
Anybody...?
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cjm465

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2007, 02:10:40 AM »
Whatever I can get away with I'll do on the street, did get busted before for "illegal race event" for a little drag race from a red light against a T/A not to mention a few other tickets.  My 69 Z has a 396 (.030 over, some other mods) out of a Chevelle as my 302 has been M.I.A. for over 23 years that I can date back.  There is a nice curvy expressway that I have ran as fast as I can downshifting on sharp curves and holding to the floor on exiting them. Did ya ever glance over at the expression on the passenger's face?  :o

There is no better feeling then having power to use yet while going 80-90 mph. Have pegged the speedometer a bunch of times but gearing and rpm's remind me that it is not a road course car, wish I had the 302.  Burnouts are whole different story, can't beat a decent big block. My attitude is to do what them what they were envisioned to do. I have toned it down a bit now as the cars are becoming to valuable to wreck them like what happened to many of them back in the day.

lakeholme

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Re: How FAST Do You Drive?
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2007, 12:11:30 PM »
Well, we Camaro owners aren't just cruisers or show hounds...?
Phillip, HNR & NCR-AACA, Senior Master, Team Captain, Admin.,
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