Finally took my Corvette to the dragstrip!

[Patman]

After five weeks of ownership I finally got around to getting my 98 Corvette to the dragstrip!

I was pleasantly surprised when it ran a best ET of 13.23 at 105 mph, with a 1.98 60 foot. I simply launched off idle and floored it, and got no wheelspin at all. I'm running the stock runflat tires still too.

The car is basically stock, with just an ARE dyno tune (now makes 291rwhp, 302rwtq), a K&N air filter in a modified Z06 airbox and smooth bellows. I'm also running NGK TR6 plugs at .050", along with German Castrol 0w30 oil.

The temperature outside was 69 degrees, with 65% humidity and 30.3" of barometric pressure. There was about a 10 mph headwind but it probably didn't slow me down much. I was running on just over a half tank of Sunoco 94.

I'm aiming for 12.9s the next time out, which will be in two weeks at the Michigan M9 event in Stanton. It's a night race, at an extremely well hooking track, so the conditions should be ripe for good times.

 

[buster]

Cool! I was about to ask you how your car is. I can tell your enjoying it because I don't see you posting as much anymore.

My friend noticed some engine temp. decreases when switching to 0w-30. Have you had any temperature issues or consumption issues with GC? When can we expect a UOA?

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by buster:
Cool! I was about to ask you how your car is. I can tell your enjoying it because I don't see you posting as much anymore.

My friend noticed some engine temp. decreases when switching to 0w-30. Have you had any temperature issues or consumption issues with GC? When can we expect a UOA?

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I've actually not been posting as much mainly because I've been too busy at work to be online this past month. And I still visit here twice a day or more, but do more reading than posting lately. I'm always watching!

I think my LS1 and GC are a match made in heaven! The oil temps are very nice, mostly in the 200-205 range, and almost never over 212F now that my fans are set to run all the time (which means my coolant temp NEVER goes above 194, even when stuck in traffic for a long time) Even on the dyno when I made ten runs in 3 hours, the oil temp never got over 210!

With over 2600 miles on this oil so far it still looks very clean and I've had no consumption, the dipstick level has not moved!

No piston slap either, and oil pressure is very nice, it's about 28psi at idle and 42-44 at 2000rpm (with 205 degree oil temps)

I'm running this first interval to 5k, and since I'm doing a 1000 mile round trip to Michigan for a drag race in two weeks (as mentioned above) I will hit 5k in the first week of October, and my results will come within 48 hours of the oil change.

I'm definitely enjoying this car a lot! I've put 2700 miles on it since I picked it up 5 weeks ago.

 

[Drew99GT]

Sweet!!!!!!!!! So Patman, what do you have planned for the long run as far as mods go? Vortech, Pro-charger, TURBO perhaps?

There's a twin turbo Z06 around these parts. The exhaust is sooooo quiet, but the sound of air-pressure/turbo spinning is loud. It's without question the best sounding automobile I have EVER heard!

 

[quick_16]

Patman, You only need one HP adder... Mr Frosty! You sent your Stang packing?

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Drew99GT:
Sweet!!!!!!!!! So Patman, what do you have planned for the long run as far as mods go? Vortech, Pro-charger, TURBO perhaps?

There's a twin turbo Z06 around these parts. The exhaust is sooooo quiet, but the sound of air-pressure/turbo spinning is loud. It's without question the best sounding automobile I have EVER heard!

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I don't plan on any major mods at all, as I've got too many friends with heavily modded LS1s who spend more time waiting for new parts to arrive than they do driving the cars! One friend has a turbo'd 98 LS1 Firebird which ran 10.9s last year, and he decided to redo his motor and go with a bigger turbo, but he's been down all season long waiting on parts! A few others I know with just heads/cam packages have been in similar situations too. I'd rather enjoy my car everyday and run 12.9s than to have a car sitting in a shop waiting for parts.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by quick_16:
Patman, You only need one HP adder... Mr Frosty! You sent your Stang packing?

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I sold my supercharged Mustang way back in February 1998 actually. From April 98-Nov 00 I had a 98 LS1 Firebird, from Nov00-Oct01 I had a 97 GTP (which I got down to a 13.78 at 100mph!) and from Oct01-Aug04 I had a 95 LT1 Firebird, which is what I traded in on the Corvette.

 

[Drew99GT]

Yea, I know what you mean Patman. Seems like when you have a heavily modded car, it spends more time in the garage with the hood up, then out on the streets giving it's owner the pleasure it was intended to. Although, it is nice to have a car that just rips people a new one when they deserve it

 

[SSDude]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
a K&N air filter

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Should we do as the teacher says and not follow the teacher's example.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by SSDude:

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
a K&N air filter

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Should we do as the teacher says and not follow the teacher's example.

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I definitely have told people to stay away from the K&N air filter, but when I found this car had one already installed, I figured I owed it to myself to at least run it for the first 5k interval to see how the UOA looks. That way if it does look like it's letting in a lot of dirt, I'll switch it to an AC Delco and then I'll have proof for myself that it's not the right choice. And if it does work out well, then I'll just continue running it. I've noticed there are still some pretty low silicon numbers with K&N air filters on some of the reports on here, so in many cases it can do a good job. I'm hoping I'm going to be one of those cases too. For the record though, if it wasn't already on the car, I would not have spent the money on it.

 

[DJ]

I say do a few more mods

just try to keep it in the 12s, should be able to keep it tame and that way you are not looking at a rollbar or anything.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by DJ:
I say do a few more mods

just try to keep it in the 12s, should be able to keep it tame and that way you are not looking at a rollbar or anything.

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One of the main tracks I race at is IHRA, which means I could run as quick as 11.50 without needing a roll cage.

Believe it or not I actually had an offer where I would've been given a set of ported LS6 heads for free just for helping promote a local shop which is trying to get their name out. But I would've had to pay for the matching cam (and associated hardware) plus it would've taken my car out of commission for a while and made it much less friendly as a daily driver too. This package would've allowed me to run well into the 11s too.

 

[Ryan00TJ]

Patman, Those are some nice times for your C5. My stock 02 SS went 13.2 @ 108mph 2.2 60ft. You can easily hit high 12's with a better 60ft or a little more power. A few minor mods the LS1 seems to like would be a ASP Underdrive Pulley which is normally good for .1 or 5-8rwhp. My Ported Stock Throttle Body netted 11rwhp so that's another .1 tenth. A Catted X @ Catback are easily worth 10-15rwhp over the stock C5 exhaust. I daily drive my 416rwhp Heads @ Cam SS and it does wonderfully. They key is LS1 Edit tuning along with a good cam choice. I am running a TR224 112LSA and it works great with stock gears and provides awesome power.

 

[buster]

Patman, is the Vette your daily driver too? Your really putting that car to the test for durability.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by buster:
Patman, is the Vette your daily driver too? Your really putting that car to the test for durability.

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Yep, this car is my daily driver, so it will see all kinds of conditions up here! It's the ultimate C5 durability test, I'm hoping to get 250-300k out of the LS1 before it needs rebuilding.

 

[buster]

I have total confidence it will hold up well. Those engines are as tough as they come. Plus with GC, it should hold up well.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by Patman:
I think my LS1 and GC are a match made in heaven!

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Pat,

I spoke with Die Elfe im Schwarzen Wald (the elves in the Black Forest). You don't have to speculate any more. They confirmed that the LS1 and SLX are "a special combination" the origin of which is not of this earth.

I once dreamed that I drove a 'Vette,
All powerful and strong,
But I would wake up in a sweat
Because the lubrication was wrong

But now I sleep most peacefully,
And I am NEVER vexed,
Because I discovered a special brew
Known as SLX

Pat

 

[Patman]

 

[DJ]

Motors these days last forever, trannies are the trouble spot in most drivetrains.

The LT1s(one generation before the LS line) is routinely found to have crosshatch in the bores well beyond 150K and as long as people use the right oil

the bearings will be fine too.

 

[pscholte]

quote:

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Originally posted by DJ:
Motors these days last forever, trannies are the trouble spot in most drivetrains.

The LT1s(one generation before the LS line) is routinely found to have crosshatch in the bores well beyond 150K and as long as people use the right oil

the bearings will be fine too.

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DJ,

We don't use the euphemism, "The right oil." We just come right out and say "The Grün Elixer of Life, Love, Lubricity and Low ETs."