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Top Speed

6K views 30 replies 22 participants last post by  pernicus 
#1 ·
Ok, this is gonna sound dumb but i want my car to be able to run with the imports at high end.....over the weekend i got left in the dust by my friend's eclipse on the interstate because i was at about 5500 rpm at 90....what can i do to get that kind of tp speed? would just swapping the th400 for the 700r4 allow that kinda of speed or do i need to do a lot of changing?.....the car is a 69 chevelle 396 by the way.
 
#4 ·
I got a B/M Th700 with a lower first and higher top,this with
2.90:1 rear gets me 80mph at 2000rpm and if I go to 100 it
touches 3000rpm.On the freeway that is.
100 is´nt legal here (80 is) but still the BMWs and Mercs fly by,
almost in danger of thinking I stopped and getting out!
 
#6 ·
that does not sound dumb at all....i hate the imports..:mad:

is the bb stock??? i wouldnt rev it past 6500 rpm if it is...

you can get a taller tire in the back to pick up a few mph...or regear the rear

what accessories are you running....carb intake..etcetc..those might limit the rpm a little....

your car should be able to take those ricers up to 115 or so...but afetr that it takes a car to be setup for mph to go that fast for a long period of time. i dont think your bb would be very happy at high rpm for a long period.

its all a give and take....take off quick or mph?????

hope any of this helps:thumbup:
 
#7 ·
Jimfulco... Stock the 700R4 won't shift into overdrive at full throttle... But you can buy a kit that will make it do so fairly cheap. As for my take on the subject I'd say 700R4 if u wanna stay automatic.. Or if you really wanna do some work then convert it over to a manual.. Then you really come out good... Quicker acceleration, better gas mileage, and lower geared at top end for faster speeds... Then theres always the aftermarket geared overdrive units that mount between the transmision and the drive shaft.
 
#11 ·
You need to quit bull shipping us

First off I think your talking through your ***. There is no Eclipse that will pull a 396 chevelle. Top speed of 90mph is bull ****** too! My 72 402 would peg the spedo and keep pulling! Damn Troll anyway, at least make up a believable story to lie about.




Todd




Rat Rods Rule!
 
#12 ·
I beg to differ with you about the eclipse pulling a 396....it's happened multiple times. My friend's eclipse has a super 20g turbo, 720 cc injectors, front mount intercooler, dsm translator allowing him to use the gm mass air flow sensor off the camaro, act 2600 clutch, running 24 psi of boost. He's in the 320 hp range right now. I think you highly underestimate the potential of our import rivals.
 
#13 ·
Imports not rivals to rods

Two totally different thing kid. That import junk dosn't belong in a conversation on a HotRod site, can't you read?? We discuss HotRods here not that jap crap you so proudly admire. I say again, YOU DO NOT PM ME! Anything you can possably say,say it here in front of this board. Because I will again call you a lier to your Face. Your story is a lie and you are a lier. I have an Eclise in my yard, my son and I worked on it to beef up the piece of *****,.. Jap junk and Rods are two different things. Go someplace else, a jap crap site and tell them your lies. You probably have never ridden in a 396 Chevelle . Why would you be so proud your friend didn't know how to drive it then. 90mph top end, bull *****! Damn Trolls!




Todd




Rat Rods Rule!
 
#14 ·
Hey tm454......is your son's eclipse turbocharged by chance?.....they make a huge difference in the performance of the car. With my car being stock it's kinda hard for it to run with a highly modified turbocharged car car thats 1500 lbs lighter than i am. I asked a simple question when i made this post and stated a fact that a modified eclipse walked a 396...i didnt ask for you to come into the conversation talking trash, all i wanted was an answer to my question of how to get more top end in my car.
 
#15 ·
Exactly how are they "rivals"? They are hotrodders that march to a different tune, thats all.

If you ask me you could drop $12K on a really pristine BB Chevelle and have a nice 12-13 second car with only a little tuning and be as reliable as a bank vault, or you could drop $10K on a used Eclipse and then spend another $10K in parts and tuning to end up with a turbocharged grenade that won't be worth a dime in 10 years.

Sounds to me like you have pocket book envy not fast car envy.

Spend another $400 on gears and hang on, I once had the 400M in my garage in a 78 XR7 with a set of 2.50 gears out back and at 130+MPH I lost my nerve. Car felt like it was going to leave the road with the brick front end and jello suspension.

The engine was willing to go faster but my survival instinct wasn't. Sounds to me like you already know the answer to your question anyway.:rolleyes:
 
#16 ·
I just wanted to know what to do to get more top end than i currently have. i didn't ask to be called a liar by someone who has no clue what they are talking about. Dont get me wrong i love hotrods. I wouldn't trade my Chevelle for anything in the world (except mebbe a '55 chevy). But i'm just sick of the attitude that our cars are untouchable and imports will never be able to keep up when i know for a fact and have seen with my own eyes hotrods get beat by imports....often. I didn't want to get anything started with this post but I dont take kindly to narrow minded people calling me a liar.
 
#17 ·
OK call it a truce guys!g

Okay guys call it a truce you both have valid points, as a 69 ss owner myself I agree with the fact that it can certainly peg the speedo, and I would probably run out of survival instint before motor, though I lost a bottom end on one particularly brave (or stupid) night. Heck if your freind is using technology that is 30 years ahead of yours and a lighter car so be it. Just remember it takes class to keep a 60,s supercar on the road and you got nothin to be ashamed of just like the guy posted lets see what happens in 10 more years! Anytime you wanna sell it and play rice burner pm me im in miami ps where the heck is milton anyways lol
 
#18 ·
My 57 Chebby would peg the speedo at 150 and the needle would bounce. I was running a 327 with a 350 tranny..don't remember the gears....

I had that car when I was 16 - my dad got it to 150 bounce one time...the fastest I ever had it was 140....scarey ride...floated like a bobber in the lake...
 
#20 ·
Bandit is right

Face it, like Bandit agreed with, it takes a lot to be maintaining a sixties muscle car and to deal with the usual rust and 30 year old parts that have led pretty tough lives thru the years, so here comes somebody with a light car fresh from overseas slaps a turbo and intercooler and the complete fast and furious cd into it and viola is a really quick and manueverable skateboard, that fine by me too but heck it feels great to slide into a t/a or SS and cruise and have all that torque and smile to yourself knowing you are for the moment back in time to a simpler era where Detroit ruled not Hiroshima LOL My daddy always said spend your money where you make it son, Long live those old musclecars and those that keep em rollin just my two bits worth.
 
#23 ·
My employment takes me to Europe regularly where I have a chance to rent the hot coupes of the day. Euro cars are built differently there, generally smaller because of fuel prices. They usually have lower first gearing and taller final drives than new cars sold in the US. There are usually speed limits of some sort, but the high speed cross country "M" highways have high speed limits and it is common to drive 80 mph or more and not attract attention. And of course there is Germany where you can expect to be passed reqularly at 120 mph. There are lots of sub 2 liter cars capable of sustaining 100 mph in Europe.

Here in the US, beware of the little obscure Dodge Neon SRT which will pull a 12.4 second 1/4 from any stop light with mom and kids on board. Whereas getting your big chevy to go 100 is easy, doing so and still get 40 mpg may be a bit more interesting.
 
#24 ·
4 Jaw Chuck said:
Exactly how are they "rivals"? They are hotrodders that march to a different tune, thats all.

If you ask me you could drop $12K on a really pristine BB Chevelle and have a nice 12-13 second car with only a little tuning and be as reliable as a bank vault, or you could drop $10K on a used Eclipse and then spend another $10K in parts and tuning to end up with a turbocharged grenade that won't be worth a dime in 10 years.

Sounds to me like you have pocket book envy not fast car envy.

Spend another $400 on gears and hang on, I once had the 400M in my garage in a 78 XR7 with a set of 2.50 gears out back and at 130+MPH I lost my nerve. Car felt like it was going to leave the road with the brick front end and jello suspension.

The engine was willing to go faster but my survival instinct wasn't. Sounds to me like you already know the answer to your question anyway.:rolleyes:

hehe, you were lucky at least you had disk brakes, you outa try that in a 68 with drums all the way around, manual drums that is :sweat: I had a beefed up windsor with a 8" 2.90 geared rear end with about 465 hp, it had ol bias plies on the front and no kidding, on the way to SC one summer when I first put it together me and the really pretty cobra mustang decided to try em out, I dont exactly know how fast we were going but in truth the left front tire seperated and developed a big ol knot, it cost me 80 bucks for one tire and a 9" with 3.73's when I finaly made it home, oh, and one more thing, with a manual reverse vale body C-6 (with brake) with the 2.90 gears I was clocked @ 88mph tacking it out in first(7000) and about 1 sec in second, then all I seen were BLUE lights...lol:eek:

4 Jaw Chuck said:
Exactly how are they "rivals"? They are hotrodders that march to a different tune, thats all.

If you ask me you could drop $12K on a really pristine BB Chevelle and have a nice 12-13 second car with only a little tuning and be as reliable as a bank vault, or you could drop $10K on a used Eclipse and then spend another $10K in parts and tuning to end up with a turbocharged grenade that won't be worth a dime in 10 years.

Sounds to me like you have pocket book envy not fast car envy.

Spend another $400 on gears and hang on, I once had the 400M in my garage in a 78 XR7 with a set of 2.50 gears out back and at 130+MPH I lost my nerve. Car felt like it was going to leave the road with the brick front end and jello suspension.

The engine was willing to go faster but my survival instinct wasn't. Sounds to me like you already know the answer to your question anyway.:rolleyes:

hehe, you were lucky at least you had disk brakes, you outa try that in a 68 with drums all the way around, manual drums that is :sweat: I had a beefed up windsor with a 8" 2.90 geared rear end with about 465 hp, it had ol bias plies on the front and no kidding, on the way to SC one summer when I first put it together me and this really pretty cobra mustang decided to try em out, I dont exactly know how fast we were going but in truth the left front tire seperated and developed a big ol knot, it cost me 80 bucks for one tire and a 9" with 3.73's when I finaly made it home, oh, and one more thing, with a manual reverse vavle body C-6 (with brake) with the 2.90 gears I was clocked @ 88mph tacking it out in first(7000) and about 1 sec in second, then all I seen were BLUE lights...lol:eek:
 
#25 ·
it takes a lot to be maintaining a sixties (muscle car): yes, I did not include muscle car. But I have a 1960 Porsche that will do 100 any day of the week. It was once a rust bucket, but not for the last 10 years. It is interesting to try to recall the day when it was new and all the rage for its advanced features and driveability. One similar won the Panamerica Road Race a couple of years before against the likes of the latests Olds V8.

Driving it today at 100 would put the fear of death before your eyes. By todays standards, the brakes are unreliable and tend to grab or pull from side to side depending upon meteorological conditions, it is noisy as hell inside from the sound of the motor and the wind noise, the steering is precise, but with 5.60 tires on the ground there is not much rubber on the road and it wants to follow every crack in the pavement. It is just plain relatively random compared to a recently built cars.

By comparison, I believe that the average US car built in 1968 was pretty sophisticated.
 
#26 ·
:D my post, I had the cougar 4 years ago...I kept it or 2 years, (about the time I jucied it through the entire 1/4 once) I give it away..youll not see this ol boy in another manual drum brake ride, not over 45 mph anyways... :nono: STANDING on the brakes I couldnt get it to slow down, not to mention all over the road...whooooo, boy, nope not again...
 
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