Were 1980s cars really that bad?

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Chazman

I special ordered this in 1989 and still own it. It's a 1989, G92, LB9, 5 speed, with N10 dual cats, oil cooler, Aussie BW 3.45 9 bolt and DX3 decal delete. I figure if you put it in a time machine and sent it back to 1969 it could hold it's own on the street in a straight line with most muscle cars of the day and annihilate anything from anywhere on a curvy road.

You do know that most of that was due to tire technology right?

My Pure Stock 71 GT-37 ran a 13.25 this weekend at Norwalk and still has more in it if the driver can get better - there is no way in stock form your IROC (or mine for that matter) will ever do that.

[whitetop]

Don't laugh.

A friend had a '88 or 89 Cavalier Z-24 5 speed. 140 hp stock. He put a cold air kit on it from K&N and some other mods from the gm catalog. I believe he changed the camshaft, did some headwork and exhaust mods and gearing.

That thing would get up and go.. of course it was probably a thousand lbs lighter than the comparable cars made today

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by The Boss

You do know that most of that was due to tire technology right?

My Pure Stock 71 GT-37 ran a 13.25 this weekend at Norwalk and still has more in it if the driver can get better - there is no way in stock form your IROC (or mine for that matter) will ever do that.

I do.

Also, I'd say Pure Stock cars are probably running a bit sharper than they did off the showroom floor.

[old5.0]

Originally Posted by The Boss

You do know that most of that was due to tire technology right?

My Pure Stock 71 GT-37 ran a 13.25 this weekend at Norwalk and still has more in it if the driver can get better - there is no way in stock form your IROC (or mine for that matter) will ever do that.

Just out of curiosity, why is that? Understanding that there's a difference between Pure Stock and actual as-delivered-off-the-showroom-floor vehicles, a Pure Stock legal roller cam 5.0 will run low 13's, so what is it about the TPI Chevy that would keep it from doing that?

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by old5.0

Just out of curiosity, why is that? Understanding that there's a difference between Pure Stock and actual as-delivered-off-the-showroom-floor vehicles, a Pure Stock legal roller cam 5.0 will run low 13's, so what is it about the TPI Chevy that would keep it from doing that?

Off the top of my head, Pure Stock allows an added point and a half of compression, gear ratio changes, bigger exhaust, carb tuning, bigger tires, etc.

[old5.0]

Originally Posted by Chazman

Off the top of my head, Pure Stock allows an added point and a half of compression, gear ratio changes, bigger exhaust, carb tuning, bigger tires, etc.

That's my understanding as well. A roller cam 5 speed Fox coupe with those mods could crack 12s with a very good driver before the factory Goodyears become an insurmountable obstacle, so I'm curious as to why a TPI Camaro can't at least get in the bottom half of the 13s.

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by old5.0

That's my understanding as well. A roller cam 5 speed Fox coupe with those mods could crack 12s with a very good driver before the factory Goodyears become an insurmountable obstacle, so I'm curious as to why a TPI Camaro can't at least get in the bottom half of the 13s.

Here's a Motorweek road test of an '89 G92, dual cat, LB9, 5 speed with a 3.45 gear.

This is the fastest one I've ever remember seeing from the day and may not be representative of the typical production car - but they got a 13.9 second 1/4 mile.



https://youtu.be/aCL-odNmuGA

There were a number of free/cheap mods on the TPI back in the day, (similar to the 5.0 Mustang), which could REALLY wake it up.

[old5.0]

Originally Posted by Chazman

Here's a Motorweek road test of an '89 G92, dual cat, LB9, 5 speed with a 3.45 gear.

This is the fastest one I've ever remember seeing from the day and may not be representative of the typical production car - but they got a 13.9 second 1/4 mile.



https://youtu.be/aCL-odNmuGA

There were a number of free/cheap mods on the TPI back in the day, (similar to the 5.0 Mustang), which could REALLY wake it up.

Yeah, I remember back in the late 80's MCR testing a 350 Iroc and running a 14.2 or 14.1, and all that jibes with the fastest 5.0 road tests I remember from back then:

85: Autoweek, 85 GT 5 speed car with A/C, 14.38@92

86: Car Craft, 86 LX coupe, 5 speed, no A/C 14.33@97 (with 2.73 gears)

87: Cars Illustrated, 87 LX hatch, no A/C 5 Speed radio delete, 13.73@101(?)

I also recall SSDI going 14 flat at 100 mph in a stock 87 hatch with air and Hot Rod (maybe) going 13.9x in a stripper LX coupe.

I suppose you could argue that those results aren't typical, but you could make that argument about things like 12 second Hemi cars, as well. Depends on how they're optioned, maintained and driven. I've been messing around with these piles of junk for the better part of 30 years, and putting a near stock Fox into the 12's just isn't particularly difficult. I can't imagine what would make it so hard (or near impossible) on a 3rd Gen, but I don't know near as much about them.

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by old5.0

Yeah, I remember back in the late 80's MCR testing a 350 Iroc and running a 14.2 or 14.1, and all that jibes with the fastest 5.0 road tests I remember from back then:

85: Autoweek, 85 GT 5 speed car with A/C, 14.38@92

86: Car Craft, 86 LX coupe, 5 speed, no A/C 14.33@97 (with 2.73 gears)

87: Cars Illustrated, 87 LX hatch, no A/C 5 Speed radio delete, 13.73@101(?)

I also recall SSDI going 14 flat at 100 mph in a stock 87 hatch with air and Hot Rod (maybe) going 13.9x in a stripper LX coupe.

I suppose you could argue that those results aren't typical, but you could make that argument about things like 12 second Hemi cars, as well. Depends on how they're optioned, maintained and driven. I've been messing around with these piles of junk for the better part of 30 years, and putting a near stock Fox into the 12's just isn't particularly difficult. I can't imagine what would make it so hard (or near impossible) on a 3rd Gen, but I don't know near as much about them.

My friend had a '92 B4C, (police package), 1LE, RS. It was a 5.7 automatic. It has to have been the fastest bone stock 3rd gen Camaro I've ever ridden in.

He took it to the track once. It was his first time. As he was getting in line a bunch of 4th gen guys saw him and started to laugh. All they could see were the RS badges and figured they'd witness another 17 second 1/4 mile. First run and first run of the owner's life - 13.6 seconds!

The 4th gen guys stopped laughing.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Chazman

Off the top of my head, Pure Stock allows an added point and a half of compression, gear ratio changes, bigger exhaust, carb tuning, bigger tires, etc.

It does, but mine is pure stock - other than running a 3:73 rear gear (available) and playing with the weights & springs in the transmission governor to shift at 5200rpm, there are no tricks or changes from stock in my car.

My comparison above was intended to be stock vs stock & I maintain that although they may run with the older cars, the older cars will beat them on a strip (no way in the curves).