What does 426HP feel like?

[JEFF2010SSMANUAL]

426hp feels good, 448hp feels better, 575hp is what I want. I am actually use to mine and it doesn't feel very fast anymore, but its so nice to get 500 FEET ahead of traffic all the time and set CRUISE to 35,40,45,50,55,60,65,70,72. 5-7mph over the limit.

Then you get people doimg 10-15mph under, AND people riding my rear(A$$) when I am doing 5-7mph over.

GOD PLEASE HELP ME WITH "PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO"

[Tigg]

Originally Posted by Priest

Maybe a set of 4.30s and a big h/c set up on bald street tires. 380rwhp unmanageable with a set of 3.73s in a 3900lb car? LOL! IMO the fun hasn't even gotten close to starting...

Well you must have a bit more skill than me...... I think the thing rocks...But thats ok I never felt the need to try and be the coolest guy in the room..

[ALLTRBO]

Originally Posted by mhood

I remember way back in '70 at a small drag strip outside of Tyler, Texas watching a VW bug take a Hemi Charger. We were all pretty impressed with the fast bug but everyone understood and appreciated the fact that you could take your date to the drive in with the Hemi Charger...the bug was purely a novelty act/trailer queen.

My Grandmother used to tell me that you can put a real nice party dress on a sow and take her to the prom but at the end of the night, you will have been dancing with a hog.

I'll take the heavy metal any day...

It's really funny that you mention the metaphor about the hog. I emailed my friend who's in Iraq about my first 5thgen test drive, and here's what I told him:
"They are definitely fat pigs, but they are fat pigs dressed in tuxedos demonstrating the civilized manners of the finest elite."
...and that was the lighter V6.

So, you're still dancing with the dressed up hog.

To each his own for sure, and I don't want to hijack this into a Fiero discussion (I was using the numbers to demonstrate my point about weight), but my Fiero isn't going to be anywhere near a novelty act or trailer queen (despite the pic, LOL), and it will do a LOT more than smoke a Hemi in the 1/4. It's going to be perfectly daily drivable (though not daily driven, and it's not as refined and smooth as the Camaro by any means). It has a full interior, air conditioning, and a nice stereo to boot.
The paint job is a PS for now and I'm putting a nicer front fascia on it, but IMO it's a lot sexier, mid-engine, and more of a true sportscar than any cute little rear-engine VW bug, I don't even think there's a comparison:

[ALLTRBO]

Originally Posted by JEFF2010SSMANUAL

426hp feels good, 448hp feels better, 575hp is what I want. I am actually use to mine and it doesn't feel very fast anymore...

There's another good point.
I have a '96 Talon TSi AWD that I bought bone stock in 2000. Throughout 6 years it went from a 15 second car, to 14's, 13's, 12's, then high 11's. With each mod I was like "HOLY $#%" for a couple weeks, then it felt normal, and I needed more!
Eventually it got to the point where it was boring to race most anyone on the street (The Autobahn, that is) because most don't have anything on it, though it still felt fun to open up or launch at 6000rpm just for the heck of it, but for the most part it didn't feel like anything too crazy.
Because of that, everyone elses cars just felt pathetically slow! I like to say that my car never really got any faster, everyone elses just got slower. Most people don't understand that, heh.

I speak mostly in past tense because since 2006, it's been sitting in my driveway rotting away from the little problems all added up, and it's inability to pass MD emissions or inspection. So while I still do own it (and it's a lot faster on very low boost than my 312hp Camaro, heh), I can't really say I still 'have' it. :( I'm actually selling it for $4k if anyone's interested, over $20k into it.

Anyway, the point is that speed is relative. A 426hp SS can be smoking fast to one person, but rather tame and 'ehh' to another, all in the same car.
Speed really is an addictive drug. Use at your own risk.

[ddunerider]

Originally Posted by detroit iron rules

I have about 2100 miles now, did the fuse pull, and although the engine feels responsive, what can I expect when I floor it in 1st?, either with traction control on or off. So far, it won't spin the tires.

just try it!!!

[mhood]

Originally Posted by ALLTRBO

So, you're still dancing with the dressed up hog.

There was also a Falcon that someone had dropped a Shelby 428 Cobra Jet into that was smoking fast but it was so stoopid looking it was hard to describe. I suppose you can sink $25K into most any $3,500 bucket of bolts and have a smoking fast car. But aren't they very high maintenance with a tendency to fall to pieces? Back in my day, nobody wanted to be at the drive in with their best girl and spend any time at all with the hood up.

Nice trailer.

[ALLTRBO]

Actually, my car was $900 and I'm sinking only a bit more than half of that $25k into it.
High maintenance? EVERY 80's GM car is/was high maintenance. LOL

However... Fieros aren't good performance cars. They're GREAT platforms to build an awesome performance car (especially the '88s). The spaceframe is relatively light and stiff, the mid engine layout is perfect, and the '88 suspension is very well designed with only a few tweaks. When you replace most everything with something newer or custom, it's not an old crappy GM car anymore, it's 'yours', and can be quite nice and reliable, at that. I'm not just slapping a powerful engine into an old junker.

It's only money, right? How much does a fully optioned 1SS cost?

[mhood]

My Grandmother also told me that everybody needs a hobby. You have fun with yours. I'm going to the drive in ... if I can find one anywhere.

[ALLTRBO]

[Stormyone]

Originally Posted by mhood

My Grandmother also told me that everybody needs a hobby. You have fun with yours. I'm going to the drive in ... if I can find one anywhere.

agreed.... as I mentioned earlier, my car is a daily driver as such I want a decent handling car, fast (doesn't have to be the fastest), comfortable, and dependable.... so far my SS does all of the above and I am pleased... as stated earlier a person can throw money at practically anything and make it the fastest car around, if that's their desire, more power to them...

[ALLTRBO]

We are all in agreement then.

On another note, I'd hate to go to a drive-in in my new Camaro, that windshield is short!

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by Hall of Fame

must be over rated on HP. My LT-4 330 HP Grand Sport will do the exact times without any wheel spin.

An Lt-4 corvette is a lot lighter. That's why its still fast with only 330HP.

[Stormyone]

Originally Posted by ALLTRBO

We are all in agreement then.

On another note, I'd hate to go to a drive-in in my new Camaro, that windshield is short!

lol you do have a point.... not to mention those speakers that hang on the window might be an awkward fit....

[KLR ZL1]

Originally Posted by detroit iron rules

I have about 2100 miles now, did the fuse pull, and although the engine feels responsive, what can I expect when I floor it in 1st?, either with traction control on or off. So far, it won't spin the tires.

Do you have LS3 or L99? If you have L99 you don't have 426 hp, if you have Ls3 you need to drop the clutch. I have the LS3 and can break it loss.