Wait, what?
Since when is a 6.2L motor a big block?
Your setup sounds really nice, but what sounds better is a big block (427/454) with side pipes. It literally shakes the ground.
The $45,000 Red Corvette Dilemma
Hello TCL,
First time creating a thread (I think), so here goes:
I've been contemplating a fun weekend car for awhile now. I've bounced around with various options but keep coming back to Corvettes, as both of my parents owned red C3 Corvettes back in the 70's and the Corvette has been my favorite sports car since I was a kid.
I have a budget of about $45,000 with flexibility either way, it would purely be a weekend car for backroad trips with my wife or the occasional vacation. My dilemma lies in what generation to go for, I'll make my (perhaps inaccurate) case for each below:
C5 Z06
![Wheel Tire Vehicle Car Automotive side marker light]()
- The car I grew up lusting for, the C5 always appears in my head when I envision a Corvette. I've long heard about how the C5 Z06 is a performance bargain, and of my options I've found them to be the most affordable with the fewest miles. Of concern to me is the interior, I know well these are from the days of Chevrolet going to the GM plastic parts bin.
C6 Grand Sport / Z06
![Wheel Car Tire Vehicle Hood]()
- These still catch my eye on the road, the wide, low stance just looks good to me. I was a passenger in a Z06 for a test drive once and still haven't forgotten the feeling, of my options it would likely be the most performance-oriented (I think), and also give me the most top-of-the-mountain halo car emotional bond. I don't really have a "con" to offer for this option other than it might be a bit hardcore for what I envision, but I feel that's a silly concern in the Corvette market.
C7 / C7 Z51
![Wheel Tire Land vehicle Vehicle Car]()
- I visited the Bowling Green plant in 2014 when these were brand new, and recall them sitting in the lobby of the Corvette Museum all roped off waiting for their owners. It being the newest of my options is a plus, and I don't hate the idea of an automatic as I recall Chevy making lots of noise about how good they are in these cars. The optional aero add-ons spoiled the look of the base car a bit for me though, to my eye these look a touch plain without the race car splitters and valences.
So there it is, thanks ahead of time for any feedback. If I'm missing the mark completely let me know, a Corvette tops the list but I'm open to other suggestions!
First time creating a thread (I think), so here goes:
I've been contemplating a fun weekend car for awhile now. I've bounced around with various options but keep coming back to Corvettes, as both of my parents owned red C3 Corvettes back in the 70's and the Corvette has been my favorite sports car since I was a kid.
I have a budget of about $45,000 with flexibility either way, it would purely be a weekend car for backroad trips with my wife or the occasional vacation. My dilemma lies in what generation to go for, I'll make my (perhaps inaccurate) case for each below:
C5 Z06
- The car I grew up lusting for, the C5 always appears in my head when I envision a Corvette. I've long heard about how the C5 Z06 is a performance bargain, and of my options I've found them to be the most affordable with the fewest miles. Of concern to me is the interior, I know well these are from the days of Chevrolet going to the GM plastic parts bin.
C6 Grand Sport / Z06
- These still catch my eye on the road, the wide, low stance just looks good to me. I was a passenger in a Z06 for a test drive once and still haven't forgotten the feeling, of my options it would likely be the most performance-oriented (I think), and also give me the most top-of-the-mountain halo car emotional bond. I don't really have a "con" to offer for this option other than it might be a bit hardcore for what I envision, but I feel that's a silly concern in the Corvette market.
C7 / C7 Z51
- I visited the Bowling Green plant in 2014 when these were brand new, and recall them sitting in the lobby of the Corvette Museum all roped off waiting for their owners. It being the newest of my options is a plus, and I don't hate the idea of an automatic as I recall Chevy making lots of noise about how good they are in these cars. The optional aero add-ons spoiled the look of the base car a bit for me though, to my eye these look a touch plain without the race car splitters and valences.
So there it is, thanks ahead of time for any feedback. If I'm missing the mark completely let me know, a Corvette tops the list but I'm open to other suggestions!
41 - 60 of 90 Posts
Ah. I stand corrected. I don't know much about the LS motors.
According to GM, it's a small block.
To add a little context to the small-block vs. big-block debate, the defining characteristic of a Chevy small-block is a bore spacing of 4.40" (which I believe all modern LS motors have). Chevy big-blocks on the other hand have a bore-spacing of 4.84". It gets a little confusing with the LS7 though, as that is a small-block with an advertised displacement of 427 cu in, the same as the big-block 'Vettes of the 1960s.
To add my two cents to the original poster's question, my choice would be a C7 Stingray based on the options above. I would much rather spend a road trip in the interior of a C7 than a C5 or C6, and I really like the looks of a C7, even in base trim. I also think the suspension of the track-focused C5/C6 models would be a bit of a burden on the street, compared to a suppler base model C7 (I could be talking out of my a** on that point though, as I have no experience behind the wheel of any Corvette).
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To add my two cents to the original poster's question, my choice would be a C7 Stingray based on the options above. I would much rather spend a road trip in the interior of a C7 than a C5 or C6, and I really like the looks of a C7, even in base trim. I also think the suspension of the track-focused C5/C6 models would be a bit of a burden on the street, compared to a suppler base model C7 (I could be talking out of my a** on that point though, as I have no experience behind the wheel of any Corvette).
Gonna agree with this. IMO, all cars should be dark green, and fortunately the Corvette has a great one to choose.
Nope. There was a 348 big block.
Chevy 348-cid V-8 Engine
Dubbed "Turbo-Thrust," the 348 Chevy V-8 was the largest and most powerful Chevrolet engine you could buy in 1958-61. These powered some of the most memorable of the "performance" Chevys.
auto.howstuffworks.com
I always forget the Mk1 big blocks and only think of the mk4 big blocks.Nope. There was a 348 big block.
Chevy 348-cid V-8 Engine
Dubbed "Turbo-Thrust," the 348 Chevy V-8 was the largest and most powerful Chevrolet engine you could buy in 1958-61. These powered some of the most memorable of the "performance" Chevys.
CFE Develops Monster 600-cubic-inch Small-block Engine
The engineering wizards at CFE Racing in Michigan have designed a heart-stopping 600 cubic-inch engine that can support huge horsepower levels.
www.enginelabs.com
41 - 60 of 90 Posts
