53 Corvette with a Buick Turbo v6

[88 CuttyClassic]

In the 1989 Car & Driver, they tested the 89 Turbo T/A, but the Corvette ZR-1 was on the cover, titled "Corvette from Hell" with Jason in a hockey mask climbing out. The TTA was bumped in favor of the ZR-1. The ZR-1 wasn't officially released or actually in production until 1990. So the 89 TTA was the fastest domestic production car for 1989 but the ZR-1 which wasn't actually available bumped it for the cover spot. Did someone in the Vette camp have any hand in this? Personally, I've street raced a ZR-1. They may be real fancy, but not so quick.

stock for stock a ZR1 will waste a stock TTA.. they were running 12's stock. all ZR1's are maunals so driver is a bigger part of the equation to why you could have beat a ZR1. GM wasn't marketing their top sports car against their own brands so don't you think it would have been bad to have their marqee sports car out HP'ed by a regal? with the said they didn't rate the HP to be top dog over the TRs but they did for marketing against the other sports car competition...porshe, ferrari, and whatever else was out there at the time. people that wanted to buy vette bought them for the total package, people that bought GN's wanted to go really fast and didn't care so much to pull a 1g in the twisties or stop on a dime. I'm sure i'll get jumnped all over for this post but thats just the way i see and i dont see what the big thing is, they are two cars meant to do two different things.

 

[VadersV6]

Even though thats 2 years early, the TR plenum lid looks just like the 55 fuel injected 283 plenum lid.....thats what makes it so cool to me anyway...

 

[turbofish38]

Even though thats 2 years early, the TR plenum lid looks just like the 55 fuel injected 283 plenum lid.....thats what makes it so cool to me anyway...

1957 was the first year for the FI SBC. 1957 to 1961 FI manifolds were one piece castings with smooth tops.1962 was also a one piece but with the ribs ala TR. 1963-65 was a two piece intake with the ribbed top.

Is right to put a Buick V-6 in a Vette. Hell yes! Its just wrong to put a SBC in a TR.

 

[RatFink]

stock for stock a ZR1 will waste a stock TTA.. they were running 12's stock. all ZR1's are maunals so driver is a bigger part of the equation to why you could have beat a ZR1. GM wasn't marketing their top sports car against their own brands so don't you think it would have been bad to have their marqee sports car out HP'ed by a regal? with the said they didn't rate the HP to be top dog over the TRs but they did for marketing against the other sports car competition...porshe, ferrari, and whatever else was out there at the time. people that wanted to buy vette bought them for the total package, people that bought GN's wanted to go really fast and didn't care so much to pull a 1g in the twisties or stop on a dime. I'm sure i'll get jumnped all over for this post but thats just the way i see and i dont see what the big thing is, they are two cars meant to do two different things.

The one I saw at Beach bend many years ago was consitantly running 12.90s
The one I raced on the street was a different one. my car back then had a $150 fuel pump, and hole cut in the stock downpipe. Everything else was stock down to the Gatorbacks (spinning) chip too. My car ran 12.92 at 108 in 1991. The Zr-1 was pulling at the end obviously more horsepower, but torque must have been similiar. Least to say the dude sh*t. A long hair in a firebird "wasted" a $65,000 king of the hill. He was cool though, didn't have a clue what a 3.8 turbo was.

 

[RatFink]

1957 was the first year for the FI SBC. 1957 to 1961 FI manifolds were one piece castings with smooth tops.1962 was also a one piece but with the ribs ala TR. 1963-65 was a two piece intake with the ribbed top.

Is right to put a Buick V-6 in a Vette. Hell yes! Its just wrong to put a SBC in a TR.

There was a guy from my hometown who atually put a chevy v8 in a Grand National. I never talked to the guy but my friend who has a GN did. Apparently the guy bought it and it had engine problems, he liked the body style and wanted to keep it and really wanted a Monte Carlo. So he thought he would solve his engine drama by swapping for something he new how to work on. What a strange little hick town that was indeed...

 

[VadersV6]

1957 was the first year for the FI SBC. 1957 to 1961 FI manifolds were one piece castings with smooth tops.1962 was also a one piece but with the ribs ala TR. 1963-65 was a two piece intake with the ribbed top.

Is right to put a Buick V-6 in a Vette. Hell yes! Its just wrong to put a SBC in a TR.

Thats right... I know every SBC ever made by heart but the FI motor was something I never messed with. For some reason I thought the 55 chevy had optional fuel injection, but maybe some guy in a magazine threw an FI 283 in a 55 and thats what I remember and it screwed me up. FI could have become popular a really long time ago, had people not been so afraid of anything different, i.e. most chevy guys.

 

[turbofish38]

FI could have become popular a really long time ago, had people not been so afraid of anything different, i.e. most chevy guys.

I'm amazed at how many early FI cars are out there. And not just the Corvette. There is a guy down the road from us with a 59 FI Biscayne. Says it was a legit stock car when it was new. It ran the FI before it was outlawed and later a 409 before it was parked and forgotten for 30 years. I drove a 315HP 61 Vette many years ago. One hard charging SBC! I think the real problem why they didn't sell was that the FI option was big bucks and the dealer techs were just plain scarred to touch them. The shop manual for just the FI was bigger than the FSM for the entire car. Plus they were a lot on the cold blooded side. A PITA to start even on a hot muggy day.

Back to the orginal topic. Anybody have a link to any kit cars built on a G-body frame?

 

[TurboMonte 2]

I believe it's the hp thing. Turbo Buicks were rated lower so not to hurt the Corvette owners feelings but we all know the little 6 got more.

NOT true---86 Vette 230hp, GN 235hp--87Vette 240 hp, GN 245hp. Don't know where the Vette vs. turbo Buick Hp myth started, but it seems to be continually perpetuated...

 

[ChavoLC2]

Underrated?

I always thought that in mags the always showed both cars as about equal as far a HP, they didn't emphasize the FACT that the Vette had well over 100 cubic inches more displacement. In reality I had thought where they underrated the Buick was they didn't disclose that the Buick was closer to 275HP (what I heard somwhere). Of coarse back in the day when Insurance companies scrutinized Automoble makers they all underrated power output for obvious reasons. When you compare curb weight( even with a weight disadvantage) the Buick makes up with power output of more then 1hp per cubic inch. ... No myth there!

There used to be a video of Turbocharged Calloway Vette that was beaten by a Gn or a GNX the race if I remember was done very close to their Model years. The ZR1 is a nice car , think that particular model motor was a joint venture with Mercury Marine. I could buy a fairly low mileage(27,000miles) Zr1 for 28k not even half what this MD. paid for it. He sold his Red ZR1 to another MD and he bought a Ferrari 340 Modena Spider(used paid $206,000.) Now that's a BAD expensive car! I offered 25K for the ZR1 but he wouldn't bite , it's a very nice car overall. It would be nice to have the Vette for a daily driver instead of the Buick. Might sound crazy but I'd race either one, the ZR1 the way the Buick is rigged up now it would be close but the buick should get the hole shot and the ZR1 would probably be chasing her down / reeling us in but it would probably be just enough before they came around us, now if the buick had a even a TE44 the Spider might be surprised in the 1/4. Would have to be from a dead stop and off the tranny brake or the Spider would spank that Heavy buick with a lil' motor. Went for a ride in the Spider they come alive at around 3500rpm darn thing opens up and sounds like a race car, incredible sound, that signature Ferrari sound is cool, their powerband is definately higher. That F1 paddle shifting is awesome, stops on a dime and agile. Paid 10 k for the buick it would give the 200k Spider a go for the money..Of coarse I'm biased.

 

[turbo nasty]

Saw a 69 Camaro with a old Corvette FI setup on a 302 Chevy. That was cool

 

[TurboMonte 2]

I had heard several times that actual Buick GNx hp was around 290 'ish--altho advertised at 245 (for 87).

Buick increase from 235 to 245 from 86 to 87 is paperwork only, and appeared to just "stay ahead" of the Vette advertised at 230 & 240, respectively.