SicChild

Could someone supply me with some specs on the 1979 L48 and L82's. I'm looking for stock HP to the tires, top speed, 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc. I can't seem to find any accurate info on this. Of course, 1/4 mile times and stuff aren't the same for everyone, but an "estimate" would be good enough for all these.

Since I got my vette it's basically been parked so I can afford to do some upgrade so I haven't really been able to take it out and find this information on my own.

Thanks

Paul L

Road & Track, April 1979 for the L-82.

Justin79-L-82

The L-82 in 79 had 225 horsepower at the flywheel (minus about 15-20 from drivetrain loss to the back tires). I have read that the stock quater mile time was 15.4 and also 15.6 :seeya

SicChild

Thanks guys....is there really that much difference between L48 & L82? And Paul, do you know what the specs in that book are for? (48 or 82?)

Curious what your guys' top speed is....care to share?

Paul L

That was the L-82. Here are my specs 23 years later. Pretty close to R&T in 1979. And my motor is untouched still.






[Modified by paul79, 8:16 PM 9/26/2002]

page62

The L82 is a beefier engine. 4-bolt mains, better crank, etc. Some other members can give you the exact details, but this should get the ball rolling...
:yesnod:

Paul L

Contact SuperFast80. He has all this info scanned.

isosceles

Chevy's hp rating on the stock 1979 L48 is 195. A supposed big deal increase of 10hp from the 78's, due to better flowing exhaust from what I've read.
there's a 1979 corvette advertisement and road tests you can see here :
http://www.corvettearchive.com/
browse to the 1979 section


[Modified by isosceles, 2:14 AM 9/27/2002]

SicChild

thanks guys, I still have not seena "top speed" posted anywhere.......anyone with a '79 L48/L82 care to share their personal best top speed?

tippi58

For late 70s cars with 195 (L48) and 225hp (L82) they arent super quick in stock form. They weer quicker than most else around t the time though

Put a decent set of heads, some headers, get rid of the cat converter and a good bumpstick and they really motor along.:chevy:

Still, mine is stock with a very slightly aggressive cam (apparently):p::

I just cruise but enjoy giving it a burst from stop to 50 (great noise) :cool: :cool: :cool:

Neo Fender

Ironically, on the later L-48s and L-82s, the L-48s had more torque:

1979 L-48 285 lbs-ft
1979 L-82 270 lbs-ft

fauxrs

The specs seem to be for the L-48 - the reason i say this is the 78 L-82 (4spd) with 5 less hp than the 79 L-82 did 1/4 mile at 15.1 secs - that test showed almost a half second slower.

top speed for the 4 speed l-82 in 78 was about 132 mph @ 6000 rpm - this was with 3.70 gears - I dont know what the rear gearing is on L-82s or 48s for that matter in 79 but they are probably much the same - the L-48 was slower than the L-82 so I would assume in the mid 120's for top speed.

SicChild

I'm redoing the exhaust soon and I hope to goto true duals..maybe not. Either way I plan on removing the cat convertor....I heard it makes a huge difference? Can anyone support this? How much HP/Power should I gain, would it be noticeable?

page62

One thing you need to remember about top speed is that rear end gearing plays a factor. A car with a 3.08 rear end has a higher theoretical top speed than a 3.70 car. Combine this with the engine's rpm redline, and you can mathematically calculate it...

And if you have an overdrive transmission installed, top speed is much higher than you would ever want to go (150+ mph?!)

Neo Fender

Noticeable? - Definitely. Headers are about the best bang-for-buck mod you can make. Easily a 10-20% HP increase. Best of all, the improvement is all over the RPM range. You may have to richen the carburetor to compensate for the improved breathing that headers provide.

How far away is Wainright from Cold Lake? I travel to Cold Lake occasionally. Just curious.

Neo Fender

Agreed, but calculating it will only provide a theoretical, not an actual top speed. With a non-locking torque converter, slight slippage may be an issue. Also, many vehicles will not hit redline in top gear. Many motorcycles actually are faster in 5th gear than they are in 6th. A lower gear often puts the engine in a stronger RPM range to overcome huge, high-speed drag

97Z

Hey, In 1979, My dad went on a vacation road trip with CIC, they were able to run out to Charloett NC (SP???) and went to the Motor Speedway. and If I remember correctly, In the vette thats in my sig, he was clocked at 137.2 something, Flat out. I've still got the print out with the numbers. That was completely stock with 5,500 miles.

SicChild

right. I plan to get headers & remove the cat convertor. Cold Lake is about 1hr 45mins north of Wainright. I've been there quite a few times...nice town.

Phoenix79

I have a L48 1979. I have true duals, hooker competition headers, no cats and the hooker maximum flow mufflers. I get compliments on the sound all the time. Pretty loud and has a nice aggressive gurgle roar in WOT. Hmm I'd have to say the difference in power from stock exhaust to headers, true duals, and no cats made a difference. Honestly I drove the Vette for 4 months, changed the exhaust and now I can't really remember the difference. My friend's Nissan 300ZX can't touch me...off the line, in a straight line, or in a curve...my other friend's Camaro Z28 can't keep up, yet he can smoke his new tires at will. So far I'm considered king off the line. Many people swear I don't have a stock L-48 engine...but I'm pretty darn sure it is the stock L-48. I can't light my tires up that's for sure but I can get a nice chirp off the line or sometimes manually shifting gears. If my slow L48 puts a smile on my face now, I'd hate to be behind a 383 Stroker or a ZZ4. In due time! :yesnod: But for now, I'm happy with it's performance.

I have taken the Vette to almost 140 according to my speedo. It was around 11:30 PM and no one on a 4 lane road!!! But that was my last top end fly on the highway. Scared the crap out of me. Maybe because the first vehicles I ever drove were an old exhaust/engine beat up BMW and an old station wagon Volvo. Vette was smooth and didn't feel out of control at all. Cops hiding, scared me more than anything!

The joys of getting your first vehicle and Vette at the age of 18!


[Modified by Phoenix79, 4:51 AM 9/28/2002]

SicChild

yeah....i'm in heaven now. 16 yeas old and i got my dream car...(well close enough to me dream car, i'm happy with any C3). thanks for all the input guys.