chasboland

I know just what your doing because it is EXACTLY how I prefer to captain my Z as well. 3k in 3rd is just where I find this car so responsive and ALIVE. Now granted, this is not everywhere all the time, but when I am alone on unbusy country roads it is fun and exhilerating. Amazing is the only way I can describe the sack this ride possesses and it continues everytime I go for a spin.

2k Cobra

If you want to play, then keep the revs up more.

tim414

Our trannies in our 'Z's are geared very close I have found. During city driving when starting out from stop I use first and change to third at 2500....skipping second. When rpm gets arounds 2500-3k I skip fourth and go direct to fifth. 1,3,5. Best all around gears I've found in city driving. If I'm cruising "easy" I will shift to 6th gear at around 50-55-60 mph. No problems at all. I ahve also found that my Z06 does NOT lug very easy. If I slow under 50 mph I usually down shift to 5th (in Z06 6th is overdrive). I always try NOT to use 6th anytime under 50 mph. I have also found in city driving the "close ratio" tranny and LS7 is pretty much happy in any gear 1-5 (in conditions under 45 mph)....in stop-n-go traffic that's a pain in azz, 1st-2nd.....

Bill Dearborn

As with the C5s if you keep the engine rpms over 900 you will not damage the engine by driving in a higher gear.

Bill

jschindler

I agree with you and Frank. I've never understood in daily around town driving why anyone would run a car at more rpm's than are needed.

I'll never in my life forget a business lunch I had over 20 years ago. I was out with several other guys and we got to talking about jogging. One guy said "I figure God only gives us so many heartbeats, why waste them on jogging"

40YRW8

Lugging? That term and problem went out with the Quadrajet Carb. With the Skip-Shift trans, the engineers designed your car to "Lug". Driving around town at 3000 rpm sounds a lot like, "Hey, look at me!" Stupid and immature. Do you keep the car in the torque band because you never know when a Mustang will jump out from behind a telephone pole and yell, "TAG"?
Gary

tim414

Maybe he does not understand 1k rpm around town does NOT harm his engine and saves some fuel....even if you don't care about the fuel savings/enviroment, I do....thats why skip shift is present....

(to tell on myself, I did'nt know the term 'lugging' was out myself)

also, please don't get me wrong, I'm not a green nut and do like to let my 'Z stretch it's legs....but around town is NOT the place for it....and I do care if I have clean air to breathe....reminds me when I was stationed in Greece back in 1988-91....the air in Athens in the summer is so thick with leaded fuel burning engine smog it DOES make you sick with respiratory ailments....I was in my 20's then....anyway....I do understand and have lived in places with NO emissions standards and it truely made me appreciate those standards....I understand they now have new emission laws in Greece....about time...

BSSN

My friend JR lived next to some douche who would drive his Porsche at 5K rpm through the neighborhood all the time. Never left 1st, always speeding.

The analogy I read about jogging/heartbeats is also somewhat misleading. People's hearts mess up because of blockages and chemical imbalances. Not because they beat 1 too-many times.

jschindler

It was a joke

redZ06bri

Around town, my car stays between 2000 and 3500 rpms most of the time. However, I always try to bring it briefly above above 4000 rpm on every drive since I'm a believer that varying rpms is good for the engine.

I do avoid anything above 6500 like the plague, it just makes me nervous. On the other end, I hate anything less than 2000 around town, on the highway on a long trip it would be ok, but that it outside the power band of even the mighty LS7.

PureSwank

Cruising at 3000rpms??!!

I usually shift in the range of 1500-2000 rpms. I can't even imagine staying in the 3000 rpm range. If your going to race somebody just down shift but I wouldn't keep it there " just in case"

Dale1990

I guess this solves the mystery about why reports of gas mileage vary so much.

Good to know for a future Z owner.

goatts

My guess is that this is typical. If so, then running 3000 constantly would wear out the engine at about 75k miles assuming typical life of 150k.

It would be interesting to see a poll.

40YRW8

My guess is at 3000 rpm you are creating 5 or 6 times the stress and wear that you would see at 1000 rpm. And for what?

08msmZ06

I guess I should have clarified that I only drive it about 30-45 minutes a day, at most, and I don't drive it every day even though it's my DD (all pleasure miles; no daily commute). That's why I like to drive it in a somewhat spirited manner whenever I'm in it. I'm pretty sure one day at the track, with lots of time spent in the 5-7K range, puts a lot more stress on the motor than my short stints at 3K; I don't track mine, btw. When I'm on the highway on long drives I always drop it into 5th; I never use 6th unless I'm on the interstate headed out of town. I do occasionally hit the 5-7K range, but that's only when no one's looking.

Thanks for answering my question.

Lead Foot 66

Here is the guidance:

"If your engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two
or more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or
for good engine performance."
From my 2008 owner's Manual, page 2-33.

As a general rule, I keep the revs down to < 2K when the engine oil temp is < 130. Above that I'll use what I need. I also never run 6th below ~55mph, unless I'm going down a hill.

NORTY

Amazing lump...








Cut away courtesy of GM.

40YRW8

Norty,
Great photos! Thank you.
Gary

40YRW8

Tim 414,
The term is still around but with modern EFI, it is basically irrelevant. My car runs really well around town at 35 mph in 6th gear. It can also pull around 20.5 city mpg at those speeds. It has plenty of torque to slog along with normal traffic at 850-900 rpm. Is it a slug? Sure. That is why we have a transmission. By the way, the average late-60's musclecar came with a 1-1 fourth gear and 3.42 to 3.54 rear gears. Driving around town in 4th gear, my Z is WAY faster than any musclecar I ever drove. Those times were really cool but the cars today are much, much better in every way.
Gary

383vett

Wow, I didn't know we had chrome valvesprings.