wgc_3

Hey yall,
Today I just bought my second C3, a '76! Well when I punch it, for one it sounds good, and two it goes no where. It'll just increase at a slow speed, I know when I punched my 82 with the cross fire yet it sucked but it picked up a little.

Any clues, or anything I can do to fix this?

Thanks,
wgc_3

GDaina

Yup....Crate 572CI Big Block.....that should wake up the beast....

wgc_3

Seriously, it feels like it's just sitting in traffic when I romp on it, I mean it should get up and go.

Steve Straus

EDIT: So seriously rather than just being a nice guy, I'll try to help. What intake and carb do you have? 76's weren't exactly known for being a high HP year. You can do things like put an aluminum dual plane intake and a Holley 650 carb on it, but to really wake it up you need to put a cam and some nice heads on it. When you get to that point, pulling the engine and rebuilding it with forged pistons and rods is only a few dollars more.


[Modified by Steve Straus, 1:25 AM 7/2/2004]

RHD '68 L89

First off, try setting the advance curve a la Lars advice. then send your Q jet to lars for a check over/rebuild. That wakes up all the potential of the current combination.
If it still is not enough for ya then go for the intake/cam/heads routine.
If it sounds good then there is a good chance the exhaust is not restricting it

TLChydraulics

I have a 76 also, but have a built up truck 4 bolt main 350 in it. Mine will fish tail and bark second pretty good, so it sounds like a few performace parts may be in your future.

Good luck with her,

Loren

Mr.Gearhead

I am curious... are your RPMs high and the car isn't moving along? At first I was thinking transmission... Like everyone else stated, 76's are not known for being super fast. If it is the motor, a inexpensive fix could be Vortec Heads, intake, carb and headers. Chevy HiPerformance did an article on this set up before on a bone stock Goodwrech 350. I think they produced something like 375 Hp with just these mods...

Fevre

If the eng revs freely but the car doesn't move much the tranny might be slipping or someone might have installed a high stall t/c, does it rev real free then jump when the rpm's get up?

LemansBlue68

A set of 4.10:1 gears in the rear end will wake it up (and you too, on long highway trips).

wgc_3

Steve,
The guy who owned it before me had the block rebuild about 300 miles ago, I don't think he knew what he was doing, all I know is he has an edelbrock intake, and the stock carb, I am in the jegs mag. looking at the Holley Package which has heads, intake, and I would have to buy the carb. Here is the link please tell me what you think.
http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerc...50&prmenbr=361

Thanks,
wgc3

BrandonS

May i recommend a setup for you? Get some dart heads, a hi-rise intake, holley carb, some good inexpensive headers (dynomax), crane came, some higher compression pistons, and wrap it all together with a full MSD igntion. With all that i'll bet you get around 400hp with the right setup... :flag

You won't have to ever worry about feeling slow again, but your looking at 4-5.5k for the whole thing!

BrandonS

Oh yea, keep in mind that the 76's were the second lowest HP c-3's produced, only surpassed by the 75's. a new honda accord has 40hp than your vette does.....

wgc_3

DOH!

wgc_3

Brandon,
Can you give me specs. like 180 heads or 200cc heads, I mean real specific?

Thanks

eddadams

How fast are you going when you punch it? Is the transmission kicking down into "passing gear"? I don't know if the 76 has the same transmission as my slow 75, but if it does and it is not kicking down you may need to check to see if the kick down switch is working.

blunsford

Clogged Cat converter???? Had a couple of those before. They'll kill HP.

comp

with all the posiblity's

79ls1

It could be any number of things. Shot carb, clogged cat, bad ignition timing, bad cam timing (you said it was recently rebult?), vacuum leak(s), trans slipping, build up in the intake if it idled a lot in the past, the list goes on. I once had a guy bring me a deisel pick up truck saying that it needed new injectors (he had already bought them). The air cleaner was clogged. The point is, eliminate the easy, simple things first and remember that air flow is key, both going it and coming out. You can tell a lot from a simple vacuum gauge.

BrandonS

If your really interested, email me at nighthawk117a@excite.com and i'll send you all my engine specs. Something else that made a big difference on my 71 was a new ignition system. My car wouldn't even rev past 4400rpms before installing it. No she goes all the way to 6100, my new redline! Gotta stay away from valve float at 6600! Also, my gas mileage went up by 3mpg, to 14mpg. Well worth it.

Brandon

wgc_3

Well I don't have cats, I just have true dual with an H pipe.

I know the carb is gone, also I noticed someone had a convertion kit for a 6 speed for the C3's does anyone know of the company?