WHAT'S YOUR TOP SPEED?

[njsteve]

I recall about 145 in my SCCA A-Street Prepared, Viper back in 1994 at Sebring International Raceway. This was on the short straightaway which ends in a 20 mph hairpin turn. I say "about 145" because that was when I stopped looking at the speedometer and looked at the oil pressure gauge because I heard a loud "thunk" from under the car. It turned out that a bolt had backed out of the ring gear and was ejected straight through the side of the aluminum differential case. Luckily it flew out near the top and the rear end fluid stayed in the dif. You could smell the gearlube immediately. Got the car slowed down and drove it in to the pits, threw in another rear in an hour and back on the track. That's when I started thinking: "I'm getting too old for this..."

https://www.yenko.net/attachments/142...persebring.JPG

[55chevy]

Back when I was fresh out of highschool I had a beater '75 Ventura Sprint. Typical PA car that seen every winter come and go, the bottoms of the front fenders and bottoms of both doors rusted off.. (once I locked my keys in it with it running and just pulled the door skin out at the bottom and reached my hand up in and unlocked it by the rod)..anyway it was rough.. but it was my beater fun car. I had a roll cage welded in it and a big push bar welded to the front bumper... sprayed it black with rattle cans.. it was a scary looking beast. .. straight pipes to the back bumper with no mufflers...sounded like a chambered exhaust on crack ... I used to go offroading and everything in that car.. I don't know how many engines and trannys I swapped in and out of it but one time I dropped the beefed up 350 out of my wrecked 71 Chevelle in it and gave myself the scariest ride I've ever had. That thing had a 2.56 rear in it and on a nice straight stretch of the 220 bypass near Bedford, PA I let it all hang out and made my cousin who was riding with me nearly pee his pants. In about 1/8 mile I buried the speedo down past the idiot lights and the door skins and bottom of the fenders started flappin and slappin ... and this thing is just picking up speed like crazy.. cousin was pale white knuckled hanging on with an expression on his face unlike I'd ever seen .. I'm in the right lane and in a spit second this thing lifts up and moves into the left lane by itself (didn't move the steering wheel). so I figured I better shut it down right there.. scared the bejesus out of me had to been doing around 140 and that thing was still pulling like crazy.. I still get a rush thinking about that ride. ha ha



My fastest ride to date though was last summer. On my way to work one morning in the '04 GTO I wanted to see just what it could do. In about 1/4 mile I went from 70 to 152 and in 5th with tach and another gear to go, I started running out of road. The new GTOs are an absolute dream at high speed. Not scary at all. The faster it went the better it seemed to stick to the road. I'd love to get my hands on an '05

[Kim_Howie]

Sam I live 20 miles from Ottumwa,Ia. Who's 429 ford did you ride in may know him. I had a 66 425hp Vette had a 3 barrell and diff cam. I went across the Blakesburg flats around 140 just outside Ottumwa.

[bad1racing]

73 AMC Gremlin 304 auto fresh off to showroom floor,105mph with a 69-70 Impala next to us just playing.My brothers new 92 Lumina Z-34 prep test drive,115mph before to computer shut the fuel down.Brothers 80 Z-28 speedo went to 85 with a peg.Had the needle pegged let off the gas 15 sec. later the needle started to move off of the peg, mph ??? 165 or so at Daytona on a ride along in a stock car.Sure didnt feel like that much.Gives a greater awareness to how talented those drivers are.
Kendall

[Pantera]

I think one of my more memorable times was at Texas World Speedway in my SCCA B/P '69 Vette, when I was overtaking a slower Vette, and we were passing the flagstand, when he suddenly blew a rearend and I had to pull out to the left to keep from hitting him in the rear and the draft felt like a freight train had hit me in the rear and my tack went from 5,900 to over 7,200 instantely. That should have been about 150. I know I almost didn't get slowed down in time to make the turn off the banking and into the infield turn 1 in time because I was going so fast.

Eariler in the practice sessions the conv decklid was sure wanting to lift off at that speed.


I also had the ole Pantera up to 145 indicated one night on the indian nation turnpike about 3 am. I had a oversized rear tire on it. The faster I went the more it hunkered down on the supension till it felt like the front tires would rub through the underside of the front fenders, so I backed it down. I was all alone that night and there was not anyone else on the road.

Pantera

[Lynn]

"You're all under arrest"

Sheriff Lucky

[Ozark]

74 Chevelle Malibu with a 400 small block, headers and straight Thrush mufflers. 3.08 peg leg rear. Had it up to 120 on the open highway and talk about float! Drifting bad at that speed. Young and dumb, go figure.

[Seattle Sam]

[ QUOTE ]
Sam I live 20 miles from Ottumwa,Ia. Who's 429 ford did you ride in may know him. I had a 66 425hp Vette had a 3 barrell and diff cam. I went across the Blakesburg flats around 140 just outside Ottumwa.

[/ QUOTE ]

Kim,
30 plus years ago, my memory is a bit hazy.. I was attending Indian Hills Community College ("Iowa Tech") and studying computer repair. He was a tall slender dark-haired kid and I believe his name was Jim? We used to run down to the Eldon "Y" to buy gas, they would be a penny or two less a gallon there. I think gas was 18 cents a gallon there and 20 cents in town. We would also run down to Missouri on a Sunday to buy 3.2 beer (no beer sales in Iowa on Sunday). I sure remember flying down some two lane highway in that big ol Ford, though!

-Sam

[55chevy]

[ QUOTE ]
"You're all under arrest"

Sheriff Lucky

[/ QUOTE ]

prove it

[kwhizz]

I was driving my C5 convert up to the Dells....as I was driving along , in my rear view mirror I saw a little Red car of some sort coming up from behind.....it was 5:30 in the morning with very light traffic.....as the little red car caught up to me he slowed down and just drove next to me........I couldn't recognize what he was driving but it was Red, Low,Top Down, driver in his mid 20's, hair blowing in the breeze......life is Good..........
As I sped up he stayed right on my fender, as I slowed down, same thing.......After all, I had my new C5 convert, this kid ain't gonna mess with me ....."Right"....so, I did the right thing and nailed it.....as I got up to 125 he was still on my fender and still never even looked over......130 same, 140 same thing, at 145, the Vette just about had it's tongue out.......he looks over at me and waves goodbye, at 145 he pulled away from me like I was standing still......so much for my testosterone high.........Oh .....bye the way......all I saw on that little thing was F355 on the tail panel.....Ferrari.......I think I made his day.......
Other than that my 66 Nova at the Drag Strip......350 Small block, 700R4,3.42, on 26" tall Drag Radials.....10.92 @ 126.....

Ken