So I was wondering since most of the f bodies made around 255-300foot pounds of torque what is it like driving the same car with the same engine only having more horsepower but the same torque.


For instance what is it like driving an iroc-z 195-230hp vs the tbi 170hp cars that have the same rear end axle ratio?


Can someone give me some examples, anyone own both?



I wanna know what its like having the same horsepower in the powerband if it was in the same car.

 

It's a loaded question man....

Horsepower is calculated from Torque...

(Torque x Engine speed) / 5,252 = Horsepower

The more Torque your engine makes the stonger it will feel....
The higher in the RPM range that the engine makes that Torque the more Calculated Horsepower it will have.

 

Basically say you're comparing the L98 to the LS1. The L98 lurches hard off the line and starts to fall off above 4000 or so, where as the LS1 lurches hard from a stop and pulls hard all the way till redline. The LS1 has an intake, exhaust, camshaft, etc to give it all that high end horsepower. Its all a comprimise of emissions, customer power expectations, driveability, and as we move forward with the computer controlled systems, less and less comprimises have to be made.

 

You could spend all day and probably all night too. Very generally a larger engine will produce more torque and a higher reving engine will produce higher peak horsepower. So for accelereation you want the bigger engine but for high top speeds/handling you usually go for a smaller lighter engine that revs way higher. Bigger engines usually have a wider power band at lower rpms so is usually more relaxing to drive on the street. So, to maybe answer your question, the more torque you have the 'quicker' your car will feel during regular street driving. But there's more.....

 

hmmm

you may be a bit misinformed. GTA Sammy was short and to the point

the question was about the L03 and its torque numbers vs low HP.

What happens is that the heads and cam don't flow so as higher rpm's are reached, they are at their peak around 4k rpms and can't make more power.

The next gen engines such as the LT and then LS have better flowing heads and better cams.

HP is a calculation based upon torque. For around town driving, you feel the low end torque. Newer engines such as the new 5.0 from Ford is a screamer if you buy the manny tranny version and keep the revs around 4k. You are then into the "power band".

 

I drive the 305 some after market engine with factory tbi, I beat my own car a camaro rs tbi that raced me I dont could be tbi 350 the recipt says from a 42000 mile truck and it sounds from exhaust like the gmc 1500 trucks.

If I was to jump in someone iroc-z tpi would It feel faster and would it go that much faster or only when revved since the torque is higher up on those?


Based on what hes saying then it wont feel faster you will just travel farther forward more and faster with the same torque.

 

It's a ridiculous conversation that has been beaten to death by many....

The more Torque your engine makes the stonger it will feel....
The higher in the RPM range that the engine makes that Torque the more Calculated Horsepower it will have.

Some Turbo Diesels make 700Ft/Lbs of Tq but have a Redline of 3000RPM therefore only make 400Hp

(Torque x Engine speed) / 5,252 = Horsepower

That's it for me, I'm Done!!!!

 

I guess im asking about the experince I know how it is calculated. If I gun your iroc-z or lt1 with 4l60 would I think its faster or would I just travel farther as I revved through 1st and 2nd.

I really like all of the high revving high hp small displacment cars I had so far with a manual just as quick and you have building revvs I dont like this low rpm big engine ruise thing unless its a truck because the 170hp is that weather its small high revver or big 350 or 454.

 

See now your getting into transmission and rear end ratios.... if its the same trans and rear end an LT1 will pull harder down low and keep pulling past the L98. People seem to think the L98 has more peak low end torque than its successors. This is not true, it just makes its PEAK at lower RPM. The LT1 has the same, if not more torque at 2000 rpm as the L98, it just keeps making that torque past the L98s peak. Does that make sense?

 

This might help answer you a bit, without being too technical.

I have had 1990 RS 305 TBI, 1992 carb 350, and 1997 Z28 LT1 - All are automatics. Thrill meter will be a scale of 1-10, 1 being a 1972 Toyota Corolla (grandma's Hov-R-Ound has more hp and a skateboard has more torque), 10 we'll say a new Vette (not a Z06).

1990 RS was a 305 TBI with exhaust & 2.73 peg leg rear - so stock was 170hp. Drove decent, handled as an American muscle should, but thrill factor was a 3.5. I later changed to a 3.08 posi rear gear and thrill factor went to 4. Never had even any wheel chirp from the 305, very slight pressure on neck.

1992 RS is a carbed 350, mild cam, 10:1 dometops with smog heads, full exhaust, built 700R4 with shift kit, and 3.42 posi rear. No hp monster, just an old 350. Thrill factor on it is definitely a 7. The shift kit jerks your neck in 1-2 and 2-3 shifts, with wheel spin on 1-2 shift. Can feel it in the chest. Makes an RS a fun car - highly recommend ANY old 350 to anyone with a 305.

1997 Z28 LT1 is all stock. Not sure of rear gear ratio on it. Thrill factor would have to be 8. The LT1 will take my carbed 350, but it's not an embarrasing loss. I would probably rate it a bit higher on my little scale, but given that the 1997 car is all stock, there's no neck jerk (no shift kit) - but you still feel it in the chest. 1997 car also has traction control, so it doesn't let loose (slightly lowering the thrill over the 1992).

I've not driven an LS1 or higher car (thus I rate my LT1 no higher than an 8). I know the LS1's keep powering into a much higher band than LT1 and lower, but I'm assuming in stock form the LS1 is basically an LT1 that 'lasts longer'. And I'm assuming the later engines (LS2, etc.) are just beastly compared to LT1 and prior.

The particulars make alot of difference - for instance cam - I have no idea what cam is in my 350. Also, power is made in the heads, my 350 has crappy smog heads (thus the 10:1 dometops to raise the compression a bit). But I can say with all honesty, any junky 350 is quite a step up from a 305 TBI, and LT1 is definitely a step up from a 350 that's not been 'built'. And I think I'm safe in saying that an LS1 and up would be steps up as well.

 

Oh wow thats good thats exactly what I was asking for. It seems to me it would pull slighty faster and longer as lt1 has higher rpm and ls1 even higher . I watched youtube videos on stock autos and the lt1 and ls1 went tad higher for same gear ratio and got there quicker with more horsepower.

 

I'd actually have to say after driving the new RS/SS camaro that I like the older 350's a little better.

Don't misunderstand me either, the new camaro is WAY,WAY faster. But the LS series seems to be a little better mannered and the pull from dead stop isn't as strong. Kinda loses the "fun, I might die" feel.

 

Thats why I love my Camaro, sure, all my other cars have more HP, but they just don't give me that grin