Newbie says hi.

Chuffer

CCCUK regional rep
We leave next week for a 450 mile drive to Albertville, then three days in the Alps, then another 450 miles home. We usually get about 20 - 22 mpg on the Autoroutes, cruising at about 110kph (70-ish mph), but the Alps will be a different story. We try not to think about the fuel bill!
Don`t think of it as a fuel bill . more a smiles per mile bill ! :D
 

Mr. Cricket

Committee Member
I only calculated out my rough MPG the time I drove it home after it was imported. It did about 18MPG on that long run, but that was with the old Carter carb that was overfuelling. Now have a new Edelbrock one so suspect it is better over long distance, but I've never calculated it out as I don't care. MPG is not the reason we bought these cars.
I brimmed the BB C2 as much as I could before leaving for the Nats from the Stockport area and had to fill up a few miles short of Sharnbrook. The C6 & C7 drivers were still on about 3/4 of a tank. I will resist from working out the MPG as, as you say, that aint the reason
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
I brimmed the BB C2 as much as I could before leaving for the Nats from the Stockport area and had to fill up a few miles short of Sharnbrook. The C6 & C7 drivers were still on about 3/4 of a tank. I will resist from working out the MPG as, as you say, that aint the reason
I must say I do love a good big block. As much as I love my small block C3, and to be honest I don't drive fast etc, but I do sometimes think I should have held out for a big block - just because. Still, mine has the big block hood on it, so at least it looks like one, but it just doesn't have the lower MPG to go with it :ROFLMAO:
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
You can buy the car with engine plus original 427 (if you want)
You just don't know how tempting that is. I'd already thought that when you advertised your car a while back - could have two '68 C3s then. Keep yours as it is, but put the original 427 in mine as a temporary home. The problem is money, time, space, oh and a divorce settlement if I spent money on buying more cars :ROFLMAO:
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
You just don't know how tempting that is. I'd already thought that when you advertised your car a while back - could have two '68 C3s then. Keep yours as it is, but put the original 427 in mine as a temporary home. The problem is money, time, space, oh and a divorce settlement if I spent money on buying more cars :ROFLMAO:
Life is a difficult and challenging balance - having the 'toys' you know that you want/need/must have etc etc - being able to justify buying and using them in the first place and, yes the stability and feasibility of your matrimonial status if you should choose to induluge that desire.........
 

Mr. Cricket

Committee Member
I must say I do love a good big block. As much as I love my small block C3, and to be honest I don't drive fast etc, but I do sometimes think I should have held out for a big block - just because. Still, mine has the big block hood on it, so at least it looks like one, but it just doesn't have the lower MPG to go with it :ROFLMAO:
Well just my opinion of course having driven big block 427 & 454 C3's The front end weight on the BB C3 seemed far more prevalent and 'unbalanced' whereas on the C2 it feels better distributed. For that exact reason was why I went with the LT-1 C3 which offers close to BB HP while retaining the SB handling.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Well just my opinion of course having driven big block 427 & 454 C3's The front end weight on the BB C3 seemed far more prevalent and 'unbalanced' whereas on the C2 it feels better distributed. For that exact reason was why I went with the LT-1 C3 which offers close to BB HP while retaining the SB handling.
Try a big block with alloy heads, inlet and other weight reducing parts - add one passenger and the front/rear weight bias and potential effect on handling disappears completely...........
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
Life is a difficult and challenging balance - having the 'toys' you know that you want/need/must have etc etc - being able to justify buying and using them in the first place and, yes the stability and feasibility of your matrimonial status if you should choose to induluge that desire.........
Indeed it is challenging. Which is exactly why after I split from my first wife I knew that was the exact time to buy a Yank V8 for personal indulgence - as there would be no one telling me not to :D. Amusingly, a few months after I bought the Vette I met my now current wife - and she loves my Vette a lot too, jokingly ( :unsure: ????) threatening to divorce me if I ever sell it. We used it as our wedding car, so its a member of the family now.
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
Well just my opinion of course having driven big block 427 & 454 C3's The front end weight on the BB C3 seemed far more prevalent and 'unbalanced' whereas on the C2 it feels better distributed. For that exact reason was why I went with the LT-1 C3 which offers close to BB HP while retaining the SB handling.
This is what I tell myself at night, after waking in a sweat from dreams of big blocks..... that and MPG. I'm just gonna keep taking the blue pill until someone takes me out in their big block and "ruins" my day :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
This is what I tell myself at night, after waking in a sweat from dreams of big blocks..... that and MPG. I'm just gonna keep taking the blue pill until someone takes me out in their big block and "ruins" my day :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
I'll guarrantee that my big block is better on mpg than many hi-po and modified small blocks....
 

Mr. Cricket

Committee Member
This is what I tell myself at night, after waking in a sweat from dreams of big blocks..... that and MPG. I'm just gonna keep taking the blue pill until someone takes me out in their big block and "ruins" my day :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Come to Corvettes at the Lakes next year and have a blast in mine
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Which is exactly why you need to donate your engine to my Corvette so it has better MPG..... :D :D :ROFLMAO:
There is also a diverse 'benefit' (perhaps is not the correct word - lets say 'consequence) of driving such a car. There is never a domestic requirement for laxatives. Perhaps best described as driving a 'virtual' packet of All Bran......:rolleyes:
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
There is also a diverse 'benefit' (perhaps is not the correct word - lets say 'consequence) of driving such a car. There is never a domestic requirement for laxatives. Perhaps best described as driving a 'virtual' packet of All Bran......:rolleyes:
Thanks - that did genuinely make me LOL. If I'd been drinking at the time, it would have been all over my screen right now :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

But I know roughly how you feel - before I retrofitted power brakes, every time I drove the car the All Bran threatened every time I saw any car at a side road wanting to pull out, or one that got too close to me (e.g. slamming their brakes on), or any situation where I felt I might have to apply the brakes hard.
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Thanks - that did genuinely make me LOL. If I'd been drinking at the time, it would have been all over my screen right now :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

But I know roughly how you feel - before I retrofitted power brakes, every time I drove the car the All Bran threatened every time I saw any car at a side road wanting to pull out, or one that got too close to me (e.g. slamming their brakes on), or any situation where I felt I might have to apply the brakes hard.
Not having power brakes actually improves ones driving. You will keep a far larger gap when following other vehicles and (as you note) keep an eagle-eye on adjoining side roads........this is much as you'll behave riding a motor bike. Good practise in fact.
 

Mad4slalom

CCCUK Member
Not having power brakes actually improves ones driving. You will keep a far larger gap when following other vehicles and (as you note) keep an eagle-eye on adjoining side roads........this is much as you'll behave riding a motor bike. Good practise in fact.
True, although I thought my non power brakes would be awful, I am now used to them and have total confidence in them . You should have tried my beach buggy with disc conversion and no fuel tank , spare wheel or metal bodywork up front . 😱😩
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
True, although I thought my non power brakes would be awful, I am now used to them and have total confidence in them . You should have tried my beach buggy with disc conversion and no fuel tank , spare wheel or metal bodywork up front . 😱😩
Even though I have power steering with an 11" steering wheel the additional steering effort required using the smaller wheel balances-up with braking effort required. I found Hawk HP Plus disc pads worked well, even more so when 'warmed-up' a bit.....
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
Not having power brakes actually improves ones driving. You will keep a far larger gap when following other vehicles and (as you note) keep an eagle-eye on adjoining side roads........this is much as you'll behave riding a motor bike. Good practise in fact.
It certainly did. I was eagle eyed everywhere keeping massive gaps. Problem is, I found myself getting nervous / anxious / whatever driving the car whenever anyone got into my "personal space". I'm still eagle eyed when in the Vette now after the power brake conversion, as I'm well aware its an old girl still. But the power brakes just gives me that "reassurance" that I can actually stop the car if I need too.

(previously I couldn't stop it very well as my right leg wouldn't fit under the "non-tilt" steering wheel very well, so I had to brake with my leg at about 45 degrees angle out to the right and thus couldn't apply much pressure to it. I'm told by people with shorter legs than me who drove my car that my previous "manual brakes" were actually quite good as they could apply pressure straight down onto the brake pedal)
 
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