what's the fastest you've flown your hawk

#27BlkFireHawk · Post by **#27BlkFireHawk** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:06 pm

Any stories about 6th gear red lines top speeds or popped for excessive speeding? I was told these cars can top out a 180, of course I've only been up to 130.

Firehawk 007 · Post by **Firehawk 007** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:55 pm

You would have to be pushing major HP to redline 6th gear. I believe our cars reach top speed in 5th gear. The gearing in 6th is way too tall for top speed.

Kataklysm · Post by **Kataklysm** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 3:56 pm

I don't think they'll make 180. I've taken mine to 135 and the cars were coming up quick so I had to let off. It gets pretty scray going that fast.

Firehawk 526 · Post by **Firehawk 526** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:11 pm

I thought they had speed limiters on them w/top end of 156 mph (approx), but I also know of some who have had that item edited (deleted).

I saw somewhere that hypothetically, they will do in excess of 210 mph, but I cannot imagine how long (miles) it would take to achieve the max speed.

Back to the question.....130 mph in 5th and still had some left!

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:26 pm

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ejonaa/topspeed.html

Around 170 is tops for an LS1. Supposedly need around 500hp to get to 200mph.

Firehawk 526 · Post by **Firehawk 526** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:28 pm

Cool

99Hawk325 · Post by **99Hawk325** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:45 pm

I've had mine all the way up to 85 mph since I bought her in July...

Most of the road I drive on are 35-50 mph so until I get a long stretch of deserted highway, 85 will probably be the top for a while...

Tom

ANGUS · Post by **ANGUS** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 5:19 pm

I had 5 lanes of smooth road at 3am with a Bilstein Suspension, 323 gear, 2800 stall automatic in overdrive, LS6 engine equipped Formula body Hawk and I started at 90 mph with about 3 miles in front of me. seat straight up, radio off, windows up, ac off and both hands on the wheel and I was between 150-160 mph and as far as I can remember I was around 4k rpm in overdrive. Wasn't looking at the dash too often. The car handled great as if I was at 100. My 96 Z28 was sprayed and I got to 140 but the car had a floating feel to it going that fast. I did peg the redline in it when I put a 410 gear in it. It was also a automatic car and with the gear I only hit 130.

mikerc · Post by **mikerc** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 8:55 pm

I think I've hit about 98mph and that was on the 1.35 mile road course over at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway. I think on the street the most I've done is about 85mpg. That was great fun, but the course is a little tight to really unwind a heavy, high-powered car like the Firehawk.

If you REALLY want to go fast, check out East Coast Timing Association.

Chuck Stong · Post by **Chuck Stong** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:46 am

I used to do top end runs from time to time, but traffic is so much worse that I just don't have enough open room to do it. I have hit the speedo peg which is at 160 several times. I know have run 170+, but I never had the computer hooked up to log the data, so I can't be sure of the exact speed. The car was stable every time. There is a road course where I regularly run 140+ around a turn. On slicks. With a slight drift. Now that is a rush.

LT4Firehawk · Post by **LT4Firehawk** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:17 am

You can't hit top speed in 6th gear, there isn't enough HP to overcome the driveline loss. IF you did have enough HP, it would definitely not be a good idea as 6th is a .5 overdrive, so your driveshaft and rear would be spinning twice as fast as your revs.

Anyway, top speed on the cars is limited from the factory to 155. If you remove the limiter, then top speed is around:
LT1: 155-160
LT4/LS1: 165-170

Here's a site that give a nice spreadsheet calculator to figure a more exact top speed for your particular car:
http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ejonaa/topspeed.html

Personally, the fastest I've gone is:
95 Formula: 155
92 Vette: 155
01 Z06: 172
97 LT4 Hawk: 145

02Hawk502 · Post by **02Hawk502** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:42 am

I did 128 in 4th gear at 6000rpm, but that's as fast as I've taken it

Missouri roads suck, and that's one of the only times I was out driving at 3 in the morning

02hawk796 · Post by **02hawk796** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:00 pm

redline in 6th is tough to do.
Refresher on the gearing for stock LS1 6-spd, redline (6K rpm) at:
48mph, 1st gear.
72mph, 2nd
96mph, 3rd.
129mph, 4th.
170mph, 5th.
260mph, 6th.

Those not sure can check that 3K in 5th is dead on their 85mph mark, and 65mph in 6th is dead on the 1,500rpm point. I've never detected high speed clutch slippage on it, but it could be happening.

All of the car tests, evals, etc I've seen say the limit for 5th is 160mph, and I understand that is the number that can be edited or deleted - I understand fuel cutoff at redline is a bad thing for LS1s. 6th is expected to have enough hp/tq on Hawks to get about 140mph.
I understand that without the 160 limit, 170 in 5th is not a problem, but mine is not modified.
To get more from 6th, some things can be done like the different gears in the diff, adding hp, etc. These will increase the 6th gear top end, but how much I haven't seen anybody admit to. I think 170+ is not a problem here. Of course, the different gears in the rear will knock down your 5th gear redline to below 155mph.

For #0796, 43 days after delivery, I was on an F-Body event where I glanced down briefly at the speedo, and several minutes later we had a scheduled stop, so I looked at about where the needle had been - at least 135, not really sure exactly (the F-bod ahead was still booking, and the one behind me was still trying to keep up, and with 60 F-bods I didn't want to goof up with my unfamiliar car by keeping my grapes off the road too long).
I have also been clearly over 155, with the 155 mark cleanly visible over the needle, but again didn't dawdle and eyeball the tach or more precise mph reading. There was more power and rpms available, judging from my throttle response.

I once was tooling along in cruise (start of long trip, PACKED with bags and travel stuff), some pack of headlights come booking up. After they pass and I ensure no extra headlights are trying to catch up/pursue (cops), I stomped it and caught up to them, very responsive. As I matched their speed of 120mph, I realized that I had never downshifted - I was still in 6th. Although I was only using them as my reference for speed, acceleration, and pacing, I had not noticed any sluggish problem, nor had I felt the need or urge to downshift - I just didn't think of it, and nothing prompted me to desire quicker acceleration to catch up to them. A couple times they slowed down and sped back up, and I could hear them downshifting to do so, but I never found the need to get out of 6th to easily match their pace.

I think I've been in 3 digits less than 50 seperate times. All that I recall have been with the top down. I don't know if I've ever been over 100 with the Hawk top up.

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:49 pm

02hawk796 wrote:redline in 6th is tough to do.
Refresher on the gearing for stock LS1 6-spd, redline (6K rpm) at:
48mph, 1st gear.
72mph, 2nd
96mph, 3rd.
129mph, 4th.
170mph, 5th.
260mph, 6th.

I understand that without the 160 limit, 170 in 5th is not a problem, but mine is not modified.

To get more from 6th, some things can be done like the different gears in the diff, adding hp, etc. These will increase the 6th gear top end, but how much I haven't seen anybody admit to. I think 170+ is not a problem here. Of course, the different gears in the rear will knock down your 5th gear redline to below 155mph.

I have also been clearly over 155, with the 155 mark cleanly visible over the needle, but again didn't dawdle and eyeball the tach or more precise mph reading. There was more power and rpms available, judging from my throttle response.

You're mixing theory, perception, falicy and reality.

96AZHAWK · Post by **96AZHAWK** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 6:45 pm

I agree...

even without the 160+/- limit 170 is right at the limits mechanically and physically of stock LS1. Taller rear end gearing will increase top end in every gear, but not necessarily top speed. Going the other way in rear end gearing will make every gear shorter but still may not let 6th gear be able to attain top speed.

'99 Hawk +/- 162 mph (my buddy's hawk) according to the LS1 vette next to him happened on a long road in Texas.
'96 Hawk 100 mph... it's an older Hawk that I am making sure everything is up to par before I really test it.