Chevy Can-Am.

Pictures of your muscle car!
User avatar
ZA Perana
Posts: 7313
Joined: Sun 15 Jul 2007, 18:01
Location: Cape Town

Re: Chevy Can-Am.

Post by ZA Perana » Sat 11 Nov 2017, 20:11

Can-Am ZN wrote:
Fri 10 Nov 2017, 20:30
Waterhond wrote:
Wed 25 Oct 2017, 12:22
It was a Perana beater, but only because the Perana had a much shorter 1st gear...
Hello Pieter...that's not quite true.

The gear ratios on the two are not that vastly different, in fact both of their 1st gears are relatively long, with the Can-Am's being slightly longer.

If one looks at the geared speed charts of the 2 cars, as tested by the same magazine (Technicar) within a space of 2 years of one another, it is evident that the Can-Am 1st and 2nd gears are marginally longer:

Capri Perana (calculated at 5800rpm)

1st 77.8kmh, 2nd 111.8kmh, 3rd 159.3kmh

Chev Can-Am (calculated at 5800rpm)

1st 85kmh, 2nd 115kmh, 3rd 148kmh

This is not the reason for the Can-Am being quicker, however, because if one looks at the speeds in each gear, it shows that both cars would have to change into 2nd gear before 100km/h and into 3rd before 120km/h, so neither benefit in any way from having to change gear any less to reach either of these speeds.

The acceleration times for the 2 cars are:

0-100km/h is 6.7 for the Perana and 5.4 for the Can-Am, a difference of 1,3 seconds; and
0-120km/h is 9.3 for the Perana and 7.3 for the Can-Am, an even bigger difference of a full 2 seconds, which means that the Can-Am was pulling away.

(Above figures are all courtesy of Technicar magazine)

In view of both car's weights being similar, that difference can only be attributable to the Can-Am's more powerful 5 litre engine. Even though they appear evenly powered on paper (the Perana quoted at 281bhp and the Can-Am at 290bhp), it is a well known fact that the Can-Am's Z28 DZ302 output was under-specced in the US by Chevrolet to escape insurance penalties imposed on cars with an output exceeding a certain figure...300hp or so I think. Independent tests of the standard factory spec DZ302 engine subsequently revealed actual outputs more in the region of 350hp!

This provides the Can-Am with a considerably better power to weight ratio, which allows it to comfortably outperform the Perana.

From people I know who have both, the gearboxes also play a part in outright acceleration where the Perana's gear change is described as cumbersome and somewhat averse to being rushed through the gate, the Can-Am's Muncie is very slick and can be slammed through to the next gear without issues.

Whilst we're discussing acceleration issues, I'd just like to share an interesting story told by one of the Can-Am's development engineers who indicated recently in a post on one of the Facebook groups that the Technicar 0-100 km/h time is not quite a true reflection of what the car is capable of, saying that there is a trick to launching the Can-Am from the line with it's skinny 185/70/13 tyres and, with the right take-off, they were reeling off 5-second dead times over and over with the development car, almost half a second quicker than the already blistering time achieved by the Technicar road test team :D
I would agree the Toploader box isn't the best for snap changes, more I suspect due to the linkage arrangement. Some people speculate that the DZ might have had closer to 400 bhp in reality.
Alfa GTV 3.0
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged

Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.

User avatar
Can-Am ZN
Posts: 735
Joined: Mon 23 Jun 2014, 15:27
Location: Valley of 1000 Hills, KwaZulu-Natal

Re: Chevy Can-Am.

Post by Can-Am ZN » Sat 11 Nov 2017, 22:51

Waterhond wrote:
Sat 11 Nov 2017, 20:07
...My expression was more aimed at humor ...
Oops, my bad...apologies Pieter, was I the only one who didn't get the humour spin in your post! Had I, it would've saved me a rather lengthy and convoluted reply! :lol:

Yes, I've heard from a few sources that the Perana is quick off the line, whilst the Can-Am is still making tyre smoke :D
Gavin

1974 Chev Can-Am 302
1991 BMW 325iS Evolution (SOLD)


"The sad reality about the uneducated is that they don't know that they don't know." - Me

Image

First V8
Posts: 1188
Joined: Fri 03 Dec 2010, 17:08
Location: Boksburg
Contact:

Re: Chevy Can-Am.

Post by First V8 » Thu 16 Nov 2017, 14:54

Im not wanting to hi jack the thread but is there a register of the Can-Am's owned . ?
2010 Chev Lumina SS
1968 Chevy Impala (SOLD)
1968 Vw Beetle ( SOLD)
1963 Mini Pick Up ( Exported to UK )

User avatar
Can-Am ZN
Posts: 735
Joined: Mon 23 Jun 2014, 15:27
Location: Valley of 1000 Hills, KwaZulu-Natal

Re: Chevy Can-Am.

Post by Can-Am ZN » Thu 16 Nov 2017, 15:33

First V8 wrote:
Thu 16 Nov 2017, 14:54
Im not wanting to hi jack the thread but is there a register of the Can-Am's owned . ?
Hi,

Yes there is.

It was originally started by Richard Sorensen but I have since taken it over.

The Register records all known details of each car, including chassis number, engine number, whether it has its matching number engine and details of whether it still has it's original 302ci internals etc. or not. It also lists many other known details about each car, such as whether it is fitted with its original Muncie gearbox and other original Can-Am parts and equipment, whether it is modified beyond original and it's owner history, if such information has been made available to the Register.

It is a strictly confidential document, as a result of it containing obvious sensitive information of original cars and their owners, and is only made available if the owner gives permission for it to either be posted on the Facebook Register group or made available to any other person, be it a potential buyer, value appraiser or insurance company, as the case may be.

As mentioned above, there is also a Facebook Register group in which remaining cars and replicas are showcased, in instances where owners have no objection to them being displayed. Only some of the cars listed on the Register thus appear in the Facebook group.

We have recently tightened control of admitting people to the Facebook group in view of concerns expressed by owners whose cars are displayed there that sensitive details of their cars are being exposed to potential fraudsters, in the light of cases of forgery in the recent past.

Please contact me if you either have an original car, or know of one that you think may not be recorded on the Register.
Gavin

1974 Chev Can-Am 302
1991 BMW 325iS Evolution (SOLD)


"The sad reality about the uneducated is that they don't know that they don't know." - Me

Image

Post Reply

Social Media

     

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests