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96 SS Top Speed?

51K views 39 replies 33 participants last post by  96 Black  
G
#1 ·
What is the top speed for a stock 1996 SS before cut off from PCM? I searched and did not come up with anything.
 
#4 ·
The 8/95 issue of Carcraft had an article of which american cars had the highest top speed. It was called "Pedal to the metal in America's fastest affordable muscle cars"

Here's the rundown:
Ford SVT Cobra 137mph
Impala SS 138mph
Firebird T/A 157mph
Corvette LT1 167mph
 
#10 ·
The 8/95 issue of Carcraft had an article of which american cars had the highest top speed. It was called "Pedal to the metal in America's fastest affordable muscle cars"

Here's the rundown:
Ford SVT Cobra 137mph
Impala SS 138mph
Firebird T/A 157mph
Corvette LT1 167mph
Bull ****. My 94 hit the 154mph limiter. Scared the crap out of me, I thought the car had an issue when the limiter cut the power.

My 1996 SS stock motor with bolt on's dyno'd 157.7 HP and 298 TQ.
On open road - quiet night - in south TX: drag / HP limited at 153-154indicated. (3.42's and 275/40's) Car flat out would not go any faster. Car climed into the mid 130's pretty good the last 15 to 20 took another mile or two. Ran it out for a solid 10 minutes. PCM was programmed for gears / tires and was dead on at 60-80 but could have been off by a few up that high. Car didn't "feel" good at that speed...was not firmly planted on the pavement! Mileage pretty bad too :)

Toddsss@aol.com
I am with this guy, but with stock drivetrain.
 
#6 ·
oddly, mine has made it to 143 once..

of course Bryan Herter helped....

traffic kept it from being any higher, plus she was starting to float..

floating is NOT a good thing..
 
#7 ·
All but the SS were limited by stock tire ratings. The SS was limited by its driveshaft - the stock driveshaft hits a critical resonance at 156 mph. Lower if you get 3.73's. Swapping out the stock driveshaft for a stiffer aluminum one was very popular for a while. I haven't seen a driveshaft thread in a while, probably because all the serious racers already have one and not many newbs are serious enough to need one.
 
#9 · (Edited)
My 1996 SS stock motor with bolt on's dyno'd 257.7 HP and 298 TQ.
On open road - quiet night - in south TX: drag / HP limited at 153-154indicated. (3.42's and 275/40's) Car flat out would not go any faster. Car climed into the mid 130's pretty good the last 15 to 20 took another mile or two. Ran it out for a solid 10 minutes. PCM was programmed for gears / tires and was dead on at 60-80 but could have been off by a few up that high. Car didn't "feel" good at that speed...was not firmly planted on the pavement! Mileage pretty bad too :)

Toddsss@aol.com
 
#12 ·
Did I read that right??? You dynoed 157HP????? I had headers,intake and exhaust and dynoed near 280 to the wheels.
 
#16 ·
hello, new to the forum, but maybe this video will help!!

 
#19 ·
I know for a fact a moderate bolt on 3:08 impala with an alum driveshaft and programing can hit 160+MPH on the open road.

I like to keep it safe and sane.


But the car is capable

anyone want to comment on B-Body Areo cause that is the rear deal here not Power.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The fastest I've gone was 147, If I would have had more road I would have gotten even higher


 
#23 ·
About 145 MPH for me, I had a RARE opportunity here in So. Cal on the 210 late at night, part of the freeway was closed and I knew there wasnt going to be any cars for at least a couple miles. The car still had more but I could feel A LOT of drag and it accelerated slow after 130 MPH..
 
#25 ·
The fastest I've drove my SS was 120 mph coming from Waco,Texas (on open highway and no cars around, the side markers was like blurrs when I kept passing them) and she still had alot left and this was before my mods. Haven't really had a need to drive that fast since then bro's, these cars are pretty fast stock on a open highway. Just my 2cents, Peace
 
#26 ·
For top speed exploits, someone modded their Impala SS and took it on the autobahn, hitting speeds of 170mph. For some reason, the name David Zechenhousen comes to mind, but maybe someone else remembers.
As for drag, I thought these cars were pretty aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of .31
 
#27 ·
I was at 154mph easy before i started scaring the **** out of my girl..did not feel weird though..255/55/17 all stock but a k&n..once i did it made me upgrade the brakes because of my rebel speed addiction.that's when i really fell in love with an 95 SS...i loved sticking to the vics,caddys,and the 9c1.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Got my 96 to 140ish back when it was bolt ones (before the 396), got there pretty easy. It wasn't a perfectly straight road and the car took it pretty well. Felt planted to the pavement, steering was obviously very sensitive as it always is at that speed but suspension felt great. This was with hotchkis springs, bilstein shocks, global west lower LCA's, PPM poly bushing kit and all fresh front end parts/sway bar links. The previous owner claimed to have it at 15x on a highway down south, this was with just the flowmaster exhaust I bought the car with. I believe him, if there was enough road and maybe a tail wind or a downhill slope it seems possible.

Oddly enough, I swapped all those suspension parts onto my 94 and I don't think I would trust it at those speeds like I did the 96. The frame just seems to have more flex in the 94, but it was in a wreck and I did weld the frame back together where it broke nearly 3/4 of the way through the C channel. I fish plated it on both sides and the bottom but there is still visible flex in the C channels when you jack the car up and watch them closely. Going to do wheel bearings, sway bar endlinks and get it it on the rack once more to check it all out and then we'll see. Could be just that the steering box is a pos and making it feel sloppier.

150 is the kind of speed where all those little things you never check can add up and make the car feel like crap. Worn bushings, old sway bar endlinks, little too much play in the wheel bearings or steering box ect...just because you have new springs and shocks doesn't mean much at that speed.
 
#31 ·
My 100% stock 96 SS could only do a little more than 145 pegged.....just didn't have the power to go any more than that......but it cruised at 140 for for almost 10 minutes on some of these long lonesome roads down to south texas and out to west texas. And at 140 it felt totally solid and sure footed. Awesome car. Love it.
 
#32 ·
I had my RMS to 147mph back when it had minimal mods, 255/50/17 tires, 3.73s and a stock DS. Never had any vibes with that shaft at all. I dont think I ever went that fast again, although I did have a habit of hitting 120mph on a weekly basis depending on what highway I was going home on.
 
#35 ·
Had to run from the cops one night and hit 160mph. Not exactly proud of it, but it happened.
 
#36 ·
you fought the law and You won LOL Matt M, Peace