I was coming back from a national gaurd training meeting in montgomery, and a Impala ss with ram air and moded exhaust and a who knows what eles came roaring up behind me. I had just got onto the interstate so i was giving it some gas to merge when i saw him coming. I said wtf i am going to get on it a tad. I started to pull on him, and then bam he went by me like i was sitting still. I know My L ain't made for 65 and 70 mph punches but damn he was fast.

 

I couldn't tell by your message if you have a Gen 1 or Gen 2 truck. In a Gen 2 L, the 60-65 mph rolling "Lightning Strike" (as I call it) is just phenomenally effective, and quite easy to do.

Recipe for stock Gen 2: Whilst rolling along between 60 and 65, shift the trans selector lever to "2" and mash the throttle into the carpet. The vehicle will snap forward with tremendous force, placing the engine squarely in powerband. You will know your shift was correct when the supercharger sings a lovely high note and your face should be sliding toward the back of your head. Manually shift to third at ~ 80-85 MPH or whenever the power starts to just barely disappear from your buttocks meter. Stay in the throttle to taste.

If you time your "Lightning Strike" just right, next time the Impala will be not quite so out of reach.

I have no flight hours in the Gen 1 truck, so I couldn't help ya there.

 

Ty for the advice , my L is a virgin 2002 with less than 800 miles on her . I am planing a trip to NJ to get JDM to spice her up in a few months. Well at least i hope in a few months ( wife has to be swayed into it hehe )

 

Juan: You don't need to do this...Whilst rolling along between 60 and 65, shift the trans selector lever to "2" and mash the throttle into the carpet. If you floor it at anything below about 70 mph, it will downshift to second on its own. Much safer than hoping you hit 2nd with the selector.

Dan

 

Agreed. Lighting strike will occur "automatically"

 

Hmm. Mine doesn't always do that for some weird reason, so I've been shifting manually to ensure I don't miss the all-important shift. Perhaps my 4R-100 is in need of a brainwashing.


I shall experiment further with the pedal only. All in the name of automotive research, of course.

LOL Lightninrod!!! (Overheard in L cab at 68 mph: "Hey, Rufus, I wonder what happens if you shift into R. Maybe 'R' stands for 'Race!'")

 

I am assuming that the impala ss is the LS-1. They are pretty heavy but come on strong on the top end, 140 plus. Probably a good run for a stock 2nd gen L from a 65 mph punch. In this case stock really does suck. Get some mods and you will be grinnin' the next time!

 

The Impala SS is an LT1 car (one generation previous). Despite its age, the LT1 is a wicked motor. Throw in some Naws and bolt-ons and there goes the neighborhood.

I'd say our stock L brother probably ran into a juiced Imp. No shifting, automatic or manual, could have saved him.

 

My buddy has three 96 impala's...I spent many a days cruising in his n/a one... no way a n/a impala (no matter what the bolt-ons) can take a L at anytime... NEVER...

His other two are different stories however... both have twin turbo's and one is 550 at the fly and his pride and joy sits at 650 at the fly... those suckers are hilarious to watch... big boats that take off slow, but once the turbo's spool...one almost doubts the seat bolts are strong enough to keep the seats from ripping out backwards...

just my 2 cents...

 

Beef,
Lingenfelter offers a 440 hp na package for the Imp SS.

 

Nice... well... I hereby place my size 16 foot (yup, 16) into my mouth...

though, I wouldn't call a lingenfelter package a "bolt-on"... he bores the engine... built engines kind of change the rules... I can put a n/a viper engine in an impala and it'll be fast... I was talking about the stock block... sorry... I'll be more specific next time...

 

I owned a Impala SS up until last year.........94-96 all LT1's, ....stock vs. stock......the SS will get rolled. But, I beg to differ with Beefcake2002, I know "Many" SS's that can "walk" LS1's , SVT Cobras, and even Lightnings, but we are talking fairly modded ones though, its a great car, but It needs certain mods to get some respect, the stock gear size is 3:08, and these are top end runners.....I could easily smack 140 mph, even had mine up to 158,......but I had alot of work done to mine. Just as the Lightning guys love the idea of beating someone with a truck, we love the idea of beating someone with a big ol 4 dr. But the moral of the story is this was a rolling race.......tell the SS to line up ....then go.....I'm sure the L wouldn't have too much trouble with MOST SS's. I learned my lesson with a less modded ( at the time) SS against a L a time or 2.

 

well... I've never owned one, just drove one daily for a summer...and had a friend that mod'd the **** out of his other two... so you have more on-hands experience...

I still don't believe that a n/a non-built Imp SS can beat an L... I've driven a bone stock one, like I said for a summer, and had a few chances to play with the turbo'd SS's, which were hilariously fast... but as such... unless you start boring, stroking, changing manifolds, I'd have to see an SS pull on a lightning...

I know they are fast... I wanted one for a long time... but the L is faster...

 

I agree with Beef. I almost bought one until I drove one. Stock, they are pretty slow. I'm not sure they could even run 14's.

Somebody now has a kit to put a BB chevy in the "Impailer." Now that could be a fun ride and something that would interest me.

-There is no substitute for cubic inches except more cubic inches-

 

Thanks for the input, I know for a fact this SS was not stock. I must admit though he really had the top end. I will be better prepared for a encounter of such in a few short months