More questions about my 81 Corvette

Well, I got to thinking today...and I realized that 550hp is a lot for this car. The transmission (witch I think is a 400, but it could be a 350, I'll find out tommorow), the driveshaft, rear axle, and practically everything else in the car is probably not made to handle that much power. I was wondering if anyone knew if the new engine could damage any parts in the car if I just step on the gas?

I've also seen some people, in much heavier cars, with a bit less horsepower do wheelies....so if they could do it, I don't see why mine could not. My dad said it would probably break the transmission before it did one, but if it were to, how much might I expect the front end to lift off the ground, and when it landed, could it damage anything? Also, could it hurt the rear end any if all the weight of the car is on that back axle? Practically everything is stock except a new suspension system (nothing fancy), and some good shocks. I'm not going to install wheelie bars, so if it will do a wheelie, then I'll just have to let off the gas a bit.

I'm also planning on taking it down to the drag strip, and full out racing it every once in a while. I was wondering if there is much potential for anything to happen to the parts in the car, or the engine, especially while flooring it. I'm getting a heavy duty flywheel put in, so that might help a bit, but how often to engines blow or throw a rod or anything?
I would appreciate all your help. I really just want to know how far I can push it, without having to really worry about it, mostly because I drive it every day, and it's my only ride.

u'll be pretty lucky if you even attempt a wheelie with out anything breaking, dragstrip only cars with suspensions set up for weight transfer do wheelies, and if you do you will damage headers, tranny pan, oil pan and anything esle with low ground clearance. you stock transmissionWILL break/slip badly if you even attempt a full throttle stint froma dead stop(it well over 20 years old) vettes are notoriously wead drag cars , mainly becaruse the rear half shafts explode... that is if the ringand pinoin case doesn't crack in half first. if you want stronger parts go to mid-america, they are a vette entheusiast publication and sell parts. when you build a high power engine the whole car has to be taken into account as well, that is why it cost twice as much to build s you origianlly thought/planned. Stuff WILL break and it WILL be expensive, because it is a vette. oh yeah, you'll need a 3000 rpm or higher stall converter.

Couldnt have said it better myself Cracker:cool: :cool:

thanks crazyjaen,

also, i forgot the slicks quotient, all of this particuler mayhem will be caused with some sort of traction, it you take it VERY easy with cheap slippery tires you ought to be ok.

so if I keep normal tires with treads on the car, I don't have much to worry about since there isn't a whole lot of traction or what?

yeah, you do have ot worry about traction sometimes, like when on concrete or brand new asphalt or at the dragstrip where trction counts or when trying to get oout of the way of a semi on the hiway. if you don't take care of it now, one way or another you will have ot eventually, mainly to replace broken parts, there is a vette forum on the chevy part of this wesite, it is sponsored by corvettes of america, they will be moere suited ot answer you questions. When ever you do get traction it will put enormous strain on every single part of that driveline(mainly the ungodly amount of torque from ur 383) but stuff WILL break, i ve seen stock stuff break on a stock engine with slicks i've also seen hipo engines break a ujoint clean through the middle with street tires, so do urself a favor now and upgrade the drivetrain while the engine is out(easier to move around and easier to get to stuff.

yeah, you do have ot worry about traction sometimes, like when on concrete or brand new asphalt or at the dragstrip where traction counts or when trying to get oout of the way of a semi on the hiway. if you don't take care of it now, one way or another you will have ot eventually, mainly to replace broken parts, there is a vette forum on the chevy part of this wesite, it is sponsored by corvettes of america, they will be moere suited ot answer you questions. When ever you do get traction it will put enormous strain on every single part of that driveline(mainly the ungodly amount of torque from ur 383) but stuff WILL break, i ve seen stock stuff break on a stock engine with slicks i've also seen hipo engines break a ujoint clean through the middle with street tires, so do urself a favor now and upgrade the drivetrain while the engine is out(easier to move around and easier to get to stuff.