As printed in For Vettes Only in October 1987.
The king of the production sports cars – Chevrolet Corvette – is more powerful for 1988, sits on more aggressive ZR-rated tires, and continues to offer the confident stopping power of anti-lock brakes.Only a few visible clues give notice of the ’88 Vette – in the form of Option QA1 that gets you a set of 9 ½ x 17-inch wheels and Goodyear Eagle P275/40ZR50 tires that instantly distinguish an ’88 Corvette from any prior offering.
The 5.7 liter Tuned Port Injection (TPI) V8 engine is again coupled with either the Doug Nash 4-plus-3 manual transmission or the 4-speed overdrive automatic. Aluminum cylinder heads are standard.
The Corvette Coupe with manual or automatic transmission with 307 axle (standard with the manual and Option G92 with the automatic) comes with a dual tip exhaust, generating 245 hp at 4000 rpm and 345 lb.ft. of torque at 3200 rpm – a 5 hp increase from last year’s similarly equipped Corvette. Equipped with a manual transmission, the ’88 Corvette now executes 0-60 mph in 5.25 seconds.
For 1988, Corvette’s front suspension is redesigned to provide zero scrub radius. This reduces brake pull due to uneven brake forces resulting from different friction coefficients at the tire contact patch side to side, common in wet or icy conditions.
Wheel and tire lineup for 1988 is new; both standard and optional wheels have bee restyled. The base wheel with standard suspension remains 16 x 8 ½ -inch Goodyear P255/50ZR16 Eagle ZR50 tires, which obviously meet the new international “Z” rating system for “149 mph+” top speed tires, and 16 x 4-inch steel spare with T155/80D16 tire.
Also, the standard equipment list has grown to include power door locks, cruise control and an AM/FM stereo cassette radio.
There are also three new exterior colors for ’88, and they are Black Sapphire, Medium Smoke Gray, and Dark Smoke Gray, with the new two-tone combination Gray Metallic and Charcoal Metallic.
And now you might ask about the super-version of the Corvette, the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette. It has an engine capable of 365 hp at 4000 rpm producing 490 lbs./ft. of torque!
The cooling system for ’88 has resolved the big worry of overheating. It is a reverse flow, waterless high tech cooling system that can tolerate temperatures in excess of 300F.
This Callaway Corvette is truly a unique car with a top speed over 170 mph and it meets all emission standards.
Today, the Corvette is the ultimate expression of a finely tuned, precision-built car with plenty of muscle, whether it is the standard ’88 Corvette or the Callaway.
|
’88 VETTE FACTS
|
|
|
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
|
19868the numbers were 1G1YY2182
J5100001 thru 1G1YY.2182J5122789 The first symbol 1 indicated US built. The second symbol identified General Motors product. The third symbol 1 indicates Chevrolet Motor Division vehicle. The fourth and fifth symbols indicated car and line series: (YY=Corvette). The sixth and indicates the body style (2=two-door hatchback coupe; 3=convertible). The seventh symbol indicates the restraint code (1=manual belts; 2=automatic belts). The eighth symbol indicates engine: 8= 5.7 liter Tuned Port Injection(TPT Chevrolet/GM of Canada V-8. The ninth symbol is a check digit that varies. The tenth symbol indicates model year (J=1988). The eleventh symbol indicates the assembly plant: (5=Bowling Green). The las six symbols indicate the sequential production number starting with 100001 for coupes and convertibles.
|
|
ENGINE
|
BASE ENGINE
Type: V-8 90-degree overhead valve
Cast iron block and head
Bore and stroke: 4.00 x 3.48 in.
Displacement: 350 cid
Brake hp: 240/245* at 4000 rpm
Torque: 345 lbs.-ft. at 3200 rpm
Five main bearings. Aluminum
cylinder head. Hydraulic valve lifters.
Induction: Tuned-Port Injection
system
*Engine rating is 245-hp for h
atchbacks using 3.07:1 rear axle
due to use of low-restrictin mufflers
with this option combination only.
|
|
VITAL STATS
|
Coupe
Original Price: $29,489.00
Production: 15,382
Wheelbase: 96.2 in.
Length: 176.5 in.
Height: (Hatchback) 46.7 in.
Width: 71 in.
Front tread: 59.6 in.
Rear tread: 60.4 in.
Tires: P255/50ZR-16 Goodyear Eagle GT (Z-rated)
Convertible
Original Price: $34,820.00
Production: 7,407
Wheelbase: 96.2 in.
Length: 176.5 in.
Height: (Convertible) 46.4 in.
Width: 71 in.
Front tread: 59.6 in.
Rear tread: 60.4 in.
Tires: P255/50ZR-16 Goodyear Eagle GT (Z-rated)
|
|
COOL STUFF
|
• RPO B2K Calaway Twin Turbo 125 made.
• Non-USA sales included 1,305 Canada, 59 Japan and 108 Europe.
• Chevrolet built 56 street-legal Corvettes for the 1988 SCCA Corvette Challenge race series. Engines, stock but matched for power output, were built at the Flint engine plant, sealed and shipped to Bowling Green for standard assembly.
• All '88 Corvettes had new dual-piston front brakes and parking brakes which activated the rear pads instead of activating small, separate parking durm brakes as in all previous disc-brake Corvettes.
|
