The Little Bastard is getting faster!, Went to the drag strip yesterday... Options

[SGB]

and....

if you shift, it will top out at...what?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[wbergtho]

and....

if you shift, it will top out at...what?

At 7000RPM (rev limited) in 4th gear (assuming aerodynamic drag doesn't arrest further accelleration) the car should do north of 190 mph. It has been at 175 mph and still needed more time to reach top end. I get a bit nervous at those speeds...

[VaccaRabite]

Damn. Where do you find a piece of road straight enough to do that? An airfield or something?

Zach

[byndbad914]

I've been a fan of your car for a long time. You have helped me with various things over the years and I appreciate that very much. I have indeed seen your car on u-tube and it looks like a beast. Most people don't know what they're getting themselves into when they want to "play"...huh? I have dial up...so I'll check your latest videos out asap.

I do have a video of my car at the strip a couple of years ago running mid 11's. I'll try to figure a way to post one.

Bill

It would be cool to see some vid at the strip. I too saw some of your stuff from an AX awhile back - lookin' good.

I hear you about not knowing what some are getting into - hell, I built race cars through college, worked pit crew for various racing teams in road racing, roundy-round and drag racing and I still somehow didn't realize how much work fun is hahahahah (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

but when it is running and hitting on all 8... that truly defines fun.

I am talking to Mendeola and working out a new sequential 4spd transaxle for my car - I am gearing to top out right at 170mph since I have yet to be on a track I can hit that speed, but they are building a new one locally with a really long back stretch. I have been to 160-ish at Willow Springs and the pucker factor really does set in. Car feels fine, but the mental thing of "holy crap, I am at 160mph" sets in pretty quickly for me. If I hit 170mph at the new track, even if I have to sit there for a few seconds, that should be fast enough for me as well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) maybe (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

I was thinking 5spd, but frankly you and I both know these cars are making so much torque that why waste time shifting? I can set people back in the seat at 3500rpm so I am selecting a somewhat long 2nd gear, then close 3 and 4 to set me at max HP, shift, set me at max torque from 2 thru 4. Should really wake the car up but at the same time I don't want to find myself shifting non-stop on the track. PITA and wastes time if you have power to pull longer gears.

The 930 is awesome, as you stated, for the street and track because it is geared well for highway cruising, and the V8 pulls through any gear. Since I am basically all track use now, I don't mind if it is turning 3800rpm at 80mph so I need to gear it down. At Pueblo Motorsports Park I don't even get into 4th gear cuz I *only* hit about 130mph in the front stretch (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

You are right near BIR, right?? (well, right near as in within a few hours) That has a LONG stretch in it too and I have been considering trying to tow out to that track just to run it, but it is 1000 miles almost on the dot from my house, which is a trek... but I would love to get on that track. IIRC you ran the car out there a couple years ago...

[wbergtho]

You are right near BIR, right?? (well, right near as in within a few hours) That has a LONG stretch in it too and I have been considering trying to tow out to that track just to run it, but it is 1000 miles almost on the dot from my house, which is a trek... but I would love to get on that track. IIRC you ran the car out there a couple years ago...

BIR has a very long straight. I've had my car going 165 MPH there and could have gone faster...but the pucker factor really starts to set in. There are guys that pin it through turn 1 (which is mildly banked) and keep on hauling ass towards turn 2. I don't trust my car & myself enough to try that. It feels real stable at 170+. BTW Zach, I reached the previously stated 175 MPH in St. Paul, MN on the hwy racing motorcycles...LOL... I will not do that again.

[messix]

some thing about short wheel base cars and high speeds (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) and i think i would suck up althe seat cover and carpet from the pucker factor. but i do like going fast in the proper configured car.

[messix]

and before i knew better i would do things like blast across the evergreen pt bridge at 150 or so in my v8 chevy monza (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif)

[byndbad914]

some thing about short wheel base cars and high speeds (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) ...

funny you mention wheelbase - when I took my car to the chassis shop to start the tube frame the first thing the guy asked me... "You wanna lengthen the wheelbase of that thing at all?" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Trust me, I wanted to from a stability standpoint, as well as ease of fitting the engine, trans, hell, just about everything would have been easier to pack into the car... I would have had a 6lb bag instead of 5, better weight distribution, blah blah but saw the bodywork as a total nightmare to make the car look right again. I was going to extend the front out 2", the doors about an inch or two and the rear 2-3" but man that would have been work to make it look right. 7" would have a significant impact tho'.

[messix]

and then you might as well had started with a noble

[scotty b]

Now it's time to put our highly trained driver beind the wheel to see just what this car will do.

Some say he has jackstands for feet, and a shift knob for a hand. We don't really know about that we just call him....The Stag

[wbergtho]

Did you guys know the 914 has a longer wheel base than the 911?

[r_towle]

175...hmmm
Need more power...
Turbo??? Supercharger???

Rich

[wbergtho]

175...hmmm
Need more power...
Turbo??? Supercharger???

Rich

I'm considering a 100 shot of nitrous! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

[lotus_65]

bill, i'm glad your car is holding together and seems really well "vetted". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I don't know who The Stag is, but what if you found a pro to go a few screamin' laps with at BIR?

no disrespect meant, your a great driver! but I mean sit shotgun and find out what she'll do for real. then at least you'll know where the bar is. it might reduce that pucker factor...

[byndbad914]

Did you guys know the 914 has a longer wheel base than the 911?

yeah, crazy right! But the 914 is still a foot shorter than my old Mustang and about 10" shorter than many of roundy-round stuff at a minimum of 105" and typically closer to 108" like my old 'stang.

It's no wonder these cars, when pushed just passed the limit, will spin like a top. Don't wanna do that anywhere near 170mph (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I tuned in a bit too much front stiffness last time around and have significant on-throttle plow but I was trying to get away from the mid corner "oh shit here comes the rear again" hahaha. I think a slight decrease in front spring rate and my car should be pretty neutral through the corner with slight on-throttle understeer out of the corner, and then the car will feel pretty solid.

That is a long way of saying that the more I mess with the car and sit in the seat at the track the faster and more confident I am getting... and the same would go for Bill if he frequented BIR. Before breaking the shifter (again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) ) my last trip to Pueblo a couple weeks ago I ran my fastest lap yet at 1:43.78, which would have put me 3rd fastest fendered car at the last big event there two months prior. With some more tuning and especially the Mendeola I expect to match or surpass the fast time set that weekend of 1:41.something by a tail-dragger in the big bore class.

[andys]

bill, i'm glad your car is holding together and seems really well "vetted". (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I don't know who The Stag is, but what if you found a pro to go a few screamin' laps with at BIR?

no disrespect meant, your a great driver! but I mean sit shotgun and find out what she'll do for real. then at least you'll know where the bar is. it might reduce that pucker factor...

This can work for you or against you. It will either question your car's ability, or your own. If your impression is "How'd he do that?", then you may consider advanced driving courses or you may simply be at "your" limit. Tough to be honest with oneself at times. Keep in mind too, that a professional driver (or even one that competes regularly) is at a completely different skill level than someone that only does it occasionally. I'd personally balk at asking a pro to drive an unfamiliar car near its limit, since they too don't always know what to expect from it. FWIW.

Andys

[wbergtho]

bill, i'm glad your car is holding together and seems really well "vetted".

I don't know who The Stag is, but what if you found a pro to go a few screamin' laps with at BIR?

no disrespect meant, your a great driver! but I mean sit shotgun and find out what she'll do for real. then at least you'll know where the bar is. it might reduce that pucker factor...

That's an idea I have thought about and I'm open to that suggestion. I have talked with a guy who's name is Bob Vue (owns Autoedge) and he says he'll take it around the track to see how it is. He's got a zillion laps @ BIR and really knows how to drive (under 140 in a Cup car) I hear. Maybe I'll go up to BIR this weekend for their 40 year anniversary. I understand they may have changed the track layout?

Nice to hear from you Paul,

Bill

[wbergtho]

my car should be pretty neutral through the corner with slight on-throttle understeer out of the corner, and then the car will feel pretty solid.

My car used to plow on throttle and now I've made a number of changes and it feels pretty neutral...with a hint of understeer on throttle. Just how I want it. I know the feeling of the "ass-happyness" you were getting. I'd rather have it understeer off the track than oversteer wildly...at least that way you can keep the car on the track with less throttle. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

That is a long way of saying that the more I mess with the car and sit in the seat at the track the faster and more confident I am getting... and the same would go for Bill if he frequented BIR. Before breaking the shifter (again ) my last trip to Pueblo a couple weeks ago I ran my fastest lap yet at 1:43.78, which would have put me 3rd fastest fendered car at the last big event there two months prior. With some more tuning and especially the Mendeola I expect to match or surpass the fast time set that weekend of 1:41.something by a tail-dragger in the big bore class.

Sounds like you are trying to wring everything you can out of your beast. That's awesome! It also sounds like you could wallpaper the walls of your house with expensive receipts (know the feeling). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)