--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00013 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:57pm \/To: CHRIS ZYCHSKI (Read 0 times) Subj: ENGINE DISPLACEMENTS -=> Quoting Chris Zychski to Alan Morrison <=- AM>Found a book at the library called 'Fifty Years of American Automobiles' AM>which covered year models from 1939 to 1989. CZ> Many, many thanks, Alan. Seems as though a trip to Ye Olde Bookstore CZ> is now on my To-Do-It (TDI) list. You're quite welcome... I was thrilled to stumble across this book which had a lot of good info. I would like to have something similar for the last half of this century. If you come across one that has specs and sales figures for all American models let me know. So far all I've seen are ones that cover a decade or so and would cost too much to cover that many years. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00014 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:10pm \/To: MARC GERGES (Read 0 times) Subj: Forced Induction -=> Quoting Marc Gerges to Alan Morrison <=- KH>> and braking 60-0 MPH in 112 feet is good all around performance. AM>> 911's did this in 111-120 feet... and the F-bodies 112-120 feet. AM> 1 foot is 0.3048 meter according to my chart, or 3.28084 feet/meter. MG>> 112 feet to meters, I got a value a car length better than the MG>> Porsche 911 Turbo. But 112 feet seems fine. AM> 112 feet is 34.1376 meters. Some may stop shorter than Some of the AM> 911's which also ranged to 120 feet (36.576 meters). MG> The best 911's are around 36 meters here. And to be honest, I don't MG> believe an F-Body to do it in 34. Not from 100 km/h. 100 km/h is 62.137 MPH. But believe it... Motor Trend Magazine tested 4 different Z-28 Camaros that stopped from 60 MPH in 112 feet, a 93, 94, 95, and a 96 model. As for 911's they show a '94 Speedster at 111 ft, a '96 Targa at 112 feet, and a '91 Turbo at 116 ft. MG> Not that I don't accept anything being better than a Porsche (I don't MG> like those Porsches at all), but when it comes to breaking, they are MG> terribly good. The late model 911 Turbo's out accelerate the F-bodies, and mostly handle better too. But when it comes to braking, the F-bodies can hold their own, while winning in fuel mileage and cost by a wide margin! These F-bodies aren't direct competition with the 911 Turbos, GM puts the Corvette in its premier performance category. If the F-bodies performed as well, they couldn't sell Corvettes for an extra $15-20k. Still both are bargains on a performance per dollar basis, since you could buy 4-5 F-bodies or 2-3 Corvettes for the 911 Turbos admission fee. AM> As for size, it is rated a 'compact' (probably due to a small rear MG> a 'compact' is something else here... a Golf, or a Honda Civic Yes, I personally don't put them in that category, as they're bigger. But they are 2+2 sport coupes, and don't pretend to give rear passenger space. But then again, the new F-bodies have more rear space than many of the other Sports/GT cars. More than an Acura Integra, Honda Prelude, Lexus SC, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Nissan 240SX, and Toyota Supra. They also exceed the front seat and cargo space of 90% of the cars in their class. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00015 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:43pm \/To: DEVIN DIMITRI (Read 0 times) Subj: Formulae -=> Quoting Devin Dimitri to Alan Morrison <=- AM> I had more info. All I know right now is the size, and that it shows AM> HP at 5800 RPM for the 4.6 liter. I need to at least know the bore an AM> stroke, and compression ratio to be more exact. DD> Hey, i was wondering what formulas you used to figure that out. DD> What i mean is, i've got some formulas to figure out DD> Horsepower, but they involve the Mean Effective Pressure of the If you have that formula, I would like to see it. Mine uses compression ratio, but you must evaluate and supply the VE (Volumetric Efficiency). This is only as good as your ability to determine VE, which can range from .7 for a mild stocker, to 1.1 for Pro-race engine with open exhaust. DD> cylinder. Now, i know that it is somehow related to the DD> compression ratio and degrees of crank, but i'm not quite sure DD> how to get it without exact data on the head design and stuff Send your formula and I'll compare the two. Mine is used in a program I wrote called PSCalc (Power/Speed Calculator) and I am always adding more to the program. Next it could use some airflow formulas to help with camshaft/head selection. Here it is: HP = atm_pres*cr*ve*ci/5252*rpm/C atm_pres = Atmospheric Pressure (PSI) cr = Compression Ratio (10:1 = 10) ve = Volumetric Efficiency (.7 - 1.1) ci = Cubic Inches C = Constant (x) Also the bore & stroke helps determine VE and airflow. You determine VE according to if it is stock exhaust, headers, more camshaft, etc. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00016 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:56pm \/To: RUBEN LOPEZ (Read 0 times) Subj: TCC Lockup -=> Quoting Ruben Lopez to Alan Morrison <=- RL> I have this 96 chevy truck with the vortec 350, It has a rated top RL> speed of 130mph. Would this be with or without locking my converter? RL> it's automatic and I have 3.42:1 gears. RL> I can turn out 5,500/rpm at the redline. In which gear? Will it redline in third?? RL> in both 3rd and OD. Oh wait. My truck has a speed limiter. I can RL> only go up to 99MPH. Have any Idea how to disable the Speed limiter? Same as playing cards in Vegas... You need chips! OK, maybe one chip... Some brands are Hypertech, Jet, and SLP; Summit has a magazine called 'Street & Strip' with the info or you can call them. ... Summit Racing Equipment - 1-800-230-3030 --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00017 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 09:28pm \/To: MARC GERGES (Read 0 times) Subj: Active Handling -=> Quoting Marc Gerges to TOM WALKER <=- ->> Do you happen to know the Opel GT? Baby Corvette, sold in the early MG> Mmmmh... I thought such a car with a 1.1- or a 1.9-litre-engine must MG> have been considered as a joke on 4 wheels in the US... :) Since Tom is on the west coast you may get a different response as port cities like San Diego had a substantial flow of small imports. Here in the middle portions of the US you find a lesser contingent of small imports, but 1.6-2.0 liters cars are plentiful. Saturns, made here in TN are 1.9 liter, and there are plenty of Nissans, Hondas, Toyotas, etc. that range from 1.6 liter on up. The smallest commonly available car is a Geo Metro with 1.0 liter 3 cyl. or 1.3 liter 4 cylinder. The little 3 is not what you would want to be caught in rush hour traffic in, but it is the mileage champ with a 34/49 MPG rating. The Metro is basically the same as a Suzuki Swift. I drove one of the 3 cylinder versions once. It reminded me of a 50cc motorcycle which had no power until it reached its power band. Every time you shifted gears it would repeat. So yes, it was a bit of a joke and took some getting used to, which I couldn't do. If I HAD to drive one, the pedals would be floored most of the time. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00018 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 10:03pm \/To: DEVIN DIMITRI (Read 0 times) Subj: CART -=> Quoting Devin Dimitri to Marc Gerges <=- DD> Actually, there is not much American involvement with CART. DD> I think there is Williams and Swift chassis, be IRL>, but i think all of the engines are either Mercedes DD> or Nissian. Maybe BMW. Well here ya go... CART Engine Manufacturers Ford/Cosworth; Honda; Mercedes/Ilmore; Toyota CART Chassis Manufacturers AAR-Eagle; Lola; Penske; Reynard; Swift Dan Gurney's famed All American Racers returns for its second season with Toyota's CART Indy car program. A major change, for at least the first part of 1997, will be the use of Reynard chassis with the developing Toyota engine. The Reynard-Toyota combination, will be used for racing while Gurney's latest EAGLE chassis - the Eagle 97I - is developed back at AAR's Southern California race shops. The new chassis could be introduced to the PPG CART World Series by midseason. --- Founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley, LOLA Cars, Ltd., of Huntingdon, England, is one of the most prolific manufacturers of production racing cars in the world. From its humble beginnings producing 1100cc sports cars, Lola Cars have produced racing cars that have competed and won in virtually every category of worldwide motorsports. From Formula One to Formula Jr., Lola open-wheel, single-seater racing cars have set the standard in innovation, quality and safety. --- Established in 1974, PENSKE Cars has been building championship-winning cars now for nearly 25 years out of its headquarters located in Poole along the south coast of England. The first Penske chassis, named the PC1 and designed by Geoff Ferris, was built for Formula One competition. Since the tragic death of Penske driver Mark Donohue in 1975, the company has been devoted exclusively to building Indy cars. --- REYNARD has been successful from the beginning, winning dozens of races and championships with the Formula Ford 1600 and 2000 designs. Rick Gorne joined Reynard in 1982 to oversee service and sales. It was at that time the company began reaching its potential. By 1990, Reynard had earned the coveted Queen's Award For Export Achievement and ranked as the world's largest race car manufacturer in terms of volume. --- The newest chassis supplier to the PPG CART World Series, SWIFT will commence competition in 1997 through a new partnership between Swift Engineering, Inc. and Carl A. Haas Distributorship, Inc. The group will manufacture, distribute and race an all-new Newman/Haas Racing Swift 007.i Ford Cosworth in 1997 PPG Cup competition. The Swift will be the only American-made Indy car to begin the 1997 PPG CART World Series as Dan Gurney's All American Racers team will run British-made Reynards while developing the next-generation Eagle. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00019 Date: 01/23/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 10:10pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Vehicle Confiscation -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Mark Logsdon <=- RW> I'm not saying it's a bed of roses here, but it is fair. I'm against RW> impounding vehicles for non-registration, but support the impoundment RW> of those vehicles the owner fails or refuses to insure. Really? Even if someone has driven for decades without damage or accident? These required stops being setup at random times and places, stopping everyone and asking for their papers just reminds me too much of the Nazi war movies. I really don't want to see vehicles being confiscated at the same time for no more than a lapse in paperwork. If you cause an accident, you should be required to show proof of insurance. And if you are stopped for a moving violation, and the officer has reason to believe you are breaking a law (such as smelling intoxicants), he would have probable cause for a search warrant. One might want to read the following (or even print it out and carry it in their car)... -Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States- The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00020 Date: 01/25/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 12:59pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Luxury Tax Their is an Extra Tax on Luxury Cars The latest Congressional revision to the luxury tax happened in December of 1996. The resulting formula for computing luxury tax on cars you purchase in 1998 is as follows: First, take the final selling price and subtract $36,000. Then, take the difference and add 7 percent of that difference to the final selling price. Currently, the tax is scheduled to be phased out by the year 2002. In 1999, the tax will be 6 percent of the difference above $38,000. For 2000, it is scheduled to be 5 percent of the difference above $38,000. By 2002, it should have gradually dropped to 3 percent on the difference above $40,000, unless there are future revisions. ... Tax dollars built the Information Superhighway, Now it's a toll Road! --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00021 Date: 01/25/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 12:59pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: IRL TV Schedule All 11 IRL Events on Live TV in'98 INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 3, 1997) -- All 11 Indy Racing League events in 1998 will be televised live, the league announced today. Coverage will be provided by ABC, CBS, ESPN and TNN. It marks a step forward for the growing league, which had tape-delayed coverage of several races this year. "This is an exciting development for our growing number of open-wheel fans," said IRL Executive Director Leo Mehl. "We believe this is an excellent television package which will continue to extend our reach." The race broadcast schedule is as follows: Jan. 24 Orlando ABC (Olds/Tony Stewart) March 22 Phoenix ABC May 24 Indianapolis ABC June 6 Texas TNN June 28 New Hampshire CBS July 19 Dover Downs CBS July 25 Charlotte TNN Aug. 16 Pikes Peak ABC Aug. 29 Atlanta TNN Sept. 20 Texas CBS Oct. 10 Las Vegas TNN TNN will be broadcasting IRL events for the first time. The series' premier race, the Indianapolis 500, will remain on ABC, which has televised the race since 1965. ESPN also will televise practice and qualifying from the Indy 500. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F1V00022 Date: 01/25/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 01:00pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: IRL - New competitor BMW Readies V8 for IRL, Endurance Racing by Rick Popely DETROIT (Jan. 8, 1998) -- The Indy Racing League, dominated last year by the Oldsmobile Aurora V8, could gain a new engine manufacturer as early as 1999. BMW introduced a new racing engine at the Detroit Auto Show designed to compete in U.S. endurance racing and the IRL. The 4.0-liter V8, derived from the 4.4-liter engine used in the BMW 540i and 740i sedans, will appear first in either the SportsCar or USRRC series, said Erik Wensberg, the head of BMW's N. American racing program. BMW designed the V8 to accept methanol cylinder heads so it can compete in the IRL, Wensberg said, and the engine could be in the IRL as early as next year. "We designed the engine to be suitable to race in the IRL," Wensberg said. "It would be silly not to. It was designed as a customer-based racing engine -- like the IRL model -- so that customers can actually buy it." The IRL engine formula requires 4.0-liter V8s based on production engines that can be purchased by all teams for $80,000. Wensberg said the $80,000 price is "a reasonable target." That engine formula took effect last year, and the Aurora V8 led every lap en route to winning all seven IRL races in 1997. The Infiniti V8, the only other engine currently in the series, struggled throughout the year and ended the season with just one team, an uncompetitive entry driven by Dr. Jack Miller, a dentist from the Indianapolis area. Wensberg said BMW, which has never raced in the Indy 500 or other U.S. oval series, has not discussed a timetable for introducing the engine with the IRL. The IRL has set an April 1 deadline for new engine manufacturers to announce plans to compete in 1999. "We need to talk to them about their requirements, and we haven't done that," Wensberg said. "We will have to do that soon." The U.S. is BMW's largest market for V8 models outside of Germany, and Wensberg said it makes sense to use a production-based engine to enhance the company's performance image in this country. The rival CART FedEx Championship Series uses purpose-built 2.65-liter turbocharged V8s from four manufacturers: Ford, Honda, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz, BMW's German arch rival All four have steadfastly refused to adopt the IRL engine formula. BMW's racing engine is closer to the production version than either the Aurora or Infiniti V8s. The gasoline version for endurance racing uses the stock crankcase and cylinder heads. BMW estimates horsepower at 600 on 98-octane gas. The aluminum engine weighs 364 pounds in racing trim. Wensberg said methanol cylinder heads have been developed for IRL duty and the block is stiff enough that installing the engine as a stressed member of an IRL chassis "is not a big problem." If BMW does ultimately join the IRL, it will give the fledgling series a major image boost after a season dominated by the Aurora engine. Even Oldsmobile General Manager Darwin Clark welcomes the promise of increased competition from another manufacturer like BMW. "I think it's a great series, but motorsports is all about competition," Clark said. "People ask me, what if you don't win every race? I say, so what? Right now, we're very positive. If it's just us on a long-term basis, that won't have much value. We don't want this to be a one-marque series." Testing for endurance racing will begin soon, and Wensberg said the V8 could be ready for competition before the end of the 1998 season, though no teams have been chosen. Even which endurance series the engine will compete in is still up in the air. Wensberg said BMW is leaning towards SportsCar, which recently was sold by Andy Evans and is supported by Skip Barber, over the new USRRC, sanctioned by the SCCA. BMW also recently announced plans to return to Formula One racing in the 2000 season. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627)