As a general rule going N/A seems to be the best route for this kind of event. Boosted cars have never done to well. Most of them 1)Break down 2)throw the belt 3)run out of fuel. What is something I can do to try and raise my hp? I am going to throw a dry sump on it and that should give me another 25 or so and put me in the 450-470 range at the tires. Any other ideas.

 

Here is some free advice:

Use coatings on internal engine components i.e. piston side skirts, tops of the pistons, combustion chamber, exaust ports, and anything that touches oil to get it back in the pan. Obviously you have to use the correct coating for the intended purpose.

But you will reduce friction and increase the life of the motor. Try light weight valves and remove all of your accessories.

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

I still say the underbody is the way to go. Look at the new "Enzo" Ferrari! Fugly up top, but a work of art underneath. I would say the exhaust and rear-end create a lot of resistance. You may want to look into another spoiler for the rear of the car. Maybe get regular Camaro hatch to play with. I remembr a guy with a C4 who had a cool spoiler, but actually ran it through the body, and attcahed to the car itself, for stability. Air management is what you need, not HP. Look at the 200mph supercars. "only" 500-580 crank hp! The New Lambo has 580, and hits 205-208. Hell RJ Gottlieb only made like 740 in his 220+ 60 Camaro. Not very aerodynamice, but look at how he dropped it, and channeled air underneath.

 

we actually talked about the smooth underside issue while I was there. There was a guy that showed up with one of those ultima GTR's last year(this guy right here http://www.spectrum5.com/news.htm. 1100 hp TT 348 inch chev in it. It uses the same concept as the ferraris, lambos etc. They create the downforce from underneath the car with the smooth underside. This guy showed up with every intent of breaking all of the records in the unlimited class. He made it 10 miles and pulled off the road. It seemed that the car did GREAT on the track, but as soon as the 200mph barrier came around that car would want to leave the ground every time it went over a small bump. (Anyone seen the video of the Lemans car that goes over a bumb and and does 3 back flips). The problem was that the road isnt smooth like a track so everytime the car got light over a bump it wanted to fly. I need to make as much down force from the top of the car. I think I have the air dam figured out, the diffusor will be easy to build but the rear fin I am unsure of. Look at how small the oneis on the above pictured car.

<small>[ September 25, 2002, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: NataSS Inc ]</small>

 

I agree with air management/drag reduction being VERY important. In a few days I'll have some time to research this a bit, but off the top:

1.Keep the air out from under the car. Front as close to the road as you can get. Rake about 1-2 degrees nose down.The current F-bodies are "bottom breathers" with air dam behind the inlet. This should give more air than you can ever use; you'd probably need to restrict the opening. Pickup inlet air and cooling air here. Use a splitter.

2. fill ALL openings in the nose. If that's your radiator showing, you've got a speed brake there. Make sure you have enough air OUTLETS in low pressure areas in the engine compartment. Wheel wells might work. You'd have to test, and maybe do mini-spoilers on the leading edge/bottom. Look at Audi TT front wheel wells.

3. Lose the hood scoop. Lots of drag and not the place to get 180 mph air. Plain Camaro hood.

4. Lose the wipers and outside mirrors. Fair the mirror stub back along the glass. Some trial and error testing with yarn tufts here.

5. T-top seams, moldings disrupt airflow. I'd lose the glass and make strong fibreglass replacements. Fair them into openings with body filler and 200 mph tape. Attach them well.

6. Consider no rear spoiler; you'd need to test this with coastdown runs; more later. HOWEVER, to combat rear lift consider doing what the Bonneville Camaros do: use internal ballast for down force! Fastest NA stock 3rd gen F I've seen went 234 avg. at the flats. Had door handles, etc.
but NO rear spoiler; too much drag. If you need 250-300 lbs down force, that much ballast won't hurt your acceleration all that much.

7. Tires are critical. Keeping them in one piece would be my biggest worry. If you aren't turning corners too hard, go narrower than 275, and tuck them into the wheel wells. 8 inch rather than 9 inch wheels.

I have some good technical refs. on racecar aero which I'll look at soon.

IMO, finesse the air, don't try to bully your way through it. Remember, stock 350 hp C5 can do 175. That's aero, not hp!

My $.02.

PS: The pictured car wasn't yours, was it? Do you have a pic of yours?

<small>[ September 25, 2002, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Old SStroker ]</small>

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by NataSS Inc:
<strong>I think the trick is to manage the flow of air around the car as efficiently as possible thereby lowering the amount of HP needed to reach speeds. Weight doesnt really have anything to do with top end except for the first burst of acceleration like the colonel said. But HP will help you fight throught the airflow....</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Your right. Some of the fastest Bonnieville F-bodies weight 5000 lbs or so. The reason being they need the weight to keep it on the ground, using downforce only slows them down.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Old SStroker:
<strong>
7. Tires are critical. Keeping them in one piece would be my biggest worry. If you aren't turning corners too hard, go narrower than 275, and tuck them into the wheel wells. 8 inch rather than 9 inch wheels.

I have some good technical refs. on racecar aero which I'll look at soon.

IMO, finesse the air, don't try to bully your way through it. Remember, stock 350 hp C5 can do 175. That's aero, not hp!

My $.02.

PS: The pictured car wasn't yours, was it? Do you have a pic of yours?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">the car pictured belongs to another driver. I took quite a few pictures of it in May and this weekend. I will be scanning the ones from this weekend tommorow morning.

when it comes to tires that has been a real touchy spot. there isnt a year that goes by where someone doesnt get killed or severely injured in these open road events. Tire failure has been the cause of every single incedent. I will more than likely be running Michelin Pilot Sports. They made another one caled the GSX or MSX or something and thats what the car in the picture has on it. I spent alot of time with this guy and he said that he purchased the last 4 sets known to exist direct from michelin. He burned up the last pair on sunday <img border="0" alt="[whiner]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cry.gif" /> .

I currently have 17X11s on the rear and will definatly be downsizing to a 275. there are corners on these runs that do have to be taken pretty hard. Some at speeds in excess of 145mph and then through "the narrows", a very twisty section but can be run at about 115mph fairly safely.

My car is a stock looking 99 SS right now. I was planning on getting an after market standard Z28 hood for the run though.

Old SStroker...we need to talk!

 

Here is mine
<img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid26/pce5a0d444410b9bc7f2489e78838b658/fd83df75.jpg" alt=" - " />

 

In doing body fabrication/ hanging for a Busch Grand National team the biggest thing i can tell u is downforce! downforce isn't the same as drag, so remember that. Like said before, get that nose down and dirty. i suggest in making a front valence/ spoiler out of plastic to make the front end "drag" the ground. ( we use the edging for flower beds that comes in a roll, and cut the top part off)Make it a little short of the ground b/c at speed your cars suspension will load and actualy be closer to the ground. if it scrapes the ground, it will just grind/give way and won't upset the car any. Any air traveling under the car slows you down and creates lift. Also, in front of your fender wells, try to kick them out. you want the airflow to be away from the tires b/c the create turbulance/drag. you might still need your rear spoiler since you are going through a few slight turns i presume...no downforce on the rear makes an extremely loose car. Make sure and tape up all the openings possible, remove the mirrors. airfoils/underpans are the way to go for high speeds, but don't go out and just make anything, there are physics to the airfolw and it could hurt you more than anything if done wrong. good luck and have fun "cruising" at 180!

 

hey colonel where in bama can u find a decent place to run 180mph.

 

As far as a rear spoiler I found that LG motorsports has the ZR28 one. I know its the same one that they used on the camaros they campained in the circuit. I wonder if that one might do the job for a rear spoiler.