Modern Cars are to Damned Fast | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Modern Cars are to Damned Fast

Discussion in 'Mondial' started by Rapalyea, Jul 13, 2015.

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  1. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    One of my buddys back in the 1980s bought a 'Grass Hopper" ultra light. Whatever that is. He had full instruction. But NEVER invited us out to view any of his flights. Which made a grand total of four. I could tell he was terrified. In actual point of fact the various light flying machines are [by my extensive research] no more dangerous the motorcycles. Thats bad enough.

    And the flying parachutes are the safest of all. They only go about one speed more or less. More throttle makes them climb, less throttle makes them descend. And the speed seems to be 35-45 mph and in flare-in contests they land on Frisbees. And you have your para foil with you! But I know me. Like snorkeling in Hawaii! Seriously. In twelve inches of water I would suck into the smallest rivulet or the nearest depression.

    What would EYE do with one of these slowest, most docile, and safest flying machines ever built? God. I would be tempted to fly under power lines. Fly down rows of apple trees. Search out head winds that were stronger then my forward speed and see what it might be like to land going backwards.

    At least I know myself in such things. FOUR WHEELS SQUARE! And a Ferrari that even EYE can not temp to kill me. Although I suspect the Purple Ones are a secret special build! I will post another thread on my time trials which, to me, are inexplicable. hint hint!
     
  2. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    You and many of us are coming to similar conclusions. I remember the first time I drove an M3 at Road Atlanta lane change drill. The first thing that seemed wrong was it hesitated on full throttle off the line. Almost like a carburetor bog down. Then off it went normally till it hit something like 6,000 rpm. Then absolute terror as the thing added about 2,000 hp driving straight towards an overhead stoplight that would signal left or right.

    Give me a break! This is what you pass off as a STREET car!
     
  3. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    I wish the car companies would go back to making a real sports car. Forget about having a zillion horsepower how about cutting out the nanny aides no traction control, no abs etc. and a good old fashioned gated manual transmission. That is what I would like to see a real driver's car.
    The problem with speed/power is it is never enough you get used to it and want more and more I learned this with my sportbike. At first I was amazed at the power but after awhile you get used to it and it feels like nothing. Take Porsche 911 turbo owners for example these are fast cars but you will notice lots of owners like to upgrade them to more power. What feels fast at first wears off over time and you just want more.
     
  4. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    One of my instructors at Road Atlanta, who claimed the track record in a Viper - and I believe him - agreed with me: 300 hp on the street. That leaves some wiggle room for vehicle weight. But its a good place to start a discussion.
     
  5. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    Then you die.
     
  6. cardog

    cardog Karting

    Apr 23, 2012
    57
    Beacon, NY 12508
    Full Name:
    Chris Ungaro
    I actually have more fun in my old Alfa Spider than in my Maserati....most of the time. But when I want to pass...well that's different. But neither car is quick by todays standards, but they're both fun!
     
  7. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
    Last bike I raced had 120HP at the rear wheel and weighed 300#s. At the time, I thought it was under powered. Now my F430 has 483 and weighs 3000#s, and it can be scary. The difference between a 30 year old and a 70 year old. Maybe age restrictions on drivers and HP?

    Just kidding, but age does slow us down.

    Art
     
  8. sidtx

    sidtx F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Feb 9, 2014
    4,454
    Frisco, Tx
    Full Name:
    Sid
    However, I think age/hp limits might be a good idea. Many countries already limit what young drivers can legally drive. And given how I see many older drivers perform, I don't think an upper age limit would be bad - Provided that there is no limit on what a young or older driver can drive on a track.

    Maybe rather than having the government intrude further into our lives, we let the insurance companies handle it? They seem to do a good job with private pilots and what they will cover.


    Sid
     
  9. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    The seriously odd thing about Todays Serious Hot Rods is strikingly obvious where I live. Very very few one hundred yard stretches of black burned rubber. When I was a kid and you had a Big Block Anything? Well. I could get a full hundred feet out of my prepped Vega Station Wagon!

    Back in the 427 Vette days those guys USED that 427. Now its mostly Turtle Wax. People who own these monsters hardly ever take them even to the local drags! That dog slow 1984 Z-28 [Yeah, that very model that smoked a 928S at MY Summit Point track]. Probably one or two hundred drop clutch drags. Same with the Vega.

    Those were different days back then. People used to driving 1956 flat head Plymouth sixes were delirious when someone, ANYONE got any Chrysler product with a 383. And THAT was followed by 440's and Hemis! So its just not as big a deal as it once was. I have not looked into insurance claims. But when every new V8 Mustang can turn 12-13 second quarter miles? Oh. Ho. Humm.

    I AM curious about the turbo 4 Mustang with 300 hp but the guy has never called me back. A mere 300hp. And a FOUR! WHO would be interested in such an economy car!
     
  10. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    #35 Rapalyea, Jul 17, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2015
    Age DOES slow us down! I will be 68 soon and I started to notice this a couple of years ago. I still have three times faster reaction time then just about anyone else on the road. But that used to be four times faster. And I mean this in the literal sense. Last Fall driving down my little mountain in the 1965 Corvair Convertible I met my silly ass lady neighbor dead center on the absolutely worst blind corner.

    I simply gave full right, full left, and rolled to a stop along a HUGE drop off. She was parked there in the middle of the road; rolled to a dead stop, eyes as big as pie plates, mouth dropped down. HAD NOT EVEN MOVED HER STEERING WHEEL AT ALL.

    Later I believe she complained to her husband I was going so damned fast I had to drive entirely off the road to miss her! Seriously. Think of the domestic conversational opportunities THAT opening line offers. To me I just got out of the way. She subsequently had an all out conniption fit and called an hour later. Which I suspect might have built up by the hypothetical opening line given above to her none to domestically happy husband.

    She all but threatened me with death!
     
  11. Bell Bloke

    Bell Bloke Formula 3

    Dec 6, 2012
    1,839
    UK
    Just seen Koenigsegg engine......it produces 1,800 hp.
    The car goes from 90-160mph in 3 seconds
    0-250 mph in 20 secs.
    Basically fart in it and you have a speeding ticket.
     
  12. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    Hi Bell,

    Geeze. These are not cars. They are performance art.
     
  13. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    Back in the day that's how it was I'm a little over 20 years younger than you but back in my day it was smoke em' if ya got em. I remember first thing I did after getting a new clutch in my Trans Am was a 5k clutch drop to see how many gears I could get rubber in. And as the English say I layed down some 11's (that's two strips of rubber). I built up the 400 in that car and remember one day my friends egging me on to do a burnout and I dumped the clutch at a little over 5k and heard BANG! I figured I blew the rearend apart but it turns out I snapped about 7 studs off the 2 rear wheels. We put the back end up on jackstands and fixed it right there and went on to drive another day that was how it was in the good old days.
     
  14. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias

    Big Block Detroit Iron!

    You will snap off the tire lug nuts before the rear gears go. My cousin-in law had an outlaw American Motor AMX with, I think a heavily mod 390? Anyway, the word was to add some weld beading to the axle shaft to drum brake area since that was a weak spot. Weak Spot?

    Three quarters of the way down the track (he might have been turning 11s or some such) that weld let go. The entire wheel assembly disassembled itself from any part of the car and cascaded and bounded down the track in a lethal ferocity. The car was ok. In as much a giant sparkler sprinkled solid axle dragging the ground at 90 mph was ok.

    We NEVER found that tire. Even came back the next day to look. No one seems to have been out in the wooded area beyond the track, camping and roasting marsh mellows when ET dropped out of the sky for a visit. At least no one ever heard such a thing.

    But you just accumulate some stories, like your lug nut story.
     
  15. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    I never blew out a rear end on any of my hot rods or a tranny they were strong units back then. Had a Muncie in my T/A lived up to the stonecrusher name never gave me an ounce of grief. Had a turbo 400 in my hot rod grand prix couldn't kill that tranny although I did blow up the bottom end on the 400 motor. And another strange occurrence that happened with the G.Prix one day it just wouldn't move so I look the car over can't find anything until low and behold I see a hole in the rear end cover. Some of the bolts on the gear in the rear end had come loose one had shot a hole in the cover and another was wedged in the gear itself so the gear wouldn't move. Very strange.
     
  16. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    And all you needed to do was replace the gear cover, remove the offending bolt, add and tighten bolts as required? That is weird.

    PS: That Pontiac 400 was a large block? The Chevy had a 400 but I think it was a small block. I have never been clear on that.
     
  17. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    Only in America would a 7 liter Corvette be listed as a small block.....
     
  18. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    It's strange how GM did it I never understood why but Pontiacs were classified as the same block 350,400,455. Chevy was big block and small block you could tell the difference by looking at the heads or valve covers. They did make a small block 400 and then there was the 396 which was a big block and the 402 which was also a bigblock. I'm not sure if olds and buick were the same as Pontiac with the blocks but I think they may have been.
    The rear end thing was weird I ended up minus 2 bolts I think (this was in 1985!) tightened up the rest bought a chrome cover sealed her up and good to go. I had a friend who was more advanced than I in mechanics walk me through it. That was when I learned that gear oil really smells and likes to linger.
     
  19. Merak1974

    Merak1974 Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2009
    1,707
    Oslo, Norway
    Full Name:
    Gabriel R.G. Benito
    There are some companies that still make real sports cars along the lines you mention: Alfa Romeo (4C), Lotus (various), Ginetta (various)...
     
  20. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    Its one reason GM went bankrupt. They originally acquired the other named brands and originally they had many of their own parts. For instance, when Olds took on the Chevy 350 all the Olds guys went nuts! They wanted an OLDS engine. I don't know why.

    My 1991 Lincoln Mark VII had a Ford 5.0 and thats exactly what it said. Later I learned Lincoln was allocated the lower production run numbers and the Fords and Mercuries got late serial numbers. None of the hot rodders I knew ever made the distinction. A Ford 5.0 HO was a Ford 5.0 HO.

    Yet to this day I am confused on whether these engines had forged pistons or not! One thing I can say is I was able to induce detonation on two separate occasions in my Supercharge 5.0. It took real concentration [lock 2nd gear at 3,500 rpms and floor it!] That did not give enough time for the fuel management unit to block the fuel return to spike fuel pressure. Something that never happened with automatic downshifts.]

    Anyway, if you have never experienced actual fuel detonation I recommend you avoid it. Specifically, the entire fuel charge combusts [detonates] before top dead center. The engine wants to run backwards at 3,500 rpms. Like hitting a brick wall. Typically this results in very bad things. The LEAST of which are blown head gaskets. My head gaskets had many many years to adhere to the heads and did not blow.

    Next down the line of vulnerability I leave to your imagination. In my imagination, militarily speaking, is something like a 105mm howitzer detonation. But on that Ford small block NOTHING broke either time. But I never did it a third time! Whatever people say about the Ford Small Block v Chevy Small Block? This is all I have to offer.
     
  21. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    I love the 5.0 liter motor. I had an 86 mustang Gt that I bought with 95k miles on it used it for a daily driver for 5 years or so and sold it with 165k miles never once had a motor issue didn't burn so much as a drop of oil and I did occasionally run it hard never overrevved it but would run it to redline quite a bit and also make the rear of the car dance occasionally.
    I think the olds guys went nuts because the olds 350 rocket was a big deal to those guys I had a few friends who had 70-72 cutlasses and they loved those motors.
    GM did mix and match a lot as time went on I can remember late 70's firebirds came with 301's Pontiac motors,305's chevy motor's and the T/A came with a 403 olds motor at one point.
     
  22. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    Its all to much for my old addled brain. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS! My local wrench finally returned my call regarding the Lincoln. WOW. The supercharger kit came with an adjustable idler pully but he says it is bad. Said he found a place that would make one for $500 and I said YEAH! Then HE said it might take a month or two and HE would make one sooner. EYE said YEAH!

    Then I said I was without a Ferrari right now! [bad CV joint - I have four on hand for full replacements.] He said do not do it in your back yard. I believed him. I told him the Ferrari was just something different and I was a bit addicted. I said it had steering, tranny and clutch like a Mac truck but it there is just nothing like it.

    He entirely gets it.
     
  23. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    Did the CV joint get so bad you can't drive it?
     
  24. Rapalyea

    Rapalyea Formula 3

    Jun 18, 2013
    1,511
    Georgia Mountains US
    Full Name:
    David Rapalyea alias
    No, but I stopped driving it. It needs to get another 15 miles to the shop and I think that will be little problem. Simply a light 'chunk, chunk, chunk' going slow.
     
  25. fgcfire8

    fgcfire8 Formula Junior

    Jan 19, 2008
    459
    Montpelier Va
    Full Name:
    Frank Castelvecchi
    mmm The E500 Wagon and the Crossfire roadster will outrun the Mondial 8, but the 8 if more of a blast to drive.
     

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