|
|
Post by Jarlaxle on Nov 30, 2017 21:13:11 GMT -5
Jarlaxle,
I agree with you on those mega-modded drag Hondas. But the ones found around here on the street usually still contain some (not many) factory parts. They don't put out the near 1,000 hp of the all-out drag-cars, but still have 400 hp plus, and can run a quarter in 11 seconds or less, and the idiots who race from city to city get way over 150-mph speeds on their freeway romps. Often on tires I wouldn't drive on to Wally World for groceries. These kids have no performance education save that learned by trial and error and off the Internet, but they are making little motors do INCREDIBLE things... And the cars still last for years, and hundreds of thousands of miles with minor refurbishing. Naah...The "minor refurbishing" is usually a full teardown. Again: those engines have a WOT service life measured in minutes. Tellingly, several have entered Hot Rods Drag Week...none have completed it! John and Jim Huber ran their turbo Mustang several times...making over 1000HP from a 2600cc 4-cylinder with a huge turbo. There was no 4-cylinder class...so they just ran the Super Street Power Adder class, and beat the V8s. To me, the cars that best represent the truly super-quick STREET cars are Lutz's "Evil Twin" 57 Chevy, and Larry Larson's 66 Nova. His Nova ran the first 6-second pass at Drag Week...on DOT tires, after 1000+ street miles! |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Nov 30, 2017 22:47:01 GMT -5
Jarlaxle,
I agree with you on those mega-modded drag Hondas. But the ones found around here on the street usually still contain some (not many) factory parts. They don't put out the near 1,000 hp of the all-out drag-cars, but still have 400 hp plus, and can run a quarter in 11 seconds or less, and the idiots who race from city to city get way over 150-mph speeds on their freeway romps. Often on tires I wouldn't drive on to Wally World for groceries. These kids have no performance education save that learned by trial and error and off the Internet, but they are making little motors do INCREDIBLE things... And the cars still last for years, and hundreds of thousands of miles with minor refurbishing.
To me, the cars that best represent the truly super-quick STREET cars are Lutz's "Evil Twin" 57 Chevy, and Larry Larson's 66 Nova. His Nova ran the first 6-second pass at Drag Week...on DOT tires, after 1000+ street miles!
I fully agree with that... Forgetting the weird (at least to me... LOL!) Japanese buzz-bombs, these cars like the 6-second Nova running on DOT tires ARE the epitome of this mega-horsepower from small motors phenomenon.
This "new breed" of power is AMAZING to me... That's why I started the thread. I guess I'm just old enough to be amazed at stuff younger guys take for granted... I suppose many members wonder what this old geezer is so impressed with... Everybody knows modern iron puts out 3hp per cid and lasts forever... Duh... Everybody but guys over 70... LOL!
My interest in modern power really began with my surprise over my old 1995 Honda Accord V-Tech 4-cylinder. That teensy 1.4 liter (about 100cid) was actually faster, AND quicker than most of my old V8 Chevies... Good acceleration AND a top speed of around 130... In a 3600 pound car.
Now, it's my '04 Accord V-Tech V6... 3.0 liters (about 180cid) and it is both QUICKER and FASTER than muscle cars of my youth. I'm from the dinosaur generation that was IMPRESSED with a 427 Ford, 409 Chevy, 426 Mopar, etc. that would turn the quarter in stock form at 13 seconds and have a top speed of maybe 125... while burning 3-10 mpg gas mileage...
My puny little Accord would eat those old behemoths for breakfast, slightly bettering their quarter-mile times, and offering up 40 more mph top speed! All while giving 23+mpg.
I suppose members under 40 can't figure out what I'm impressed with... But When you grew up thinking 1hp per cid was INCREDIBLE power in a street engine, this new stuff is ASTRONOMICAL!
Of course, I'm still impressed with touch-tone phones and color TV... 
|
|
|
|
Post by Jarlaxle on Dec 1, 2017 8:24:56 GMT -5
Yeah...not a small motor! Larson's Nova had a 557ci big-block. The 2500lb composite-body "Evil Twin" has a twin-turbo 632ci engine. The car it replaced, an identical-looking but much-heavier steel-body 57 called "The Beast"had an identical big-block.
|
|
