I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Really, too much is made of
power, and the magic of turbos, in autocrossing. My turboford has plenty of
power with allowable ESP mods and a *bone stock factory exhaust system*. I
posted after my last runs, I am *so happy* with the car's power that I'm
focusing on my driving and its suspension.
Will I change the factory exhaust system out for one that will give me more
power? Darned right, because it's my *street car* (power to pass, and all
that). And would I be disappointed if I made that change, and the SEB made
a rules change that "boosted" my car out of SP? Darned right.
But turbofords have oodles of power, oodles of braking ability, and the
SVO's (as an example) only limitations as an autocross car are its driver's
skill (me), its suspension (and the rules allow *plenty* of useful changes
there), and the driver's insistence on competing on street tires (also me,
and I could change my mind on that). Oh, and a race harness would help a
lot.
Could I get more boost with my stock turbo? Absolutely (well, gauge,
really). The stock T3 in 60 trim can stay within a desirably 70% compressor
efficiency at a 2.8PR (that's about 27 psi) though at that point the
assembly's rpm are really getting up there. But that would be silly -- no,
that would be against the rules. Even if exhaust is "unlimited", the
wastegate outlet is part of the boost control system, and the rules say that
can't be modified.
But I digress. My point (and I do have one) is that there is so much more
to autocrossing than horsepower. And, no, I didn't read the May Fastrack --
I haven't even been able to lay my hands on one to find out about the SVO
and the ESP/FSP proposals!
Richard Nichols
rnichol1@san.rr.com
86 Mustang SVO TII 1C: ESP/FSP/?
72 Pinto Sedan 2.0 3J - Original Owner, Restored
On display at the San Diego Automotive Museum,
June 99 through January 00
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Foster <pfoster@gdi.net>
To: team.net <autox@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, April 29, 1999 3:38 PM
Subject: Was Why smaller pulley, Now Did Anybody Here Read the May
Fastrack???
>> Boost mods are almost impossible to police, and the gains from each one
will
>> be different and would make a classing nightmare.
>
><<<This is a myth, and a popular one at that. All forced induction cars
>have a
>natural limit to the amount of power that can be made with the stock
>turbo/blower. The things only flow so much air, and no matter how much
>wizardry
>and voodoo you do with boost control devices, _as long as the impellers
>and
>housings themselves are not modified_, there is an upper limit to the
>amount of
>power a given motor can make.>>>
>
>Well... not according to the SEB. Due I think to Farzaan's post that you
>could get basically infinite boost by deliberately choking off the waste
>gate exhaust they are now considering a rule change that would require
>SP turbo cars to run with the stock cat system. Good grief! Talk about
>instantly uncompetitive! You can _forget_ about the RX7TT in ASP!
>
><<<I still can't find _anyone_ who gets hurt by allowing boost
>controllers in SP.>>>
>
>I agree they should allow them. If they allow any engine management
>system on NA cars then fair is fair. But the SCCA has never taken a very
>fair stance with turbo cars. In fact, they outlawed them from club
>racing a number of years ago. it looks like only a matter of time before
>the same thing happens with Solo II...
>
>Paul Foster
>
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