> http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/sheriff/trainingctr.htm
>we got to drove the corvette powered cruisers, and it is amazing they can
>catch anyone in those monsters. soooper soft suspension.
Gee, I USED to resemble that remark :^)
FYI, my Impala SS is basically just a rebadged Caprice 9C1 (cop car).
Basically the same suspension and everything underneath. Let's just say
it's setup a bit more to be able to safely jump curbs than for all-out
handling (although it DOES outhandle the Crown Vic of the same
vintage....and WAY outbrake....and WAY out accelerate).
Let's just say that MY suspension is, ummm, "not soft" anymore :^) Better
swaybars, better shocks, better springs, etc.
Power in AutoX is NOT a problem. With intake/exhaust mods (intake pipe,
headers, better cats, free-flowing exhaust, but I am still bone stock motor
under the valvecovers) I am at 260 HP and 310 ft-lbs....at the rear wheels
(approx 305 HP and 370 ft-lbs at the flywheel). Stock is 260 HP/330 ft-lbs
at the flywheel. The LT1 is a quite impressive motor right out of the box!
The Impala SS/9C1 uses a bit different LT1 than the Vette : Vette gets
aluminum heads while we get iron (although the iron heads actually slightly
outflow the aluminum ones!), and the Vette's cam is tuned more for
higher-end HP (at the expense of a little low-end torque). The rest of the
motor is essentially the same.
As an AutoX car, mine is a lotta fun and can do surprisingly well.....for a
4400 lb car (with me in it) with a VERY long wheelbase (within a 1/2 inch of
being too long to be SCCA legal!). It'll never be truly competitive in
FS/ESP, considering that I am automatically giving up 700-800 lbs to every
F-body and Mustang in the class. But, I'm just out there to have fun and
learn to be a better driver. If I manage to beat some drivers in
"sportier" cars and motivate them to "at least not get beat by a freaking
TAXICAB".....well so much the better :^).
If I PAX in the top 1/3 at an SFR event, I've done pretty well for the day.
On a day like Sunday where I never got the courses (and there are some
suspension issues to sort out.....recently did a rear spring swap that went
TOO stiff and the rear end was VERY twitchy on Sunday, gotta figure out what
to do next), I don't PAX so well.
I need to get the car on a skidpad : I suspect the skidpad numbers are
surprisingly good (i.e. where you can get the car in a given suspension
stiffness and "set" it), but all that weight kills you on transitional
handling.
Oh well, despite only getting one decent run on Sunday (and I hesitate to
call it "good"), I DID beat the CHPper by a few seconds.
Ed Runnion Santa Clara CA
mailto:Ed_Runnion@RegionOfDoom.com
96 Chevy Impala SS, non-stock :^), SFR SCCA ESP #984
PS : Still looking for a co-chair for the 2/18 SFR-SCCA event!
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