Porsche shows how easy it is to make a lot of money

[Sternjaeger II]

interesting point about the rear spoiler, a good friend of mine has a Carrera Turbo, his dad used to race with Porsches in Italy in the 70s. We were talking about the peculiar ducktail in one occasion and I remember his dad saying that sometimes it's hard to set the spoiler properly, the risk being some important understeer in certain situations.

I always got the impression that Porsches are well balanced cars (in my humble experience I have to say that the Cayman S actually handles better than a 911, but it's kinda deliberately not better..), so tweaking with them would be a bit sacrilegious, if you know what I mean

[BadAim]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Bliss

Ahh! A thread about cars

I'm a bit of a horsepower nut. I don't think you can really have a "best of" cars as soo many people like so many different things.

Personally, I like obnoxious V-8's with tons of power. I'm a straight line racer and there's nothing quite like putting around in a fuel injected 1300 HP car that runs on pump gas. Not a whole bunch of street cars out there that run 154 mph in 1320ft at 8.85 seconds. There's nothing quite like being on the edge of losing control in something that's uncontrollable. Hard to explain, but I'll probably die in a creation of mine someday.

Ford is bar none my brand of choice. Pretty cool to take a factory SUHICKY (SOHC) block and be able to make that kind of reliable power that I could drive to and from the track. I usually take off the parachute mount for the street though.

Basically I can't own anything that's factory or stock. I grew up with welders, mills, presses, and a shop full of tools being raised on a farm. So fabricating metal and working on the farm machinery (then my own vehicles ) was normal. Now sorting my time between work, games, and cars isn't easy. Thankfully I'm not a fan of sleeping or watching tv lol.


Anyone else a car guy? Post up some pics!

I'm a Chevy guy myself (though I'm presently carless [if you exclude my 300HP service van]) but I'm a lover of all things with wheels that make the ground rumble. I'll see if I can dig up some photos of my cars. My favorite was a '69 350hp SS 396 Chevelle (I'll miss that car 'till the day they chuck me in the dirt).

Edit: You remember the Crane Fireball cam? I had one in that Chevell.....I don't remember the specs specifically, but it was ground on 108 degree centers to give it a nice lope at idle but she made power from 2500 to 6000, with the 650 spread bore double pumper it was as drivable as grannys car but had all the power I could ever use at 18. I really learned how to drive sideways it that car.

[baronWastelan]

balanced

No single word more important when it comes to the design of a sports car! Porsche has been building and competing rear-engined sports cars for over 60 years. Whatever sort of tweaking one could imagine has already been tried by now.



With some research, you can find out whether your ideas will work before even attempting them. According to their website, Porsche has 20,000 different racing parts for sale. The car owner can call Zuffenhausen and tell them what he wished to do with the car, and they will tell you which part(s) to use, and where on the car they should go. They'll even build the whole car for you from the ground up, based on your intentions.

[335th_GRAthos]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Bliss

I usually take off the parachute mount for the street though.

Jesus! You mean you are allowed to drive this car on the normal road???



@Sternjaeger II: Well, it depends what you mean with "well balanced". The 911s are not "balanced": Weight distribution is around 62% rear and only 38% front (varies by model)
which means that if you lose the rear grip with stability electronics switched off you need to have the skill of a F1 pilot to put it back on track.


~S~

[BadAim]

Originally Posted by 335th_GRAthos

Jesus! You mean you are allowed to drive this car on the normal road???

~S~

Yes, so far you are, (allowed to) here in the States. It's one of the prices of freedom: You must decide for yourself whether or not a given thing is safe enough for you. Big brother is very quickly removing this hazard, as well as the freedom that creates it.

[335th_GRAthos]

Impressive freedom for a country with such low speed limits!

Just to remind you that in Germany we have no speed limits
(for some parts of the speeedways, at least)

[BadAim]

All kidding aside, it's fairly easy to obtain a new car with 300 or 400 HP in the States. If that hasn't killed or maimed you, it's pretty easy to gain an extra couple hundred HP with bolt on parts. Quite frankly if the first 600HP hasn't removed you from the road (or this mortal coil) the next six or seven are pretty much academic.

Simple Darwinian selection.

[BadAim]

Originally Posted by 335th_GRAthos

Impressive freedom for a country with such low speed limits!

Just to remind you that in Germany we have no speed limits
(for some parts of the speeedways, at least)

Funny, that.

[ElAurens]

I have a fair amount of seat time in Porsche 356s and early 911s. Good cars, and the 356 is absolutely my favorite German car, period.

However, only the Italians truly understand the art of the passionate automobile...


1967 Ferrrari 330 P4. The most beautiful car, ever.

That said I have a Triumph TR3 as my "collector" car, as only the British understand the verities of the small roadster.

[baronWastelan]

Italian artistry and passion versus German science and stubborness: the greatest rivalry in history. When that rivalry ceases it will herald the end of civilization as we know it.