Tubbed FWD poseurs

Dr. Hess wrote: That poor Celica. It must be terribly embarrased.

Seriously....

I want a 7th gen GTS so bad.... but i'd be afraid of being associated with that thing.

Left out of the hands of people like this, they're amazing cars.

oldopelguy wrote: . . . though not a stupid as the wheelie bars that if they were to ever work would require the only driving wheels in the car to be off the ground . . .

Actually, one of the very first 10 second (or sub-10 second) passes by a front-wheel drive car was by a couple of guys that had been running 13s until they put a wheeliebar on their Honda CRX or Civic or something. I think they did it as a joke, but they were blown away when it, well, worked.

I guess the rear suspension compresses and transfers weight to the rear -- good if you are RWD, but bad if you're FWD. If you have something way the hell out back there to stop that dead in its tracks, you stop the weight transfer and send it back to the front.

do these things produce enough power to pull that excess weight, i.e. the huge drag radials? I cant imagine them accelerating too fast

Yes, properly designed wheelie bars can work on a FWD car. These are not properly designed, however, and are merely hanging out the back looking stupid.

In real FWD drag racing, the bars are used to limit weight transfer. When the rear suspension compresses, it loads the wheelie casters, effectively lengthening the wheelbase by that amount. This moves the pitch center noticeably farther aft, allowing the car to hold a lot more weight on its front wheels.

It works especially effectively if you preload the bars - so effectively, in fact, that preloading is illegal.

I know that FWD drag racers run wheelie bars - but by the time these ones make contact with the ground, the front wheels will be off the ground.

Can't say I understand FWD drag racing myself, but I have to admire the effort put into it.

neon4891 wrote: Just ince I would love to take a nice FWD performance car to the strip and see what would happen in you just threw some compact spare tires on the back, but I think tech inspection would shoot it down.

A friend of mine "won" a drift day by doing that with his Honda Civic. Well, actually he was going to win but this upset so many people that they made him his own "FWD overall win" award on the spot so that all the S13/AE86/E30 guys could compete evenly.

J

I'd be really impressed if someone entered a FWD car in a drift event, and spent the whole thing driving in reverse :)

I thought that Grand Am in Hot Rod had been converted to RWD, like a lot of guys did with the Daytonas in the late 80's. I remember the big hub-ub about it's rear axle being solid mounted to the frame making it not really "streetable," and the "fix" being a rear suspension added with valve springs for suspension.

That was a different car, a Pontiac J2000. It had a tube chassis made of polished stainless steel and a dual supercharged engine with a big Dominator carburetor hung out in front. It was virtually undriveable. The Grand Am was totally stock except for the big tires and wheel tubs.

damn I wish I had the money to be that dumb, then I could hire some-one to be smart for me!

Keith wrote: I'd be really impressed if someone entered a FWD car in a drift event, and spent the whole thing driving in reverse :)

I applaud your sharpness sir :)

I guess the new "Faux Street" movement will get it's own mag soon.

Is this the ricer version of a Donk?

Shawn

Duke, you must live in or near newark. I've seen that ugly celica before and went looking for pictures of it last night but didn't find any.

Nitroracer wrote: Duke, you must live in or near newark. I've seen that ugly celica before and went looking for pictures of it last night but didn't find any.

Member since: May 14, 2008 Board posts: 1126 (Let's see 'em) Location: Newark, DE USA

Here's anpter for the WTF file. It seems like a lot of work for no particular reason. Part 68 Baracuda part Mazda 626

Wonders never cease, etc.

It's so ridiculous it could almost be an elaborate practical joke.

Nitroracer wrote: Duke, you must live in or near newark. I've seen that ugly celica before and went looking for pictures of it last night but didn't find any.

Indeed, I do. I've seen it putting down Main Street a few times, but never seen it parked at a show somewhere. These pics are webbed.

The bug catcher is my "favorite" touch there. There would be a certain poseur logic to having it poking through the hood. But only visible when you pop the hood so everyone can see it's not really mounted on a 8-71?

Why, exactly, the owner permitted anyone to photograph it with the hood up is a mystery in and of itself.

Nothing like a fake ram-air system that isn't exposed to airflow. Bub Rub would be proud.

If you're going to tub a FWD car at least do it right and convert it to Right Wheel Drive...

fastEddie wrote: If you're going to convert a FWD car to RWD at least do it right and actually convert it to RWD

Fixed.

"Right wheel drive" is RWD :)

That Civic is HOT!

Keith wrote: "Right wheel drive" is RWD :)

I know that. I was trying to point out that this looked like a case of tubbing because it had been converted to RWD; not converting to RWD (or the illusion of it) so that the car could be tubbed.

It's my FIL's '73 Civic 1300 or something like that - currently sporting a mild 350/350 combo and full cage.

Tyler H wrote: Nothing like a fake ram-air system that isn't exposed to airflow. Bub Rub would be proud.

Didn't catch that one. Why have a bug catcher and hide it from the bugs.