I'm going to stick with helping Cooper_Tired prep the Acura for the next event. Seeing the Suprang made me really want to build something from the 60s, but not sure it'd be a challenge something.
I'm going to stick with helping Cooper_Tired prep the Acura for the next event. Seeing the Suprang made me really want to build something from the 60s, but not sure it'd be a challenge something.
In reply to eastsideTim :
Grab your wrenches, we've got a pedal to add. (Once I get the funds lol)
For some reason, I've seen some Opel's around the midwest for cheap as rusty hulks- or maybe I'm just hoping.
It would fit my family; we have like, 3 corvettes. Why not one that was shrunk in the wash?
Didn't make it this year, I'd just gotten back from Nationals and wasn't feeling up for returning with the Zoomboni in an unchanged form from last year and the Fiero still isn't complete.
But the desire is to do a bit of work to the former ice resurfacer and see what proper EM wheels, a wing, and some aluminum heads/cam can do for it. Losing 100 lbs and bumping the hp by 100 has to help, right? And since it'll clearly be over budget at that point a set of 28" tall drag slicks will keep it in 4th gear through the 1/4 mile. Last year I ran a 12.9 at 103 mph and was in 5th (overdrive) at the 900' mark on the 23" tires. Aaaand maybe actually learn how to tune it for the NOS, '21 was a full failure on that point.
And the Fiero is the Divorce Special. I bought it for a grand from a dude who was partway through an engine swap when he was blindsided with divorce papers. It's an 87 GT with a built 3800SC motor. We're hoping that it's dynamic performance is equal to the Zoomboni of 2021 but we'll see.
I likely will have even less time than normal in the next year, but this is one of the first years in a long time I have even considered doing the challenge.
If I go next year, my plans would mostly be to do a gastropod-class beater. I know Saturns really well, so I would consider one of those, but a decent SE-R, Mazda, Kia, etc. that I can put a stiffer suspension on, some stickier tires, and make sure its reliable would be basically what I am looking for.
Unless someone brings me 2 Nissan Altimas, I'm doing a subdued build for next year. Im going to Brat convert the $750 WRX and bring it down. Possibly towing something.
I don't think LMP360 will maintain challenge eligibility. There is about $200 worth of stuff I want to do over winter to clean it up and finish it off. Unless I self trade the entire EJ22 drivetrain that's in budget there just isnt space to do it. It was never really the plan to run the car multiple years at the challenge. But who knows. Maybe.
Planning on bringing the 32v manual Crown Vic. It handles like trash and currently is making like 130 hp but hopefully I can sort all that out.
In reply to nocones :
I saw like 10 on the side of the road on the way north. Take a trailer and collect a couple. Zero $ to the budget.
Not challenge, but I want to build a 2.5L NC before prices on them get crazy. It's just tough to justify when I already have a turbo NA in the garage
How do you guys know a car is "Challenge worthy", or pick your canvasses? Do you just look at something that "speaks" to you, or is it something else?
In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :
I don't have a great answer for you. I think that it depends on how competitive you want to be. I'm in it for the fun and personal challenge so I pick weird garbage.
GIRTHQUAKE said:How do you guys know a car is "Challenge worthy", or pick your canvasses? Do you just look at something that "speaks" to you, or is it something else?
I'm trying to convince Stampie to run this next Challenge. https://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/d/ormond-beach-big-ugly-halloween-funeral/7542749791.html
Why? Solely because I think it would be so awesome to see it hooning around the autocross course.
Run what you want. If you want to be competitive, look at past scores and build your weapon accordingly. If you want to have fun, just show up with something
GIRTHQUAKE said:How do you guys know a car is "Challenge worthy", or pick your canvasses? Do you just look at something that "speaks" to you, or is it something else?
Everyone has their own thing. For me what I look for is a great value in the buy. I want my base car and as much stuff as I'll need in it as cheap as possible. For example Suprang for $500 was a no brainer. It even came with a Nitrous system. Now that doesn't mean I want a $975 Hearse like Mr_Asa wants me to do. I told him that's a great engine donor because there's parts enough to pay for the car at least a couple times over.
2023: Donebrokeit's Omni GLH
2024: CRX GTP and maybe if it's ready awd Integra
2025: Weeroy
In reply to Stampie :
Did someone say challenge hearse?
The idea of a purely mechanical Challenge flywheel hybrid system as a drag power adder has been stuck in my head for years. It comes from the simple fact that you only need a few hundred horsepower for 15 seconds or less. For a 400 HP car running 12's, that's theoretically 3,600 kilo-joules of energy that makes it to the ground. How many joules of energy can I store in a spinning mass? Some stupid thoughts include:
The trick is maximizing RPM and moment of inertia while minimizing weight, which means largest diameter possible for a given weight. A ring mass is effective. A practical ring mass inertia is a spoked flywheel, like on old-timey tractors. A rough example calculation: 200 lbs of solid rotating mass crankshaft + flywheels with average solid diameter of 16" spinning 10k RPM would provide roughly 100 hp for 12 seconds. Once you start playing with spoked flywheels, things get really crazy. Like say slipping some large industrial pipe over a wheel bolted to the flywheel...
In reply to maschinenbau :
That sounds like it would be amazing for at least one run. Good or bad I'm not sure.
Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:Did someone say challenge hearse?
I would rock a challenge hearse so f'in hard man, I'd dress like Rob Zombie 24/7 just to complete the image.
Imagine just being somewhere, and you steadily hear Dragula getting closer to you like an oncoming anxiety attack
In reply to maschinenbau :
Now do the math on compressed air Supercharging via regulator. A normal large air compressor cylinder at 120psi could provide quite a lot of boost...
In reply to nocones :
I like that. Precompress the air so that it has time to cool down to ambient temp and there's no need for an intercooler.
nocones said:In reply to maschinenbau :
Now do the math on compressed air Supercharging via regulator. A normal large air compressor cylinder at 120psi could provide quite a lot of boost...
The test in hot rod so if you see scuba tanks mounted in the back seat you better watch out
maschinenbau said:The idea of a purely mechanical Challenge flywheel hybrid system as a drag power adder has been stuck in my head for years. It comes from the simple fact that you only need a few hundred horsepower for 15 seconds or less. For a 400 HP car running 12's, that's theoretically 3,600 kilo-joules of energy that makes it to the ground. How many joules of energy can I store in a spinning mass? Some stupid thoughts include:
- One axle with normal FWD automatic drivetrain, engine, axes, etc. This can be matted while drag racing, leaving the other leg to operate a clutch pedal. Other axle has a spare manual or CVT drivetrain but with only the engine block with crankshaft, rod oiling holes plugged, head replaced with a sheetmetal cover, oiling system kept in tact, and as many flywheels as can be bolted to it the front and back of the crankshaft.
- Flywheel system is spun up by driving around the parking lot in gear. Put trans in progressively lower gears until KERS RPM is sufficiently high, say 10,000 RPM or so. Clutch must remain disengaged until ready to launch. Perhaps a small electric motor running off the engine alternator to negate any parasitics while staging.
- At drag launch, the clutch is slipped for instant power. Clutch must be disengaged after all energy is transferred. Theoretically this would be the end of the drag run, at which point it acts like a brake, spinning the flywheels back up again and slowing you down. You know, for safety.
The trick is maximizing RPM and moment of inertia while minimizing weight, which means largest diameter possible for a given weight. A ring mass is effective. A practical ring mass inertia is a spoked flywheel, like on old-timey tractors. A rough example calculation: 200 lbs of solid rotating mass crankshaft + flywheels with average solid diameter of 16" spinning 10k RPM would provide roughly 100 hp for 12 seconds. Once you start playing with spoked flywheels, things get really crazy. Like say slipping some large industrial pipe over a wheel bolted to the flywheel...
Oh yeah, baby. Talk engineering to me.
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