Hoppy

LOL Floyd. You're on form tonight

Call it the law of diminishing returns if you like, but I think it's down to percentages.

When I first got my UK00, I did some timed runs using 95RON and Super 97 plus octane booster. I could feel the difference and measure the performance gains. Cheapest 10/15bhp-ish on the planet!

Then I fitted a PPP. Wow Another 30bhp and a sound track to match. I loved it. Must have more, but it starts to get difficult. A full de-cat exhaust cost several hundred quid (plus fitting) and sounded great, but I was frankly disappointed with the performance gains, real though they were.

I think it's down to percentages, ie a 30-40bhp hike on a 200bhp car is a lot. But when you're pushing 300bhp 10% more ain't so special.

My latest mod, a hybrid TD04L turbo (from Mark R19KET) and Tek3 remap (from John Banks) is just great, but it cost a packet and I still want more.

Where do I go now? I'm going to need 350bhp for the same grin-factor as I got from the PPP. Which means upgrades on the turbo, injectors, fuel pump, ECU, clutch, and just pray for the gearbox.

I don't expect any sympathy here, but you have to spend mega-bucks to go quicker than a 300bhp Scoob. An Evo might be quicker, but not much. You need a Skyline and deep pockets. To emphasise the point, I had a brief run against a Boxter last night. Nothing silly, but he was pushing hard whenever the fast lane was clear ahead. I was three-up and could reel him in so easily, and that's not a cheap car!

Erm, what was the question again

Richard.

PS Edited to add that on track, big brakes are worth 50bhp, and slicks another 50bhp. Sobering thought for those peeps chasing 5bhp from a back-box

[Edited by Hoppy - 7/2/2002 2:20:34 AM]

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

When modding a car you can sometimes feel improvements from gains of as little as 15BHP. However, on the road and track the differences between a std 215 bhp car and a 240BHP car will be minimal IMHO(more down to driver ability/brakes/gear change etc). Only P1/STI type cars will really pull away from a STD UK car with any significant difference.

So, from the 280-300 BHP power level, how much more power will you need to make such a difference again, 350BHP? Where are the gains going to come from before serious internal/gearbox mods are needed?

Should 300BHP be considered as the safe and sensible limit for reliable power on a Scoob?

F

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

What, no replies. Not contraversial enough for you lot then! Or perhaps you don't want to hear or admit to the truth?

Look it's no good puting you hands over your ears and humming and pretending I'm wrong. The truth is that scoobs are topping out at 300 -320bhp and still remaining with some reliablility. To go significantly faster (and I mean on track) you're going to need a lot more power. It's the law of deminishing returns from here I'm afraid.

Unless all you want is big BHP RR figures for down the pub...

Sooner or later you're going to wish you had bought an EVO or a Skyline or dare I say it, a Cossie.

Pah. I hate the lot of you

F

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

Richard

You've got it in one. In fact it was your car that prompted this post and hence the question of where now for more power, or is this the sensible limit?

I agree on the brakes side of things but I'm wary of slicks due to the abnormal stress on the car and possible panel flexing/creasing.

Perhaps driver training is now the key to going quicker, but I'm so good to start with

F

dowser

But if you're into track days or competition, you *have* to have slicks...or, at least, once one of you're group has got them then you all will. Ditto for decent brakes really.

Big power is great on the road where it's not practical/sensible to give it a 100% all the time - but on a track you're always doing something at 100%, and straight line acceleration is a small part of it.

Richard ...who just did a slalom event where his *friends* arrived with slicks and were 7 seconds a (3 minute) lap faster than me...boo-hoo, lol!

kungfu

sti cars- 300bhp or whatever, are designed to run peak performance at that 300bhp, if sti thought that they could get more power out of the car then they would have done so....and don't mention the gentlemans agreement!! If your wanting more power, and safely able to use it, buy a skyline....ultimate machine

Hoppy

Floyd, agree you're a masterful pilot so don't waste too much money there. Just a few grand should be enough

I'm inclined to think that 320-ish bhp is the practical limit for a MY99/00 car. You should be able to get this from standard 440 injectors plus uprated fuel pump, and it's only above this that you get horror stories of gearbox failure, although I think driving style has as much to do with this as torque.

But I have a much easier way of determining the practical limit of power. I just watch what John Banks is up to and if his car doesn't go pop, then I do the same mods It's working okay so far

Cheers,

Richard.

john banks

If you want real fun don't follow me I'm too sensible

Andy.F

"If you want real fun don't follow me I'm too sensible"

Yea, I remember those days when you were a bit timid they're long gone now !