Off-Topic Forum "Subaru BRZ" |
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Loved it!
noise said:
Seriously, live rear axle in a Mustang. WTF?
Crazy Americans.
Seriously, live rear axle in a Mustang. WTF?
Crazy Americans.
As already mentioned, live axle, or solid axles are generally more economical to produce, however there are other advantages to a solid rear axle besides being a cheaper alternative. Although we like to look at the performance of a car in terms of it's handling and acceleration, American cars are also expected to operate well in normal usage, such as carrying 4 people and a trunk full of luggage. American road vary widely, from country dirt roads, to bumpy brick blvds, to open highways and city streets complete with potholes. The solid axle handles these conditions very well.
For the record, the reason I am considering a Dodge Challenger is pretty much looks. I think it's the best looking car in the world right now.
I love the Challenger too. I'd go for the R/T if I had the money and yes, it also has a solid rear axle
A little update... I have been chatting with my mechanic who is also keen to build a project car. We are starting to plan a Mazda MX5 (Miata in the U.S).
The current debate is wether to go nuts on the 1.8 engine (Supercharger baby!) or get really involved and fit a V6 in it... then go nuts on that.
We are talking soup to nuts - gear ratios, adjustable suspension, roll bar, brakes and everything in between. A track car you can drive to the track...
We discussed a V8 but then you would really be fucking with the 50/50 weight balance, also, my wife has to be able to drive it without doing donuts at every right or left turn without smoking the clutch.
What I want from the project is to pull up to a light so people end up saying:
"Huh. The Miata is a girls ca..... where the fuck did it go???"
The current debate is wether to go nuts on the 1.8 engine (Supercharger baby!) or get really involved and fit a V6 in it... then go nuts on that.
We are talking soup to nuts - gear ratios, adjustable suspension, roll bar, brakes and everything in between. A track car you can drive to the track...
We discussed a V8 but then you would really be fucking with the 50/50 weight balance, also, my wife has to be able to drive it without doing donuts at every right or left turn without smoking the clutch.
What I want from the project is to pull up to a light so people end up saying:
"Huh. The Miata is a girls ca..... where the fuck did it go???"
The only way to retain a near 50/50 weight distribution, is to keep the four banger. Even the V6 will add weight over the front axle. I like the V8 option. Although a V8 would be heavier, you could set the engine back to get some semblance of balance.
As I recall it, once upon a time, there was this guy from Texas, named Carrol Shelby who shoehorned a Ford V8 into a tiny car very much like the Miata and called it the Cobra.
EdR
Yes, as well as economical leaf spring can take more torque before the axle rips itself off.
Still, we have the engineering today to cure that... but then a Mustang wouldn't be the most affordable muscle car.
The Challenger I drove was an RT with the Hemi, I was really impressed. That thing will be perfect for long distance road trips as well as practical getting around town. Only thing that puts me off is I want a car that turns well. If I could afford one as a third car, i would totally do it. Maybe I will at some point, but I have a way to go before... well, I would need a bigger garage!
We have been kicking around what to do with the MX5, and with a Chevy small block the weight switches from 50/50 to 53/47 with half a tank of of fuel and no driver. That's not a huge compromise. We would also have to fabricate a new and stronger rear subframe and use a stronger diff and gearbox... which isn't a big deal to us here. We would also need to fabricate a new exhaust system, which if we do the four banger we will do anyway.
To fit in a 6 or 8 banger, you have to cut into the car and to fit it you have to mount the engine further towards the firewall.
Right now, we are leaning towards going nuts on a four banger and building it to be a daily driver/autoX car. I love the idea of a V8 conversion... but it's not the elegant way to do a sports car. Also, the wife needs to be able to drive it without falling off the road because she breathed on the throttle at the wrong moment.
Still, it's not off the table... I got to drive a V8 Caterham 7 on the track which is a little lighter and lower and that was a RUSH.
I'm researching a base car and trying to figure ether to start with a pre or post 2000. It needs to be a driver while we work on it, although it can go off the road for a week at a time.
Like I say, still researching. Actual planning will start when I find the right car. Nice thing about California is it's a dry state, rust is the one thing we do not want to deal with!
When I say we, I have a shit hot mechanic on board for the project. I'm a driver with almost moderate mechanical knowledge... I know enough to be dangerous and need someone to tell me when it's a bad idea and build an engine from the ground up. I come into my own with tuning the handling.
Still, we have the engineering today to cure that... but then a Mustang wouldn't be the most affordable muscle car.
The Challenger I drove was an RT with the Hemi, I was really impressed. That thing will be perfect for long distance road trips as well as practical getting around town. Only thing that puts me off is I want a car that turns well. If I could afford one as a third car, i would totally do it. Maybe I will at some point, but I have a way to go before... well, I would need a bigger garage!
We have been kicking around what to do with the MX5, and with a Chevy small block the weight switches from 50/50 to 53/47 with half a tank of of fuel and no driver. That's not a huge compromise. We would also have to fabricate a new and stronger rear subframe and use a stronger diff and gearbox... which isn't a big deal to us here. We would also need to fabricate a new exhaust system, which if we do the four banger we will do anyway.
To fit in a 6 or 8 banger, you have to cut into the car and to fit it you have to mount the engine further towards the firewall.
Right now, we are leaning towards going nuts on a four banger and building it to be a daily driver/autoX car. I love the idea of a V8 conversion... but it's not the elegant way to do a sports car. Also, the wife needs to be able to drive it without falling off the road because she breathed on the throttle at the wrong moment.
Still, it's not off the table... I got to drive a V8 Caterham 7 on the track which is a little lighter and lower and that was a RUSH.
I'm researching a base car and trying to figure ether to start with a pre or post 2000. It needs to be a driver while we work on it, although it can go off the road for a week at a time.
Like I say, still researching. Actual planning will start when I find the right car. Nice thing about California is it's a dry state, rust is the one thing we do not want to deal with!
When I say we, I have a shit hot mechanic on board for the project. I'm a driver with almost moderate mechanical knowledge... I know enough to be dangerous and need someone to tell me when it's a bad idea and build an engine from the ground up. I come into my own with tuning the handling.
http://twitter.com/noise17
noise said: Yes, as well as economical leaf spring can take more torque before the axle rips itself off.
Still, we have the engineering today to cure that... but then a Mustang wouldn't be the most affordable muscle car.
The Challenger I drove was an RT with the Hemi, I was really impressed. That thing will be perfect for long distance road trips as well as practical getting around town. Only thing that puts me off is I want a car that turns well. If I could afford one as a third car, i would totally do it. Maybe I will at some point, but I have a way to go before... well, I would need a bigger garage!
We have been kicking around what to do with the MX5, and with a Chevy small block the weight switches from 50/50 to 53/47 with half a tank of of fuel and no driver. That's not a huge compromise. We would also have to fabricate a new and stronger rear subframe and use a stronger diff and gearbox... which isn't a big deal to us here. We would also need to fabricate a new exhaust system, which if we do the four banger we will do anyway.
To fit in a 6 or 8 banger, you have to cut into the car and to fit it you have to mount the engine further towards the firewall.
Right now, we are leaning towards going nuts on a four banger and building it to be a daily driver/autoX car. I love the idea of a V8 conversion... but it's not the elegant way to do a sports car. Also, the wife needs to be able to drive it without falling off the road because she breathed on the throttle at the wrong moment.
Still, it's not off the table... I got to drive a V8 Caterham 7 on the track which is a little lighter and lower and that was a RUSH.
I'm researching a base car and trying to figure ether to start with a pre or post 2000. It needs to be a driver while we work on it, although it can go off the road for a week at a time.
Like I say, still researching. Actual planning will start when I find the right car. Nice thing about California is it's a dry state, rust is the one thing we do not want to deal with!
When I say we, I have a shit hot mechanic on board for the project. I'm a driver with almost moderate mechanical knowledge... I know enough to be dangerous and need someone to tell me when it's a bad idea and build an engine from the ground up. I come into my own with tuning the handling.
Still, we have the engineering today to cure that... but then a Mustang wouldn't be the most affordable muscle car.
The Challenger I drove was an RT with the Hemi, I was really impressed. That thing will be perfect for long distance road trips as well as practical getting around town. Only thing that puts me off is I want a car that turns well. If I could afford one as a third car, i would totally do it. Maybe I will at some point, but I have a way to go before... well, I would need a bigger garage!
We have been kicking around what to do with the MX5, and with a Chevy small block the weight switches from 50/50 to 53/47 with half a tank of of fuel and no driver. That's not a huge compromise. We would also have to fabricate a new and stronger rear subframe and use a stronger diff and gearbox... which isn't a big deal to us here. We would also need to fabricate a new exhaust system, which if we do the four banger we will do anyway.
To fit in a 6 or 8 banger, you have to cut into the car and to fit it you have to mount the engine further towards the firewall.
Right now, we are leaning towards going nuts on a four banger and building it to be a daily driver/autoX car. I love the idea of a V8 conversion... but it's not the elegant way to do a sports car. Also, the wife needs to be able to drive it without falling off the road because she breathed on the throttle at the wrong moment.
Still, it's not off the table... I got to drive a V8 Caterham 7 on the track which is a little lighter and lower and that was a RUSH.
I'm researching a base car and trying to figure ether to start with a pre or post 2000. It needs to be a driver while we work on it, although it can go off the road for a week at a time.
Like I say, still researching. Actual planning will start when I find the right car. Nice thing about California is it's a dry state, rust is the one thing we do not want to deal with!
When I say we, I have a shit hot mechanic on board for the project. I'm a driver with almost moderate mechanical knowledge... I know enough to be dangerous and need someone to tell me when it's a bad idea and build an engine from the ground up. I come into my own with tuning the handling.
I believe that the current Mustang and Challenger uses a four link rear suspension on coil springs.
I'm not much of a Chevy fan, I tend to be partial to Chrysler engines and that 5.7 Hemi in the Challenger R/T would be a great candidate for a Miata. However if there is one V8 that is very compact with as much performance parts availability as the Chevy, it would be the old 289 and 302, the same engines used in the Cobra. But if I were to suggest an engine which I think would be ideal, stick to Mazda power, They make a few different rotary engines and some of those can be built to make well over 600 hp from a block which is lighter than a 4 banger.
EdR
Thanks Ed - Hadn't even occurred to me to drop a rotary in! I know my mechanic likes the Wenkel a lot, but hasn't had much chance to work on them. I am almost settled on a 2001ish MX5 with the 1.8 but will look into that. All I really know about them is their capacity and displacement is pretty impressive - I have driven a 1.4 RX8 in anger and it punched way more than it's weight suggested.
I'm going to look at a turbo'd Miata in the week, I'm really not planning on buying it though unless it's truly exceptional. It's got 40,000 on the clock... but a ready modded car makes me nervous (Also, my mechanic would kick my arse if I bought one without him thoroughly going over it, then he would want to strip rebuild it...). I do want to drive as many as possible, the MX-5 is not something I have really driven. Everything has been kind of either side of it - either bigger and less finessed or purebred track car.
If we go four pot, we'll be aiming for around 350 brake at the wheels by the end of the project. But you know... when is enough actually enough
I'm going to look at a turbo'd Miata in the week, I'm really not planning on buying it though unless it's truly exceptional. It's got 40,000 on the clock... but a ready modded car makes me nervous (Also, my mechanic would kick my arse if I bought one without him thoroughly going over it, then he would want to strip rebuild it...). I do want to drive as many as possible, the MX-5 is not something I have really driven. Everything has been kind of either side of it - either bigger and less finessed or purebred track car.
If we go four pot, we'll be aiming for around 350 brake at the wheels by the end of the project. But you know... when is enough actually enough
http://twitter.com/noise17
If anyone cares... I'm now actively looking for an MX5, either first second or early third. We will long term be going for forced induction with a turbo while tuning the hell out of the chassis. It's going to be tough do decide ultimately what it will be, a turbo makes it a fun roadster and it will be relatively easy to make it a drive along track day car. However, I do want to do some autocross... and a turbo puts it into a class where it won't be competitive without dropping a lot of cash on everything.
Need a real plan...
Need a real plan...
http://twitter.com/noise17
Anyone still care? Probably not, but I am going to go on anyway.
After a bunch of crawling around under cars and test driving, I'm planted on a 2006 Miata. A big kick in horsepower to start with plus a little more space for a 6 footer that likes his elbow room, but double the price so it's time to start saving.
I would still love to go with the BRZ, but I'm not in a place for another new car and it's obviously not old enough for aftermarkets and too new to risk building forced induction for.
After a bunch of crawling around under cars and test driving, I'm planted on a 2006 Miata. A big kick in horsepower to start with plus a little more space for a 6 footer that likes his elbow room, but double the price so it's time to start saving.
I would still love to go with the BRZ, but I'm not in a place for another new car and it's obviously not old enough for aftermarkets and too new to risk building forced induction for.
http://twitter.com/noise17
I still care, just been real busy lately.... 
Always love the car talk.
Jet
Always love the car talk.
Jet
Jet said: I still care, just been real busy lately....
Always love the car talk.
Jet
Always love the car talk.
Jet
The question is... did you buy the BRZ?
http://twitter.com/noise17
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