| Author |
Message |
bucko
Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2004
Posts: 2617
Location: Coppell, Texas
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 12:47 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| I think some of us need to "get off the bong" for awhile!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
chinarider
Samba Member
Joined: November 08, 2002
Posts: 276
Location: San Francisco, CA
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 3:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Captain Spalding wrote: |
| chinarider wrote: |
| . . . Once you hit it's terminal velocity, no powertrain in the world will allow it to go any faster. |
Uh, for the record, terminal velocity is the speed at which the force of gravity equals aerodynamic drag. If you put a jet engine on the back of your Thing, you could certainly propel it to speeds well beyond its terminal velocity, just as an airplane can fly much faster than it falls.
Also, for the record - world record that is - the highest recorded speed for a human freefall is 321 mph.  |
Not necessarily. Terminal velocity can be associated with gravity, but is more accurately the point at which air resistance equals the force of an object's acceleration.
Also, for the record, the 321mph figure is the world record for freeflying, not freefalling. An average freefall still maxes out at around 120mph.
Sorry to be a pain. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
lukesky
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2006
Posts: 246
Location: See The Rabbits, IA
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Legally, my Thing can go as fast as any car on the road.
Except on I-80 where the legal limit is 70. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ian Epperson
Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005
Posts: 2262
Location: Alameda, CA
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
I've been thinking a lot on this very topic lately. I've purchased THE 2270 T4 engine that Jake Raby built up for the series of articles in HotVWs. Going from 48HP on a good day to over 170 - It'll be FAST. It's sitting, waiting for me to make the car strong enough for it.
So, I like safety too:
http://veewiki.com/IanEpperson/Accident
Here are the items that I find important:
BRAKES! A few years back, I put disks in the front, rebuilt the rears put in new lines and new master cyl. It can stop very quickly.
Suspension. It's been very bad for a long time. At 60Mph, it's tough to keep it in a single lane. I've pulled the front beam and will be replacing all the rubber. The shocks are shot, and the sway bar was long gone (who takes off their front sway bar?!?). Adjusters up front, and KYB GR2's all around. I'll attack the rear next. It's sagging all the way around, so I'll bring it up about 2" to make it about 1" taller than stock.
I'm considering adding caster shims to make it easier to go strait. This might be tough with the reinforcements on the sides, and I don't know if it'll be necessary anyway.
Transmission. The stock tranny and mounts aren't designed for this much power. New tranny with welded gears, super diff, and better gearing. I'll seam weld the frame horns and install a Gene Berg intermediary tranny mount and urethane mounts to replace the very old, stock ones. I may build a skid plate/tow hitch that would connect the rear bumper with the frame horns firming up the entire thing.
Whew! I think that'll do it. Why? Because I want to!  I like going faster than 55 up a hill, and being able to accelerate to 60 sometime today. I appreciate those who don't mind going slower, I put up with a slower car for 10 years now. Now that I can make it go faster, I WILL.
Just remember to think about ALL the systems that are affected by adding more power. Brakes, suspension, tranny - even axels, CV joints, wheels and steering. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jake Raby
Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2003
Posts: 7433
Location: Aircooled Heaven USA
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:47 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hey Ian, nice to see you!
In my experence giving a 181 ,more power enhances the way it drives..
I even noticed that the wind doesn't bother you so much anymore, even side gusts as the car has the ability to propel it's self much more solidly.
The other thing is no more downshifts on hills, just leave it in 4th and give it a tad more throttle and you'll be over the hill like nothing.
_________________
Jake Raby
Raby Engine Development
www.rabyenginedevelopment.com
"I've never given anyone Hell, I just told them the truth and they thought it was Hell" |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
