What a great thread. I was talking about this topic with a board member last weekend. The subject of people who have never drove anything faster than a 12 second 1/4 mile car came up. There is a world of difference between a 12 second car and a 10 second car. Making the quantum leap from a 12 to a 9 second car is in my mind, assisting in someones suicide and/or homicide of innocent bystanders. It is the utter lack of respect of power and its capabilities, is what blows my mind. By no means am I a 19 year old guy, but I do remember what it is like to be invincible. OldSStroker said it best, PREPARATION. I am huge proponent of horsepower, but we are no longer talking about mashing a gas pedal to floor boards and seeing what happens. Just my 2 cents.

Michael

 

Awesome thread.

I wasnt allowed to get my permit till I was 17. My father only let me get it after it started to snow. Wanted to be sure I got the worst first. Had me do a lot of things in parking lots in both what is now my 94 Bravada and my mom's old 1992 Eagle Talon. Learned a lot of control, but only just a start...

Driving an lt1 in the winter was a lot of fun. No accidents, no bumps, no tickets. Learned how to go VERY easy on the gas. Learn enough? Heck no. I'm not even 23!

I went to Bret for advice and he kept giving me help. I was going to have someone else build my motor, but it was quickly obvious who (if I cared for the car) should really build my engine. I asked Bret and he was luckily willing. I didnt really trust his judgement at first (and was too stubborn) but I eventually accepted his advice because thats what he does.

I took several courses on motorcycles (all with 250cc bikes) and then after that took a spin on a friends 650. Scared me stupid. I love bikes, but I wont ride them. Dont know why, but they SCARE me.

I also agree on the "passenger" comment. I never did anything even close to stupid on busy roads or with women in the car. My car buddies who were along for the ride perhaps, but thats it.

I've got more power then I asked for when this all started, and that really doesnt have me worried. What it does though is make me nervous. I've never handled a car with this much power before - and a single blast in a 4000lb car with 600rwhp was enough to nearly need new pants. I doubt I'll ever really get on it or use it more then one pull every now and then on an on-ramp. Even then it probably wont be full throttle till redline.

Why? For me it's the want to hear the engine rev in neutral and feel the car shake slightly. To hear the noise and know whats under the hood. Thats my drive. If I was a good enough driver I might use the power, but that'll be driving this thing for a few years.

The thing I dont understand is how some people feel so invincible that they arent scared by this stuff. For me, the thought of driving it again has me nervous. There's something to be said about the power of a big v8. Then boost ontop?

But then again, we now have lt1 fast fwd pocket rockets running around these days. This is why I think lisences should be harder to get and testing should be more regular...

 

a POP to all you east coasters BTW is a western NY term for a Soda, Coke or Pepsi...

A Road pop = A beer you take on the way to the bar

;-)

Just thought I would clear that all up.

 

We have pop in ohio too! lol.


My .02, although lots of it is repeating.

Im about to turn 22. Started driving at 15.5, first car i bought myself was a 97 Probe GTS. 2 door and kinda sporty, would barely light them up flashing the stall from a stop sign.

I sold the Probe and Upgraded to the Z right at 17.5. I had wanted one since they came out in 93.

My dad wouldnt let me drive the car at night or alone for the 1st month or so. I hated him for it, but somewhat understood his point of just getting me used to the tranny and power. I grew up driving go carts, dirt bikes, tractors, parents cars in empty lots etc, a clutch was nothing new really, but he was being safe.

First week I had the car alone, i decided to show off to my buddy and nailed it in 1st. To my benefit it was a WIDE 2 lane road, no one around. However the car went completely sideways, then back the other way, then back again before i finally got it straight. I was super shaken. Some people take dozens of mistakes to finally learn something, others it only takes being scared once.

I can honestly say that I havent ever had the car out of control in the 4 years since then. Do i drive it hard, push it, you bet I do. But you learn to respect the power, how to roll into the throttle, and your time and place. Im always amused at some people who will try and street race me through neighborhoods, or weave in and out of traffic at rush hour and then try to race. Common.

Since the days of the stock Z, I remember going to the hardware store and buying some 3/8 hose barbs for the throttle body bypass. I swore i could feel the difference. Since then i was hooked on modding and power. I was lucky enough to find a local guy who only works on lt1/ls1 cars, and started hanging out at the shop. You get to see what works, what doesnt and learn from there.

I think much of being able to handle the power comes not only from respect, but as others say doing it yourself. If you have the cuts and busted hands, then you know the cost of the parts, and the actual cost of labor. If you go in stages, you get to learn the power in small increments.

In handling power, that is very relative I think. I remember when I thought my full exhaust car was hot. Then it got slow. Same thing for the cam. Now for the 383 it seems slow too. Once you are accustomed to the power, you are ready for more.

The highest HP car i have driven was a 95 TA, 487 rwhp NA and ~590 on the juice which i never used. Car was really fun, so thats where i am going to try and head to now.

Also in handling HP, I also think a LOT of it has to do with the rest of the car too. If you have a car with stock tires and suspension, you are going to get yourself into a mess much quicker than a full suspensioned car.

 

Another great thread!

I agree with what was said about stages. I bought my TA with MY money (against my parent's wishes). Because it was mine and I put the bread down to get it, I respected it and took better care of it than if my parents had went out and got it for my birthday or something. My ride prior to the TA was a '94 Dodge Ram. This car was faster, louder and nicer than my truck, but I didn't go out and do burnouts and donuts with it everywhere. To this day, I have exactly 2 tickets in that car (both street racing ) and have had it for 7 years next month.

When it came to the point where I was "familiar" with the power the car made stock, I went w/ a Procharger. I had a shop put it on, but after some fiascos w/ them, I started learning about my car and worked on it myself. Now, I've "graduated" to a 383 with twin 67mm turbos (designed & built myself), pieced together my own 2-stage nitrous kit for a stock 5.0 Mustang and am in the process of doing an LS6 in a notchback and a Section 8 BBC IROC. Not bad for a guy who couldn't change his own plugs, let alone tell you the firing order for a SBC. I learned a lot by talking with people who knew what they were talking about (both online and off) and doing the work myself.

Of course, with turbos being the new in-thing for F-cars, I get questions all the time. I can't help but laugh at the people who want 800hp cars on pump gas w/ AC and all accessories, but don't want to pay the ransom to do it. A lot of people have good ideas, but lack the common sense or more importantly, wallet power to pull it off.

Also pretty common term in Iowa and a little in So Illinois. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that POP is easier to spell that SODUH for the local yokels.

 

well you are experienced and you can speak for yourself. but you just have to admit that most of us younger guys like to show off...alot. if you gave me 600+ hp car i could go quite a while without going WOT on the street, probably a 2 years. its been about 16 months since i've gone WOT in my car(its not a sports car anyways) , listen to me i'm talking like an alcoholic. and you have to admit the point of having all that power is to use it eventually.

i'm trying to think of a way to explain my self on this one

to me its like a track car, lets say...a lemans c5-r for comparison. scenario:if i mod the suspension on a corvette (or any other car) to handle comparably close to the c5-r, it means that my car now has that peak performance standard in the handling department. i am a young male who doesn't race cars. i don't know that when i give my car that type of a suspension set-up the rear end breaks loose realllllly easily. i don't know that my suspension is designed to go around a track as fast as possible. i don't know what it really means to drive a car on a "knife-edge." but what i DO KNOW is how i could take sharp turns and jerk my pre modded car around to get around the streets faster if i wanted to. So what happens? the first time i take this modded race suspension set-up car and try to drive make "race car turns" in and out of traffic , i'm gonna wreck and probably wreck bad.
its sort of the same in the power department. people don't know what all that tq can do. they had a premodded car they would floor it on the freeway to pass someone. now with 600 lb ft tq, those tires are gonna spin and your gonna hurt someone. i'm not even talking about rainy weather, dirt/ patches (sometimes around stop lights (you don't know how to handle your power your gonna spin out in an intersection)). and then you just have stupid drivers who want weave in and out of traffic, etc, etc.

and i know you can drive responisbly, so i think you deserve that kind of a car. i'm just saying there is no way to know who is responisble right off the bat, with that kind of power. as back to the original topic, when i get enough money to build a quick car, i'm not gonna make a jump, i'll just step my way up over the years.
it comes down to this for me: i am 19, i wouldn't give my 18 yr old self the keys to a 600hp car, when i'm 20 i will say the same about my current age.
eventually i will get something i can call fast, but its gonna have to happen so slowly that i won't notice.

 

I tell you guys what there has probably more good information in this section in the past 1.5 weeks then there has been for along time


Good Stuff, good stuff...


-john

 

In Louisiana you just ask for a Coke or a cold drink.

Cold drink is not to be confused with "coldbeer" which is one word believe it or not. The d is also silent. This will come in handy if you ever visit the south.

 

It is good to keep things in perspective as it is not all about going fast, being the fastest or having the coolest toys. It is about being happy & enjoying your life. Life is too short to not enjoy it.... just try not to shorten it through stupidity. I lost 3 friends due to motorcycle accidents just last summer (1 on a racetrack & 2 driving over their heads on the street). Makes me wonder everytime I leave the house & also why I wear a helmet in a state that just repealed their helmet laws....

Anything with an engine on it causes me much enjoyment & sometimes severe aggravation.... but I always try to make something faster or better. 13's-12's-11's-10's-9's.... It never ends. Seems I'm building my Camaro more than driving it due to lack of spare time. Unlimited funds & time would be a blessing.

It is funny how I drive a totally stock '91 Formula to work & have no desire to change it. As Bret alluded to, "who" is there to impress other than yourself?

 

That statement made me think about feeling this:

http://www.fasttrackperformance.com/...Incar_Chow.mpg

That's what launching a 1000rwhp SBC off the footbrake feels like. I NEED I NEED I NEED!!!

 

I know for myself atleast, when i got started modding my car, alittle faster was never quite fast enough.

After the fact its easy to look back and say "Well i should have just done such and such and called it good." Or kept it stock for that matter.

One of the things i totally love about my car is driving around in town and all the looks i get. The more modded it gets, the less practical it becomes to do this and i wonder what directions the car is headed.

Im afraid one day i will walk out to my garage and the car will be an all out drag car that rides on a trailer to the track, and is no longer what i really want.

 

Really, I have seen guys say the same thing. Before you know it, their "Street car" is so maxed out, it is being trailored everywhere they go and really sits most of the time. My car will always have the full interior (Leather) and the AC/heat and power steering. Also, I WILL NOT HAVE A CAGE in my car. My car is a street car and I will very rarely, if any be taking it to the track so I see no need in messing up the inside and having to crawl over a cage all of the time. Now, I am not saying that a car with a cage is not a street car, thats not it, I have seen many cars that are great street cars with cages, it' just not for me.

 

...or they're getting rid of one.

 

This is a good thread.

What do I need .vs. what do I want?

Well, I probably don't even need to own the TA, but I do. I don't need more than the 90hp Corolla daily driver and the '88 beater truck to haul mulch for the flower beds.

What I want is something to haul a$$. When I first got into this, I was trying to be the fastest and build the baddest car in my area. Due to various reasons, that never happened.

Last year I drove a friends 400hp NA Camaro through the pits at Indy. I realized right there that is all I'll probably ever really need on the street. Add some nitrous and go 10s at the track and I think I'll be good. That's all I need in the want department.

I, like most of you, tend to drive my TA a little more conservatively than my daily driver. I routinely speed in my hooptie, but really pay attention to the speed in the TA. Sometimes, I do get pretty spirited in the TA through 3rd gear. I need to keep myself in check and try to process the situation before I do it. Cars? Houses? Driveways? Traffic? Position of the sun? Time of day? I try to look at all the possibilites before I do it.

I'm 32 and definitely understand the consequences of a wreck. When I was 21 I wrecked my Dad's '67 Chevelle due to lack of judgement, driving experience and fear. The car was totalled. My Dad, buddy and I walked away unscathed other than some bumps and cuts. It was a pretty ugly scene. To this day I still have "emotional" issues when I'm together w/ the two of them. It's only because we're having fun and I almost destroyed it due to being stupid and having a heavy right foot. It's a little tough to deal w/ sometimes.

There was an interested editor's column in the latest CHP talking about the stupid stuff we do as kids. Everyone has their stories. What I found most interesting was the comment concerning there was research data to support us not being capable of processing fear while we're still teens. Isn't that the truth?

Later,


Steve.

 

Interesting to see the responses, coming from a fairly eclectic group...

Speaking as a younger person (20), I can comfortably say I'm more mature than most people twice my age. I'm not sure why I turned out that way -- I think our experiences just lead us in different directions. In the absence of a father, I was forced to grow up rather quick -- as was my brother.

My current buildup should have somewhere in the vicinity of 500-700fwhp. I think that's a tad bit excessive for what's "needed" to get from point A to point B -- I don't care what year you were born in. I just wanted to be able to look back and say that I built a supercharged 383 before I turned 21, completely on my own. Personal accomplishment.

I don't do this for other people, as I don't enjoy being around people too much. I don't do this for the speed, as I actually somewhat hate racing. I've always been very susceptible to vertigo and motion-sickness. I just love wrenching on things and making them stronger -- which I bet the majority of the board would agree to. It keeps my mind busy, and I like the challenge. My car has spent FAR more time up on ramps than it has spent out on the road...


Like stated above, if we were truly driven by necessity, we'd all be sitting here talking about the fuel economy in our electric hybrid -- not about 'how much hair was ripped from our skull on that last pass at the track'. [-Incidentally, that's why bald guys always have fast cars.]