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View Full Version : Holy 60' times batman!


nvrmore100
05-16-2001, 08:25 PM
I just ran my car at one of the drag strips here (elevation 6786 feet). Maybe I just have the slowest SVX on the planet...but I could not for the life of me run faster than a 18.1!!! I tried everything I could think of...except a nasty neutral drop. I tried the "power mode" mod really quick...no difference. I shifted the gears myself in both normal and manual mode....no difference. I even tried holding the car against its brakes at the light...this brought my times down a wopping .12 of a second!

Oh well...no more drag racing with it. Next time I'll bring my F4 and pull a low 11 and feel better about myself. :)

Ryan

vkykam
05-16-2001, 09:49 PM
That's not bad... You're over a mile high, the air up there is a little thin.

I've been wonder what an SVX stock would do up at that altitude. I think Kastle or someone ran a 15.xx with a turbo kit installed. So presumably Chuck in Florida can probably run a high 13 second with his turbo kit.

Just speculation though...

VK

Chris
05-16-2001, 10:39 PM
Times will suffer from lack of air. Your times posted sounded about right. Possibly a bit slow.... but still about par. I am at 3000 feet and my fastest is 16.4 and avereage 16.5 depending upon weather conditions (humidity, air temp, and barometer.) Dont be too depressed. It is a heavy luxury cruiser with a little more ummpth than other cars in its class.

Just my opinion
Chris

KEVINL
05-16-2001, 10:40 PM
After I install my shift kit I am going to drag my car no matter what even if I have to go alone I hope to run at least a high 13 if I am anywhere in the 14's I will be very dissapointed

Seraph
05-17-2001, 01:13 AM
svx as i said before (perhaps not here) is not really a car for drag racing. It's more of a luxuary coupe. It's nice to try. but if you want a drag car, can i point at a Z28SS, Firebird TA or Mustang SVT. Those, you can drag and get a decent numbers. And not to mention parts are cheap.

If i have the money, I'd get another svx (97 LSi) and a Z28. One for style and grace, the other for showing off my tail lights to other people.

lwin

KEVINL
05-17-2001, 01:41 AM
let see My SVX has just as much power as a Camaro Z28 It Doesn't have a live axle It does have a Posi rear Diff. Why not run 13's in the Quarter. A Turbo 2.5RS which is about as fast as my car nearly beat a Trans Am WS6. MY car Looks a hell of a lot better than a Camaro too.

Seraph
05-17-2001, 03:25 AM
True: SVX does have 230 hp. Z28 has about the same. Now, let's do a little experiment. As far as I know, the Illinois State Troopers use the 98+ Z28s --- stock with only police package which pretty much translates that they have a much better handling car -- same engines, same trans. There is no way that unless you have it turbo and supercharged your svx, you can run neck to neck with one of those bad boys. Or out run them. A vett migh. I can try and see if I can take them on with my 94. Can you bail me out afterwards?

As for a SS, my friend just rebuilt his SS's trans and engine. Without nitrous, he has 525hp at the wheels. If you race that car, chances are you are going to be about a couple of seconds behind... on the race track -- thats a couple of car lengths.

I own a SVX. I love the way the car drives and handles and looks. If the situation arises, I'll step on the padel and smoke the other person.

I used to own a 95 camaro (V6). SVX can out run that car without a doubt. I have also smoked mustangs on the road. Z28 -- speaking from experience, it's hard to do. esp. if the guy has a stick. SVX has a slower response time when starting at the light or is it my svx showing signs of ageing?

lwin:cool:

LarryIII
05-17-2001, 05:12 AM
Nevermore,

<<<<Next time I'll bring my F4 and pull a low 11 and feel better about myself. >>>>

I didn't know that Nikon was up to an F4. Is that their new digital electronic camera?


Larry III :D

nvrmore100
05-17-2001, 08:48 AM
HAHA the funny thing is the guy who had my SVX before still had the manual's for his Nikon F4 in the glove box. :D (PS...I meant the two wheeled Honda kind) ;)

But still, I am pretty dissapointed in the car. In my Sunfire (with 115 less horseys...and only 350lbs lighter) I can pull at least a consistant 17s with my best being a 16.8s. Just kind of depressing that a car with this much highway passing power just can't get off the line for the life of it.

The saddest part was this old guy in a bone stock 84 (or so) Toyota Cressida...which I happened to line up against on one of the runs. His automatic little crap can launched off the line MUCH better than the SVX...then proceded to pull away until about 2/3 of the track down when my car finally spooled up and blew by him.

HE RAN A 18.3!!!!!!!

Ugg... :)

Ryan

Seraph
05-17-2001, 08:55 AM
my point! svx is slow at the light. But I always say if anyone want to race, we'll have a rolling start at about 50 mph.

lightning_8669
05-17-2001, 11:35 AM
I'm sure I've mentioned it someplace before but I'll mention it again. Subaru has and continues to scavenge components from current production models to use in new releases. When the SVX came along they pulled from the Legacy product. The trans is basically a Legacy trans with different gearing and some other changes. The early Legacys pumped out something like 130 HP so the trans and other suspension and drive line parts only had to stand up to that much force. Along comes the SVX at 230 HP and similar drive train and suspension parts are employed in the design. To avoid overstressing these parts the engine is "subdued" off the line and is not allowed to produce its full horse power even though full output comes somewhere around 5500 RPM. In aviation this is known as "de-rating" and is intended to make things last longer. The engine is "managed" to prevent you from shearing drive shafts, breaking mounts and blowing up transmissions. Push your foot down all you want, the engine will not produce more power than the drive train can accommodate. Once you are moving the stresses are much less and the car will honk along impressively. There are probably some people out there that will tell you ways to bypass this feature but have some money ready to replace busted stuff.

Good luck

nvrmore100
05-17-2001, 11:40 AM
Well drag car is may not be...but I think I may look into the rally circuit. I would figure...heavy or not...this car would probably do quite well on a technically challenging course at moderate speeds.

I guess I will have to decide if I should just drive it around the city...in comfort...or take it out in the bush and beat it into submission. :)

Ryan

lightning_8669
05-17-2001, 11:55 AM
<<...but I think I may look into the rally circuit. >>

I live near Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin. A four mile up hill down hill left right race track. I'd like to get out on that course and tear it up. Maybe mix it up with a couple of Porsche 911s in the rain. What do you think of that? I'd have to get a louder horn for sure.

BEEP, BEEP OUTTA MY WAY!!!!

nvrmore100
05-17-2001, 11:57 AM
I did that kind of thing in an old Jetta. Went down to the local scrap yard and found an air horn from a mac truck. Loudest damn little crap car on the planet. :D

lightning_8669
05-17-2001, 12:07 PM
Come to think of it I have a small set of air horns in the garage attic. Hmmm.....if I remember right the things did a damn good job of clearing squirrels off the road. BRRAAAAAAAPPPP!!!! Little bastard dropped his nuts and RAN!:D

svxxx26
05-17-2001, 12:37 PM
Originally posted by lightning_8669
I'm sure I've mentioned it someplace before but I'll mention it again. Subaru has and continues to scavenge components from current production models to use in new releases. When the SVX came along they pulled from the Legacy product. The trans is basically a Legacy trans with different gearing and some other changes. The early Legacys pumped out something like 130 HP so the trans and other suspension and drive line parts only had to stand up to that much force. Along comes the SVX at 230 HP and similar drive train and suspension parts are employed in the design. To avoid overstressing these parts the engine is "subdued" off the line and is not allowed to produce its full horse power even though full output comes somewhere around 5500 RPM. In aviation this is known as "de-rating" and is intended to make things last longer. The engine is "managed" to prevent you from shearing drive shafts, breaking mounts and blowing up transmissions. Push your foot down all you want, the engine will not produce more power than the drive train can accommodate. Once you are moving the stresses are much less and the car will honk along impressively. There are probably some people out there that will tell you ways to bypass this feature but have some money ready to replace busted stuff.

Good luck

JP, that is probably one of the best explanations of the SVX that I have heard - and also something that the "mod guys" should consider a little more when trying to turn it into a drag car.

Aredubjay
05-17-2001, 12:38 PM
<<Little bastard dropped his nuts and RAN!>>

OUCH! :D

lightning_8669
05-17-2001, 12:48 PM
<<OUCH! >>

But I'm a compassionate man, I swerved to miss them. My guess is he went back to get them and had himself a swell weekend:D

vkykam
05-17-2001, 10:42 PM
You think that squirrel dropped his nuts?

I was in UK in the summer of 95, rented a Renault Clio, and drove around for 3 weeks.

I was at the old schoolyard of my girlfriend's, and the driveway out was wooded, with squirrels running around. A squirrel was in my way, and as I approached, it darted left, I swerved left, and when it changed direction and darted right, I swerved right. Poor thing didn't know what do to except to freeze, and I drove "over" it, as in it went right under the middle of the car, and it scrambled off right after I passed it.

I still remember the look of that stunned squirrel as it disappeared under the hood of the car. :)

Now, if anyone of you decides to get in my way, let this serve as a reminder of what I may or may not "run over". :D :cool:

VK

P.S. What was this thread about again? :)

museumquality
05-18-2001, 12:42 AM
just sit the light out and let them know its not worth your time, thats the best sort of dragin w/ the svx. because few know about it, they question how fast it is. let them wonder,, and keep wonderin.. if you are up to racein a toyota tercel or something, that doesn't tell much of t he car, if you take it to the tracks? and don't have any real mods, then sit it out, let people admire your wheels, don't show them those high #s. if you know you can get at least somewhere in the 13s, then drag and push it.
this car shows itself speed wise on the freeways, then you can push it, this i agree is where this car performs well. the comment on 50 mph run start, exactly! thats it. thats about it.
rally car, this car would be alot of fun, unfortunaly this sport is extremely expensive already, and this happens to be an expensive car, therefore killing that idea, the weight of the car would destroy just about everything, your first air and it would be over.
this car is a looker, a classic 90's car, that will look advanced for along time to come. they can look as if they are off the lot last month, i get questions from customers, - i see you have a new car, how much did it cost you?? what is it?? they have no idea on anything about this car, i took it to a local shop in town, one mechanic came out to review the situation, 3 more then came out, they were all asking questions about the car, checking it out.

think about all those new cars out, the celica, eclipes, prludes, they are all cut with a, to date look, but are they attractive, no. there is something missing from them all. it's called soul, they are souless in my mind. the svx,, has great soul, it shows a certain difference with strength. it forces them to look and study it. every stop light you pull up to, they point they glare, they love it. and so do we.

this car is to be seen, not to drag the streets agaist the battle machines.
this car is in a class by itself.
i've had many cars, much faster than the svx, but the svx is my favorite to date.

although my rover is right there in its own positive ways.

jimis just practicing his typing skills


:o

Seraph
05-18-2001, 01:16 AM
museumquality:
Well said!! You da man! Finally someone else who has the same point of view!
Lwin

lightning_8669
05-18-2001, 06:04 AM
<<Now, if anyone of you decides to get in my way, let this serve as a reminder of what I may or may not "run over". >>

Birds

I hit birds. Lots of birds.

In all my years of driving I have hit one squirrel, one rabbit, one bat (yes bat, was going for a bug going for my head light and I think I got them both, sure about the bat) and loads of birds. Little birds, big birds, slow birds and fast birds. Creamed an owl one morning right in the grill, spead giblets all over the AC condenser on the old GL. One day, while driving at 75mph I spanked a morning dove with the pea at the end of the car's antenna. Bet that left a mark! Had a baby black bird crash into the B pillar on my brother's Omni while I was driving. Exploded into a cloud of gray/black feathers inside the car. It fluttered around for a couple of seconds before flopping down on the floor by the passenger's seat, twitched a couple if times and died.

None of these were intentional on my part just so the animal rights folks don't come hunting for me.

Birds, lots of birds. Now lightning on the other hand, that's a whole 'nuther story.

Oh, and I think we were talking about drag racing by the way

nvrmore100
05-18-2001, 08:58 AM
<rally car, this car would be alot of fun, unfortunaly this sport is extremely expensive already, and this happens to be an expensive car, therefore killing that idea>

Mmmm depends on the the type of rally. I'm thinking more in the TSD style or possibly rally cross. I agree with you that this car would probably die on the first hill...but I'm sure it would do fine at lower speeds.

As for the expensive part...yes and no. I totally agree this is the most comfortable car I've had the luxery of owning. However mine being of the under $1000 kind...I'm not exactly TOO worried about throwing it sideways in a corner down some log road. BIG emphasis on TOO. But, at the same token...you don't see me wanting to drive my Sunfire anymore either! :cool:

vkykam
05-18-2001, 09:33 AM
Originally posted by lightning_8669
<<Now, if anyone of you decides to get in my way, let this serve as a reminder of what I may or may not "run over". >>

Birds

I hit birds. Lots of birds.



Been there, done that too. Hit a seagull at 50MPH.

The seagull spread its wings immediately after I hit it, but probably from it spinning out of control until it hit the ground.

What the hell a seagull was doing flying that low above the freeway in rush hour 50MPH traffic, I will never know. I mean, their aim from the sky is usually pretty remarkable, especially the day after I've waxed my car. :)

VK

KEVINL
05-18-2001, 10:20 AM
I'm sorry u obviously didn't realize. I have a rear wheel drive turbo SVX