Neons and Rap music RULE

[Chicane]

Originally posted by mikecg


I've seen a Ford Pinto do 9's. You can make anything go fast with enough money. they got 4 cylinder hondas turning 10's in the NOPI series without turbos.

We're not talking a lot of money. Neons can be had for under 3 grand, EASY. Turbo kits can be had for cheap also. The best thing, and engine swap to a 2.4 4 banger, is also under 1000 dollars.

Think of this: Neon Coupe with blown engine: 1000 dollars
2.4 junkyard engine: 600 dollars
2.4 engine mount kit? 80 dollars.

It'll run high 13s for dirt cheap. Reliable also.

- Rob

[mikecg]

pinto body $400
small block v-8 $800 (rebulit)
cheap blower $1000
NOS $500

How fast you think it'll go?

in this case your talking light weight, high horsepower by lowtech means.

[Chicane]

I haven't seen any complete rust free pinto bodies laying around. Nor was I aware you can bolt a V8 into a pinto. If what you said is true, cool.

- Rob

search the net a few people put a v8 into a pinto. Look at my Merkur, it has a 2.3 pinto motor, the turbo version and it pushes 180 hp and almost 200 lb-ft torque. There are a few pintos with this turbo motor and they are fast.

[Landshark]

what about the Monster Miata, with a Mustang 5.0 V8? fast, yes. cool, no. you could be the fastest hairdresser around, though.

[svxistentialist]

Originally posted by Landshark
what about the Monster Miata, with a Mustang 5.0 V8? fast, yes. cool, no. you could be the fastest hairdresser around, though.

You could do a blow-dry in what? about 10 seconds?

Joe

[svxistentialist]

This thread has come a long way from Neons and rapping. Comparing cars for speed and power, and mostly, not comparing like with like.

Seems in the US, making a quick car is about making it go like a dragster. The SVX will never shine in such comparisons, it was designed as a high-speed cruiser, is too heavy and the gearing is wrong.

My favourite comparator for kick-ass and muscle cars is 0-100-0.

To do well, you need:
Good power to weight. For acceleration.
Good traction. Ditto.
Wide tyres. As above.
Seriously big brakes. For stopping.
Light weight. For braking.
More torque than horsepower. For launching the weight.

Like drag racing, too much weight will work against a good run here. Too much mass has to be speeded up [at huge cost] then slowed down again.

The SVX would not do well here either because of the weight. But it is still one of the best cars in the world, because that weight gives comfortable body movement and high speed stability in real world driving. The range of abilities makes the car way better than the sum of its parts, or performance figures.

Likewise, it is fair to say that this "sum of the parts being better than the whole car" equation makes the Neon a good car too, when looked at for it's design brief, and place in the market.

Long post I know, but, bottom line, only compare the SVX with cars that are its natural peers, those it was meant to market against.
{And Rob, that last point does not mean cars that can be bought for, or modded up for the same money NOW, OK?}

Joe

[Landshark]

Originally posted by svxistentialist
This thread has come a long way from Neons and rapping. Comparing cars for speed and power, and mostly, not comparing like with like.

Seems in the US, making a quick car is about making it go like a dragster. The SVX will never shine in such comparisons, it was designed as a high-speed cruiser, is too heavy and the gearing is wrong.

My favourite comparator for kick-ass and muscle cars is 0-100-0.

To do well, you need:
Good power to weight. For acceleration.
Good traction. Ditto.
Wide tyres. As above.
Seriously big brakes. For stopping.
Light weight. For braking.
More torque than horsepower. For launching the weight.

Like drag racing, too much weight will work against a good run here. Too much mass has to be speeded up [at huge cost] then slowed down again.

The SVX would not do well here either because of the weight. But it is still one of the best cars in the world, because that weight gives comfortable body movement and high speed stability in real world driving. The range of abilities makes the car way better than the sum of its parts, or performance figures.

Likewise, it is fair to say that this "sum of the parts being better than the whole car" equation makes the Neon a good car too, when looked at for it's design brief, and place in the market.

Long post I know, but, bottom line, only compare the SVX with cars that are its natural peers, those it was meant to market against.
{And Rob, that last point does not mean cars that can be bought for, or modded up for the same money NOW, OK?}

Joe

Joe,

you are absolutely correct about the U.S. and its obsession with 0-60. we just seem to have the drag racing mentality. cars that can launch you off the line are fun, but i learned that i have more fun in a car that has drive-on-rails handling and neck-snapping brakes. unfortunately, the SVX isn't fast, has inadequate brakes, and doesn't handle that great. (why do i like this car again? )

as far as comparisons go, i have always considered the SVX a peer to the 928. the similarities:

* 3400lb+ luxury grand tourer
* 2 door, 2+2
* flagship models, later abandoned by the factory
* financial failures
* completely different from anything the company had done before (or since!)
* semi-exotic, uniquely styled, not familiar to the majority of the public
* not much aftermarket support
* a labor of love by the engineers and designers

the differences:

* SVX has AWD
* 928 has freight train torque, unbelieveable brakes, bulletproof transmission, incredible handling
* SVX had 5 years of development, 928 had 18 years
* SVX has more reliable modern electronic systems vs. '80's technology
* 928 much more expensive when new


i've been extremely lucky enough to own these two cars that i have always loved. i wish the SVX had the power/handling/brakes the 928 has, but the AWD in winter always seems to make me forget about that.

So comparing a SVX to a 3000 GT VR-4 would be a good comarison right?

[Landshark]

Originally posted by neon03
So comparing a SVX to a 3000 GT VR-4 would be a good comarison right?

maybe if you take away the turbo. the poor SVX would have its ass handed to it by a VR-4. if the NA 3000GT had AWD, then that would be the best comparison you could make i guess.

i feel like brinning up the mitsubishi lancer EVO, but i cant bring myself to it.

I would just liek to say that Jay-Z is very good, but he can never touch the illness of Nasir Jones, the one true rapper from Queensbridge, he made Jay-Z and now owns him in any of their disses. Listen to Ether by Nas and name one emcee that can touch that diss... ("Rockafella died of AIDS that was the end of his chapter, and that's the guy you chose to name your company after? Put it together, I rock hoes, ya'll rock fellas.")

Benny D

[GreenMarine]

Originally posted by Landshark
what about the Monster Miata, with a Mustang 5.0 V8? fast, yes. cool, no. you could be the fastest hairdresser around, though.

That is very true!!! Those of ya that saw me at Reading this year know that I was in a little 2001 Miata SE... Nomatter how much I tried to tell myself that I was cool in that thing, it still came down to me driving a chicks convertible... And I got strange looks for that on the trip up to PA and on the trip back to SC...

[Subafreak]

Convirtables are for chicks or old balding men. (no offence to the elders here)*

And I don't care for rap, and what else were we talkin about?



*Jeeps or older Blazer types exempt.

[Subafreak]

Oh ya, My dad actually gave me his 87 GL-10 Turbo sedan when he bought a brand new 95 Dode Neon. It wasn't a bad looking car, it was a black 2door with the "cool" hub caps. But it had a lot of thing that just made it seem like a step down from the Subaru. No power windows, cardboard seats, no tach, hub caps!, and it had a few little problems. The defrost sucked, the side widows wouldn't seal right, it just felt cheap, and the rear main was seeping at like 15,000 miles. Fortunatly he dumped it at 30,000 miles before the headgasket let go.


It did handle pretty good thoe.