Prodrive Would Like Our Help
We at Prodrive wish to fit a column-mounted electric power steering system to our customer Ferrari race cars. I notice on your website a short note plus photo of such a system. I would be greatly obliged if you could inform me of the manufacturer of this, and/or similar systems, so that we can follow up this lead.
Thank you and regards,
Martin Ogilvie
Chief Designer, Ferrari race team
The pictured system was developed by TRW Automotive. More information is available at "TRW Marketplace Automotive Systems & Products"
Fuel Pump Upgrade
I've got a 1996 180SX with 3 inch exhaust, HKS filter, Unichipand PWR front mount. Next step is a 320hp ball bearing turbo and hopefully 160kW at the wheels. Do you think I will need to upgrade my fuel pump (the car has only done 27000km). Thanks for your help.
Chris Lilley
Australia
There?s no need for guessing ? just measure the pump flow after the fuel pressure regulator with the fuel pressure reg being fed your max boost pressure. Then use the following equation: kW x 8 = cc of fuel per minute needed.
Buying an Import
Just to drop you a line to say a big thanks for all of the articles on the affordable street machines that you write about. I recently used quite a bit of information from the AutoSpeed article Japanese Import Hot Picks ["Japanese Import Hot-Picks - Part 1"] to purchase a new car for myself. I tested quite a few cars and the only one I found worthy of replacing my aging 1987 Mazda 323 turbo is a 1993 GTI-R Pulsar. After driving many modified GTI-R's I finally found an original example with a genuine (as genuine as I can guess) 64000km on the clock, not bad for 12K NZ dollars.
Thanks a bunch, keep up the good work.
John Reveley
New Zealand
More Detailed Tech
Just read the X-Trail tech article ["Nissan's New Engineering"]. Very enjoyable. Some questions that that it raised that I realised have been bugging me and I guess others for a while, perhaps a follow up story to the follow-up story.
Q. How/Why do balance shafts do their thing?
Q. I still can't work out how that helical gear varies the intake shaft timing?
Simon Briggs
Australia
From our perspective it?s always a balancing act ? a story on the technology of Nissan?s new engine and driveline will be read by many, while one on how balance shafts work is far more esoteric and so will be read by few. However, we will keep the topic in mind. Re the variable cam timing: these things are awfully hard to describe? and that?s about the best we can do.
You Can Buy It
Iwould like to advertise my Cosworth Mercedes for sale - "Black Magic Mercedes". Offers considered ~ $65,000.
Michael Fielding
mfsheetmetal@pacific.net.au
Australia
Driving Enjoyment
I?d just like to say that I agree with your latest comments on "From the Editor". These days it?s so hard being able to use the performance from great cars, with speed cameras and "road responsibility" everywhere. My own car a Mazda 626 V6, will rev to 7800, and feels fantastic, but I'm breaking the speed limit in 2nd gear (around 115 km/h). So I just go straight to 5th gear and join the rest of sheep.
Keep up the great E-magazine
Rob Grant
Australia
DIY Rain-X?
Thanks for the article about the Rain-X ["Rain-X - The Review"]. I too have found similar results and like the product. I have found from testing that the results seen from using Rain-X can be duplicated by rubbing acetone or acetone / isopropyl alcohol mix on the windshield as well. Much cheaper and works great.
Jason
USA