Thanks to You...
I just thought I would drop you a line to say thanks. Inspired
by your articles (such as Australia's Best Value Performance Car)
I have just purchased a Japanese import 1988 Mitsubishi Galant VR4. The car
came with electric Recaros, a K&N replacement filter, 17-inch rims, Michelin
Pilot Sport tyres, lowered King springs, strut tower brace and thicker swaybars.
It also had only 70,000km and is in immaculate condition. I have just had a
3-inch exhaust put on, raised the boost to 13.5 psi and had it dyno-tuned on 98
octane fuel. The end result is 212hp at all four wheels. I have spent just under
14 grand all up and I am very pleased. I am very much looking forward to my
first sprint event at Queensland Raceway on 13th December '03. If it weren't for
your magazine and articles I would never have gone in this direction and would
not have known about this practical performance vehicle. Keep up the good
work!
Brett
Australia
Glad to hear it! We're sure the VR4 will serve you
well.
Keep 'Em Coming #1
Just had to let you know - great piece on the Nissan engine The Nissan VG30DETT. I have never seen that sort
of technical story in mainstream auto publications. I suppose that's the reason
I subscribe... Don't be afraid to go technical because relevant detail always
makes a good read.
Simon Briggs
Australia
Keep 'Em Coming #2
Just finished reading your excellent technical article on the
VG30DETT The Nissan VG30DETT. There is just one
piece of information that was lacking - engine weight. For people like me that
are always on the lookout for engines to swap into other vehicles, engine weight
is one of the most critical aspects. It would be great to know, for example, how
the weights of an SR20DET and VG30DETT compare with all accessories attached.
Keep up the great articles. I like the mix as it currently exists - a good mix
of technical, special interest and editorial.
Richard Laxton
Australia
Dissect the RB25DET?
"The The Nissan VG30DETT Inside its development"
- what a great article! Can we expect a similar article that dissects the
RB25DET? I believe that this is one of the sweetest engines that any Japanese
car company has built to date. It responds very well to mods while retaining its
silky smoothness and refinement. I would be very keen to understand how this
engine was developed and how the Nissan engineers adopted this base platform and
transformed it into a fire-breathing RB26DETT. I think this article would make
an interesting read to many of your readers due to the fact that this engine is
so common, available and affordable these days.
Boris Kotevski
Australia
We're pleased that so many readers liked the VG30DETT engine article - we
plan to do more stories of that type. But, no, we haven't come across any
engineering data for the RB series engines and we haven't found any engine
weight figures.
Water-to-Air Chiller System?
I just read some of your intercooler articles and I drive a
2002 Ford Lightning. I was wondering if there is a way to put a chiller
system on a water-to-air intercooler? Can you purchase a CO2 spray system for
air-to-air systems, which sprays CO2 gas onto the heat-exchange radiator to give
a huge boost of cold air? Would this work on a water-to-air system? Where
could a guy buy one?
Doug Eriksen
Canada
Few people chose to fit a "chiller system" (such as a water spray) to
water-to-air intercooled vehicles - the large thermal mass of the system means that rapid temp changes won't be accomplished with a spray.
The Diagnosis Is...
In a recent Response The phenomenon that David
Seldon mentioned in regard to your Driving Emotion article on the 350Z is well
known in the field of psychology. The angry respondents are probably acting the
way they are to avoid Cognitive Dissonance. Basically, as they own or support a
particular car, to agree that the car has major faults is to admit they have
made a silly decision to support/buy that car (in their own minds). This
phenomenon can often lead people to argue strongly in the face of strong
evidence, despite not having any of their own. In cases like this it's often best to
not even bother trying to reason with them, because you won't succeed in
convincing them, no matter how hard you try. Just look at those who argue that
the Monaros in Nations Cup and the Bathurst 24 hour are competing on an even
playing field and are winning fairly and squarely...
Roger Canty
Australia
Rex Buyer Guide?
I see you have a review of the 94-96 series Subaru WRX Pre-Owned Performance - Impreza WRX (MY94 to MY96) I am looking for a guide to
buying a WRX, most probably a '99 or '00 model. Do you have any articles or
guides for people looking to choose a model of WRX beyond the '96 model?
Doug Parker
Australia
Check out Subie Dos for
buyer-relevant details on the rest of the range.
Not Legal Yet
After reading The Active Car
I must correct one small error in your otherwise fine publication... Fly-by-wire
steering is not legal (in Australia, at least) outside of slow moving plant
equipment. This is a carry over from hydraulic steering on tractors being seen -
quite accurately - as significantly less reliable than mechanical steering. It
was therefore deemed unsuitable for fast moving cars. This legislation will have
to change before fly-by-wire could be used on passenger car steering.
Sophisticated electronics are difficult to make reliable at the best of
times - it gets significantly harder when there is an expectation that the
vehicles will be poorly maintained.
Stephen Flood
Canada
Confused Re Downforce and Drag
I just read the Holden VL Walkinshaw story Holden Commodore VL SS Group A "Walkinshaw"
and I'm confused. It had less drag but also less downforce at over 80 km/h -
how?
As quoted in your article... "To assess their results, compare a
Permanent Red VL Group A with a Cd of 0.41 against the Walky's 0.32 Cd - a drop
in drag of 22 per cent! Holden's figures indicated that an aero-kitted Walky
travelling at a sustained 190km/h required 30kW less driving power than the
previous Red Group A! While the car was obviously slipperier through the air,
downforce (or more likely, a lack of lift) could be distinctly felt at speeds
over 80km/h."
Shane Keller
Australia
At Holden Commodore VL SS Group A "Walkinshaw" (and
as quoted in your email) we state that the VL Walky has lower drag and higher downforce. Technically, though, the Walky doesn't produce downforce but it
does exhibit less aerodynamic lift when travelling at high speed. It's quite possible to reduce both lift and drag, especially with such a poor starting point.
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