Good Post Dirty Russian Mechanic
I made a post about the importance of having project goals and budgets 2 years ago.
http://www.3si.org/forum/showthread.php?t=299857
I wonder if I followed my own advice.... Lets See!
John Monnin's Stealth project car Mission Statement:
To modify my 92 Stealth TT to Maximize the amount of fun it is to drive on the street.
(I got close)
I will do this with the following design goals.
Performance Goals:
a. 11 second ¼ mile on race gas
(I believe I could have with better tuning)
b. Mid 12 ¼ mile time on pump gas
(nope too high of compression)
c. No brake fade at Gingerman
(Never ran it on road course)
d. Ability to do AWD burnouts
(OH YEAH! THEY WERE FUN!)
Usage: The car will be used in the following manor
a. 95% of time it will be driven on street
(TRUE)
b. 2-3 times a year it will be drag raced
(I actually dragged it more
)
c. 2-3 times a year it will be road coursed
(Nope)
d. 2-3 times a year it will be autocrossed
(Nope)
e. I will drive the car approximately 4 days a week
(TRUE)
f. My wife will drive the car approximately 2 days a week
(She wanted too but I nver had it tuned well enough)
Engine:
a. Engine must be able to make significant power on pump gas
(Only if you count E85)
b. Significant Low end power must not be sacrificed over stock Stealth. Loss of low end power from bigger turbos must be recaptured though more displacement or other means.
(OH YEAH! I LOVED THE LOW END GRUNT!)
c. Turbos should be able to hold 20 psi to redline for drag use
(Nope)
d. Engine management system should be simple enough that it does not require constant tweaking, set and forget
(Nope)
Suspension:
a. Stiffer suspension for better track launches and better road course performance.
( I changed my mind I prefer soft suspension)
b. Ride quality is still important, Keep ECS for now
(TRUE)
c. Aftermarket wheels must be lighter than stock and have clearance for bigger brakes
(I never bought a set but this is still important to me)
Body:
a. Body should look nice but it should be rough enough that I am not afraid to drive it on the street.
(I actually would have prefered a better body)
b. Body changes should be focused on Weight loss
(TRUE)
Gauges:
a. Number of Gages should be minimized to only necessary monitoring of engine
(TRUE)
b. Peak hold/Warn gauges should be used as much as affordable
(VERY TRUE)
Brakes:
a. Bigger is better,
(Nope I stopped driving road courses and stock brakes are awesome on the street)
b. ABS must be kept
(VERY TRUE)
Comfort
a. Power Steering must be kept
(TRUE)
b. A/C must be functional
(VERY TRUE)
c. Stereo should be functional but not excessive
(VERY TRUE)
d. Noise level must be kept to a reasonable level
(I now want a car almost as quiet as stock)
Interior, seats and safety
a. Air bag will be functional
(VERY TRUE)
b. Stock seats must be kept, unless really comfortable race seats can be found
(VERY TRUE)
c. Roll bar is only acceptable if it does not interfere with daily driving and is not a risk to head injury if a helmet is not worn
(ROLL CAGES SUCK ON STREET CARS)
d. Interior should look just nice enough that people do not comment negatively on its condition
----------------
My biggest mistake was not putting a higher value on engine management & compression ratio.
My 2nd biggest mistake was not realizing how much I like a quiet stock ride.
Mt 3rd biggest mistake was not starting with a nicer condition car, I really wanted a 3000GT in any color other than Red or green... and I bought a green Stealth...
DISCLAIMER: The Opinions expressed here are not the opinions of 3SI and its sponsors
Re: The Philosophy side of modifying cars.
.
Jim Matthews - Mt. Airy, MD, USA
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