motor

79TA · 04-06-2010, 04:52 AM

Just this weekend, there was an event for "pro-touring" type cars and muscle cars in general. The event was held at the former El Toro airbase and featured an autocross, a point to point start stop challenge, and a road course. 39 or 40 cars were entered in total and a couple more snuck in as exhibition cars. Here's some video of my own car for now. More to come later, but hopefully not too much later.

Note: the Trans Am is wounded. The transmission is holding 1st gear for shorter and shorter periods of time. Now, it barely holds past 2000 rpm. At least 2nd gear was just right for the road course.

2010 Run to the Coast - 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Autocross - YouTube

2010 Run to the Coast - 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am runs the Autocross - YouTube

getting into a corner too hot . . .

2010 Run to the Coast - 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am goes into corner too hot on road course - YouTube

79TA · 04-08-2010, 12:11 AM

photos:

http://www.photoshop.com/user/socala...shareslideshow

RC45 · 04-08-2010, 03:44 AM

The T/A is looking really good. I actually love the way it looks - so low and angry.

zeus_2011 · 04-08-2010, 08:38 AM

A neighbour of mine used to have one of these beasts (in black) as a weekend car, and he used to treat us, and half of London i think, to the NOISE nearly everyday when he used to start it up!

Never really saw it on the road much though, couldn't get thru most of the width restrictions you find in London suburbs!

79TA · 04-13-2010, 04:03 AM

So we have results now. In all, 48 drivers were entered (some cars were entered more than once with multiple drivers . . . there were about 42 or so cars.)

Autocross:

Quickest time: '73 Camaro - 40.258 sec
My time: 46.697 sec - 29th place
excuse: no 1st gear, grumble grumble . . . (that and they didn't score the quickest run as seen in the one vid)

Start Stop Challenge:

Quickest time: Lane Smith's car (a Camaro, I assume) - 14.032 sec
One Lap Camaro's Time: 14.246 sec
My time: 16.700 - 27th place
Excuse: 1st gear, grumble grumble, accelerating slower than stock fox body, grumble grumble, brakes were great

Road Course:

unofficial quickest time: Porsche CGT - 1:44.190 sec
Quickest Time: One Lap Camaro as driven by David Pozzi - 1:49.880 sec
My time: 2:04.450 sec - 21st place
Excuse/comment - 2nd gear was just right . . . had no previous practice sessions on the course like a few did . . . spin . . . small brake fire . . . pink hat

One car that blew my mind was the '57 Chevy Nomad. That thing hauled! It was a well-driven and very competent all around car. For comparison, here are its times. Now compare that to the CGT and keep in mind that it was driven cross country hauling 5 people, was unloaded, and then raced.

Autocross: 42.200
Start Stop: 15.424
Road Course: 1:56.950 - less than 13 seconds off of the CGT whose driver was a regular at the course!