What people should think about more is balancing the weight no matter what it is front to back. If you ever achieved 50/50 and the ideal left to right balance then that slight ballast wouldn't mean so much. That's the holy grail as I see it.
What people should think about more is balancing the weight no matter what it is front to back. If you ever achieved 50/50 and the ideal left to right balance then that slight ballast wouldn't mean so much. That's the holy grail as I see it.
Tbh the old handling arguement is old hat, i have always said this and appreciate either can be made to handle. But there is a reason how this can be yet the old arguement still continues...
When the big blocks first started to be fitted there was very few limited options available suspension wise, and this continued for years thus they never did handle the same and the arguement started for very valid reasons. Now the other oldskoolers like myself will agree that the last few years have seen many more so motorsport derived options filtering down to us normal people at a greatly reduced rate, thus making it more widely available.
With this in mind the arguement from days of old that has been passed down generations lol lol still burns on but actually doesnt have as much of a standing to be preached from as both options of engine can be setup to perform almost equally. The biggest let down is there are still far to many people who dont sort the cars properly, or have them for just plain road use on mediocre suspension then claim they dont handle when they wave the car at a track or a few sweeping roundabouts etc. For this reason the arguement will never die, but for those who actually make the effort to decide how to set the car up and fully appreciate what they have set it up for, they will always know the truth :)
My only fear is that there is also alot of people seeing all this adjustable stuff and slapping it on so the spec sheet reads awesomely but as they have fettled they have destroyed some of the true essence of the car and sometimes end up with a worse car then if they hadn't touched it. obviously those of you that i know are clued up enough as you actually use and abuse the cars to understand, but this doesnt count for the thousands out there who just buy stuff and slap it on without a clue
And relax lol lol
The available suspension technologies only cover up the symptoms of the problems; the issue is the chassis was never designed to be so front end heavy, even the small block motors have problems with lift off oversteer and you just make it even worse by putting more weight up the front end.
Yeah having shed loads of power offsets the speed lost in the corners and thats all good on a track with long straights but you get on something nice and tight and the small blocks will be on top :D
Its a shame the 1.8 hasnt transferred over so much from the Corsa C, there are loads of 1.8 SRi's running silly power and the conversion is far far simpler than going to a red-top.
Seriously, we do need another subject to argue about - this ones about shot and we're starting to agree with each other - wheres Dick Raper when you need him?lol :D
TBH the fact that it's Adams engine I'd go for that. Proven power, ready to be driven.
If you get an XE you've got a quick TLC (cambelt, water pump, tensioners etc).
From the lazy point of view small block FTUW.
I agree to an extent, but you will never achieve that in a FF setup chassis without adding a mahoosive amount of ballast to the rear, which undoubtedly would make the handling suffer (twin engine jobs probably have a far better weight distribution than FF's, but ive never seen one do well on a circuit). Only FR's running rear mounted gearboxes get anywhere near 50/50.Quote:
Originally Posted by BRoadGhost
But to add weight to your arguement, one thing Ive always done from the beginning which is different to a lot of other track goers on here is run a standard Nova battery hanging over the back end, rather than use a pissy little motorbike battery mounted centrally. I tend to upgrade my car one mod at a time so i know EXACTLY what its doing (going back to Dans arguement which was spot on) and this was one change that I could notice a definate improvement! Infact its something im going to force Dan to try as he plays around with his new found proper engine! lol
Bottom line is, without going over what anyone has said before, is to make a car go fast, you need a balance of handling and power, and I know for a fact from evidence of being in and watching Dars car, as well as fiddling about with mine, that the big block really doesn't make a difference if you do the right stuff to your chassis, and it really doesn't NEED to be loaded with adjustable stuff. Sometimes just knowing how your suspension works, a nice stiff chassis and selecting the correct tyre is all you need to have excellent results.
......Basically what Im trying to say is, small blocks are for homo's :)
Hang the funk on. £400-500 on a xe?! Where the funk are you buying that from? Is it gold plated? I paid £130 for my last one and its the best one i've had!
We're being ripped off big big big time if you are even thinking of buying one for that price,
Keep up Benn.Quote:
Originally Posted by Benn
Baxter can't afford to travel & collect but Colin Smith will deliver the full running gear & XE to his door for £500. Shafts, mounts, box etc..... Not bad.
I say big block it Baxter.
Personally I think most people with a brave pill can pilot a bigblock Nova through a set of bends as fast as a smallblock Nova (assume both have decent setup) but the heavier engine/box does blunt the driving characteristics. Novas are crap, but are addictive to drive, lessen the appeal of that experience & I wouldnt want one.
I can't wait till next year.
well what ever engine i get im going to stitch weld, and buy a set of gaz coilies,
but i might aswell go for the large block, as one will end up in there in time anyway, just cut out the middle man lol