gjh

Fter seeing the tops speed records posted by Rod in Martins thread, it got me thinking, what are the top speed records for front wheel drives? I know Paul Johnson has managed 179.8mph, a bronze coloured tigra got up to 180odd mph at a redline mag thrash, and a corrado managed 182 at vamx (I don't actually know if it was fwd). Has anything gone quicker?

JonnyBravo

Dannys Tigra did 181 @ Brunters a long time ago.

I'd imagine Speckys Tigra could do some serious speeds at a V Max event but I don't blame him for not trying !

I think gearing is the issue, I think the 6 speed F28 isn't geared to do much over 180 unless your revving it to infinity and although the F18 wide that Specky has used got him a good top speed at TOTB its probably too tall to really deliver the engines full potential in such a short distance.

Fullflush

8k revs in top gear should equal 200, dependant on tyre size on an F28

JonnyBravo

You may well be right, I've not looked at the gear ratios.

If thats the case though I would imagine Speckys car could be in the high 190's at a Vmax event, just not sure I'd want to be doing those sort of speeds in a car that is so light !

v man

when you get to the top end of gearing aero is more of a problem than power

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Not true, aero and power are pretty much equally important for top speed stuff, as its more a less a straight fight between the two as to what speed you will reach, its weight that has very little impact.

v man

yes i know you need the power but if the car is shaped like brick then there is little hope surley

and weight dont affect top speed it just determines how fast you get there

think thats what rod says anyway lol

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Agreed but likewise if the car is shaped very aerodynamically and you dont have the power you wont get there either.

Pretty much exactly that mate


I should think so, the old codger is normally right about topspeed stuff

v man

just to add

when talking to porkie about the westy at bedford about what speeds he will see down the back straight on full power

he said he would like to see 170/180 but said aero will stop him ????

and thats got massive weight / power ratio

v man

just out of interst chippa

how aero would you say a tigra is compaired to say a mk3 fez turbo

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Power to weight means little, its power to aero that is the issue, if he had enough power he'd still pull 170+ without need to change the aero.

gjh

How much power is Speky running now then?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

tigra drag co-efficient is 0.31, which is good, and if you lower it a lot that will improve a fair bit too, not sure on the fiestas, but doubt its that good, I'd guess its probably the wrong side of 0.35!

JonnyBravo

Over 700hp

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Not sure if its in one piece at the moment, but I believe the peak figure he has seen so far is around the 700bhp mark.

But he seems to have had a bit of trouble keeping it together recently, its not as reliable as it was at 500bhp (when TBH it was pretty awesome reliability wise)

gjh

How much power is Speky running now then?

JonnyBravo

From pics on Facebook he has been using it as a daily driver only a month or so ago.

It was over 700hp last time on the rollers and its only been getting higher as they improve the tuning.

He hasn't had a huge amount of luck with it but I'm sure he will get there, after all he has a fwd drag record to get back

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I'm sure he'll stick with it mate

Things get harder finding each 100bhp than the one before it, so its not easy up at that level.

JonnyBravo

Can't knock him for trying, who would of thought a Vauxhall would ever be the fastest fwd car in the uk at any point ! Didn't seem that long ago when 11's were impressive.

What ever happened to the guys KA that was going to show everyone how its done ?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Yeah he's done himself proud over the years I reckon.


Dont know who that is.

JonnyBravo

It was Lloyd, the chap who had that black wide arch MK4 Escort Cosworth with the skyline gearbox

Chip

iTrader: (3)

oh right, well he seemed to have done a pretty good job on the escort but a KA bonnet just isnt big enough for all the crap you need for a 700bhp engine IMHO

Ginge

Goldie Gardner did 200mph+ back in 1939 in the 1100cc to 1500cc fwd car class, over 2km 1Mile and 5km he averaged 203mph on the mile run ....

Ginge

It's Czech Mate

Ah, proper TOPSPEED. Cool. Got any details of the car?

TimC

iTrader: (1)

Who has the 1/4 record now?

JonnyBravo

Guy chamberlain I believe

TimC

iTrader: (1)

Civic?

JonnyBravo

Yes I think thats the one

Rod-Tarry

Thats true his name was Alfred Gardener, he used his mothers name also & was known as Alfred Goldie-Gardener.
I remember him because Dinky Toys made a toy of his MG . Ah the memories.

Ginge

He had a fantastic life, he flew a reccy plane in WWI in 1917 he was shot down and blew most of his hip and his leg apart, he had over 20 op's to try and sort it but nothing worked and the leg was pretty much useless.

1924 was when his life got interesting.

Ginge

Ginge

I have copied this from wikipedia about Goldie.

He suffered severe injuries to his right hip and leg when his reconnaissance plane was shot down in August 1917. Despite receiving some twenty operations over a period of two years spent in hospital the leg did not return to full function. He was discharged from the army in 1921 as medically unfit for further service. In 1924 he purchased a Gordon England special Austin Seven and despite his disability began racing on the British circuits. 1930 saw him team up with MG Cars and he raced various of these marks with considerable success. He suffered a crash during the 1932 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Ards in Northern Ireland that further worsened the disability to his already damaged leg. By 1934 he was fit enough to continue track racing and in the 500 mile race at Brooklands with co-driver Dr.J.D.Benjafield he achieved third place as well as winning the 1,100cc class.
After accompanying Sir Malcolm Campbell’s expedition to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1935 to witness the World Land speed record attempt, he returned to England and concentrated on speed racing records. On 31 May 1939 just before the outbreak of WWII driving his special engineered MG, in Dessau, Germany, Goldie Gardner took the 750cc up to 1,100cc class records over 2 kilometres, 1 mile, and 5 kilometres distances, at average speeds of 203.5 mph, 203.3 mph and 197.5 mph respectively. After an overnight engine rebore, on 2 June 1939 at the same venue he gained the 1,100cc to 1,500cc class records over the same distances at average speeds of 204.3 mph, 203.9 mph and 200.6 mph.
During WWII 1939-1945 Gardner offered his service and was accepted as a second Lieutenant in Mechanical Transport Training. He rapidly regained his old rank as Major and eventually in 1942 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
In the 11 peacetime years between 1936 and 1950 he set over 100 international and local speed records throughout England, Europe and the USA.[2]
In 1951 at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, with his supercharged MG streamliner EX-135 car he obtained 6 international and 10 American records in the 1,100cc to 1,500cc engine class. In 1952 he returned to Bonneville with the MG EX-135 car and set 21 speed records in the same engine class as the previous year.
In 1952 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was forced to retire from motor sport.
In 1940 he married Una Eagle-Clarke[3] (1914–2008). They had one daughter Rosalind,[4]
Lt.-Col. A. T. Goldie Gardner, O.B.E., M.C. died in 1958 age 68.


Ginge

lee2cossies

iTrader: (2)

How does specky manage to get that power out of a let block without it disintegrating? Didn't you say before chip that they have trouble with the block like your nova did at close to 500hp?

JonnyBravo

He has had his fair share of problems that much I can tell you.

He is committed to being the fastest again though and I for one believe he will do it, that car has monstrous power from the 1/8 onwards, just struggles to lay it down upto it so once thats sorted I suspect he will smash his pb.

Plenty of others claiming similar figures now though so we'll soon see a few more cars in the 9's

12_Second_rst

iTrader: (1)

Surely syzbeks fiesta would be a contender with the right box? And his aero front ended fiesta would have to loose the drag setup tho but im sure hes 650bhp + with a zetec

Rod-Tarry

A Tigra should pull 200mph with 700bhp its 6% more efficient drag wise than a Saff suggesting 680bhp would be enough correctly geared. The 181mph would have required around 480bhp.

Ash170990

i think someone over on the focusrsoc said his 500+bhp mk2 FRS did 185mph, but not sure if that was on the clock or properly timed/clocked?

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Mine was nearer to 600bhp when the block cracked, and he has had the same issues, as have most other people running that sort of power on them, its very easily remedied though, just use a z20let block instead and pin the waterways, I didnt know that half a dozen years ago when I built mine, but its common knowledge now.

v man

this one is for chip and rod

what would you say a fez turbo would do with

520 bhp
16'' wheels
reved to around 8k

Chip

iTrader: (3)

At brunters it would be around 180mph I should think, but I'm only making an educated guess based on what other cars have run there I dont have enough info to actually calculate it.

Joshy

Specky's tigra as of 24 hours ago;