How Much is Too Much Power for a Daily?

Yeah called up a guy selling a car and he made me think a little about this. He said he personally wouldn't want a 350hp+ daily car, due to bad gas milage, wear on expensive components, etc. He has a 18g turbo @ 20psi and could me it gets around 10mph if hitting it hard. Well I was thinking of just lowering the boost a little and upping it when I want to race. I believe with a dsmlink or something similar it's pretty easy right, just a touch of a button?

So anyway I'm confused now on what I should do. I want a fast car, on the other hand it's gonna be a daily, would want it to run most days too, hehe. I certainly don't have a problem with keeping it up to tune, but would hate it if the transmission blew out on me for example, as it would take a while to fix leaving me without a car.

Just looking to get people's opinions on the topic. :)

Kevin's beast is a daily driver. But we know he can handle it. You should decide if you can handle that everyday and if you can afford it everyday. I have a gs so my opinion doesn't matter because my car is slow. But my brother has a 350 as a daily driver and beginning to mod. He loves every second of it. I would say look at the car, test drive it, and if you fall in love with it, then you would know what to do.

Personally what you think is to much power is what you should go by. I know this guy who drives a lexus is300. He has a big ass turbo in it. He tells me he wants to get another car but people keep on telling him the minute he does and he pulls up to a stoplight he is going to want to race the ricer challenging him.

I have a gs so my opinion doesn't matter because my car is slow.

:iagree: :biggrin:

Kevin's car is a little race-prepped. Personally, I could be fine with driving a fast car around all day... but it would be nice if I saved the milage on an expensive motor. I would probably get another DSM is I wanted over 400whp

It all comes down to personal preferance. i have a friend with a 99 Z28 that has put 648 to the wheels. he drives that everyday and gets great gas milage (its six speed). If you have the knowhow to fix it and keep it maintaned then get it. The only problem with a modified car is you have to pay to play. You will knoe its fast and will want to race people or go to the track more than if it is stock. that will hurt parts and cost money. You decide.

For the record an 18G has never impressed me power or timeslip wise.

Michael

i love my daily driver... my gas milage is like 70mpg! lol

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/102895561My_Whip.jpg

in my RST i get great gas milage, although if i race/fuck around it goes to shit but i can handle it, just remember the hole your burning in your wallet everytime you step on it!

i want that scooter!!

i think people take for granted how fast these cars can get over 300hp. i have driven a 350hp gs-t a couple of times and a 400hp talon tsi and WOW that is fast. any more power than 350whp is too much IMHO, unless it gets a lot of track time and you can keep your cock in your pants, cuz i can't...

yeah I remember hitting 102mph in my old 94 ga. It was hard as hell :mad: So I thought if I had twice the hp, wouldn't you reach that twice as fast? On a perfect sunny day?


But anyway to those big muscle head v8 guys 400whp doesn't seen to be too much hp. SO why would 280 or even 300whp be too much. Do you have a lead foot? Foot spasms? A robotic malfuntioning foot? Or are you just like alot of others and just can't really afford the gas? 1.98 premium here

what would be the best injectors to use with a 20g turbo and still save alittle on the gas millage?

660's are what i use and i am on a 20g, i just upgraded at the beginning of the year from 550's and my gas milage never changed!

Injectors size has nothing to do with gas mileage. Regardless of the injector you use, you tune for it with the AFC, DSMlink, or whatever you use. Its all the same in the end, just more capacity ;)

My car is powerful, and its fun. But its a full time job. Like popele said above, its very expensive. One minute the car is running fine, the next minute I have lost all forward motion. Tranny is at sheps for another $1000+ rebuild, and he has 20 trannys ahead of mine ;) Its not easy. Its not even making the power it should be making... So its only going to get worse.

The car was a lot more rewarding when it was running mid 12s on a 14g, with 1800 in mods. 8k later, and I'm not even a second faster. And 4 cars are not cheap to pay for, insure, and maintain. My latest purchase was a $19k 1 ton quad cab turbo diesel dually. The car broke the week after I bought the truck ;) You have to expect it.

Go for it if you like. Just be prepared for the financial hurt, and the time it takes, and one dissapointment after another. I'm not even sure it worth it any more. If I had to do it all over again though, I could do it for pretty cheap money. But its only a matter of time before it breaks. But I drive HARD, and do more than double the national average for annual mileage (~35k). It all depends on your specific situation..

BTW, I still get ~27-28 mpg on the highway, and ~22 average. Not too many 430 whp V8s can pull that off. The turbo is only there when you need it. Its still just a little 4 banger when youre crusing around ;)

most of the time, modding a car can give you better gas milage. anyway...

god damn kevin, I would think that racing tranny would handle it, and its busted!? I thought the stock tranny could handle 400 hp, wtf? Im sick of hearing so much bullshit about cars. Fuck the dsm's. Im not gonna even bother going past a 16g. Just have a little fun with it, and save for a supra or rx7, no bullshit.

I might even get rid of the talon and buy a integra type R (anyone who wants or owns a gst :nono: integra > gst). About 2700 lbs + CF hood + CF trunk + light seats + little performance = nice, really nice.

:grinno:.....power to weight ratio......

:grinno:.....power to weight ratio......

Traction. It still doesnt matter. we can make more power to make up for our weight so that argument is shot. I have beaten a good share or cars that weigh 1800 lbs after they have said I only need 200 hp to go fast. looks like you need more than that becasue at the track they dont do well. Plus I dont want to drive around in a tin can. i want a stereo, AC, all the seats, and a decent sound level. I have all of that and I went 13.8 on an AWD DSM with just 3 inch exhaust and 15 lbs. i have seen ALOT of other sport compacts spend thousands and run slower. I am not saying they are gods gift but if you go racing you wil have problems. i hate the argument "my car never breaks down", yeah but it runs 15.9. When you car runs mid 13's see how reliable it is.

Michael

:grinno: if you actually READ my posts, i said integra > GST. I was also talking about reliability. Becuase we weigh less, we can be fast with less power, being more reliable.

Ive talked to someone with a modded integra. Supercharged, he makes 250whp & 160trq, and hit 12.9 on street tires and w/ 2750lbs (stock weight).

Anyway.... :smokin:

About a year ago i saw a riced out Teg at a light. I pulled uup in my FWD Laser. It only had a BC @ 16, 2.5 O2 elim back exhaust and nothing more. I ran the guy from a light and from a drop both times I only had about a car on him till the top of forth. i was very suprised until I asked what was done to it. He said he had Jackson Racing SC on it @ 8 lbs. At that point i felt alot better. He also said that he had never lost to another import. When i told him what I had done he called me a lair and said thatI had to have at least a bigger turbo and injectors. I had 900 in my car and went 14.2 @ 100 and he had at least 3000.00 in motor mods alone and I stilled pulled a car on him. This was a GSR not a an ITR. Apperantly his car needs to be on a diet.

Michael

:grinno: if you actually READ my posts, i said integra > GST. I was also talking about reliability. Becuase we weigh less, we can be fast with less power, being more reliable.

Ive talked to someone with a modded integra. Supercharged, he makes 250whp & 160trq, and hit 12.9 on street tires and w/ 2750lbs (stock weight).

Anyway.... :smokin:

just wondering if you or him can prove that, like post a time slip or something? cause i am a little skeptical on that one! not saying your wrong or anything, if he can do it i have major props to him, its just the HP and TQ numbers seem way off with the 1/4 mile time, exspecially on street tires!!! oh an my cars weight with me in it is 2832lbs, full interior and a stereo, and i am struggling at 12.7 because of traction problems on street tires!

TW has nothing to do with it. According to my favorite calc, 253 HP is enough to get a 12.9 at 2750 pounds. Only problem is, that assumes a 1.5 or 1.6 sixty foot though..