The Import Scene

[-The Stig-]

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC
M3 and possibly the M5 has perfect 50/50 weight ratio...can i afford one

Dont forget the Z06



1970 Nova SS 396ci Big block has a 55/45 weight distribution... That's not to shabby for an old warhorse. My car doesnt have the weight of a big block.. so It's a little better... still peaks the scales at over 3300lbs though.

[Neutrino]

Originally posted by RedNeck383



Dont forget the Z06



1970 Nova SS 396ci Big block has a 55/45 weight distribution... That's not to shabby for an old warhorse. My car doesnt have the weight of a big block.. so It's a little better... still peaks the scales at over 3300lbs though.

for the size 3300 is not bad at all....put a few aluminum bodypanels some sparco lightweight seats a lighter batery....and you'll be in the low 3000 in no time.....

[-The Stig-]

I just did some research in my Nova book... base Nova 350 V8 Coupe tipped the scales at just 3200lbs.

Fully loaded '74 SS was just 3314lbs. The big block versions were near over 3400lbs, but had the extra grunt to carry it.

[Neutrino]

sweet

[LancasterWannaBe]

Quote:
#1: I dont' know of ANY car with a perfect 50/50 weight distribution

I believe the rx-7 has 50/50 weight distribution, but I could be wrong.

[JekylandHyde]

Originally posted by USAKnight
They couldn't beat us with the gun in World War II, so now they're trying to beat us with the yen and the 4-cylinder.

This is truly ironic. I wish I could remember the name... there was a fellow, a U.S. citizen, that had ideas. Great ideas on how to build up automobile manufacturing and improve deisgn & produciton of cars. He approached every major U.S. car manufacturer and they all rejected him and his ideas... after WWII (that you referenced) he went over to Japan and helped rebuild.... guess what market he helped in?

Originally posted by USAKnight
Buy American!

It is not American to buy "American". It is American to participate in the free enterprise system. As part of that system, business compete to offer products and services at a fair price and consumers decide/evaluate which is best. Maybe if we produced better cars at a better price, people would be American and buy American.

If you really want to help the U.S., maybe you could help initiate the production of better cars here. U.S. cars wasteful and poorly designed for the most part. I love my country (the U.S.), but there isn't a car produced here that I would ever want to drive.

[LancasterWannaBe]

Quote:
BTW, Let's see the Japs build something that can outrun a F-15C or an AIM-9 Sidewinder!


They can't cause we wont let them have a military since WW2, LOL.

[DeViL]

He approached every major U.S. car manufacturer and they all rejected him and his ideas... after WWII (that you referenced) he went over to Japan and helped rebuild.... guess what market he helped in?

Has anyone ever explained the reasoning behind why they rejected this person? I remember someone spouting this in another thread but it seems to be just be one-side of the story.

If you really want to help the U.S., maybe you could help initiate the production of better cars here. U.S. cars wasteful and poorly designed for the most part.

Wow here we go another Import vs Domestic thread thanks USAKnight...
Fact of the matter is this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore and American cars are just as good as any Import design. You're going to find the same good quality in a 97 Grand Am or Grand Prix as you would find in a 97 Maxima or a Accord. Cost isn't really any different either.

[JekylandHyde]

Originally posted by DeViL
Fact of the matter is this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore and American cars are just as good as any Import design.

I recently dynoed my 1991 Toyota at 308 RWHP. From the factory the car puts out 165 RWHP. I am nearly doubling original OEM HP 13+ years later.

It is the original, unopened engine with 194,000 miles on it.

It has done over 19 dyno pulls.

It has done over 60 passes on the 1/4 mile (10 of them in the 12s). I should be tasting 11s my next time out (last weekend I tore an axle going for it). I run 20-22 psi of boost on this engine.

Please show me a domestic product that could make such a claim.

[LancasterWannaBe]

so are you saying you're amazed that 20-22 pounds of boost get's you from 165 rwhp to 308 rwhp?

Cause if you're running 20 pounds of boost on a 165 hp car, I would expect at least 300 hp.

But if you're running that same 20 pounds on a 308 hp car, you'd get 500-600 hp and more than just an axle torn out.

Anyway, just wondering cause I could do F/I on my 89 teg and be talking 240 hp when it came out of the factory 118... And it's almost 15 years old.

Nothing special, just a compressor.

[JekylandHyde]

Lancaster, I am not amazed that 20-22 pis gets me 308 rwhp, the impressive part is my engine almost has 200,000 miles on it an has stayed together.

The oem 165 RWHP (200 @ the crank) I indicated was for a stock turbo MR2 at 9-10psi on a much smaller turbo.

As for your 89 teg, I do not know the stats on those cars, but it doesn't matter becuase it is also an imported car.

If you get the point of my post is that you would not find a domestic made car that has close to 200K miles and be able to double its HP and have it live... much less live as long as mine has.

[LancasterWannaBe]

ohhhhh okay,, gotchu now.

But, I really don't know about that.
Got a friend with a old 403 that he had in his 76 trans am, and he was going to put a blower on it, he needs to do some valve work on the engine first. But I do believe with an intercooler (or two) that his engine could take a 15-20 pound boost; and it is prety much a crate engine.
Now that motor isn't high milage, but it has had the hell beaten out of it.
Hehe, that guy rarely accelerates in that car like a normal person.

But I'll know if the motor can take it when he does it.
Good luck with the 11s!

[JekylandHyde]

Originally posted by LancasterWannaBe
he needs to do some valve work on the engine first...... it is prety much a crate engine.

Does not compare... I am talking about the an unopened, OEM motor that came originally in the car. No valve work, no anything... never opened. 194,000 miles.

The recent debate was someone saying that domestics are made as well as imports. I challenge that.

[LancasterWannaBe]

well, what is it you think that makes an import last longer than a domestic?

How come I've never had to open the engine block on my 89 teg at 161,000 miles and counting?
(although, I have had to do a shit load of electrical work and thats worse in my opinion)

I do think that a lot of domestics were built crappy for a long time and they need to clean up their act. Like, my family has a 92 for 15 passenger van.

Transmission went out twice.

Oil Pump broke off getting banged against the block and punching several nice holes in the cyl walls.

The interior hasn't held up at all (to be fare we were hard on it).

All but 1 door handle has broken. (And when we took it to the dealer and it was still on warranty, they said it was a plastic part so the bumper to bumper warranty didn't cover it. Later we opened the door and guess what, it was METAL part! Bastards)

The suspension is not doing to great these days.


So guess what man, I'm all for imports until domestics get their act together. (And they've been getting better for the last few years)

But like I said, I've had a lot of trouble with the electrical systems in my car.
Just tell me why you think the imports engines last so much longer.
But remember, a lot of them are actually built in the US, so my impression is it's not the country that makes them that counts, it's the company.

[DeViL]

A neighbor of mine is selling a 95 Grand Am with 167,000 miles on it, that isn't near 200k but still thats quite a damn bit and the thing still runs fine.