Dismal attempt at 0-60 vids!

[Dansta]

Attempted to do some 0-60 videos on sat night around midnite in greenwich. Is it just me or when youve given your car a hard goin all day, it just feels soooo much more responsive later or the next day?!?! anyway thought id try whilst she was rippin!

Anyway had the camera fixed in place on the steerin wheel ready to go. Altho i didnt really go anywhere!! she just wouldnt get traction, spinnin in first and second!!! doh!

i mean i feel im relatively good driver, quick shiftin, knowin just when to change at optimum power and all that! im no pro! but simpoly couldnt get it! i managed it in 2nd but forget 1st!
I never really floor it in 1st, always in 2nd or higher, now i know why!

It was a cold evenin, not wet, altho had been day b4 maybe damp?
After bouncing off the rev limiter a few times i managed about 7.0-7.2 secs to 60 but that was spinning all the way through 1st gear and only gettin traction in 2nd.

I wanted nos for feck sake! i wouldnt go anywhere! even gradually acceleratin! as soon as first gear got to 3,000rpm or so shed just spin!

All those pros, any recommendations? other than practice!

 

[Tom]

looks like someone needs 17s

 

[Dansta]

i think your right fella! its time to give up on the 16s!

 

[RobFenn]

Have you got timing equipment? Id love to see what i can get out of mine!

What condition are youre tyres in mate? Might be worth getting some pirellis. With the weather the previous nights i wouldnt be suprised if there was some black ice.

A lot of 0-60 times are done on perfect tarmac with just enough fuel etc so i wouldnt worry too much.

What revs you dumping at?

 

[Dansta]

tyres are in good nick! ask tom! the ground was damp tho.

i tried floorin whilst holdin at 3krpm and then 4krpm, and then slowly acceleratin off the spot, with revs from nil! DOH!

 

[RobFenn]

Maybe the cars just not as good in the wet at standing starts.

I dont really want to encourage you killing your clutch but 5000rpm could be an idea as max power is at 6250 and the torque is strangely high 5400rpm.

 

[Rich-D]

Quote: Originally posted by tomclio1.2 on 03 February 2003

looks like someone needs 17s

Which will slow you down?!


Sounds to me more like better tyres needed and more clutch control.

What tyres you running?

 

[Nick Read]

Well its not that strange Rob, seeing as its a 16v engine which will naturally start to get going at higher revs, plus it has to be quite high up the revs on its variable timing system otherwise youd be forever on cam just going down to the shops! If max torque is at 5400 and max power is 6250 I hope the 172 has a close ratio gearbox cos youll need it to keep it properly on the boil!

Launch at around 5500-6000 and keep those revs high, dont let it bog down (when the revs dip out of the power band because the wheels have too much grip and are slowing the engine down) or wheelspin, if you do that you lose time. Just keep the revs between 5400 and say 6500 (a little bit past max power) the whole time and use the clutch to balance the power with the road surface youve got. So heres what you should do:

1. Dial up 5500 revs at least.

2. Clutch down, whack it in 1st, when youre ready off you go, let the clutch out as quickly as you can without wheelspinning. You should be able to feel the wheelspin point.

3. Leave it in gear with the throttle floored until 6500 revs, then change up to 2nd gear and dont take too long about it!

4. Keep on the throttle until you hit the redline.

For a 0-100 or 1/4 mile run, take it up to 6500 then change up again. Usually if the engine is screaming at the top of the revs and youre about to hit your target (60mph, 100mph, 1/4 mile etc) youre better off to leave it in gear and hope you dont run out of revs - even a fast gearchange will lose you half a second. Only change up if you absolutely have to.

 

[RobFenn]

Yeah 17s in a short sprint would cost valuable times.

Not sure about clutch control as this kind of thing isnt a definitive art, its just practice mate, pure and simple. If you seriously are getting no where you need to uprate tyres or even get an uprated clutch so you can practice dumping from higher revs to see what the difference it is.

Then you have to consider, does it really matter? Your car has 186bhp, must be one of the best standard cups around, it aint no slouch.

 

[Tom]

erm actually the people who have fitted the lighter turinis have found it makes no diffrence to speed. but reduces wheel spin by quite a bit

I know that normally if you do this it slows the car. but going on the cup owners testimony id say its worth it

has it occured to anyone that the wheels might be too small?

 

[RobFenn]

Nick, for a 2.0 though it isnt that impressive, though i suspect across the range theres a good spread.

As you can see what Nicks written, its not difficult to get through clutches! You dont need to drop as high though, IMO in between max torque and max power is best as it will be using torque only at first so youre using unneccessary RPM.

In what gear do you get 60mph up Dan?

 

[RobFenn]

Tom- Maybe the lightness balances deficeit but i think wed need a head to head rather than just what people reckon.

 

[Dansta]

rob im still in 2nd when i hit 60!

thanks guys, i betta practice!

 

[Nick Read]

Rob - yeah thats a point, max torque should really be around 4500 I suppose.

I thought Dannys problem was that he was launching too low in the revs, not too high, and my recommendation is in between max torque and max revs - 5500-6000 rpm, yes you want max torque but the last thing you want is to lose 1500 revs on making a gearchange too soon, and end up lugging the engine to try and get back on the torque.

 

[RobFenn]

Well i think thats basically covered it, as youve already said Dan you just better practice!

The more youll do it the more youll pick it up, realise how much revs are lost when changing gear and how you can adjust so you dont bog down the next time. Im sure youll have fun trying!

 

[Dansta]

Thanks peeps!

ill wait for some dry then let you all know and see the results!!