CedricTheBrave Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I agree with JeffC 200/210 is perfect for a westy I have had a 190 on carbs 205 on TB's and now a 250 duratec and the best was the 205 by far, much more fun the 250 is too much on the road and just gets scary the 205 let you rev the nuts off it and puts a smile on your face. my 250 is now track days only (and not many of them this year!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I do laugh when I read these posts; I like a number of the silent XE owners have run circa 240/250 bhp cars on the road for years with no issues. But it does show how in isolation, such figures are meaningless. Forget the number, it's how the engine delivers it's power, how the transmission is spec'd and how the car is set up that makes the difference between track only and a car comfortable for both. Even things like how the throttle linkage etc are set up make a vast difference; I've seen cars set up with what is effectively a short usable travel on the pedal, where all the action happens over a very short range. I went the other way, tweaking the set up so that I've got a nice long progressive pedal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Mind you, putting the figure aside, I do agree with the sentiment; so often you see someone buy or build a nice multi-purpose fun car, then "upgrade" the living daylights out of it, turning it into an extremely focused uncompromising monster. Where it performs fantastically on a few track days. Then the novelty wears off, the uncompromising nature of the car means it's unusable, or barely usable on the road and just no fun anymore. Next thing you know, the for sale ad's are going up, fantastic spec car on paper, barely used in the last couple of years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westy turbo Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 As said...daly driven,moderation.......track day car.... squeeze it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Just a little update - I had tuning problems, and the wrong diff for the car. I now have 200Bhp, - 155 at the wheels and overtaking at 60-70 is now most certainly not a "non -event" :-) I now struggle (on crap tyres I'll admit) to stop the wheels spinning in a straight line switching to second under hard accelleration. In the wet I just can't go WOT when overtaking without wheels spin. Maybe time for a LSD! I'm an ex TVR owner (V8) and I totally understand why you want a car that does 60 in a certain time or less. It's a benchmark of "outrageousness" :-). I had a Porker 996 before my Westie and I too had minimum requirements regarding acceleration. When I overtake, I want it to be fast and effortless. I have a Westie with around 120 at the wheels at the moment, which aint a great deal. But it's a totally different game altogether. It really is. It's the weight of the car that is key, in my mind. If I floor it at 60 or 70, it is a non event. Load of noise, and i'll overtake fine, but it's not V8 torque and grunt. The car is as aerodynamic as a brick. Anything over 70 with no doors or roof is painful on the ears too. But... I now go hunting for roundabouts and corners. The car is insane on corners. It really is. You can enter a roundabout in any lane, and I can guarantee you will be ahead of everything in a second or two. It is all about the weight. A road legal go kart, with suspension :-) If you wanted to oversteer more in the TVR but were worried about losing it and tyre costs, now you can just do it. Sitting almost on top of the rear axle really puts you in control. I have to say, I'm hankering for more power, but the overall experience is not lost on me, not by a long way. It's all about the weight :-) Put a passenger in and it really dulls the sensation. I drive alone a lot :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FILFAN Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 I now struggle (on crap tyres I'll admit) to stop the wheels spinning in a straight line switching to second under hard accelleration. In the wet I just can't go WOT when overtaking without wheels spin. Maybe time for a LSD! if your ecu can take it have you not thought about traction control. or better tyres might be a easier option than t/c or a diff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander72 Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 This is an interesting thread... here's a thought. my x-flow has a print out of 166hp at 7,200 rpm. I have never revved it to that and have seldom had the change up light on at 6,500 rpm. most of the time it is running 4,000 to 5,000 rpm where it produces 72hp to 95hp respectively. cheers james Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 if your ecu can take it have you not thought about traction control. or better tyres might be a easier option than t/c or a diff My tyres are crap but I'm really enjoying the slides :-) . Live axle ftw! My omex 100 is a little long in the tooth for tc. I could put an LSD in my English - I've inadvertently become quite familiar with English diffs :-) just not sure i want to pay the money for the LSD ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Everall Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Unless you are competing and have a serious amount of bhp and torque then traction control is pointless and even then I only ever used it in the wet and eventually stopped using it completely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue ass fly Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Just put some decent tyres on it I changed to 888s this year and i never cease to be amazed at how the car now grips compared with the old yoko road tyres Now i know why everyone raves about them - my best upgrade yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speed Freak Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Just a little update - I had tuning problems, and the wrong diff for the car. I now have 200Bhp, - 155 at the wheels dont they normally say upto approx 20% power loss though rear diff? (with std box, straightcur etc less) 155+ 20% is approx 185 ish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Everall Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 200 less 20% is 160bhp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgey Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Below is the 152/192 run. One of the 1st runs was 202/156 or 158 - can't remember. I think he revved it further. I know the 888's will offer ultimate grip but at the moment, I don't want it! - I'm really loving having a live axle with Yoko 539's - when they are cold in the autumn I can full opposite lock drift with no squealing, and then when they warm up they perform very predictably - particularly on the track. If the back breaks away it's all very calm and controllable. It's a really fun learning process for me. On track I'm not actually competing, so going for the ultimate grip is unnecessary for me. It's very expensive, and will just tax my car even more. What I WILL probably do is buy some T1R's or similar - IF they provide a significant step up from the 539's. That way I'll be a little faster on the track. Saying that, I fancy a few hill climbs next year so I'll then have to buy 888's! :-p Back on topic - the point was that 150 plus at the wheels gives the car that suitable "insane" feeling frequently - whereas the 120 before didn't - but it was still great fun. Regarding the drivetrain - when I was running at 120bhp and changed from a 3.77 diff to a 3.89 diff it transformed the car's "drivability" and acceleration, before I had the engine sorted - goes to show the gearing is critical if you want the "wow" factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Pete Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 i find a539s to be grear fun on trackdays and much cheaper on the wallet. when i changed from 048r back to 539s it was like having an extra 50bhp, was a bit boring on sticky rubber with limited power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodman Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Dodgey If you are planning on doing a few hillclimbs then I would not buy special tyres. I would just use whatever you have chosen for your general driving and trackdays.T1rs or whatever Yes, you could buy 888s or similar, and they may help you finish a few places higher up the order. But I would be Very supprised if they gave you a winning edge Save the tyre money and use it to do a few more events! The best tyres for hillclimbs are khumo v70 or avonzzr , both in super soft and 13", they would not be suitable for trackdays, mainly because of wear rate imho . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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