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Re: What's wrong with this picture?

To: "Scott Mitchell" <scott@alwaysthinking.com>,
Subject: Re: What's wrong with this picture?
From: "Jay Mitchell" <jemitchell@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 15:08:32 -0600
Scott "don't I know you from somewhere?" Mitchell wrote:

<snip the Poochie stuff>

> A Lotus Twincam to SP spec puts out what? 160 hp? 170?

A Dave Bean Stage 3 engine makes 150 hp. To get there, Bean uses
non-SP-legal camshafts, pistons, valves, and valve springs. He
also does a full port job, matches the combustion chamber
volumes, and machines the valve spring pockets in the head to
accommodate the higher lift. A realistic, but still optimistic,
figure for an SP-legal Twink is more like 110 crank hp.

>That comes to 10
> or 9.4 lbs/hp.

In reality, an ASP Elan comes closer to 14.2 lb/hp, accounting
for typical driver weight.

> If you want to include the Renault Europas, it's less
> power than that, but also a bit less weight.

Given defensible power expectations and known weights (my car),
that figure is also around 14.2 lb/hp. Neither number is very
impressive.

> Yes 'adding lightness' does
> yield more gains than straight line acceleration.

It's a good thing, too. Otherwise, no Elan or Europa would ever
stand a chance in ASP.

 Jay

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