Re: Classing performance engines

[Scott Fisher <sfisher71@domain.elided>]

--- jim <jim@domain.elided> wrote:
> 
> I just sold a Spica injected spider with:
> 
> 10.4 piston/liners
> Pitatori(sp) cams
> big valves
> Ingram modified injection pump
> Marelliplex
> 
> It psssed California smog with no trouble, where
> would you class that? 

Jim,

Now that I've got a little more time (I'm *back* from
the Alfa Club tour, instead of waiting for my wife to
find her shoes so we could leave on it :-)... the
"problem" with classing an engine like this is that
it's about four compression points too low for SCCA
Production category road racing (or Prepared
autocrossing), and unless it was in a lightened car
with slicks, coil-overs, fully adjustable suspension,
etc. etc. etc., there'd be no way it could keep up
with the other cars in those categories.  To put it
another way: a car with that engine isn't likely to
make the grid at the SCCA Runoffs in its corresponding
Production class, but it is illegal on at least three
and possibly five counts in the next class down,
Improved Touring (cam, valves, pistons, and I'm not
sure about mods to the pump and ignition in IT -- mods
to the pump WOULD be legal in Solo II Street
Prepared).

However, it's VERY encouraging to hear that a car with
those mods can run clean enough to pass California
smog.  Perhaps even more important, what was the
drivability like?  An engine like this WOULD have been
a lot of fun on today's country-roads tour, I imagine.
 I might have been faster than my old GT Junior
instead of slower!  Can't let THAT continue...

One of the introductory sections (which nobody would
read...) to the articles I'm thinking of putting on
the Web would be a hard look at what you want the
engine FOR, to keep from making potentially expensive
mistakes.  Are you thinking of doing SCCA competition
in this car?  Then here are the things the rulebook
says you CAN do and the things you CAN'T, in each of
the classes where Alfas compete.  Do you want a hot
street motor for tours and the occasional track day? 
Then here is a step-by-step list of what to do, the
order in which to do it, and what DOESN'T work unless
you make other adjustments.  Do you have just enough
budget to add one piece of Trick Racing--uh, Stuff
every couple of months?  Then start with this and
adjust that to compensate; then next month add
something else and adjust to these settings; etc. etc.
etc.  

That's the hope, anyway.  I think that with the
contribution of people like Russ and George and others
(Tom Sahines?  Wes Ingram?) who are actually putting
it on the line at SCCA, AROC, and vintage driving
events across the country, we can put together a real
service to Alfisti everywhere -- if only so that the
next time somebody says "I love my Spider, but how can
I make it faster?" we'll have a one-line answer: the
URL to this collected wisdom.

(Well, apart from MY one-line answer, which is "Ignore
that silly 5700 RPM redline and run it up to seven
grand." :-)

--Scott Fisher
  Tualatin, Oregon
Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings!
http://greetings.yahoo.com

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided