Re: [alfa] Re: Re: driving George's car

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jan 29, 2004, at 10:09 AM, Brian Shorey wrote:

> > 3.0 liter with 'S' Cams, "pandora's box" ECU, Tweaked airflow. around
> > 220 HP @ 7000 rpm. Will pull redline (7250rpm) in 5th gear @22mph/1000
> > rpms. If you do the math, that comes out to 159.5 mph. Never had it
> > that high, only to about an indicated 150 (highest mark on the 
> > speedo.)
> If you've never had it that high, then how do you know?
I don't know that. That's why I didn't actually SAY it had a top speed 
of 159.5. What I said was that the MATH says it will go that fast - as 
in 7.25 (x 1000 for the rpm) TIMES 22 mph (the speed per 1000 rpms) so:

7.25 X 22 = 159.5 mph

I've had it to an *indicated* 150 and I suspect even that's optimistic. 
 Even if I had run it to redline, It's still guessing as to the speed 
because I don't know what diameter of tire were was specified when Alfa 
worked out the figure of 22mph/1000 rpm. The only way to know what it's 
actual top speed would be is time the car over a flying mile in two 
directions and work the speed out from that time and then average the 
two together. It's hardly relevant, however. You can't drive the car 
that fast anywhere but on a race course or a German Autobahn anymore 
anyway (even in Italy, you can no longer drive that fast. Maybe in 
southern Italy one could get away with it, but certainly not in the 
north). Even if you could, you wouldn't want to drive the car flat-out 
like that for long. All a high top speed is good for is to give you a 
fairly low engine rpm at useful speed. A car like the GTV-6, then could 
cruise hour after hour at 115-120 mph at just about 4000 rpms. A lesser 
car might have one driving flat-out to achieve that crusie. Not good 
for the car, fuel consumption, or passenger comfort. I know, I've done 
it in a 1600 Twin-spark 147.

George
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