Date:         Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:16:05 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Racing Vanagons
Comments: To: Angus Gordon <birdworks@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <2163811a0911262057o7b2b40bepd7bc1eecacad1353@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

What's the point?  To beat up on a bunch of Civics and some WRX Subies?
Pretty slow company, really.  For 520hp.  The whole key to lapping quickly
is HP to weight and traction to weight..Start with a relativly heavy bus and
you need all 520hp to lap just slightly quicker than a relativly slow car
like Subie, which are pretty quick up to about 120mph but then they
die..More suited to a rally than a close course RR track.
  At racetrack speeds, you can gain ground more with braking than with pure
power..a heavy vehicle with great brakes will still lag behind a lighter
vehicle with great brakes...
  Probably pretty fun to drive that bus though.  I got to try my buddies
small block chev 914 a few times...fun, but not especially effective at
lapping quickly...
  I think Leno owns a V-10 viper-powered motorcycle..Now that is really
silly...
  Don Hanson
On Thu, Nov 26, 2009 at 8:57 PM, Angus Gordon <birdworks@gmail.com> wrote:

> Great!
>
> Apparently the split-window has a Porsche drive-train. 520HP!
>
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XvjVvFdMIY>
>
>
>
> Angus Gordon
> Bainbridge Island WA
>
> birdworks@gmail.com
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 2:43 PM, Mark A Kippert <vanagon@kippert.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Came across this video on U-Tube (haven't seen it referenced here in
> > the year that I've been on the list). Would love to know what kind of
> > drivetrain mods they've done. That and seating. Those things are
> > really cornering.
> > <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLFGPl1Kdk&feature=related>
> >
> > To be honest I wouldn't want to do this to my Vanagon as I kinda like
> > going slow and sitting up high. If I need to get somewhere fast I'll
> > hop in the car. But it would be fun to drive one fast just to say I
> > did it.
> >
> > Mark K
> > 1986 GL/2WD/4SPD
> >
>