Hate to break it to you, but it was the small engine guys that started bashing me first...look back through the thread. I have no issue with 4cyl cars...in fact, when it's time to get a daily driver so the Tbird can have a much lighter load, I really want to get something like a Mazdaspeed 3. I'm also a big fan of the WRX STI, among other cars. But what I hate is when import lovers come in here acting like they're "better" than everybody else because they use less cylinders. I'm also not sure where I said, or insinuated, that more hp is always better. You just assumed that because I have a V8 car. And actually, drag racing is every bit as "hard core" as road racing.
I completely agree with you about the road racing stuff...a fully balanced car is key. That's also why I disagree with your argument against the ZR1; it was built/balanced to handle 600-700+hp, not 250. Totally different setups; you can't compare them. But people think that V8 cars can't handle, which is very wrong. The Corvette proves it (and if that isnt enough, check out the ACR Viper @ the Nurb video). There are also many people in the Mustang community that have very well handling road course setups; I hope one day to make my Tbird into a corner-carver. Also take a look at monstermiata.com - the stuff there is something I hope to do one day with my spare engine and a 1st gen Miata. And my whole point with the S2000 is that it makes NO torque. Torque is much more important than horsepower in many cases, and many import lovers like to ignore the torque number. As much as I do like, and respect, modern 4 cylinders, nothing will ever beat the sound of an American V8 at WOT, at least for me. Oh, and just 1 more thing...in 1987 and 1988, you could get a Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with a 2.3L turbo 4 cylinder with 190hp (you could get them in other years too, but 87 and 88 were the most powerful). So lets not talk about how American cars always need V8s.
It's no secret that the S2000 has no torque below six thousand rpm. From a realistic point of view, for daily use in traffic, it's terrible. The car is not exactly slow, but not "240hp light roadster fast".
The point is, it has more the characteristics of a racing engine. Trust me, the engine plus the crazy high rpms make it feel like you're sitting in a race car (it's far from a race car and i know that). Either you like it, or you don't, but it is the way how that engine works. And if you like it, it's a pretty fascinating one.
I have nothing against big/heavy engines and low-end torque. They have their own characteristics aswell, which you can love or hate like any other concept.
The point was that you don't need a big engine for a high horsepower output. At least that's what i picked up from reading through the posts... then again, i didn't read all of it in detail.
Ah ok, that's cool then. I didn't know about the other guys starting this. I feel the same way you do. I also agree V8s can handle and I don't get why people think otherwise. As long as the chassis and suspension is set up right, it doesn't really matter what type of engine you're running. You are cool. It's just that some other V8 guys see other cars as utter crap and don't understand much about anything other than power and straight line performance.
And by the way, you're right about American cars not always being V8. My friends Buick, for example, is one hell of a 6 cylinder turbo!
You are right. As far as sound goes, I can see why lots of people love the deep rumble and growl of V8s, but I'm sure you and I both love hearing our smaller engines screaming at higher RPMs. It's all just personal taste, like you said.
You are all not car enthusiast . You should love any kind of engine! V8, I4, it doesn't matter, they both are beautifull. I love small Japanese coupes with high reving engine, and i love those old muscles with huge V8, and suspension characteristic of a boat. They both give different feeling, but they both are beautifull! GUYS! CHILL OUT! Let's make love not war!
The whole American bashing is silly. Although I do admit I have done it before on other forums (but only ever for my own personal enjoyment at annoying people online). Normally it revolved around the 1988 5.0L V8 Camaro putting out only 170hp.
But there not saying they ALL hate V8's and what not, there just stating there preference. Theres nothing wrong with having a discussion here as its what forums are for.
As for me, im a huge V6 guy and i love any kind of V6. Im sure some of you have seen my chavv'ed up mondeo () but i really do love it. The V6 in that is able to scream upto 7100RPM safely, and its sounds soooo nice.
Saying that, i also love my accord. Limiter on that is at 8100rpm, and vtec comes in at 4500rpm. That also sounds a little race-car ish althought not as much as an S2000, the engines in them are crazy!
Get a satnav with the Mph readings, speedo's mean shit, mine told me I was doing 115 once, the damn thing wouldn't even go over 106mph when it was first produced, why would it go so far now?
Sounds like it could be an input shaft bearing or pinion bearing. It could have damaged the gearset, but you wont know until it gets stripped and you have a look.
A full set of bearings (with seals) will cost £50 approx and should take no more than about 3 hours labour, to strip, clean, and rebuild the box.
This gearbox is a peugeot gearbox. The gearsets in this type are much stronger than the peugeot and citroen types so therefore, the gearset will hopefully be ok.
P.S, i really dont reccomend driving that anymore unless you have to. Its going to pack up, and if it does, it will seperate the gearset and break the teeth off it.
See that's the problem - late 80s. And the Chevy 305 was a horrible engine, though my dad's 85 Trans Am has a 305 (205hp stock) so I don't know what they did to the Camaro's engine. But after the oil crisis in the early 70s that killed the muscle cars, it took the US a little over 15 years to finally start making horsepower again. It wasn't because V8s are bad, we simply didn't have the technology to meet economic standards AND make horsepower at the same time. I really hate when people are ignorant and try pointing out 70s-80s V8s as examples of why V8s are bad, without recognizing the situation going on at that time. It wasn't until cars like the Grand National and 5.0 Mustang that American cars finally started going fast off the showroom floor again. It's simply ignorant to use cars from that era as a point of argument.
I remember not long ago, I had people from a Civic forum talking trash about my car. The funny thing is, my car, which was bought for $1500, ran a 14.6 @ 94.7 mph in the 1/4 mile after just $400 in mods (H/C/I and rear gears). Looking through that same Civic forum, many guys were doing full engine swaps just to get their cars into the 16s. What a joke. Like I said, I really love the idea of fast 4 cylinders - I've enjoyed videos on youtube of 380hp turbo Miatas laying waste to cars and crazy built early 90s Civics doing the same. It's the ignorance of many of a lot of the crowd that bothers me; I'm sure there's plenty of that in the V8 crowd too. I wish people could just like all makes and models.
1/4 mile isnt everything, any car with decent power can do a good 1/4 mile, turning corners is a different story:P tbh thats why i like Euro and Japanese cars more then US cars
Australian cars are just plan fail tho lol, ppl here seem to think putting a big V8 in a family car makes a good sports car:P
Same can be had from a 4L V8, no fancy electronics (electronics don't really give that much power, just the ECU and things again as such you still can screw about with the timing and retard/advance with carbs).. and it's naturally aspirated.
Even today, the examples of most American V8's are still based on the same 30 year old designs, if you read up about it you'll find most of the engines are just "updated" versions of engines that have powered cars for generations.
Not that that's always a bad thing, but it's no wonder the American car market is in such a state..
I see everyone having problems, but the American manufacturers get hit the worst, which in turn (because they (GM and the like) bought everything up to use other people's technology because they couldn't come up with anything good themselves) also were forced to either sell these companies or drag them down with them.