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User: HornWumpus

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Comments · 22,708

  1. Re:The only problem is on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Fast German cars are designed for Nurburgring.

    Fast American cars are designed for the nearest 1/4 mile.

    Fast English cars are designed to topout on some mythical infinite straightaway.

    It mostly affects gearing, which is pretty easy to change. e.g. English cars are geared too high, leaving them ball-less off the line.

  2. Re:So What's the MPG Rating on it? on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    It's a start. Smear a little JB weld onto those cam lobes.

  3. Re:What's the point? on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    The Germans are such a bunch of law abiders, they stomp the brake when the speed limit changes, won't walk across an empty road at 2am against the light.

    Speeding fines in Germany are LOW and only accidents can affect your insurance rates by law. But they are all afraid of tickets.

  4. Re:What's the point? on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    In life, there is nothing more fun than beating someone like the parent in a car like a Civic that cost five cents on the dollar that he spent.

    Best is when they come back for more, thinking it was a fluke. One dude in a brand new Maserati almost lost his mind the second time in a row he lost to a FWD Civic, he was sputtering (couldn't drive, should have won).

    Bonus: These kinds of cars are true 'city cars'. They look uninsured (use 3+ colors of rattlecan primer), so people in fancy cars actually _get_out_of_your_way_, you can park it anywhere and not worry. 10+ years ago, you would have been constantly pulled over to check insurance. Now you see the cop pull in behind you and run the plate, then leave you alone.

  5. Re:What's the point? on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    If it had been a 'truck load' the tops of your struts would have punched through the sheet metal of the compact car...totalled and not covered by insurance.

    You can find pictures of idiots cars that tried. Which isn't to say that Civics, in particular 4 doors, aren't super versatile haulers.

  6. Re:What's the point? on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    There are other fun things to do with that kind of car.

    For example: Driving through tunnels (in SF).

  7. Re:More HP does not always mean faster on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Your 95 mustang had a fiberglass hood.

    The early Fox bodies were the lightest real Mustangs (discounting the Pintos that were sold badged as 'Mustang').

  8. Re: An unfortunate use of technology on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Turbos didn't typically last 100k miles back then, they don't typically last 250k now. It's a midlife of the motor maintenance item. Better than a roots type blower, last tried in the 90s on SHO taurus', lasted 40k miles, then no boost.

    You're not supposed to just keep running the car while putting out a smoke trail.

  9. Re:An unfortunate use of technology on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Modern engine computers will detune the motor so it won't burn holes through the piston like an old school, high compression motor. But, they still require high octane fuel or the owner wasted his money.

  10. Re:An unfortunate use of technology on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Don't kid yourself.

    Driving, any car, is the most dangerous routine thing you do. Besides eating (cardiovascular 'Russian roulette').

    Which isn't an excuse to drive a car with no brakes or to eat 'bacon' for dinner.

  11. Re:An unfortunate use of technology on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    The problem is more that turbo spin up makes controlling a drift harder. Power is climbing, you're trying to get the car straight while not lifting, because lifting on a turbo car costs so much down the straight.

    Traction control helps, but it can't be crappy traction control, that amounts to lifting.

  12. Re:An unfortunate use of technology on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Bugatti has a 'top speed' mode. So done. Mostly about Aero, will still do 180 in non-top speed mode.

    Many supercars have a 'valet mode', which limits power/RPM.

  13. Re:Technology moves forward on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    You've never driven a car with more than 300, have you?

  14. Re:Technology moves forward on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    I believe it was Bently that shipped motorless cars just after WWII. They were kits built to take late model Allison V12s (basically un-turboed Merlins).

    Those V12s were 24 liters, think of each pistons swept area as a two liter bottle of soda. Red line was under 2000 RPM. Not really car motors. Inverted V means there is no room for turbos in car applications. No tires can take the full throttle torque. You could put two sets of semi dualies behind it and still smoke the tires.

  15. Re:Technology moves forward on America's Cars Are Suddenly Getting Faster and More Efficient (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Most of the early good big block TAs (watch for the ones with Oldsmobile engines, stay away) had two speeds and 2.83 rears. Monster torque geared to go over 150 made them just torque through DOT tires even at that gearing. Just put a 4.11 in the back and drag racing tires and you are good to go to the quarter mile. If you build the motor, you will have to also tub the back for big old tires. It's not a very popular choice to make into a drag car.

    They are fat pigs. Wallow. Had one, don't really miss it. Hate to say it, but the Mustang is much smaller and somewhat lighter, even though it's a convertible. Motor was much weaker, but I 'fixed' that. 'Weak motor' is much easier to fix than 'fat pig'. I debadged it, but the 'blue oval of shame' is still there.

    Get a box Nova and put a rat in that. Pontiac race parts are expensive and rare, so are box Novas. Use a Eurotrash car and put a tubular frame in it...e.g. Fiat 850 sport w. V8, my current proj, Chevy parts are still cheap and easy. If you're going to go good and fast, you're going to want the cage and restraints anyhow, make sure it's built to NHRA/IHRA spec for your target ET. Should be the same, double check with your local tracks tech inspectors before spending $. Rules could be changing, they know, ask them. Don't buy the restraint belts until the last minute, they expire and are expensive.

    If you're small enough to fit, it's hard to beat a miata these days. Put a stock 5.0 ford pushrod motor and trans in it and you're good to go. You can't build that motor at all or it will explode the Mazda IRS...traction is an issue.

    For street fun, get a Civic with a b-engine, if you can find one that isn't riced to hell and back, you want the sleeper. They aren't _that_ fast, but they are excellent for pissing off morons who spend way too much for dealer tuners. The demon would blow any Civic off the road, except the kind of people that buy it, won't know how to drive. Even with all the modern helpers, 808 ponies is going to be on the ragged edge of 'streetable'. No fun, at all, in traffic. I'd trailer it to the drag strip and install a cage before my first angry pass.

    If I wanted a 808 HP challenger, I'd buy one with the right block and build the power myself.

    Dealer tuners typically cost about (Base Cose + 5 * (RacePartsCost + ProInstallCost)), they only make any sense as collectables. Which, more or less, means they shouldn't be driven, beyond a few miles/month to keep the seals wet. Installing the cage would be a mistake. I'd buy the worn out 10 year old car with the right engine.

    The old rule of thumb was: For popular motors, expect to spend about $1000/HP beyond 400 (obvious 'valid range' issues), if you want to be at the strip regularly. Pick your race class and bracket carefully or you will be broke with a garage full of parts but no running racecar. You will blow things up, it will suck. Using that math, buying the Demon can be a very expensive decision, but a numbers matching one will be worth a fortune in 40 years. Pulling the factory engine and setting it aside, would be the good move, if you're going to run it hard.

  16. Re: Trump version of... on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    All of non coastal Canada. The upper American midwest, north of Chicago. Great lakes area. I'd be amazed if all of Scandinavia isn't winter peaking and frankly suspect the baltic coast is as well.

    You have to heat office buildings at night when it's fucking cold, (office is included in your 60% number). Much energy intensive industry is already running at night (for the rates). I highly doubt that 90% of industry shuts down at night, in Germany or anywhere. Far too many processes have to run continuously.

    Like a hat? No. A really fucked up high fashion lady's hat perhaps. Summer peaker load curve is dominated by AC. One peak at hottest hour, another when people get home. Hottest hour only somewhat moderated on Sat/Sun as office buildings still cool, but at higher thermostat settings with less waste heat from equipment and staff.

  17. Don't underestimate the number of gridlock voters.

    Having those bastards at each other's throats is about the best we can do. Perhaps hand them all antipersonnel grenades, knowing their feeble old arms can't throw it far enough to be outside the kill radius...

  18. Re: Trump version of... on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Depends on what part of Germany you're talking about. Many/most German homes don't even have AC. I have a hard time believing those are summer peaking areas. Even with the prevalence of wood/gas heat.

    Winter peaking areas _all_ have peak power at night, on their coldest days.

  19. Re: Trump version of... on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Baseload plants have bad operational characteristics. Minimum downtime/uptime is a bitch, no matter how they choose to do their accounting.

    Many baseload plants power down seasonally and have for a long time, particularly in winter peaking areas like northern Europe. Winter peaks are a bitch for solar, much more so than summer, as the peaks happen at night during periods of low solar irradiance and short days.

  20. Re: Trump version of... on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 2

    Watermelons...green on the outside, red to the core.

    You hear them jump right into 'destroy capitalism', whatever they might be bitching about today. Best ignored and marginalized until they grow up.

  21. Re:Editor's note on Where Have All the Insects Gone? (sciencemag.org) · · Score: 1

    He's a /. editor. What they clearly don't read is TFA, or even TFS.

  22. Re:Simple on Can You Copyright a Joke? (npr.org) · · Score: 1

    A sucker and his money were lucky to get together in the first place.

    The most moral outcome is for the suckers money to go to the most deserving, which is me, by definition.

  23. Re:Gary, and Newark, and Pittsburgh on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Call me when the do something about Decatur Illinois. For now, at least we know where they will stick the tube if America needs an enema.

    Of course the smell in Decatur is from processing soy, smells like a Tofu eater puked in the corner of every room. Locals are blind to it.

  24. Re: Trump version of... on Many Nations Pin Climate Hopes On China, India As Hopes For Trump Fade (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Do you have a credible source for that?

  25. Re:"Recipes" are a handy analogue here on Can You Copyright a Joke? (npr.org) · · Score: 1

    Could you copyright the names of the players in 'Who's on first'? Just as an example...

    A significant # of jokes are just plays on words. Those specific words could be copyrightable.