Posts: 47
Joined: 7/9/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Gains from mods:
A bigger engine is going to gain more hp from a mod than a smaller engine will... that's common sense. Also, most imports come more highly tuned stock than do domestics, so their mods gain them even less.
Speed for Money:
If you wanna see low 14's or high 13's for cheap, you can either get a 1993 camaro z28 for $4k, or you can get a 1988 crx for $1200, and a b16a with tranny, ecu, mounts, shift linkage for $1800 delivered, and have that put in for $1k, if you don't know how. In one case, you get an american rwd car that's 10 years old, and in the other, you get an fwd japanese car that is 15, but only has 30k miles on the engine, and gets 35 mpg.
If you wanna go faster than that, starting with a fwd car is really gonna hurt you, and THAT is the obstacle that is going to be hard/expensive to overcome, not displacement, or the origin of the car.
Still, there are turbos and superchargers for that b16a that bring it up to at least 230 hp at the wheels, and will bring the crx into the 12's, but I assume it's cheaper to bring the domestic into the 12's.
But there are imports that make great drag cars, just not fwd imports. There's rwd imports sush as the ever popular Supra, rx-7, and the s2k should have a lot of potential as well. Then there are the awd imports, like the wrx, and the vr-4.
Rice:
I think of rice as people who think they are fast when they are not. There is A LOT of import rice, but I have met a lot of domestic rice too. Everytime I have lined up with a GT in my crx, they have raced me, and every time they have lost (cuz they were stock), and everytime they would push it way past what was safe, thinking maybe they would win eventually. There is this attitude that they must be faster than a civic, and it's dumb, and it made them drive dangerously.
Import -vs- Domestic
It's true, most imports are not race cars. They are economy cars. They have all the things that domestics have: room for 4, power steering, windows, etc. everything that makes a car heavy, but they come with a less powerful, more fuel economical engine. But you know what? Domestics make a lot of economy cars too, that can't accelerate worth a damn. So if you wanna compare a performance domestic to an import, compare it to a performance oriented import, like a wrx. A wrx is about the same cost as a mustang gt, and about the same speed. And both can be cheaply modded.
So why do all these ricers think their civic is fast when it's not, I mean, that civic ex only pulls a 16.7 quarter mile?
My theory is it's becuase the power comes high in the rpm range. That means the car accelerates best when it is already moving, which is what, 98% of driving? But there's more. Let's say you are racing your car... when you shift from 1st to 2nd, your revs drop a lot more than they do when you shift from 4th to 5th. So that means at high speeds, the civic stays in it's power band a lot better than at low speeds. Basically, a 16.7 second import is faster when driving fast than a 16.7 second domestic, which has more power down low in the rpm range.
I am not saying to be weary of civic ex's on the highway, but maybe a h22a prelude, or an integra type R, or a b16a crx. And remember, fwd traction isn't going to be such a problem on the highway as it is in the 1/4th. What a lot of import drivers don't realize when they initiate these races, is just how fast a rwd domestic can get off the line.
Posts: 2963
Joined: 6/8/2003 From: United States Status: offline
but everyone here has that attitiude from personal experience, just like you have your apparent mustang attitude from losers at the track. and everyone here has the attitude because they have modded mustangs that stock civics think they can beat. it's the same story but the roles have changed. but the burning question is: what was the point of that big speech? lol. and we know domestics make economy cars, but this is a mustang forum and have you read other posts where we clown on j-bodies (sunfire and cavaliers) and focuses?
Posts: 2199
Joined: 3/31/2003 From: United States Status: offline
[QUOTE=Jugador]
but everyone here has that attitiude from personal experience, just like you have your apparent mustang attitude from losers at the track. and everyone here has the attitude because they have modded mustangs that stock civics think they can beat.
[/QUOTE]
I don't own a Mustang. I just got interested in the Ford Camp when I saw the plans for the '04 Lightning. i decided I'd like to keep interested (hard to do in a GM/Mopar family, and working for GM) I also know what it is like to loose as well as win (about 50/50 on the track, I race whatever pulls up to me, 10 second drag car or a 20 second Sebring).
BUT, the thing about domestic econo's: the torque factor. We got it, they don't. We have the combustion chamber pressures and the displacement. We know how to use it also.
My Saturn ain't the fastest, but it's starting to get a name around here on the street. Mustang guys have been impressed with the car for the money put into it, ricers are starting to hate the tail lights. To each their own, but damnit, my way's right.
[QUOTE=Zcpeanut]would you let yourself be seen driving a neon?[/QUOTE]
If it was the SRT-4. Or a Dodge Omni GLH (or the GLH-S).
[QUOTE=chrisle7220]There's really not much aftermarket support for celicas compared to honda.[/QUOTE]
Try doing it with a Saturn. I've resorted to back yardage mostly. I get the same (or better) end result with a much cheaper price tag. Torquiest sub 2L, non boosted 4 banger I know of. Shaved 4/10 off the stock E.T. for under $100 with a slipping clutch. Domestic (designed, assembled, and built).
Posts: 2963
Joined: 6/8/2003 From: United States Status: offline
mad props on the ability to get mustang respect and import dislike off a satty. you're the friggin econo-whatever-i-can-scrounge-up-for-cheap-to-make-it-go-faster king.
Posts: 103
Joined: 7/10/2003 From: United States Status: offline
i have 2 cars a 1994 mustang cobra with 3.55 rear gears short shifter aluminum driveshaft, full bassani exhaust with no cat x pipe, king cobra clutch, afr heads f303 cam edelbrock perfromer intake, bbk throttle body, maf, and ecm upgraded. im looking for a supercharger for it twin screw or centrifugal. right now it eats up most things but has been beaten a couple times, until i supercharge it. any way my other car is a 1987 formula 350 firebird, i know its a gm but it is fast. its a carb motor with a cam and intake, 700r4 auto with shift kit and 3.73 rear. the car eats most imports it comes across, i put 3 car lengths on a vtech prelude! ok so not impressed... the car was $1500 the prelude is much more.
Posts: 893
Joined: 4/25/2003 From: United States Status: offline
I have nothing against GM, I own two, 96 Bird and 95 T/A.when it comes to LT1s and LS1s Mustangs were the underdogs for quite some time,untill some bolt ons that is.I like it if it goes fast,I like it even better if it is American and goes fast!
Posts: 31
Joined: 7/7/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Just for the record I have a 87 Gt that I payed 1000 dollars for and will smoke most imports, there are a few mods on there now but I havn't spent a penny more than a grand yet. Money for horse V8 is the way to go.
Sorry to say 5ltr5spd, but those '87 mustangs are butt ugly. It may be an awesome car for drag and im sure it can burn a lot of imports, but those body styles are one of the ugliest body styles on a mustang.
Posts: 47
Joined: 7/9/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Damn, that's mean to rag on a guys car like that... but since you started it, I'll add that that car stock is the same speed as a stock integra gsr, which is not even the top of the line integra. So I imagine it gets beat by plenty of imports.
Posts: 31
Joined: 7/7/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Oh well thats ok cause it is a lot cheaper to do my mustang up then it is to do up your gsr, I know I used to be and import a$$ hole to, but how much did you pay for your gsr again?
Posts: 31
Joined: 7/7/2003 From: United States Status: offline
Your right the civic that I had I had done quite a bit of supension work on it and it cornered awsome, and I do still have respect for some imports, most of my friends still drive them but there is still nothing like torque
Posts: 2199
Joined: 3/31/2003 From: United States Status: offline
[QUOTE=spkr_diy] Damn, that's mean to rag on a guys car like that... but since you started it, I'll add that that car stock is the same speed as a stock integra gsr, which is not even the top of the line integra. So I imagine it gets beat by plenty of imports.[/QUOTE]
Your privalige to speak has been removed for 5 hours.
Posts: 47
Joined: 7/9/2003 From: United States Status: offline
[QUOTE=5ltr5spd]
like your crx huh?
[/QUOTE]
Torque may improve driveability, but as far as all out racing goes, 111 ft-lbs is enough to take out a nearly stock '87 gt, if the car only weighs a ton, and has a 8,200 rpm redline.spkr_diy37813.5549421296
Printable Version
Crappy imports - 
mad props on the ability to get mustang respect and import dislike off a satty. you're the friggin econo-whatever-i-can-scrounge-up-for-cheap-to-make-it-go-faster king.
