At 8/28/09 07:01 AM, iCurrie wrote:
I know its not the sweetest thing in the world, But I just got my hands on a VN Commodore. Its pretty stock standard at the moment, and in a 10 month process, This things going to be a whole heap better looking, and charge a lot harder too.
Its a V6, and an automatic. 1992 model.
Hey look at it this way. It might not be a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini, but it's still going to outrun the kid next door that rides a skateboard. Right?
Not to mention that thing is probably REALLY comfy, I bet it has A/C, heater, and a CD player.
Now here's a few comparison that should make you feel better about your car.
Race:
I own a 1987 300Zx N/A
It has a 3.0 V6 making roughly 160hp, and 174 lb/ft of torque from the factory. This is a rating taken from the engine, not the wheels. So over 194,000 miles of wear, and compensating for the driveline, I would estimate that my car makes something around 120 hp, and MAYBE 140 lb/ft of torque.
You have a 3.8 V6 making 165 hp, and 220 lb/ft of torque from the factory. Now if I compensate for driveline, I would wager you're putting down somewhere around 130 hp, and at the most you're losing 40 lb/ft putting you at 180 lb/ft of torque.
Now mind you when you race horsepower dosn't matter nearly as much as torque unless you're talking about rally, circuit, or highspeed runs. A simple quarter mile drag race for cars like the ones we drive depends pretty much solely on your torque ratings.
So you have 180 lb/ft vs. my 140 lb/ft. Now granted my car weighs 3200lbs, in comparison to what i'm going to guess at around 3700 lbs.
So in a drag race if you don't beat me, you are probably going to hang with me, and won't get left behind. The only racing advantage my car has over yours is during turns. At that time I can guarantee I would start putting distance on you due to my cars superior suspension, breaks, and weight distribution.
Comfort/Drivability:
I have a two seater car with no options except for power window. My car has failing A/C, and my heater sucks.
You have a four seater car probably with power drivers seat, decent A/C, decent heat, power windows, and I would bet that each one of your seats are more comfortable then either one of mine.
Now you remember that suspension I talked about awhile ago? Well while as it may give me an advantage in a race, it beats the shit out of my back while i'm driving around, while as you probably hardly even notice small up's/down's in the road.
Also you may notice that I didn't mention an automatic transmission in my list of options. I have a five speed manual transmission. This means that if I get stuck in a traffic jam, my clutch kills my leg, while as all you have to do is feather your breaks as you stop, and go. All the while you're nice and cool in your comfy seat, and i'm sweating through my teeth, as my seat, and suspension punish me further.
Now then, after reading all of this, do you feel more content with your car? So just remember when you're driving down the road in your Commodore, and the kid in the old sports car blows past you, just remember that when you guys run into a traffic jam down the road, you'll catch up, and he'll be wishing he had all of your options then.
