Avalon Runway Blast - c'mon guys!

[750hp]

So, who said this couldn't happen????? I just read this post from another forum, dated 26/6/03.

Yesterday, Brendon Manion’s RF40 (the car that was entered in this year’s Targa Tasmania) was officially clocked at 282 km/h!!! (176.25mph). No, this isn’t a tall tale about the day we buzzed a quiet little country town with the local constabulary on tow. This run was done at Avalon Airfield in country Victoria, as part of an article for Motor Magazine. The article lined up some of the fastest cars in Australia and used a speed trap to get the actual speed (as opposed to the speed on the clock, which apparently had the needle butted up against the end-stop beyond 300km/h). Tacho, I’m told, sat on a cool 6,800 RPM. Hmmm maybe with a slightly taller final drive ratio… who knows??? The pilot was a well-known local race-car driver come media personality, by the name of Cameron McConville. It was interesting to hear that he made some pretty positive comments about the stability of the RF40, both at speed and under hard braking.

Anyone able to keep an ear out to see when he next high speed shootout is on? Zoom magazine is interested, but we'll need three or four tough Cobras and I suppose the contacts in the airport to make it happen....

[Sloth]

count me in Craig. I brought mine home to roost earlier in the week...

[justbetter]

Hey Sloth where's your Pic's ???

Craig, im in too, come on bring your rocket down.

We were discussing this last night at the Vic Club meeting but i dont think i've got the diff ratio for the 200Mph Club.

Might need a tow Craig...

[justbetter]

Found this on the web...

Imagine this, traveling along a Japanese super highway in an 800 horsepower GTR, it’s 3am in the morning and we are creeping past the local High way patrol that pose no threat in their very under powered Toyota Caldina. Following closely behind is Masa, local car dealer, in what he says, is a very mild 500PS Soarer twin turbo 5 speed. But for what we are about to get up to tonight this car will be hard to catch. As we pull away from the city lights a train line appears to the left of us. My pilot for the night, Kazu, owner of Technical Spot Z performance shop in Nagoya, slows and pulls to the side of the road to wait for the next Shinkensan “Bullet Train” that will be passing through at an estimated speed of 260-290 Klm/h. He knows from years of experience, that to be successful in the street drags, he must be able to go from a standing start and hold station with the train before the end carriage passes. The train is over 500m long and by that time if everything is well we should hold steady.




The adrenelin of watching this bright light coming from a distance is awesome, to assist with the start of this race, Masa stands on the side of the road to signal go, Kazu takes the GTR up to 8500RPM knowing that take-off is only seconds away. As Masa’s arm drops we are hit with an earth shaking roar from the train, combine this with sitting in a 800 horsepower GTR that has just launched at nearly 9000 RPM is enough to blow your mind. 1st gear is over super quick with massive wheel spin, quick hit of rev limiter and several flashes of the shift light, 2nd gear enables us to put some more power to the ground but not unleashing all the beast. The acceleration just gets better and better, as we get into the top of 3rd gear you can now make out the carriage windows, information overload, Tacho, Boost gauge, Speed meter, shift light like your local disco strobe, and my god the acceleration. 4th gear and the external waste gate is screaming, and I now find myself clenching to the seat with a foot firmly pressed on the fire wall. The train and occupants are clearly visible although we had pushed as hard as we could the last carriage went past us just on to the shift for 5th gear.

[ac andy]

Cobra not finished, what about a brand new XR8 ute?

Andy.

[750hp]

Garrett, did anyone at the meeting have any contacts at the Airport to make it happen?

A couple of guys that I know work at the nearby Amberley Airforce Base. I suppose I could wheel the Cobra out onto their runway, but I'm sure that it'd be committing some sort of federal offence....

Andy, I can't wait to see what Bob Roman ends up doing to his new XR8 ute!!! Couple of turbos, and supposedly aiming for 1000+hp.

[Sloth]

latest photo is now up in my gallery. Still missing side pipes and cooling vents, and some say two thick white stripes? ;>)

cheers to all.

[BMK]

Car sure looks great. Gee you sure are very close to having it on the road.

The Avalon Airfield is owned by Lindsay Fox from LynFox transport and it is often used by car magazines to do high speed runs.

The roads between Mt. Gambier and Melbourne are often used the same way. Garret do you need airport runs??

Heard some poor motorist travelling at 100 was left wondering what passed him. at twice the speed

What warranty do Superformance offer on their cars. Hope they don't read this forum!! "Look I was just doing 240 when the windscreen started to rattle and windwings flew off........

Perhaps we may be able to approach Lindsay Fox to see if he will allow us use of a side runway. He may even bring something out of his collection. Latest count is that he has nearly 300 cars.

Oh to dream

Cheers all


Bernie

[Sloth]

wow! 300 cars is a lot. I know of some roads in the N.T. that would offer similar characteristics to the airstrip, although somewhat more bush chooks and camels....

That is where i am going once the teething problems are sorted.

cheers.

[REPTYL]

OZCOBRA tried to hire one of the run-ways a few years ago for a Cobra Car Club day but was unsuccessfull.

Accedent and liability insurance would be a big speed hump to get over these days.

I was out there a couple of years ago with a "kids with cancer fun day" and we went for a little blast on one of the runways but it was nothing to full-on (we had the kiddies in the cobras at the time).

[justbetter]

Stay Tuned

[justbetter]

Bernie, i was reading the warranty whilst driving at warp speed 1, at warp 2 the writing srarted to get a bit blury, as my grip tightened and eye sight extended to ensure i didnt use the mouth of the Superformance as a rabbit catcher, i must admit there was no rattle, with windscreen was firmly attached, and it felt like it just wanted to keep going, ( athrough i was closley following the 429 Robnell and a BARDUP behind all enjoying the fresh air.

With your Firm contacts Bernie and extream networking skills i bet you could open them gates at Avalon... better wait till your sled is on the black stuff.

Oh little snap for the record !

[Aussie Mike]

Ahh the old "Electric drill on the spedo cable trick"

Reminds me of a story:

I was working for a big company many years back and had a company car. I was out on the back roads heading to a site when I hit a big stretch of straight road. Not having had the VN Commodore long I thought I'd see what it would do. So I stood on the gas and wound it up to about 180. Common sense got the better of me (and realising that there were some big logos on the side of the car) so I slowed down again. The speedo however had a different idea and proudly displayed my transgression by sticking at 180!!?? The big company had it's own service department and I was thinking "How the hell am I going to explain this?". So using my vast aray of mechanincal talents I figured I'd fix it by banging on the top of the dash. The speedo was obviously wise to this trick and jumped further arround to 220 just to show me how it felt about my percussive repair technique. I tried a bit more banging and then moved on to swearing at it but neither technique worked and I was forced to give up. I continued my journey looking at that damn speedo and worrying. The speedo must have figured I'd been punnished enough because it decided to behave itself again about half an hour later.

Cheers

[boxhead]

If your looking for somewhere to sleep while out here i have a spare bedroom and a lock up garage.
Call me on 0409525500 if needed

[750hp]

Garrett - nice photo! If you had time to listen for rattles while travelling at that speed, your car is too easy to drive.... How do you find the sound of the blower on the highway? My YS Vortech is driving me insane - it's so bloody loud that it's driving me to distraction. My bonnet is open at the rear, and it seems to allow every little mechanical noise straight into the cabin. I'm interested to see if the Procharger noise is evident above idle.

Mike - your speedo ordeal almost sounds like it could have been another scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off!!! When my previous Cobra went on a lightpole/fence/post/earthbank destroying rampage, the engine stalled at some point during the accident. I discovered a while after the crash that the tacho was stuck on 7,200rpm Never mind the fact that there was a solid ignition cut set at 6,000rpm, and I didn't go anywhere near hitting that. It must have just been the forces involved during the crash. I "persuaded" the gauge to return to zero before any insurance inspectors saw the car. No need to get them all worked up about something like that...

[Bryan Wilson]

Pic to big for forum but lets see if this link works.
200 MPH
Second try

[justbetter]

Well done Bryan, i now have a mentor...

Craig, the blower at idle is noticable, but then over takeing by the side pipes once underway. Although with a little flutter on the peddle she whistles nicely.
I suppose cause its all coverd up and the intake is sealed though the front bonnet scoop facing forwards its a little harder to hear.

What were your Kw at the rear wheels ?

Regards

[750hp]

Bryan - you win!!!

Garrett - I haven't put my car on a chassis dyno yet. There's not really anything to gain, as it's running perfectly as it is. Everyone seems to say that once you pull an engine off an engine dyno, it will need further tuning for light load running in the car. This motor hasn't been touched since it's dyno flogging, and it's perfect. Craig at http://www.cragarperformance.com.au/ did a great job on it.
Another potential problem with running the car on a chassis dyno is the absolute roller speed of the Dyno Dynamics units. I've read that they cannot run at speeds of voer 200kmh. I have a 2 speed trans with a 3:1 rear gear. In first gear, traction will not be available for any sort of accurate reading. In top gear, I'll only be doing a bit over 4000rpm at 200kmh. Any ideas on how ot overcome this? Like I said, I don't need to dyno the car, but everyone's interested to see what it'll do. I might even get greedy and bump another 4 or 5 degrees timing into it. Don't worry, the nitrous bottle isn't in the boot anymore