Ice Racing Jeep Shows Diversity Of Racing Machines

All forms of racing demand specialized vehicles which conform to the racing environment and the class rules. This is what makes the world of motorsport so diverse and interesting.

Our build feature shows an ice racing jeep that uses interesting details to be highly competitive in its class. Built by the owner of Edgewater Jeep in Colorado, this ice racer was fabricated around a heavily modified Jeep DJ3 frame. As with any racer, a rollcage has been built and attached to the frame to both provide protection in crashes and chassis stiffening. Suspension is an upper link/lower wishbone combination front and rear, which is damped by adjustable Koni coilover shocks and Hypercoil springs. Disc brakes front and rear handle the stopping duties and depending on the class that the Jeep is entered in, tires used vary from grooved or studded with 1.5 inch spikes.

Power is provided by a highly modified, carb-fed 400-ci V8 Chevy that provides 500 horsepower at 7,400 rpm. A dry-sump system is used for circulating the engine oil and A 3-speed TH350 automatic is used to transfer the power to Dana 44 axles front and rear with 4.27 ratios.

Since a stock DJ3 weights about 998 kg, it would be safe to assume this racer weighing in at 900 kilos or less. Performance calculations for this four-wheel drive hotrod place 0-60 at 2.6 seconds with a potential top speed of 130 mph. In a vehicle as light and open as this, that is scary performance. But it should be a lot of fun, as the below video suggests.

Source article here.

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Italian Tuner Performs Radical Transformation On Fiat 500

The normal route when a tuner lays his hands on a car is to add more power by modifying the engine and reducing weight to improve the power-to-weight ratio. Motore Centrale did both and more, much more, by converting the lowly Fiat 500, which is a 135 horsepower front-wheel drive car into a mid-engined 230 horsepower pocket rocket.

Installing a bigger turbo and intercooler with some revised engine internals produced this 95 hp gain, which is controlled by an electronic limited-slip differential. Other modifications include 4-pot brake calipers, Bilstein adjustable suspension, 17-inch tires and a 50 kg weight reduction. But the most radical transformation has been to transfer the engine from the front to the middle of the car and making it a rear drive vehicle. An entire subframe has been designed to accommodate the engine, as well as a new wishbone suspension for the rear. A clue to the car’s nature is the additional ducting on the rear fenders.

All these mods produce performance that is unheard of in small cars like these. 0-60 mph is now 4.7 seconds from the original 7 plus seconds and top speed is now 245 km/h. For the true nutheads, Motore Centrale is also producing a track version that further lightens the car and boosts horsepower to 280.

See source article here.

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Mines R34 Is Almost Too Much Of A Good Thing

Until the Western media discovered one of Japan's supercars, a skyline was what you saw  looking over an urban cityscape. Now Skylines are recognized all over the world and are much respected due to their on-track and accessible performance. One of the best known tuned Skylines is the R34 built by Mines. Typical of its builds, the Mines R34 does not have outrageous wings or flared fenders, instead relying on subtle graphics to announce its presence.

What lies beneath the skin, however, is a level of performance that should impress even Nissan's engineers. This is because the power of the engine has been doubled, using in-house intake, exhaust and camshaft mods. The original turbos were ditched for a pair of HKS GT2530 turbos and the management electronics were revamped to allow the engine to hit its 630hp at 7200 rpm limit effortlessly.

Mines suspension components are installed, including 3-way adjustable dampers and sway bar. 18-inch Mines magnesium wheels hide uprated brake rotors and calipers. For the body mods, subtle carbon fiber pieces subtly give the Mines R34 Skyline a different look without making it look trashy. Our performance calculations estimate 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds and the quarter-mile in the mid-11s. Nowadays, there are more powerful Skylines out there, but Mines' tuning philosophy has always been balance, and in this aspect, the tuner has succeeded brilliantly.

During testing, even jaded race driver Keichi Tsuchiya was heard to say, 'it's so fast that even a dead man will scream.' Mere performance numbers are not enough to describe what the car can do. The video belows shows how it compares to a modded Supra.

Source article here.

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"57 Sleeper" Chevy Bel Air A Prime Example Of Hotrodding Art

One of the most iconic and widely modified American cars is the 1957 Chevy Bel Air. So many have been modified to the extremes that it is difficult nowadays to find one that will really stand out from the crowd. This show car example, which is driven regularly, is one that does. Owned by Red Line Oil’s Tim Kerrigan, this car has been lavished with the best of what is available in the hotrodding scene, and the results speak for themselves.

Starting with a custom Art Morrison chassis, commissioned builder Dominator Street Rods installed a custom twin-turbo big block that produces 1590 horsepower and over 1500 lb-ft. of torque. A 4-speed custom automatic transfers power to the wheels via a custom driveline that includes Strange Engineering axles. These axles are used widely in pro drag race cars for their unbreakable reputation, which is what 1500 pounds foot of torque will do to lesser components. In fact, the engine was reportedly de-tuned to make it more streetable and even at 70 mph, digging into the throttle will still smoke the tires. The rest of the build includes Wilwood brakes and rotors with 6-pot calipers, 3-inch custom exhaust, electronic traction control, a bladder-type fuel tank and custom leather interior.

The original Chevy Bel Air weighed from 3,200 to 3,400 pounds. Assuming a weight of 3,500 pounds, performance calculations for this car put 0-60 mph in something like 2.6 seconds. The quarter mile would be done in less than 8.5 seconds, which is not bad for a street-driven show car. Many critics have scoffed that this car can’t do corners, and compared with today’s hot hatches, it would probably have a difficult time of it. But as the saying goes, “different horses for different courses”, so in the area of performance that the builders and owner of this car had in mind, this car is a standout example.

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King Sling A Different Kind Of Truck In Design And Purpose

The build featured here, while looking like a monster is apparently known more correctly as a digger truck.  But leaving specifics aside for the hardcore aficionados, what's interesting about this truck is how it's built to suit a specific purpose.

Starting with a a tube frame chassis with an integrated rollcage, the builders then fitted a cab and fabricated a custom rear section for the chassis, which would serve as a cover for the engine, mount in the middle of the chassis. This is already a departure from the typical monster truck build, which normally have their engines in front. The engine is a 540-inch big-block with a 10% overdriven supercharger. This gives it a horsepower rating of 1,800-1,900 horsepower, although a peak of 2,500 is reportedly possible with the setup.

To handle that power and enable this rig, named King Sling, to jump the high berms that please spectators, the truck is equipped with a 4-link suspension, nitrogen-charged bypass shocks, and, of course, 4 wheel drive. The coilover shocks have 16 inches of travel at the front and 20 inches in the rear.

A difference from monster trucks one will observe will be the tires. The tires are narrower and a bit smaller, although the lugs on the tires are custom-cut. As an indicator of the amount of custom work performed on the truck, the cutting of the tread takes 6 hours per tire. Finishing off the King Sling is a paint job that uses spray-on chrome as a base before being finished in its lime color that was overlaid with custom graphics.

With no definite weight available for the King Sling, we can't do proper performance calculations to get some performance figures for the truck. However, it's generally acknowledged that this truck weighs half that of monster trucks, so with almost 2000 horsepower on tap, acceleration and powering through obstacles should not be a problem at all.

Source article here.

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935-007 Moby Dick A 20-year Labor of Love

Like wine, some car builds need time, 20 years worth in this case, to be built to proper specification, specially when what you are building is one of the most famous racing cars ever built.

The Porsche 935/78 was built for the Group 5 regulations of the period, where Porsche's Norbert Singer used a standard 930 chassis (the basis for the 911 Turbo). By removing the front and rear sections and grafting aluminum subframes, the designers were able to attach the racing suspension and install an exclusive twin-turbo flat six with 4-valve water-cooled heads, making 845 horsepower. A low-drag body featuring a long nose and tail were used, which made it look like a whale, hence the moniker Moby Dick. Only one was ever built in that period, although Porsche apparently had another chassis in storage.

It is this chassis, 935-007, that was the basis for the recently completed build started by an American Porsche collector and restorer 20 years ago. Because of his desire to build the car to original specifications, the parts needed were very rare, to the point that he gave up the project because of his inability to purchase the special 935/71 engine. Passing the project on to Fresinger Porsche who were able to acquire the rare engine, the car was finally completed recently and went out on its maiden outing at the Spa Classic in May of 2011. This car is built to the correct 1978 spec and can thus be recognized as the only 935/78 in private hands.

Specs for the factory car are 2.6 seconds to 100 km/h with a top speed of 365 kilometers per hour. Performance calculations show that this car has a power-to-weigh ratio of 837 bhp per ton, with the quarter mile time estimated in 10.1 seconds. It’s nice to see that this car was driven at the Spa Classic instead of being kept hidden away for just a few people to see. Iconic racing cars like Porsche’s Moby Dick are extremely rare and it had not been seen at a racetrack for 30 years until last May.

Source article here.

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Miller 1929 Ford Roadster Takes Hotrodding To New Directions

One has to admit that hotrodders display degrees of ingenuity and creativity that reflect on their individual creations. To create a rolling work of art from what was originally a utilitarian tool can only be described as genius. In making the Miller 1929 Ford Roadster, a crew of top craftsmen was tapped, resulting in a one-of-a-kind creation that does justice to the spirit of American hotrodding.

This Ford Roadster mostly uses aftermarket components, as the concept called for power windows, a removable hardtop, and a trailer that tows a welding generator. Modern components such as an independent front suspension and a modern audio/video system were also installed, which are systems unimagined in 1929. For the engine, a 453-horsepower Roush 302 was installed, which gives 10 times more than the power that was originally installed in 1929 for the Ford Roadster. But perhaps the most unique aspect of this vehicle is its trailer, which carries a welding generator powered by another Roush 302 engine with an output of 320 horsepower. The original engine for the welding generator is a Kohler 20-hp unit, so one can only imagine what the excess power can be used for. To tie the Roadster and trailer together, a 1929 Ford radiator was used for the trailer, together with a matching shell.

Despite obviously being a showpiece, it’s easy to imagine this particular roadster/pickup and trailer combination being seen in a racing team’s pit, where the auxiliary power can be tapped for welding as well as powering other pit equipment. Far from being just another blown hotrod, the Miller Roadster shows the possibilities of hotrodding when creativity and enthusiasm are given free reign.

Source article here.

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See the full gallery on Posterous

See the full gallery on Posterous

KAMAZ Trucks Remain Dominant In Their Racing Class

The Dakar Rally is famous for the grueling terrain and rugged machinery that teams must bring to the race in order to even finish. Even though there are numerous classes in the Dakar Rally, one of the more fascinating classes is the T4 class, which is the truck class. And the dominant make in the truck class, having won 8 of 10 class wins, is the Kamaz brand from Russia.

Currently, the chassis being used by the Kamaz Team is the type 4326-9, which is a 20,000 pound 4X4 truck. Its designers have favored reliability to withstand the torturous stages, which is why it uses leaf springs and solid axles front and rear, with competition shocks from Reider in Holland being utilized. The cab section has an FIA-spec cage and it has space for the driver, mechanic and co-driver. As befits its racing nature, two fuel cells with a maximum capacity of almost 250 gallons are placed low and center in the chassis. This fuel capacity is necessary to keep the 17-liter, twin turbo, 730 horsepower V8 engine fed. A 16-speed ZF transmission feeds that power to the front and rear diffs. Top speed is 170 km/h hour, but bear in mind that this velocity is achieved in unpaved terrain. To provide the best balance possible, the engine and transfer case are relocated towards the center of the vehicle.

Seeing these trucks perform day in and day out in the rally is amazing because these trucks keep on going whereas their competitors from companies like MAN from Germany often fall by the wayside. It’s not useful to do our normal performance calculations because the power-to-weight ratio of this behemoth is very far compared to, say, a Porsche or even an M5. But what makes this design a winner is its consistency and reliability in a race that demands stamina and speed in equal measures.

See source article here.

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1966 Minx Sports Modern Honda Underpinnings

Whatever you think of globalization, it generally has been a boon for us car enthusiasts who get to see all the forms of motorsports and project builds from around the world. This exposure would not have been possible without the Internet. As an example, where else would you see a vintage British car and Japanese powertrain grafted together by an American fabricator? That’s the very creation you see here.

Starting with a 1966 Sunbeam Minx, this American hot rodder swapped in a Honda F20 engine with its 6-speed manual transmission. Originally, this engine was found in the S2000, which gave an output of around 240 horsepower from 2000 cc. On the S2000, this engine output was good for 0-60 times of about 5.5 seconds. The original 1800cc Minx had 65 horsepower and a top speed of about 85 mph or 140 km/h. 0-60 was in the region of, wait for it, 18 seconds. So, again, this swap follows the classic formula of a powerful engine in a small chassis. The original curb weight for the car is estimated at 2250 pounds, or 1020 kilos. Even with the added weight of the modern suspension and powertrain, performance should be much better than 5 seconds for the 0-60 time.

But the real beauty this car is not in its sports car performance but in how the builder was able to fit not only the engine, transmission and front suspension from an S2000. For the rear end, a 4-link suspension with a Jeep diff was utilized. To keep the car as vintage looking as possible, most of the original instrumentation was retained but the internals were modified too to accommodate the electronic inputs from the modern powerplant. The modified instrumentation shows speed, fuel, oil, water and engine RPM. Even though the tach looks vintage, closer inspection will reveal a 10,000 rpm redline. The finished car looks very ordinary, except for the wheels. However, closer inspection will reveal the incredible fabrication skills that went into the car and one must look at the 35-page build thread to appreciate the work involved in putting the project together.

See the complete build thread here.

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BOSS 302S Is An Instant Rarity

It’s a good time for muscle car enthusiasts nowadays, as a renewed war seems to have ignited once again among the Big Three. An example of this is Ford’s Boss 302S which is a special run of the current Ford Mustang. Mind you, this is not some tarted up bells and whistles fluff model. The Boss 302S is a run of factory racers that is intended for use on the NASA American Iron series or the GTS class of the World Challenge series. The limited run of 50 guarantees exclusivity.

The 302S is assembled at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan facility after the installation of an FIA-spec rollcage by an outside contractor. The factory seam sealer, sound deadener and interior panels are omitted from the assembly to reduce weight. Drivetrain is basically the same as that of the roadgoing Boss 302, which is a 5-liter V8 giving out 440 horsepower. The OEM six-speed manual is fitted too but a Torsen unit is used in the differential.

Other features of this track-use car include a Ford racing aluminum radiator and oil cooler, brake cooling ducts and adjustable Panhard rod. High-performance Pirellis are used for the rolling stock. AIM instrumentation with GPS data logging provide the information the driver and crew needs and a carbon fiber rear wing adds a functional and distinctive look to the car. Perhaps the most unique part of this car is the distinctive build plate that replaces the VIN plate. This little piece of aluminum truly proves the provenance of the car.

Ford enthusiasts who have 80K to blow on a project car would do worse than get one of these rarities, that is, if the order list hasn’t yet been filled. Luckily for those wanting to buy this special Mustang, Ford has said that it is open to keeping the production of this car running as long as demand justifies it.

Source article here.

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Pikes Peak Quattro S1 Still Awesome After 25 Years

It was Audi that came out with a viable high-performance all-wheel drive system for cars in the early 1980s and since then, no high-performance rally car has been competitive without such a system. Towards the late 1980s, Audi entered its orphaned rally creation at the Pikes Peak race and showed North Americans the incredible traction capabilities of all-wheel drive in loose surfaces. First, it was Michele Mouton who set a record in 1985 for fastest time up the mountain. In 1987, Walter Rohrl also took the overall win up the mountain. That was the last time the Pikes Peak S1 would be seen because Audi did not return for the 1988 edition of the race.

For the Pikes Peak event, Audi used its Quattro Sport S1, which was basically a rally car with an all-aluminum, 4-valve, 5-cylinder KKK-turbocharged engine tuned to produce (officially) 600 horsepower from its 2.1 liters of displacement. While 600 horsepower street cars are relatively common nowadays, 600 horsepower was a huge amount of power then. However, it was that the turbo, with an anti-lag system, actually produced 1,000 horsepower. The all-wheel drive system was complemented by three locking diffs and a six-speed, dual-clutch sequential transmission. Other highlights include a Kevlar body and carbon fiber driveshafts, which helped to keep the car's overall weight to an even 1,000 kilos.

With a power to weight ratio of .6 bhp per kilogram (at 600 hp), performance calculations place 0-60 mph times at 2.6 seconds and the quarter mile in 11 seconds. One can only speculate how violent the acceleration would be with 1,000 horsepower. With performance like this, one can see why the Audi Quattro was an unbeatable car in its prime.

Article on the Quattro here.

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Cusco Impreza A Worthy Competitor In Japan's GT300 Wars

Mention the word Impreza and the image that automatically comes to mind is of street cars with distinctive exhaust burbles coming from cannon-sized exhausts or of World Rally Championship cars in their distinctive blue livery. What’s not very commonly known is that Cusco, a respected name in aftermarket tuning circles, has been campaigning an Impreza in the Japanese GT300 series for more than a decade. The particular Impreza featured here was built for the 2007 season.

Looking at the car, it is almost unrecognizable as an Impreza because of the wild bodywork that is permitted under the JGTC rules. The car features a lightened body and has been prepped with the usual safety rollcage. Onto this prepared chassis were installed a push-rod inboard type double wishbone suspension for the front and rear, ALCON water-cooled 6-pot caliper brakes with Ferodo pads and 18-inch Hart wheels on Dunlop racing tires. The engine is Subaru’s trusty EJ20 built by Subaru Technica International. Output is restricted to 300 horsepower by the class rules and transmission is a CUSCO Sequential 6-speed transaxle AWD unit. Being a Cusco-sponsored car, Cusco also fitted its radiator, oil cooler, intercooler, suspension components, LSD and the distinctive body kit. Ready to race, the car weighs in at 1150 kilos. Performance calculations place its 0-60 time at less than 4 seconds with the quarter mile in around 12.5 seconds.

In terms of outright performance, this car is now beaten by the 800-horsepower unlimited class time attack cars that can be found all over. In its time and in its class though, this performance was enough for a class win.

Source article is here.

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