ALFAGTV6.COM

[ar4me]

Exterior...

[ar4me]

Weigh-in

[ar4me]

Dyno sheet: 301.5 hp & 260 ft-lbs at the wheels
Only fuel was adjusted - the timing was not tuned locally yet, though Dawie obviously tuned it in SA, but in 6000 ft elevation.

[Micke]

Finally back on the topic.

For a race car I find the 75 rather heavy. Considering my GTV is over 400 lbs lighter and this could still be lightened if not for the regulations.
The doors look like at least 50 lbs each still.

Corner weight seems pretty good. Getting more weight over to the right to compensate for the driver would be better (depends in which directions the track are).

The car has the same problem as mine. Front heavy. The problem is that the rear is easy to strip whereas the front is very difficult (read expensive and time consuming) to get light enough.
What directly sticks in my eye is the battery. I'd move it rearward to improve weight distribution. At least behind the tranverse bar if not the trunk.

[Micke]

Speaking about towing.

this is nice with the GTV. With only 915 kg its very easy to transport.

Having a heavy load behind the car doesn't automatically mean bad mileage. I towed home my Q4 which weighs 1600 kg or 3500 lbs! and only consumed about 7 l/100 or 33 mpg (of biodiesel). This weight is about the limit what the 1.9 TDI can easily pull.

A dolly would be nice but not allowed in Finland or Germany.

[another hijack but still weight related ]

[Zamani]

The rear US bumper weighs -40 lbs. The headlights...maybe -7 lbs each. I had to lower the front end after I switched to Twinspark bumpers.

I don't see any front anti-roll bar installed yet, that's another +15 lbs I think.

I think for the group Jes will be running, most like AROSC, he should have no problems. Even if he runs in the non-Alfa class, he'll be going against fast 993s or maybe some 996 GT3s which put out about the same bhp as his car. Maybe some F355 challenge cars as well.

I think the best you can do is about 2250 lbs, thats with rollcage and glass (except front) and race seats. That's actually pretty good keeping in mind the power output. 105 cars are around 2000 lbs but we're talking about 150-185 bhp cars.

[Zamani]

Micke,

Is that an Espace or an Evasion/Multipla ?

How heavy is the trailer?

I don't see any way my car can go below 2700 lbs. I have nice recaro seats which I am unwilling to part with hehe. I also have power windows.... and oh can't live without the stereo hehehe.... Rollcage coming soon... man I really need to make some sacrifices here.

[Micke]

I guess you cannot get rid of the 150 lbs subwoofer either

It's a Seat Alhambra aka VW Sharan aka Ford Galaxy.

Trailer was darn heavy. About 1300 lbs I recall. The one I use for the GTV is 750 lbs

[Barry]

[zambon]

I think my father's volvo wagon can tow 3500 lbs. I have used it to dolly a stock milano before and I got nearly 15mpg towing. Plus the volvo is a car that you can be seen in. It is a true asset to any household, as well, due to its extreme practicality.
I am thinking about buying a police interceptor to be my tow vehicle. Those things can tow as much as a truck, but they get fair gas milage due to high gearing and ok aerodynamics. I would buy a junker at an auction for shy of $1000 and update the trans with a truck 6 speed manual when the original starts having problems. I could even talk about putting in a diesel when the stock engine goes south. Then I could run veggie oil from my father's restaurant. I could make fiberglass pannels to lighten it. That is my dream tow rig right now .
I need to sell my 99 f350 dually as soon as possible. It is a crime against the planet to drive that thing unloaded (10.8 mpg ).
Zam, get the dolly, those things are handy and they dont take up huge space when not in use. I bought a new one for $780.

[Mats]

We can put Mats in the driver's seat - the air alone will lighten the car by 200 pounds...!

Hahaha! Yeah, and maybe if you actually went to the toilet once in a while you wouldn't be so full of it...

[zambon]

Could increasing rear downforce compensate for the slight front weight bias? I know that this is a complex question as downforce changes by speed. That said, can you generally compensate this way to some degree?

[zambon]

Damn,
You guys are bringing your A games to this thread! Zing!
Take off, hosers;)

[Andrew.b]

Dyno sheet: 301.5 hp & 260 ft-lbs at the wheels
Only fuel was adjusted - the timing was not tuned locally yet, though Dawie obviously tuned it in SA, but in 6000 ft elevation.

Good power Jes!

But, you've got a massive hole in the 2500 to 4000 rpm range.... Have you/jj been 'screwing around' with the map??

The timing map from S.A will be on the safe side, but I know Dawie does run more advance at the Pretoria elevation, than at sea level, so if you play with anything, be careful not to add too much advance in the mid and top end................the deadly det will bite you!! you cant even hear it high up in the rev range.

It might be an effect of the 48 or 50mm t/bodies, i can't remember the exact size?? maybe it's loosing airspeed at lower revs? who know's.......... with some more tuning we'll find out, and you'll 'map it out'

I hope you've beefed up the gearbox mounts, as these will crap themselves pretty fast. What have you done to the prop to handle the power?? have you gone too CV or universal joints in the ends??

well done.

P.s It would be nice to have made a run in a standard 3.0 milano or gtv6 to get a 'rough base point' that could be used for comparisons of power 'at the wheels'...

By just pumping up the tyres by 10 psi will give you 8/10 bhp more, as you reduce the rolling losses of the tyres!

Or running the power run in 4th or 5th gear will give you different results, as there are more losses in a higher gear.

This is why it's important to measure the rolling losses during coastdown, to calculate crank power. Even then it's only relative to that car on that day, ambient temps and so on. I guess you measure things differently in the US. But hey, whatever its good power - more than you'll ever need on track

I think you might be even faster on track than JJ.......... as he's now chasing 425bhp?? plus, and unless some radical development takes place on his 75, he may well be slower, and have to work hard to equal your corner speeds

Wouldn't that be funny......

[ar4me]

Zamani,
Yes, swaybar will increase front bias - was on earlier but off right now.
Andrew,
Nah, we didn't mess with the map, yet . Joe (from GoTech) did some minor fuel adjustments at the dyno, but didn't touch the ignition. He briefly did attempt to map out the dip, but either it is inherent or takes more time - we shall see...
The only change to the drive shaft is the addition of the "plate" at the front coupling to reduce the "twisting". Again, we'll see if I'll be changing couplings daily...
Oh, and I have an inherent weight advantage against JJ (the secret: running daily). Though, can't match Zamani

How much weight do you guys think carbon fiber hood + trunk + front fenders and polycarbonate side and rear windows will save?

I know the car doesn't look racy, but I kind of like it in its fairly stock form. Does an Evo kit buy you much in terms of aero dynamics? How much does the front splitter help? Any ideas?

Jes