Re: V8 Handling/brakes

[Eliot Lim <eliot@u.washington.edu>]

the big win with switching to conventional brakes is the great loss of
unsprung weight, which leads to better ride and a much lighter feel,
though it's really an illusion. 

with a better ride you can inflate the front tires to much higher
pressures, which i think is the key to eliminating the mushiness. with 45
psi, i have a very sharp feeling front end and yet have a tolerable ride,
since i have the conventional brakes. 

i have also replaced the front shocks with boge pro gas and i'm pretty
happy with the gain in handling with no loss in ride quality.  rear 
shocks wore out at around 60K.. i put in standard boge turbo gas which
is stock.

but let's face reality.. having a V8 mounted in front of the front wheels
(even though it is amazingly light for a V8, lighter than say, the
accord's V6!!) is as conceptually flawed as mounting a flat six behind the
rear axle... :)

the car will never turn in as well as a car with better weight
distribution. 

the car i have today is much better than the same car 5 years ago. 

the transmission software was upgraded, the brakes i have already
mentioned.  all the bugs have been fixed by the dealer during the warranty
period so the car is actually trouble free right now. 

i am considering selling the car later this year and either get a S6 wagon
or a carrera 2/4....  anyone interested?  perfect mechanical condition,
one or two cosmetic dings, no accidents, 84K miles...  new slushbox
replaced at 35K.  new pads, new shocks, all service receipts.  only two
factory trained mechanics have ever worked on the car since it was new and
they enjoy working on this one because they know its entire history.  oh
yes, i also have a complete set of factory repair manuals and 4 studded
snow tires on 7X15 steel wheels..  would like to see it all go to a good
home.... 

if you are looking for a steal, this wouldn't be it, but if you are
looking for a V8 that is probably as good as they come and are willing to
pay for it, we can talk about it.


eliot