TAP speed

[Sargent Schutt <sargent@symposiafoundation.org>]

John sez:

>My car goes really, really fast with a TAP chip...as long as it stays 
>in the glove box.  :)

John,

I mentioned in my last e-mail I did have the TAP in my 90 90q 20v. It
did make a modest improvement. Public consumption NA engines are mapped
for fuel economy to keep the manufacturer in the CAFE game. Many NA cars
do get a benefit with a timing advance and a little more fuel, though
fuel economy suffers more than performance improves. On NA cars, if you
can improve the breathing (K&N does not do much, but it may help,
depending on where the restriction in the system is) that helps, too. In
the 90q 20V I had an improvement. Maybe a 10% gain. The car was never
really that fast to begin with, though. 

I’m curious, what have you done to yours to make it “really really fast”
- stroked, cam, turbo?

The whole reason I sold mine is it wasn’t very fast. A blast to drive
through corners, but not much juice (compared to the mildly modified tq
cars). I didn’t want to step up to the plate for a new motor (a 3B would
be great in that car!!)

Also, how close to 160 have you been in that thing? Stock, the 20v car
is only reported to go ~132 mph (C&D test, I believe). Mine (TAP, K&N
extra set of pedal for the front seat passenger) saw 143 with two other
people in the car, but I backed off for lack of safe room (approaching
an overpass/hideout). Other listers have seen 150 in the same car, with
what mods I don’t know. Makes one wonder how accurate these VDO
speedometers are. 

sarge

91 200q
86 5ktq
previous 90 90q 20v