Re: Virginia City Hillclimb - Long Report

[ptimmerm@mashtun.JPL.NASA.GOV]

Thanks to Scott M for doing the nice write up, and saving me
from having to do the bulk of it.  He had some heavy duty driving
to do over the weekend WITHOUT even driving the hill.  I was a little
bummed about breaking the 323 GTX, but the bright side was learning
some things by taking rides. It was fun to ride in some of the 
different cars out there.  The first ride was in an UrQ with stock motor
and the Sportwhhels Eibach / Bilstien setup with 16" wheels and new
Conti Pilots.  We were pulling some major G-Forces with that car,
even thoough the trap speeds were less than my mazda.  I was thrilled
to know what little I have to do to my street car to make it corner
like that.  Truelty awesome.  If that ride had me hanging on, my second
car was a IT prepared 944 with R1 tires installed.  I couldn't believe
we were going to come out of the first combination of corners at the 
speed he entered them, but it just stuck! I bounced my helmet off 
the roll cage not able to completely counteract the huge G forces.
This normally asperated car was no trap speed demond either, but it
turned excellent times of right around 4:03, compared to about 4:08
for the UrQ.  My last ride was in a 91 200 sedan with a 20 vavle, a
phase 3 chip from ned, the stock k-24, and 60 series D40M2's.  The 
car was the most powerful of the three, turning about 105 in the trap
with a passenger aboard.  However, the 60 series tires deformed very
severley, creating tons of scrub, and cornering speed which were the
slowest of the group.  Times for the nearly stock 200 sedan were 
pretty close to the other two cars, at around 4:10.  The 200 was so
quite and comfortable that riding in it was amazingly comfortable.
Big contrast to the racing tire shod 944. Three very different cars 
and ways to get up the hell, with similar times.

I have vissions of next year, with proper springs, sticky tires,
and 18 pounds of boost.  I know that would allow my car to outcorner
the Ur-Q, accelerate with the 200, and test my driving to the limit.
In short, you could say I am hooked!  :-)

Oh, if you have to know, the 323GTX turned a 4:33 on the last run,
with all season radials installed.  It was good practice, and with
sticky rubber I could have used third gear in the corners, and not 
over-revved the motor.  Live and learn.

paul timmerman