[EcoBoost]

I wanted to share our most recent results on drag strip testing our faithful Soul Food Solstice:

These results are not 'new', per se...I was keeping them under wraps until we had finished testing on the Stage III and IV equipment, so as not to get everyone hot and bothered about something not yet available to the public!

So, when we last visited this subject, I had gotten ol' dependable Soul Food Solstice into the 12's:
http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20695

Changes since then include BFG Drag Radials, and a Stage IV turbosystem upgrade, along with a couple tweaks to the engine. Still on stock internals though!

Here's what we got:

12.09 seconds at 116.63 MPH, which calculates to about 390 WHP!!

Here's the remaining incremental times:
60 ft: 1.900
330 ft: 5.178
1/8 ET: 7.853
1/8 MPH: 91.96

The heartbreaker was the fact that we had run a couple of passes with considerably better short times, but missed a gear before the 1/8:
60 ft: 1.795
330 ft: 5.016
1/8 ET: 7.715
1/8 MPH: 87.57

Doing the math, we can see that had I been able to put together the best short times and not miss a gear, an 11 second pass was assured, probably a mid-to-high 11.80!!

The MPH figures indicate we are at about 450 engine horsepower. Not bad for a stock bottom end 2.4, eh? And she lives, still healthy, still going down the road.

Alas, these admittedly aggressive (nothing makes me drive so hard as tasting an 11 sec. pass!) sessions ended with a broken rear axle. Rather than just slap in a new stocker, I opted to work with The DriveShaft Shop (we go way back!) to develop a set of bulletproof upgrade axles.

These will be available soon to the general public, and my quest for the 11's will continue!

Should anyone want to build an equivalent setup for their Solstice or Sky (or even more wicked, higher HP is no problem for us!)...just email or PM me

 

[compression]

Those are some really good numbers, Thanks for giving us N/A guys a HOPE and a DREAM. I don't think a GXP will have anything on a N/A turbo car anymore. But once those ECu's get cracked, we will have a bit of a dog fight on our hands.

Keep up the good work.

 

[perris]

are you one or two spool turbo?

could you show pics under the hood too?

thanx

 

[MTS]

yeah dude, hit every gear with that 1.7 60, and you've got 11's easy with that mph. congrats! that's haulin!

 

[lil goat]

NICE RUN! Way to go Hahn Sol Oh!

 

[grinder]

Whats next Bill? Stage 500! Anyway, stageIII is smooth as silk and feelin stronger everyday. Won't be long and I'll be ready for more.

 

[EcoBoost]

NICE RUN! Way to go Hahn Sol Oh!

Now THAT'S funny! Hahn Sol Oh! I feel the force, Obi Wan!

Love the Screaming Yellow Zonkers avatar too :lol:

 

[achieftain]

Have you thought of a gear swap for the lower ratio of the GXP?

 

[EcoBoost]

Are you referring to the rear end gearing?

 

[TurboSol]

Have you thought about including a set of Drag Radials in your Stage III Kit ?

 

[2literterror]

Now THAT'S funny! Hahn Sol Oh! I feel the force, Obi Wan!

Actually Hahn Solo never felt the force.

 

[madmods]

Bill,
Congratulations. That is a awesome feat. Now you said stock internals?

 

[achieftain]

Are you referring to the rear end gearing?

Yes, Bill. A stock 2.4 has a rear axle ratio of 3.91 and the GXP is 3.73. I have no clue if the internals are swappable, but certainly the entire diff housing might. Unfortunately the opposite effect might happen. http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/148_0208_gear_ratio_calculating/photo_09.html In fact it would appear on the surface that for quicker 1/4 mile times a GXP would want N/A rear gears. But torque comes into play as well as shift points and the real possibility of an earlier shift into third ( I assume you have to hit third) would allow more effect of the torque available in that gear. Certainly with enough available parts, time, and money an experiment would either prove or disprove the change.

 

[smartin]

This is unbelievable! Nice going :thumbs:

 

[EcoBoost]

Thanks Chief!

You betcha I have to hit third, and fourth too...I'm going almost 120 at the end of the 1/4 mile!

The 3.73 is actually Taller gearing, whereas the 3.91 is the Lower gear. Think of it like transmission gears...those with the most multiplication are the lower gears, those with the least are the higher (taller) gears.

Theoretically, a lower rear end gear will enhance acceleration. But in the real world, there are myriad other factors involved, the most dominant of which is...prevailing traction.

When traction is at a premium, the taller gear can actually help 1/4 mile times by reducing wheelspin.

Would my car benefit from the taller rear gear of the GXP? It's a distinct possibility. 1st is over blindingly fast, and for it to last a bit longer might improve the chassis dynamic. I could almost certainly leave more aggressively too.

Downsides? More load on clutch and overall driveline, and lower RPM at any point on the track. The first one's critical, the second, maybe.

As you stated, there's really only one way to find out, and that would be to try it and analyze. Will I? Maybe later, or if I need to affect RPM for one reason or another.

 

[rick418cars]

Remember Bill, I've got that CTS-V diff. with the 3.73 ratio if you want to try it.
Personally I think it would work great.

 

[EcoBoost]

OK! Let's DO it. It's not a huge change, but anything that would give me a little longer first gear has got to help. Additionally, as I autocross the car this year (thanks for showing what a Hahn Turbo can do in SCCA Solo, ClearBra!), the taller gear will help me use the power with less drama.

 

[perris]

OK! Let's DO it. It's not a huge change, but anything that would give me a little longer first gear has got to help. Additionally, as I autocross the car this year (thanks for showing what a Hahn Turbo can do in SCCA Solo, ClearBra!), the taller gear will help me use the power with less drama.

I'm thinking this is a mistake

I don't think you bought the car for 0-60 performance, I think you bought it for the twisties, and I think a longer first gear is gonna hurt control in cornering

 

[compression]

I'm thinking this is a mistake

I don't think you bought the car for 0-60 performance, I think you bought it for the twisties, and I think a longer first gear is gonna hurt control in cornering

Some people build cars for a different purpose. I still think this car would kick your butt on the track. Just change a bit of the tuning again and it wil kick it even harder.

 

[EcoBoost]

I'm thinking this is a mistake

I don't think you bought the car for 0-60 performance, I think you bought it for the twisties, and I think a longer first gear is gonna hurt control in cornering

Oh, I don't know...seems the only corners I run in first gear are when I leave my driveway! In autocross, I doubt I'd ever use first, and not having to shift to 3rd until a bit later (keep in mind, the proposed change is a mere 5%, not a quantum shift by any means) might save time on the longer courses where I'd otherwise have to hit 3rd.

At the current power level, first gear is over blindingly fast. Keep in mind...0-60 times are now in the 3-something second range...which means I am shifting to 2nd in probably less than 2 seconds! :willy: