Hey Bill. Does that mean she will be at SITP this year or is she holding out for SALT!

 

Oh, so that's the deal.... why didn't you say so, I'd gladly help a brother out...

 

Its really good to get back into a five speed. I need to change the gear lever to a shorter one, and if I can, do my universal joint change to the rear coupler. Maybe the ball cup.

The auto is quite quick, its the euro, and the 2.74 rear end. But do think with less power the 86 5speed can take the euro auto. There seems to be more grunt - it would be even more obviously if the 86 didn't have a 2.2. That is a MOUNTAIN of a rear end ratio.

 

I was wondering how much the 2.2 affects how the autos feel---it pulls, and pulls, and just doesn't shift very often, and I wonder if because the revs are slower in coming up, if it doesn't sound like it's accelerating as fast, when in fact it very may well be.

You need to get them side by side and see.

 

That is the plan soon. My wife in the auto and me in the five speed. Best of three.

 

I would like to see that. I'd also like to see how much faster the supercharged S4 is than the faster of the 2.

 

A supercharged S4 would tear the two cars up into teeny little shreds as they pass through its intake system, and it would shoot the residual ashes out via its tailpipe. It would gain about 6 car lengths on either, by 60mph, and by 160 it would be over the next horizon.

 

Yep. The 78 I am building (still- but soon) will be a bit of a more robust animal though.

 

I need to dyno my car. I'm sure it's a lot faster than it was, but you become acclimated to it. I raced some kid in a V6 mustang on the on ramp the other day, and while I beat him by several car lengths by the end of the ramp, the off-the-line acceleration (or rather, initial acceleration once I had turned onto the ramp) didn't seem too overwhelming.

I guess with the 2.20 rear end and a second gear start, it takes a little bit for the revs to build to the peak power part of the curve, which is probably what I'm noticing.

 

BTW, I like to think of my wife as being pretty understanding, but she would NEVER stick around if there were 4 models of the same car piling up in the garage or in the street, 2 of which were apart.

Kudos to the ladies that put up and shut up

 

Oh, she's not quiet about it, nor happy. Somewhat understanding. The Euro is going. The 89 is going. I will have the 78 and this 86 for the time being. 86 to drive daily and the 78 to finally put together. I'm getting pretty damn sick and tired of it myself, and thats why I have gone so far on the 78 - everything new or powdercoated, or cleaned. Now if the perfectly clean, rebuilt, and almost reengineered car does not treat me well, I will simply pack it all up go to stock but powerful waranteed cars like the Z-06.

You have a kid now. Mine is almost 4 (Sept).

Do we, as young men with Families and Careers to provide for those families, have enough time to spend hour after hour chasing some white dragon of a wish for the perfect car?

I'm going to get a ride in a few newer but powerful cars soon. If I don't see much of a personality difference, then I see now reason to continue spending money on 20 year old technology.

 

I tell you, a car would have to be pretty special for me to buy it with a car alarm installed other than a factory installation. I passed on a 944 several years ago because it was showing some gremlins and had a aftermarket alarm. I happened to see it at the mechanic I occassionaly use a few months later, they were 10 hours into the wiring trying to get it correct. Made me happy, had that 944 for 3 years, never spent a dime on it after a tb/wp job when I bought it.

 

There was no info at all that it had an alarm at the time.

Plus, its not so much that I "bought" the car, but more like a "trade" with good will of sorts.

Its mechanically quite solid, but electrical stuff keeps it from being perfect.