nsantolick

My car has been in the shop(s) for over 4 months now. I've had to make do with watching videos about it all this time instead.

Anyway, has anyone ever noticed that in that 1987 world record for a production car video that the car which set the record was stripped of its side mirrors? There's a scene in the video, after the record is set, where the driver takes his helmet off and talks about the run. In that scene, the car HAS its mirrors. The car they back off the truck HAS its mirrors too...

Other scenes in the video, including another where the car is shown driving on the painted line used for the record run show mirrors. In another scene, showing a side view, the camera stops just short of showing those missing mirrors.

I'm sorry, but if the car won't do 170 with it's side mirrors installed, the deals off...

Does anyone know of any other modifications to that "production" car? I wonder what the top speed would have been with the additional weight and drag of those factory mirrors?

Okay, okay, the deal is still on I suppose. I'll just have to remember to bring along a reciprocating saw or something if I try that sort of run myself, I guess. lol




Nick


1989 Porsche 928 S4
1960 Citroen 2CV
1973 Citroen SM
1986 Maserati Biturbo Zagato Spyder
1971 Mercedes 280S
1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Coupe
1974 Alfa Romeo Spider

hacker-pschorr

It's lower, no side mirrors and skinner wheels / tires and IIRC no wipers either. Per the rules this is not cheating either.

This has been discussed before in depth

As the story goes a "sock" S4 with side mirrors not only reached the top speed of the salt flat test, it exceeded that speed at the Nardo test track in Italy. Then they reached Utah for the "official" run some changes had to be made in order to reach the speed goal.

Contraire to popular belief, the salt flats are not the ideal place for a top speed run. Just one of the safest.


/I'm sure I'll receive twelve lashings for any mis-quoted data in this thread

nsantolick

Whoopsie. Should have checked first.

Leon Speed

What the h*ll is that? (mis-quote # 1)

Jim bailey - 928 International

That record car is now Kibort's race car. And it was a preproduction made on an 86 Chassis with custom cams and a custom brain. At the Nardo test track did 180 MPH. So Yes Porsche "cheated"

worf928

That's where you put a big white tight-fitting cover over the entire front end so as to reduce drag.

I'm surprised you haven't heard of "Sock Car Racing."

Jeez....

Leon Speed

Hey! Don't make fun of my fun

worf928

Sorry. Didn't mean to hose you...

nsantolick

Well it could have been worse, I guess. At least they didn't have rockets attached to the car, carefully edited out of the video. Or did they??? It was misleading though to do it the way they did.

Another thing - in the video, they were shown pushing the car to the starting line. I take it the car had just the bare minimum of fuel for the run, for safety and weight savings?

hacker-pschorr

Weight is a non issue with top speed runs where distance is not an issue.

Richard S

I think it also had a manual adjustment for the front cooling flaps in the passenger compartment....close them for better aero and more speed.

BTW, stock S4 with 2.2 rear end has a hard time getting above 165mph at that altitude on paved roads.....it's a struggle to get mine past 160mph at the Open Road Races. Big hole to get thru with the 2.2, not so hard with later rear end ratios.

Rich

Brett928S2

Hi

The ONLY way to reach 180...is to remove the rev limiter as well....

All the best Brett

mark kibort

yes, I have this car and have been racing it for 7 years now. only recently the engine was pulled to see if any magical changes were done to the bottomend, and it sure looks like its stock. (no squirters either )
It did have custom cams, but the cams were basically 85 cams, but more like GT cams. upon switching the "Holbert cams" out, i got near the same HP on the dyno by using the replacement 85 cams.

I studied that video pretty well, to find the little things that pointed it being my car. Things like the white in the door jams and under the hood (it was hastlely painted red for the record run. also , you can see the maroon interior. It also had no fender marker lights neither front or rear. We absolutely know my car was an IMSA rescue recovery vehicle, as there are other pics of things on the car that you might not notice. one of the things i heard about the limits of breaking the record, was wheel spin on the salt. as Jim mentioned, it went 180mph at Nardo in March a few months earlier. As I found the car, it did 295rwhp on the dyno before headers, and some basic corrective tuning.
(plugs, rotors, caps, proper key'ing of the coding plug, and holes in the airbox)

it was interesting that they used the automatic 86 chassis for the platform for the first S4. they had to convert it to a stick a the factory. found all sorts of funny things there when i went to rebuild the pedal system with Jim at 928inl's help. Mark Anderson and company helped with the initial build up of the Holbert racer with one of the most important conversions. the dual disc clutch conversion.

Now its got a stroker motor under all the stuff it came with. the old block looks fine and maybe one day, will find its way back under the 'ole holbert machine. (with a CF intake and radical cams, )

This chassis has had quite a life. Over 21 years, it broke the WR land speed record for production cars, was an IMSA pace car, and was then raced for 7 full racing seasons with out a DNF, while most always driven to the track and back! 108 racing days logged so far. a true testimate to porsche engineering!
(and Amsoil )

Mk

hacker-pschorr

Um.....not even close with the car in question.

Brett928S2

Hi

You just HAVE to have a go at me on ANY thread dont you....

If you don't believe me...ask John Speake....

Or even better...do the maths.....assuming you did go to school

All the best Brett