What do you guys think one would need to do one of those open road challenges and make a maverick go in the 200mph speed range for however many miles. Definitely something I would like to do one day. All the safety equipment is a given, but I guess I'm thinking more about the suspension and aerodynamics.
I would think that the aerodynamics would be stable at 200 on a Maverick, just not very efficient. With enough HP anything can go 200 .......
4 or 5 speed trans and a 2.79 rear gear (or better). Maybe a gear vendor? Sorta the opposite of where you have been going so far.
I read an extensive article about the build up of a 69 Camaro(can I say that here?) for the Silver State Classic for the 200MPH class and all I can say is cut the body off of the floor pans and subframes and build a chassis with a full cage NASCAR style and definitely figure out the aerodynamics... His car needed 900+ hp to overcome drag...
I know for a fact my Comet doesn't steer any longer at 135 MPH because the air going underneath the car. Front air dam and closing off the huge amount of air getting into the engine compartment would be where I would start. And, of course, lowering the car until sparks fly out from underneath over bumps.
I have raced my 97 Mustang Cobra in the Silve States Classic three times, and it it just a blast. You don't need to have a 200mph car to have alot of fun, and first time racers......besides having to take some type of drivers school for high speed driving................are mandated to start in the 95 or 110mph class. In the 110mph class that is your target speed (average speed through 90 miles) and the tech speed (the highest speed you go without being disqualified) is I think 128. I started in the 95mph class...............and I had my SCCA competition drivers license which allowed me to enter without taking their school. I then graduated to the 130mph class where my tech speed was 148. The longest straightaway is 14 miles and there are a lot of turns where you really need to have 4 wheel disc's to be able to slow from 100+ down to 50/60mph to take a 30mph turn...................I had a navigator (just like a road rally) so they can tell you when a turn is coming up and if it is right or left......................so you can set up for the right apex...............one thing to remember is that whatever speed you enter the turn, you need to leaving the apex at the same speed...............say you are coming into a 90 degree off camber turn at 100mph.....................you need to break going in and at or before the apex your foot needs to be all the way down so you can come out of the turn at 100mph.....................it is a blast. I had Z rated tires on the Cobra, wore a complete drivers suit/helmet....as did my navigator, and had two fire bottles, a bolt in 6 point roll cage. Forget about going in the unlimitied class unless you win the lottery, because you would need around 800 crankshaft HP, probably a NASCAR type tube chassis with something other than stock suspension, full cage with fire bottle system.................................cubic $$$$$$................with about that many decimal places. I have seen a couple of cars crash at close to 200mph and the people walked away...................but the cars were a total loss. I had a 5 speed in the Cobra with 3:73 gears, Bassani cat back with JBA long tube headers, reworked injection, fresh air intake and chip..............the inside of the motor was stock....................and I pulled 146mph in fourth because in 5th gear I just didn't have enough HP.................I had reworked rear suspension from KennyBelle with panhard bar.............lowered with FMS 8" wheels up front and 10" in the rear....................the car cornered like it was on rails and the last time I raced I punched a hole in the rear floor where the panhard bar was welded in...................I tried to set it up just a little tight..................but boy did she corner. So.....................take the Maverick out the way it is.................go for the 95mph class..........................and have fun for 90 miles of full out racing! IMHO
Well said, I have alway wanted to do that race. Then I had kids... I don't think most people realize that those are average speeds, and that crashing at even 98 mph could be disasterous. Maybe when I get a little older and a lot richer...
What's old is new. Way "back in the day" (up until the mid 80's) this used to be the norm for truckin across west Texas at night. Done it across the top of Florida once too. (3 hours from the I-75/I-10 junction to P'cola, in the middle of the night) done well over 120 off Cedar hill on US 6 in Utah & the twin sisters on I-80 in Wyoming,,,,,,,,,,, in "Mexican Overdrive" (bumping the shifter into neutral when the engine tachs out)
