How fast is too fast for a street car? *SERIOUS DISCUSSION*

[94-302-vert]

So then streetability is really in a a small power curve in the lower to mid RPM's (below 3500 say) so that you have a car that can be daily driven on ice days with the family. Totally reasonable to make less than 250-300 RWHP at less than 3500 RPM and still make mad power higher in the RPM range with centrifugal SC.

I say do an H/C/I combo running 5-6# of boost through a vortec SC... that would be pretty streetable.

THen maybe even get into two different tunes to pull pwer out at lwer RPM's.

Now the other side of the equation becomes that it si the conditions that determine what is safe. I was in an accident last month. Tooling along at 2000 RPM in OD at 65 moh in my stock dodge dakota and I hit some ice, spun the tires, kicked it sideways into the car next to me. Stock truck. Reasonable driving. Rest of the roads were dry but cold.

So I say that streeetable is up to the level of expertise of the driver.

 

[94MustangGT5.0]

Solution to your problem: AWD Mustang.

Seriously though, I know the feeling of wanting a car that puts down insane numbers but still gives you the comfort to take it out on an afternoon and not have to worry about "messing" up. Even though I by no means have a street warrior with my setup (especially with the AODE), I have had a few close calls when traction becomes nonexistent. Every once in a while you will hit a portion of slick pavement or get caught in the rain, and when unexpected fish-tails happen, they aren't really that fun. I have always wanted something that is fast enough to pull the wheels at a stop light (obviously some serious traction would be required) but never catch me off guard. I have a friend that cruises around in a 347 c.i., T-trim Vortech car and he will break them loose at that 75 mph mark you are talking about, and for me, that's scary fast. It's perfect for the track and everything, but I have a feeling he is a ticking time bomb, and one of these days he will screw up and lose control. It would be a shame to lose something that you have invested so much time and money in building, and a million times worse to lose a loved one, so that's were I draw the line. If you want to go so fast it's scary, it's probably too fast for the street. My $.02.

 

[WHITE94COBRA]

Ok my turn on the opinion...
1. If this is not your DD why are you afraid of having your family in it?
2. too much power in the hands of someone who dosnt know how to drive it could only be 100. However according to your times and a couple videos "You" know how to drive so who's to say how much is too much for you. I realize this topic is open to discussion but the only true answere will come from you. ok with that being said, I would start with a stout block A4, r302, Dart based unit, do a 9:1 or 10:1 compression short block, good forged internals, 347. that way you have plenty of room for improvement and reliability, as well as the shortblock to handle a power adder at a later date if the power is insufficent.

 

[1slow95]

I agree that what is "too fast" is going to be determined by the drivers experience/skill. However, generally speaking, I would say "too fast" is when traction becomes non-existant in 3rd gear or higher. Based on my setup, I would say that's somewhere in the 550-600+RWHP range, at least for N/A.

Even tho my car is starting to feel like it could use a little more power(turbo?), I feel that it's just about perfect for a street car. I've got enough power to take 95% of the cars I see around here, after it's tuned it should be enjoyable to drive, and I think I can get close to 15+mpg if I try(got 12mpg the one time I checked).

I do think that a turbo 302 based engine will be the ultimate street car. Just get two tunes, one conservative and one wild. Keep it at low boost for around 450 or so rwhp, then crank it up when needed.

 

[yellow1995Cobra]

500-550 max rwhp for a true street car. Its gotta be force induction, for mpg reasons. I suppose n20 would be a good option, but filling bottles and so on will get lame.

Go with a dartblock 347, single turbo, heads/cam to match up. And shoot for that magic 500-550 rwhp mark. Tune it, drive it, see how crazy it will be. With the turbo, you have the great option to add a boost controller, or swap the wastegate spring and bam more power with another tune if you feel the power level your at is just not enough.

I have 460rwhp in my car, it weighs about what your car weighs, and its NOT crazy on the street at all. I think abother 50rwhp and it would be PERFECT. Right not, even with f1's the car would not lose traction in 2nd gear, with the stock 3.55's in the rear. On my bfg's, i lose no traction in 1st, which is great(when its warm out), gotta remember that this car has the low 2.6x 1st gear though.

If you can be in the 500-550 range, and trap 124-130 you really have a FAST car. If you can keep the suspension adjustable, so the daily ride is nice, keep the ac, ps, and all the other typical comforts, then you have a FAST STREET car.

If you plan to race it still, you need to think about a roll cage since you will clearly be faster then a 11.49. Which is something i wont do to my street car at this time. Maybe someday i will get one with the swing outs on both sides.

Good luck on your decisions. Dreaming up combos is always fun. :SNSign:

 

[blksn955.o]

This is a good topic...

For me it was about what I would have fun with. Something that I could take to the track a few times, run the piss out off, get OK mpg, cruise around in without worry of heat or traffic. In all honesty if I want to go faster it will be in a fox...although finding a 94-95v6 or even better blown up v6 to put a turbo v8 in,

Its about setting a goal and sticking to it. However, more important is what YOU want out of it/want to do with it 90% of the time to set that goal that is key.

Either way...you did one hell-o-va job with that stock shortblock vert and to that alone is awsome

The how much for the street is why I wanted to build a 290-310 rwhp setup N/A, I know you posted you dont like n2o, and then add the 150-175 shot to it. Realy nice when I want it, then what 425-ish at the push of a button. I dont know seems you see more people get out of the hobby or take BIG loses when there toy goes too far or much past the 500hp relm. Maybe thats due to the cost involved? At that level if something goes wrong its ALOT of money tossed out.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

This should do it.

http://videos.streetfire.net/Player.aspx?fileid=C7BF2E28-32E7-4904-B5F9-F3D0275DC7D8&p=0

 

[RIO5.0]

Seen that vid awhile ago...Thats insane...Fun, but insane...

 

[4Jenna]

I say 600-650rw imop is ideal for a ballz to the wall street car.
Plenty for 10s..anything less would be uncivilized

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

i say 500 rwhp. I mean, anything over that just isnt as much fun......your trying to get it NOT to spin all the time at that point.

btw, this brings me to broken cars....i really want to drive mine, i wish my maf would come in soon........paul, you really have to wanna drive the stang huh?

 

[red ink]

decent brakes would be a plus for any car running lower that 12's. 6 piston brembos...
just my 2cents...being able to beat All of the TT427 vettes would satisfy me for a fast enough street car.

 

[onebad95]

I saw this post yesterday and wanted to sleep on it before I answered. I still am not sure, but this is what I think.

Truthfully, you can never have enough power. Meaning, you can have a 700 rwhp. car and still drive it with control. You don't have to go out and burn the tires everytime you drive it. Now, don't call me an old fart. I would rather have 700 hp and choose when to play.

What I'm trying to say Paul, is that whether you have 500 hp or 800 hp you can get hurt or hurt the car either way. It can be argued that anything over 300 is a handfull in the wrong hands. I can remember when we had 283 rwhp and Monica put it to the floor, slid it sideways, and I thought it was gonna come around.

What you have to remember is that no matter what you build, you are building it for yourself. You talk about these other high power car's in your neck of the woods. I would bet that there are a lot of them with more power than you have now and can't drive as well as you can at the track. Now, Imagine your car with 500 rwhp and a good tune. I think 10.70's should come to mind.

Good luck,
Charlie

 

[Grn92LX]

Its all a personal opinion. Some guys version of a street car isn't the next guys version of a street car.

Once I gear my car properly with a set of 4.30's and drive it right it should bust out 120mph traps n/a which is enough for 10.90's. I don't think thats anything too fast. It won't ever run a 10 second et but to me its all about mph as mph = potential. I'll be satisfied if I hit 120 mph knowing I have 10 second potential and I don't think thats too fast.

I can drive my car anywhere, sit in NYC rush hour traffic and its fine. Its a hell of a street car!

 

[mattkimsey]

I'd like about 450 on motor(ls1) and a 100 shot for the track. It seems like many of the people I see with 600rwhp+ cars are serious street racers meaning they aren't afraid of doing 100mph+ highway runs...not something I wanna be doing. Sure, you could say it's all about how responsible the driver is, but why build a 600rwhp+ street car if you aren't going to use it. I'd rather have 450hp that I could use and abuse.

 

[lra2169]

i have a car that runs 11.00 's all the time even on black top no burnout need ever the car is a 72 mach 1 with et streets and have ran a few cars at lights no problem as far as set up races i have lost to big block cars that were set up friends no money the key is having a safe car yes it has a roll cage with swing outs on both sides and put the power to the ground because i have won races that i should have lost because the car dead hooks ALL THE TIME

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Theres a guy named Willie in orlando, he has a black 95 Cobra. So far his car has gon high 9's and puts out over 1200 hp. Right now sitting at his shop is a 101mm turbo and a nitrous kit to spray a 150 shot with. Thats a fast street car,

 

[Black Stampede]

550 rwhp is the end all #. Its perfect. Enough to destroy most anything you will encounter on the street, yet tame-able with drag radials. My buddy has a 500 rwhp cobra that he out launched an AWD porche with and he was on street tires so hooking with that power is still gonna happen. However breaking past 550 or so and I say its too much. A TUNED 550 is probably the best power range you could ever want on the street.

 

[94gts]

For me, i can sum it up like this.....If it scares me, it is too fast.


I am not saying i am an expert or pro, but i have been through just about every driving situation and have driven many fast cars. If you or your car can scare me, then you are either a crazy ass driver or you have one fast car.

 

[YEAHLOH95]

i have thought about this for awhile also. i think the range is about 550 rwhp like it was stated before , it takes at least some rpm, so you know when you car turns on. you know my car and how i have traction problems at 55 mph or so, when the roads are cold ,you just have to be careful with anything over 300 at the wheels..but i also think you can never really have too much power lol

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

Although not a mustang, one of our customers has a 950+ HP Porsche 996, which acts entirely normal during everyday driving, but when I went for a ride and he mashed it, it scared the living piss out of me, I literally thought I was going to die in an accident. In my opinion it was far too fast for a street car. Even with the 4 wheel drive, when he was on it it was floating around due to lack of traction, this was on the freeway too at well more than 100 mph. It seemed like what I would consider a death trap in the wrong hands. We also had a rather streetable turbo vw rabbit a few years back that ran 11.02, which seemed about as fast as I'd want a street car. It does suck that some of these newer cars are pushing so much horsepower, and here I am poking along @ 240ish rwhp and will lose to a lot of the stock/near stock newer cars, which something will have to be done about. I've many times almost done a NA 347 setup, but I've also pondered just doing something mild with forced induction. It's really a hard decision to make.