Racing my S60

wow, sounds impressive.

i got whooped (well, i hung in there) by a Merc (4 door sport sedan) yesterday on the highway... but I have a STOCK T5-GT, he was hooked up major. i could hear his car very well. i am positive he had more than an exhaust, probably chip - filter - and whatever else you can get. perhaps it was supercharged

EURO, what mods do you have? any?

as for stock vs stock races i've had.. ive won:
IS300, stand still and freeway
Acura Type(S?) both
Mustang, highway
Other S60 (sorry guys - low pressure and NA)
BMW 3 series, both

some others i cant remember the names.

quote:

Originally posted by GrecianVolvo:
If your car is stock there is absolutely no way you beat a Corvette, a Mitsu twin turbo with 4WD and the WRX. I have stayed even (after my ECU upgrade) with a WRX but there is not way you would beat the other two...

I am one of the biggest Volvo fanatics when it comes to sticking up for a Volvo but if you are stock then you are a bull$hitter.

Yannis

Click to expand...

Unlike the US people the Europeans almost never race a car from a traffic light.
Don't ask me why but it doesn't happen very much.
Most races a rolling start and this is where the S60 MT can kick some serious butt, even WRX's.
The S60's biggest problem is the 1st gear and 2nd around 80 Kmh (50 Mph) because this is where the rubber breaks loose. but the 3rd gear is what surpises most contenders and this is where car's like the scoobies and even standard S4's are beginning to loose their momentum.
Yes, it hurts knowing that from a standstill you can't make an impression but that 3rd gear makes up a lot.
In my country you can see a change to traffic light races now that the speed limits are checked more and more every day with laser, radar and fixed camera points.
I did some testing with my S60 and the 0-100 kmh performance improved after mounting the larger turbo and the boost controller.
I managed to keep traction in 1st and 2 nd by lowering the torque between 3000 and 3500 rpm and the larger turbo added more breath above 5000, it really launches now!

quote:

Originally posted by Johann:

Originally posted by GrecianVolvo:
If your car is stock there is absolutely no way you beat a Corvette, a Mitsu twin turbo with 4WD and the WRX. I have stayed even (after my ECU upgrade) with a WRX but there is not way you would beat the other two...

I am one of the biggest Volvo fanatics when it comes to sticking up for a Volvo but if you are stock then you are a bull$hitter.

Yannis

Click to expand...

Unlike the US people the Europeans almost never race a car from a traffic light.
Don't ask me why but it doesn't happen very much.
Most races a rolling start and this is where the S60 MT can kick some serious butt, even WRX's.
The S60's biggest problem is the 1st gear and 2nd around 80 Kmh (50 Mph) because this is where the rubber breaks loose. but the 3rd gear is what surpises most contenders and this is where car's like the scoobies and even standard S4's are beginning to loose their momentum.
Yes, it hurts knowing that from a standstill you can't make an impression but that 3rd gear makes up a lot.
In my country you can see a change to traffic light races now that the speed limits are checked more and more every day with laser, radar and fixed camera points.
I did some testing with my S60 and the 0-100 kmh performance improved after mounting the larger turbo and the boost controller.
I managed to keep traction in 1st and 2 nd by lowering the torque between 3000 and 3500 rpm and the larger turbo added more breath above 5000, it really launches now!

Click to expand...

You are right, Johann, about the first couple of gears; I have "solved" that problem with my car by not slamming the gas pedal on the 1st gear immediately; I press it about between 1/2 and 3/4 of the way and once I go over 30 mph I nail it. Naturally, STC is turned off if I am going to spank someone and even if I lose a little bit of ground before I shift into 2nd, once I get into 2nd and then 3rd...bye-bye!!!

I raced a WRX a few months back for 3 lights straight; in the 1st he got me until I was in 3rd gear then we were even. Next two lights, I knew what to expect plus I was calmer, happened to shift more than perfectly and the worse position for me was even and I was slowly pulling away until the 3rd light came up. Even again and then I let him go as traffic was coming up ahead.

I have seen your pictures where you replaced your stock 16T turbocharger with a 19T from a '00 V70 R. Was it fairly easy? Is it true that you just "plugged 'n played"? No changes required with the..."plumbing"? Everything fit perfectly?

So, the main difference in power has been in higher RPM? What about lower?

Sorry for too many questions...I am considering it since I can buy the 19T at wholesale through work.

Thanks,

Yannis

I recently had a couple red light incidents. A tuned RSX Type S and a Passat W8 had zipped off racing from a red light. What the Passat was thinking I have no idea. He got smoked. I pulled up three wide at the next light. They we're going again so I decided I'd join the fracas. Greenlight, go!!! I ran Silvia (a stock T5M), too far in 1st, so both blew me off the line. Dropped her into second, and it wasn't long before I was passing the Passat, but the RSX was still a good three to four cars length in front of me (because of my blunder off the line?). I dropped into the third and began very slowly reeling him. I eventually caught him, but by that time he had pulled up. I chalk it up to a loss.

The second was just plain foolish of me. A run in with a 2003 Mustang Cobra. I had a few run in's with GT's and Silvia took care of business, but the new Cobra is downright nasty. 390 to 247. Enough said. My advice, if you are considering a race with a Mustang, make sure there isn't a snake on the side.

[This message has been edited by djimaplon (edited 08-19-2002).]

Sorry to sound like a fuddy duddy, but I have to add my 2 cents.

After reading the "how old are you" thread, I have some idea where this comes from, but in reality, what's the use in racing someone on the street with two different cars? In real car racing, the cars are relatively equivalent, and the differentiators are driver skill, strategy, maintenance, pit crew experience, etc. On the street one car is faster than another, period. I learn nothing new from smoking a 318, my T5 is faster. So what have I proved that is not available on paper? I'd be better off handing him a slip of paper with the stats on it, and driving off slowly while he ruins his transmission and tires. The only differentiators on the street are who's crazier in taking the risk of having an accident due to unexpected road conditions, traffic, pedestrians, etc. And who's less afraid of getting a significant ticket.

To humble myself, yes, I have on occasion smoked someone at a light, but only to get around them. And depending on how crazy he was, I was content not to get around him. While driving an S60 NA I actually once LOST to a Kia SUV WITH A CANOE ON TOP . This was not a straight away, and I could easily have caused him to flip (though he seemed quite willing to push the limits on his own). Thankfully I backed off when it dawned on me how stupid I was.

You can be as safe as you think. But no public road was designed to race on. I hope none of you find this out the hard way. There are fatal racing accidents in my city every week. The roads are usually nice wide and open, at a time with very little traffic. The drivers sadly are almost always very young.

I will get off my soap box now. The T5 is very fast, and you should not feel like you have to prove it to anyone. Facts are facts. Enjoy your T-5's, I do ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by Freeworld:
Sorry to sound like a fuddy duddy, but I have to add my 2 cents.

After reading the "how old are you" thread, I have some idea where this comes from, but in reality, what's the use in racing someone on the street with two different cars? In real car racing, the cars are relatively equivalent, and the differentiators are driver skill, strategy, maintenance, pit crew experience, etc. On the street one car is faster than another, period. I learn nothing new from smoking a 318, my T5 is faster. So what have I proved that is not available on paper? I'd be better off handing him a slip of paper with the stats on it, and driving off slowly while he ruins his transmission and tires. The only differentiators on the street are who's crazier in taking the risk of having an accident due to unexpected road conditions, traffic, pedestrians, etc. And who's less afraid of getting a significant ticket.

To humble myself, yes, I have on occasion smoked someone at a light, but only to get around them. And depending on how crazy he was, I was content not to get around him. While driving an S60 NA I actually once LOST to a Kia SUV WITH A CANOE ON TOP . This was not a straight away, and I could easily have caused him to flip (though he seemed quite willing to push the limits on his own). Thankfully I backed off when it dawned on me how stupid I was.

You can be as safe as you think. But no public road was designed to race on. I hope none of you find this out the hard way. There are fatal racing accidents in my city every week. The roads are usually nice wide and open, at a time with very little traffic. The drivers sadly are almost always very young.

I will get off my soap box now. The T5 is very fast, and you should not feel like you have to prove it to anyone. Facts are facts. Enjoy your T-5's, I do ;-)

Click to expand...

Your post makes perfect sense but it all depends on someone's idiosyncracy and level of responsibility (which consists of knowing HONESTLY how skilled you are and WHEN to push the car--meaning appropriate road conditions). If your personality is such (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that) drag racing someone from stoplight to stoplight or while you are on a fairly open or open highway late at night, a scary and unnecessary experience...so be it! If you honestly think that you will fell uncomfortable driving your car at above the speed limit then that is OK. But if the conditions are "right" and you are experienced enough to race someone within the speed limit or exceed that, then (in my book) that is OK too. The problem is that most of the "opportunities" come at a bad time...you cannot imagine how many times I would have liked to show some moron what my wagon can do, especially if he is being an idiot about it. But I, reluctantly, have to let him go because the conditions are not optimal...same exists for highway (which can be more tempting) conditions.

I guess you have to me mature enough to really evaluate two things: existing conditions and to honestly assess what your capabilities are (and put your ego aside for a moment while you do that). With today's cars, hitting 90+ mph is not a nig deal and that figure comes up fairly quickly.

Now, why don't we just hand someone our spec sheet etc., etc? Well, it is kind of hard to do that and the main reason is you want to see how your car (and your driving skills, if you are in a manual) will do against another not equal car. I disagree with you that "true racing takes place with cars that are the same". I do not consider racing like NASCAR (I know that I will get a lot of flak here but that is OK; love attracting it!) where they race in an oval, etc., etc. Racing on a course that presents many challenges and each car can be modified according to each team's budget and technical know-how (i.e., F1, BCCC, SCCC and WRC) is true racing. Those cars may have the rule where the engine displacement must be the same but that is where it ends. So, each car is different and you are racing your creation against another's.

In real world, you have to know (besides your limits and the road conditions) your car's limits; it would be foolish for me to engage a Corvette or a Ferrari or a Porsche, etc. The same way that I would not bother (beyond shifting a couple of gears) with any car that is far below mine (unless they are tuned and/or I see a coffee can/fart muffler in the back)...If I saw a 2003 CObra (supercharged) I would gracefully deny the challenge. There would be nothing to gain.

Responsibility toward yourself and others is the key here.

Yannis

Yannis,
You make some excellent points, but some of your premises are still questionable. There are no "right" conditions for racing on the road. You are simply taking a risk. You don't know when there might be sand, oil, water, or other material on the road that was not there 10 minutes ago. You also don't know when a rabbit or deer might dart out in the road. You also don't know whether the other driver might not be as skilled as you and loose control - thereby hitting you. In professional racing none of this exists. The conditions and rules are such that a "real" race can take place. Sure it's nice to show what your car can do, but I KNOW what my car can do, and I'm not willing to put it or me in danger to show some jerk with a slower car what that is.

Again in humility, I'm old enough to have several accidents under my belt. Though none very serious, each and every time I thought conditions were better than they were and I got "caught" doing something just a little beyond cautious. I wasn't even technically at fault, but driving differently could have averted things. I feel lucky so far. I still sometimes push my car a little (have to have some fun , but only with the greatest of caution because I know what the consequences can be.

As for car to car, I've said this in other posts, and DOT data supports it, your capabilities as a non-professional are below that of any car's capabilities on the road (not hitting the accelerator and shifting - that's easy). When it comes to control, you are the limiting factor, not the car. If I'm interested in a non-equal car I can look in the back of Car and Driver and see who's faster. If you want to test your skills, there are many tracks around the country where you can take your car. They will control the track conditions, and set you up with relevant safety gear.

I'm not that old yet, but when I was younger I was much more anxious to stroke my ego (initally with my dad's big block V8), I thought I was a lot better driver than I was, and I was a lot more fearless than I am now. I'm far from a looper on the road today, but I also have enough experience to try and restrain myself.

The only person you have to make happy with your car is YOU. Making someone else (who looses) less happy doesn't make me more happy. Sure I hate it when someone in front of me is going too slow, but I could care less if someone with a slower car thinks he's faster than me.

Please be careful.

Ok guys my name is Kevin....

What I did and you won't believe me. LEt me tell you the truth. Chips and no Chip who cares. If you want to go fast change your trans. What I did I made Shorter Gears to take off. So my car does 60 mph easily in 1st gear. I timed it its about 4 sec. 0 - 60 sometimes a little faster. I can't tell you everything because I don't fell like being locked up. Listen Change your gears make them sorter and the last gear make it long for TOP SPEED around 190 mph. It's possible believe me. I added just a few more horses but it's really not needed. I change a few more things to the engine so the pistons don't blow up. Guys look around watch some Racing like NASCAR and sometime try to get in touch with the mechanics for some tips. How many of you knew that many NASCAR races own the S60 T5. Not many I bet. Man you should see these guys run their Volvos agains Corvettes and Pontiacs. They manke fun of thoses cars like you dodn't even think about it. So you wanna kill cars. Change you gears.

No offense but how did you get those horses in there? The engine compartment is somewhat cramped.. I know you must have taken off the fire blanket but that would account for just a horse maybe?

Just kidding...

So did you just buy a prototype K&N Shift Kit or did you find a machine shop to custom cut some new gears?

I understand that the tolerances on the transmission is very strict if you have an automatic however nothing doing if you threw down about 4k to 8k for a custom manual clutch setup...

-John

P.s. I am planning to install a JATO rocket prepulsion unit since I picked one up for a mil recycling center and install it in the trunk of my S60R? Whaddya think guys? I think I could smoke some serious cars!!! 0-60 in high fours... WHAT ABOUT 0-60 AT MACH 4! AWWWW YEAHHH.. Eat yer heart out Gillet..

*cough* sorry...

[This message has been edited by Thunderhoof (edited 08-20-2002).]