DeTomaso Mailing List: December 97, Message #91
     



From: 	Andy Poling <andy@globalauctions.com>

Subject: Re: Ring Gear/Final Ratio's - Part I

Date: 	Mon, 8 Dec 1997 00:32:44 +0000



On Mon, 8 Dec 1997, Dennis Antenucci wrote:

> For instance if your preparing your car for Road America, Pocono, Silver 

> State or Pone Express  it is importent that you don't put too much down 

> force <load> on the rear end at high speeds on a stock bodied Pantera. 

> Junior and Pat's research found that no tire available would hold up to 

> sustained high speeds above 180 mph on a open road with out reducing the 

> weight 1000 or more pounds. And adding the rear spoiler's only further 

> loaded/stressed/overheated the rear tires. Which was why after two tire 

> failures Junior finally went to a tube frame chassis and finally to a 

> one-off non-Pantera body called the "Purple People Eater". . .and he 

> still had another tire failure.



This is pretty interesting stuff, MD... keep it coming!  I have no intention

of trying to go 180+ in my Pantera (for long anyway), but it sure is an

interesting thought experiment.



Does Junior have any idea how slippery his current body is compared to a

stock Pantera?  I seem to recall that, with his older cars (probably the

stock-bodied cars), he had trouble keeping the rear tires digging against the

aerodynamic drag without a rear wing.



Maybe the bottom line is that we shouldn't be trying to go that fast in a

stock body.  Nobody else does, except Land Sharks (928's) and plastic

fantastics...



-Andy



72 Pantera - Rocky         91 Miata - Steve (bionic)            96 A4Q - Rudolf

80 928 - Phantom               97 Miata - Nadia                84 RZ350 - Sting