First Generation Firebird-L Mailing List .........................................................................
Subject: to spoli or not to spoil.. From: "Bjorn Sefeldt" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:20:13 -0500 Steve, you know I HAVE to come back at that! lol 1) maybe you are not "sensitive enough"? I could definitely get the "feel" in the steering going down the road at abv 85, = more, better handling....its not have fast you had it up, its how it felt , IF you could feel it. it sounds like the Chevy racing people could tell too, but sure..what do they know? afterall they are Maro people...lol " When asked about the effectiveness of this special equipment, Van Valkenburgh emphatically states; "The front valance and rear deck spoiler were more than mere styling gimmicks. They actually made a measurable contribution to cornering and stability at highway speeds and were indispensable on the race track". 2) yeah ,it MAY be an age thing..? maybe when you get to my age , you`d like a little extra downforce? lol too bad we couldn't have had this discussion when we met at Bretts! but ,still I think it's a personal thing ,and IF you like it or not,you certainly can do what you want to your own car... I don't care..it looks "ok" for me...but I like the handling Bjorn the old 69 vert./HALF member/Houston ,Tx I have driven at least a dozen 1st gens that I have owned and I can tell you some floated around bigtime while others hold the ground like a gocart. Two of the 3 first gens I have now handle incredible, like a gocart on rails while the other is sort of soppy and mostly stock. The car I race , I could let go of the wheel and hammer on the 4 wheel disc brakes and it stops and handles like no tomorrow, even with the 90/10 race shocks up front. Best of both worlds and I dont think the spoiler on the two cars added any feel. And Bjorn I drive my cars probably harder than anyone you know. Here's a link where I feel my cars every beat!! LOL Yee Haw!!!!! Stock heads, non ported and stock shortblock reving at 6200+ rpms all day long!! Turn up the sound and listen to the Pontiac power. I wish this car had no spoiler but oh well. I do have an extra trunk lid without one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dTfMAH9UL8 Here's the set up and how she purrs. Dont bother with all the extra costs of a performance build. This engine is still running strong with a $999 rebuild in 1991 and a pair of stock #16 heads with new springs and a valve grind for $300. I have had this car up to about 120 at the track and no front spoiler to hold it down and it still felt nice and heavy on the front wheels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuq-3a0AHEU&feature=related If I didn't have so many other projects going, I'd make this car look stock but still be in the 11s. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submissions to Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Unsubscribe from Firebird-L: <[email protected]> Help: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/firebird/Firebird-L.html> Classifieds: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/ubb/> Owner Pictures: <http://FirstGenFirebird.org/show/>
