Chaparral 2J what a car!
- Thread starter phatfocus
- 103 comments
- 18,238 views
- 1,202
Cole
What's really funny is that in the real jet engine powered Lotus / STP Indy racecars of the '60s, which were the only semi successful gas turbine circuit racers I am aware of, the engines were installed backwards, so the exhaust was at the front, and exited out a chimney just behind the driver's head! Note that these cars were driven by their wheels, which took drive from a shaft connected to the gas turbine (like turbine powered helicopters) and not by the actual jet thrust, like a jet powered airplane, or jet powered land speed record car, or jet powered dragster.
- 40,874
With rigidity the 2J isn't actually that bad on the 'Ring, but this is from someone whose B-Spec Roberto pulls faster laps than I do anyways. I very nearly won the Le Sarthe II 24 Hr. with it. Unfotunatly, after driving it scott free for the first 3 hours then handing it over to B-Spec Roberto, I stupidly decided to drive it for the victory lap, at which point it handled 100% different than it did when I drove it in the beginning. So I blew a 3 minute lead and lost the race. Oh well. No harm no foul 🤬
- 958
- Manila
- meister_dan
jdwSo have I.
It's the secret Group C/LMP killer and won All Stars and Real Circuits handily @200p a race.
Except for the Ring. Way too jittery for the Ring.
If you beat All Stars on the Ring in the 2J I will bow to you too
Is there some setup that will keep it on the track?
What are the settings of your 2J?
- 410
meister_dan
Me?
I leave everything as stock as possible. Me don't know no settings!
Seriously though, I've probably changed the Auto tranny a half dozen times the entire game and then only because I had to (e.g. '54 Vette at NY). I've raised the Ride Height exactly *once*. On the F1 (w/100kg) for Formula GT at the Ring. And that's it.
That's why I was asking if there is a way to keep that thing on the track (say... Pflanzgarten!)
For All Stars, I said to hell with it and went back in with the Motul.
But, i admit it would be kind of fun to give it another go at the Ring!
- 392
- Queens, New York City
route_66What? It's fine... a little bumpy perhaps, but nothing that can't be kept under control, and it'll do 225mph stock at Sarthe. After much testing, I have concluded that on R1's, with no turbo, the 2J can beat anything the AI brings, including winning both Sarthe I and Sarthe II 24hr races (I know, I know, I've yet to put my money where my mouth is and do the race and write it up, but i'll get round to it.)
Great car (to drive. To look at?).
66.
I was wrong to say that it doesn't handle well near the end of the long straight. First off, I probably don't have the savvy to set it up properly. Secondly, I'm the one that can't keep it going straight, probably due to insufficient thumb control. I keep trying to correct inadequately and that's what probably sends the car out of control.
I should say that it isn't easy for ME to control down the bumpy straight and not blame the car's handling. I'll also add that the more HP you add to it makes it harder to control. A stock 2J is a dream to drive for 200 A-spec points in most cases. I've really not been able to do anything useful with the car at the Motegi Speedway Oval. Tire wear is high and it has a tendency to slide in high-speed turns.
I really shouldn't badmouth cars since I may not have the optimal setup for that particular car or it doesn't suit my driving style.
- 392
- Queens, New York City
jdwSo have I.
Except for the Ring. Way too jittery for the Ring.
If you beat All Stars on the Ring in the 2J I will bow to you too
Is there some setup that will keep it on the track?
My sentiments exactly. The 2J has a tendency to dart and my thumb is unable to redirect it fast enough in small increments. Must be the short wheelbase causes some instability. Maybe if I had a wheel.... Otherwise I can't seem to keep it off the curbs (in attempts to pass cars) and once that happens the car tries to climb them and such and I'm as good as spun out. I need to have the space of a wider track. The recent setup I was given works very well and should be fine with a better driver. I did seem to bottom out (it felt like that was the case) in a couple of spots and that also spun me out due to my lousy overcorrecting. I guess I'm not up to the task. Right now I'm using that setup for the Fuji 228 lap endurance at 200 A-spec points and it is a breeze to drive. I had another 200 point car ready for it (an easy win), but I decided to go with the 2J and save the other car for Sarthe 24 II.
So if I had the ability to keep the 2J in the center of the road on a bumpy course, then I wouldn't have any problems, but I can't so that's the name of that tune.
- 86
I like the performance of 2J, but i haven't yet really been impressed by its handling. Then again i've only driven it on nurburgring, and as someone mentioned earlier, not good place for that car... I guess i shall try it on some smooth japanese tracks.
- 55
^I agree, The handling of the 2J is very unique in GT4, especially in bumpy racetracks.
BTW: Did the Chaparral 2J ever win any races? It sure looked like it could.
BTW: Did the Chaparral 2J ever win any races? It sure looked like it could.
- 21
I like this car a lot too, but I'm surprised no one mentions how bad it is if you have to take it up the hill in Seattle! At each jump, the car practically goes vertical as the nose point straight up and the back end doesn't move hardly at all... But then, that part of Seattle is so stupid anyway. Yeah, because a real race would have jumps like that...
The 2J is a great car, although I too realize that it's not suited to bumpy tracks like the 'Ring. I did use it for 200 pts. @ the Infineon enduro. I spun out a few times, but still won by 30 or so seconds.
And I don't get these people that call it, or the 2D, ugly; any race car for that matter. Race cars are made to perform optimally with the given technology and restrictions, and it may not always result in a 'nice' looking car (I can't remember the last time I ever said a race car looked nice, the Bentley Speed 8 is an exception though mostly b/c it's got that British racing green
paint scheme going for it).
And I don't get these people that call it, or the 2D, ugly; any race car for that matter. Race cars are made to perform optimally with the given technology and restrictions, and it may not always result in a 'nice' looking car (I can't remember the last time I ever said a race car looked nice, the Bentley Speed 8 is an exception though mostly b/c it's got that British racing green
paint scheme going for it).- 14
I found this vid of it when i searched for "Fan Car" in google videos. It looks like its going pretty fast. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8994717649716635729&q=fan+car
It reminds me of a really gheto homemade sled that was almost in all ways like a car. your could steer the skis i put on it and i had that same shap and you sat in the middle. Actually i didnt make it but my dad did. It was over the winter and i took it down a mountain in Colorado. man was that fun.
It reminds me of a really gheto homemade sled that was almost in all ways like a car. your could steer the skis i put on it and i had that same shap and you sat in the middle. Actually i didnt make it but my dad did. It was over the winter and i took it down a mountain in Colorado. man was that fun.
- 392
- Queens, New York City
SouthShoreSRT
I had run it once or twice at Seattle and it was rather unpleasant at that hill. I think that even the AI 2J runs into the wall on that jump. Once the 2J loses it's vacuum then there is no downforce. Ergo, a flying brick. Supposedly the same thing happens at El Capitan. You've given me something to experiment with, however.
Currently I'm running the 2J for 200 points at Fuji 1000. It's equipped with R2 tires front and rear set with 2" ground clearance and drives like a ground-effects dream racer. It gets 19 laps on a set of tires and at the halfway mark I'm murdering the Mercedes Sauber with a two lap lead. The 2J is such a fine car on a smooth track. I just wish it had more than three speeds. A four speed transmission would have been perfect. Jim Hall's ideas were so innovative and I'm glad I have the chance to test his cars even if they're just simulations. I wish GT4 had his 2E and 2G vehicles.
Back in the day they were so rad. http://www.mlodeent.com/CANAM/66ecar68.jpg
- 55
Toronado
Darn. I should've known those fans in the past wouldn't be durable.
- 7,719
I guess the Chaparral doesn't like the 'ring for a couple of reasons, but the short wheelbase (eligible for the Compact Car Cup in Pro Hall!) seems to be a strong factor.
I also made an Excel sheet with about 14 laps on the 'ring. I think it did a sub-7-minutes average (stock everything, including gears) time, with two or three 6-minuters...
I also made an Excel sheet with about 14 laps on the 'ring. I think it did a sub-7-minutes average (stock everything, including gears) time, with two or three 6-minuters...
- 1,795
I bought the 2J yesterday, and I am quite impressed. It gives nice 200pt races, and handles great. Looks like a clothes dryer though, and only has 3 gears, first, second, and tumble-dry.
- 12
"Do you remember the old Riverside turn 9? << most of you do not im old so i do lol> It was a long, long, long fast 180-degree right-hander just before the pits. During practice I came up behind Denny (in the McLaren M8D-Chevrolet) on the way into that corner and it was a very fast corner. Not quite flat but for me very close to it, and I remember driving around the outside of Denny (laughing) and he just pulled off into the pit lane absolutely pissed off! He took his helmet off and sat on the pit wall and sulked for the rest of the practice session. I had beaten his time by about 2.5 seconds. It was a wonderful car to drive ......Vic Elford driver of the 2j
- 6,009
- Austin, Texas
- D-Nitrate / GTP_DNitrate
What a great read this thread has been, I've genuinely enjoyed reading it, and it convinced me to buy a 2J myself.
I found racing it stock was best, every set up I've tried to help it on the bumpier tracks have actually made it worse. :\
What a car though... Impossibly good cornering ability!
I found racing it stock was best, every set up I've tried to help it on the bumpier tracks have actually made it worse. :\
What a car though... Impossibly good cornering ability!
