The Nordschleife 30BHP Challenge

[RenesisEvo]

old handa civic takes about 20 min a lap....no lie.....it cant make it up some of the hills....lol

If my Honda Today G can get around in 12mins, I am very confident that the 70's Civic can get around in less than 20mins with ease. You want cars that can't get up hills? The two 1880 Motors cannot, and nor the Model T Ford (apparently).

 

[Dave A]

They can, everycar inthe game can get roundthe ring. It's just a case of persistance and technique.

 

[TeamWilliams F1]

thats true

 

[MustangRacer]

My thumb hurt from holding X so long I used the analogue stick.....

Are you saying there are actually people that use the X button for gas!?!?

I thought everyone used the dual analog to do steering and gas/brake!

 

[RenesisEvo]

Are you saying there are actually people that use the X button for gas!?!?

I thought everyone used the dual analog to do steering and gas/brake!

Analogue for steering, buttons for throttle/brake. And yes, I can modulate both with my thumb. You can't brake and throttle at the same time with the analogue stick (aka left-foot braking).

 

[FastEddie12]

Are you saying there are actually people that use the X button for gas!?!?

I thought everyone used the dual analog to do steering and gas/brake!

The X is definitely the "go" button. That's how I know which one to use

 

[niky]

Are you saying there are actually people that use the X button for gas!?!?

I thought everyone used the dual analog to do steering and gas/brake!

I only use it when I can't get enough throttle modulation from my X-button. Otherwise, I use the buttons. Racing with TCS off on a really over-powered car, I usually drive with the X and square button, and switch to the stick when coming out of slow corners, returning to the X and Square on the next upshift.

Most other times, X and Square do fine. My lap times with Dual Sticks are the same, but it requires more concentration.

 

[Alfaholic]

If my Honda Today G can get around in 12mins, I am very confident that the 70's Civic can get around in less than 20mins with ease. You want cars that can't get up hills? The two 1880 Motors cannot, and nor the Model T Ford (apparently).

The Model T gets around the hills at trial Mountain just fine. Haven't tried it at Nurb though, because life's too short...

 

[RenesisEvo]

Indeed life is too short... having spent all day coaxing my 320i Touring Car around the 'Ring for nothing. A-speccing the 4hr Enduro for the first 5 laps, then let B-spec have a go. Ooops. He ran 8min10 to my 7min43, and ran out of fuel as well (minor oversight cos I wasnt thinking he'd be so slow). useless B-spec.

Right - must get that Today G around. Saw a 6.2mile one, but I think its got over 30bhp. As for the Model T etc. yes they can go up slopes, just not necessarily in a straight line.

 

[FastEddie12]

Alfaholic (I gotta ask),

Is that a Sud Sprint in your Avatar or a GTV/ Alfetta GT. I've had both y'see, and a Bertone...

I have a picture somewhere of my Mum's house with 2 Green Cloverleaf 'Suds, 2 'Sud Sprints and my Bertone out front. ALL my mates had Alfas back then...

Hey Renesis, bought a Honda S500 the other day, it's only got 40 bhp. If I lied and said it had 30 I'm sure it would make a better champ than that damn MidgetII... (Thinks: Maybe they did an S400 too...)

 

[RenesisEvo]

Fear not!! Justice is at hand.

Honda Today G '85 28bhp/550kg: 12min44.692. Take that, Midget!!!


I did buy the 6.2mile special but it had 31bhp I wonder if you can wear one out to 30bhp exactly, but I can't imagine the torture involved to do that.

 

[niky]

I'm not surprised... better wheels, new-ish car. Is there nothing newer than these two in the sub-30 class? Hmmm...

 

[FastEddie12]

Fear not!! Justice is at hand.

Honda Today G '85 28bhp/550kg: 12min44.692. Take that, Midget!!!


I did buy the 6.2mile special but it had 31bhp I wonder if you can wear one out to 30bhp exactly, but I can't imagine the torture involved to do that.

Phew! That was close! 👍

Bob can wear it out for you. Enter it in the El Capitan 200!!

Niky, probly not, as no-one wants to go that slow anymore...

 

[RenesisEvo]

Enter it in the El Capitan 200!!

Niky, probly not, as no-one wants to go that slow anymore...

And get lapped?? no thanks. I think because modern cars are so heavy due to safety etc. they need more than 30bhp to ensure they actually move. A Mk5 Golf is much heavier than a Mk1, so the MK1 GTI with less power still kicks the Mk5 GTI. And VW thought they had sorted that

 

[Alfaholic]

Alfaholic (I gotta ask),

Is that a Sud Sprint in your Avatar or a GTV/ Alfetta GT. I've had both y'see, and a Bertone...

I have a picture somewhere of my Mum's house with 2 Green Cloverleaf 'Suds, 2 'Sud Sprints and my Bertone out front. ALL my mates had Alfas back then...

Hey Renesis, bought a Honda S500 the other day, it's only got 40 bhp. If I lied and said it had 30 I'm sure it would make a better champ than that damn MidgetII... (Thinks: Maybe they did an S400 too...)

It's an early Alfetta family GTV, from the time they had the chrome bumpers. It's a US version, I think, because the indicators and bumper overriders look larger than I am used to, so it's probably actually a Sprint Veloce.

I had an SA spec one roughly the same colour. Had it for seven years and miss it like crazy. Everything I've driven since has been like sensory deprivation... including, strangely, a Caterham Superlight! Can't get my head around that. Maybe I've got a rose tinted memory, but I swear the steering on that Alfetta was better. I'd love to see that pic you have. When I had mine, most my buddies had hot hatchbacks, except for one, who had a 2.0L Guilietta Ti. He had a "GTi Kiss my ass" bumper sticker on the back of it. Funny thing is, he now owns a Mk3 and Mk4 Golf GTi... defector.

 

[FastEddie12]

Everything I've driven since has been like sensory deprivation... including, strangely, a Caterham Superlight! Can't get my head around that. Maybe I've got a rose tinted memory, but I swear the steering on that Alfetta was better. I'd love to see that pic you have.

Ah, the steering... No power assist, but as light and delicate as you like. Any oversteer nice and progressive and a quarter turn of opposite lock brings the back end gently into line...

When I bought that car (an Alfetta 1.6GT, c.1978) it wasn't running right. After discounting everything else I took the cam covers off and was having the devil of a job finding TDC on 1. All the valves seemed to be opening at the wrong time. Eventually, after much head scratching, it occurred to me that s.o. had put the cams in the wrong way round... Found chipped valves and all sorts with the head off.

'Fraid I haven't seen that photo for years. This was all in about 1988. Saw loads of 75 V6s at the 'Ring recently tho'. It's the RWD car of choice there if you can't quite stretch to an M3 CSL...

 

[Alfaholic]

Ah, the steering... No power assist, but as light and delicate as you like. Any oversteer nice and progressive and a quarter turn of opposite lock brings the back end gently into line...

When I bought that car (an Alfetta 1.6GT, c.1978) it wasn't running right. After discounting everything else I took the cam covers off and was having the devil of a job finding TDC on 1. All the valves seemed to be opening at the wrong time. Eventually, after much head scratching, it occurred to me that s.o. had put the cams in the wrong way round... Found chipped valves and all sorts with the head off.

'Fraid I haven't seen that photo for years. This was all in about 1988. Saw loads of 75 V6s at the 'Ring recently tho'. It's the RWD car of choice there if you can't quite stretch to an M3 CSL...

I'm not surprised you saw lots of 75s at the ring.. there's a school there that uses 75s exclusively

When I got my GTV it had a blown head gasket (which I hadn't noticed despite the oil looking like chocolate milkshake. Boy did I learn fast after that!) When we took the head off we noticed that the previous gasket had been glued on..

But the steering! Just as you described, though just occasionally, when I did something really stupid, a bit more than a quarter turn was needed The GTV, however, was always, always on my side.

 

[FastEddie12]

I'm not surprised you saw lots of 75s at the ring.. there's a school there that uses 75s exclusively

Really? 💡 That's very interesting.... You don't know what it's called, do you?

Got any Alfas at the moment? I'm running a '92 V-TEC Prelude 👍

 

[Alfaholic]

Really? 💡 That's very interesting.... You don't know what it's called, do you?

Got any Alfas at the moment? I'm running a '92 V-TEC Prelude 👍

I can't remember what it's called, but I saw it in the Nurb article run by either Car or Evo mag. They both ran one, and I can't remember which one its in. I had a sneaking suspicion the word "banger" appears in its name, but I also managed to find this site, which looks like it could be the same school, or a similar one:

http://www.75experience.nl/

I found this in an Alfa Owners forum, which brings me to your next question. The answer is no, I do not currently own any Alfas . My current transport is an '89 Ford Fiesta, as nominated on the Crappy Cars Club thread on this forum. It's a pile of junk, but it manages one party trick that my GTV never achieved in 7 years of ownership: both All headlights and tail lights can be illuminated simultaneously..

BTW, if you aren't from SA, then it's possible you are not familiar with the Alfetta GTV6 3.0. If not, go to this web page:

http://www.alfagtv6.com

then navigate to Publications, and then to GTV6 3.0 South Africa. When I left SA, those were changing hands in good, rust free condition, for the equivalent of around 4500 sterling.

EDIT: I've heard good things about Preludes. The Prelude of that particular vintage has been recommended to me as an excellent handler by a friend of mine who owned one. I also remember it doing well against a BMW 325i Coupe in a twin test in Fast Lane around 1992 or so.

 

[Greycap]

That Abarth actually looked more like a Fiat 600 to me. Whatever...

Speaking about the "pocket rocket" Fiat 500R, I wanted it as my 500 (I have a special relationship to cars with R in their name due to my first name) and tuned it up a bit. The result: 92 bhp. My feelings: that thing really goes!

 

[FastEddie12]

'89 Ford Fiesta...manages one party trick that my GTV never achieved in 7 years of ownership: All headlights and tail lights can be illuminated simultaneously..

EDIT: I've heard good things about Preludes. The Prelude of that particular vintage has been recommended to me as an excellent handler by a friend of mine who owned one. I also remember it doing well against a BMW 325i Coupe in a twin test in Fast Lane around 1992 or so.

My, those Ford engineers are cunning!

The Prelude is good, plus it cost me about 2/3rds what it should have, and has only done 70,000km, so it's pretty fresh still. Big grin when it hits 5200rpm....
Thanks for all the info, but to be honest until I can afford a Zagato, I'm gonna stick to Japanese or German cars... I think the very last GTV6s in Europe were also 3.0 litres. Must go, I don't think this has much to do with 30bhp cars round the 'Ring. Then again, that's about the power that Alfetta GT produced when I first got it...

 

[Pebb]

I would fall asleep doing this challenge.

 

[FastEddie12]

I would fall asleep doing this challenge.

I haven't been able to do another since... whenever it was I last did one.

We just drift off topic and do other stuff instead. 'Snice.

 

[RenesisEvo]

I would fall asleep doing this challenge.

That's why it was a challenge!!

 

[RenesisEvo]

Any ideas on if there are any more cars to go? Also, would someone be willing to submit a lap-time for the Ford Model T (same conditions required though). I doubt I'll be getting that car for a long time yet. Good news is I now have the Motor Carriage as well as the Patent Wagen.

 

[Leonidae]

Honda 500 is one.. old beetle too, if it hasn't been tried out yet..

 

[RenesisEvo]

Honda 500 is one.. old beetle too, if it hasn't been tried out yet..

I have done the old Beetle - quite fun it was too. Honda 500 - would that be the S500? I thought it had about 57-60bhp??

 

[130R]

this was my first lap in this madness, in my pink 2cv: 17.06.451. it is surely capable of 16s.

can we tune cars up to 30hp? that might provide some interesting results and some hairy laps

EDIT: 1st lap tuned (27hp) 2cv: 12.21.947.

heaps of fun!

 

[michaeldenham]

While I was at the Ring for the first time last month with my Dad, we were having lunch and saw a 2CV go out for a lap! We timed how long it was before we saw it coming back off, and it was about 20 minutes. Very cool to see someone go out there in a 2CV. One of the highlights of the trip

 

[GT4 Freak]

good to see other ppl taking an interst in the slower cars and not just the bruisers, check out my topic- My Mission.