[Iwanttolearn]

Anyone know anything about Procharger centrifugal superchargers?
I stumbled upon there website link in a magazine my uncle bought me for christmas. The website is www.procharger.com
From this link:
http://www.procharger.com/chevy_nova.shtml
The car can only go 166 MPH with 1496 HP... why is this? Is it just because he is running on pump gas? If he was running on drag racing alcohol would be be closer to 200+ ? With all that horsepower I don't understand why he isn't going faster. Thanks



p.s. I put this thread in this forum because I personally think this is a novice question. If it needs to be moved to the "Engine" forum, thats good.
Thanks

 

[OneMoreTime]

Not horsepower alone

The Nova is probably running into aerodynamic barriers... and 3300 lbs is fairly heavy so there is a weight penalty as well..What kind fo tires is another question to be answered..

Now if that engine was to be put in a pro stock chassis or a rail..lighter weight..better tires..better aerodynamics..and so forth then one might go 200 with that engine..

Just because there is a lot of power availabe does not always translate to speed or performance..Gotta use that power in the most efficient way..

hope tha tclears up your question a bit..

the procharger does look like a good unit tho I have not run one..It is very similar to the Paxton which has been around for 40 years or so that I know of..

OMT

 

[montea]

i seen one of those things is in that new movie "Taxi"

 

[Max Keith]

Pro Charge

As One More Time said, with that heavy car, and body design, hes running into a lot of factors that will slow the car down.
To do what you are thinking, would require dumping about 1000 lbs, and having an aerodynamic body.

Example are Pro Stock drag cars. These have very slippery bodies and are very light weight, pushing well over 2000 HP from thier engines.

IF you give a brick enough horsepower, you can make it fly.

1 lb ft of torque is 1 lb ft of torque, and it doesnt matter what kind of fuel or power plant you are using to produce it. The amount of work output is still the same.

 

[onebadmerc]

The flying brick thing reminds me what a airplane mechanic once told me about the F4 phantoms. If you add enough thrust or power even a brick can go Mach 1.

 

[Max Keith]

Flying Brick

Youre good. I got that expression from a Navy blowtorch jockey when I was in the Navy. He flew Wild Weasles.

 

[Iwanttolearn]

Okay thanks, that answers all my questions then. Thanks.
One more new one though, when talking aerodynamic bodies, what kind of car body would that be? On horsepower TV I see a lot of (what I thought were) newer model camaros and firebirds...
Anyone know what I am talking about?
thanks

 

[onebadmerc]

When I was a kid ,my mother was the manager of a airport in a small town. I used to hang around the airport after school and bug everybody there, including the one and only airplane mechanic. This is where I heard the thing about the F4 Phantoms. I also remember hearing it from a friend who went to airplane mechanics school. That must have been one common saying about those old F4 Phantoms.

 

[Max Keith]

F-4 Phantoms

Yep, they were big, heavy, and cumbersome, and always left a smoke trail.
Skidmarks in te sky.

As for aerodynamic bodies, what the pro stock and Funny Car guys use are either fiberglass, or carbon fiber moldings, based very loosely on production body styles. Thats why a Camaro looks like a Mustang looks like a Corvette looks like whatever brand insignia you want to stick on the grill.

 

[Iwanttolearn]

Ah, once again, I never thought of that; custom made bodies. Sorry for the stupid question, but thanks for answering it.