the perfect import
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Mill Creek, Wa, 98012
the perfect import
I was curious to what your guys ideas where for the perfect import? progressing on a Prelude. Just curious to different opinions. Examle:Body, engine, wheels, suspension, and such on.
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Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Norwalk, CT
Re: the perfect import (ItzTw)
Daily driver, or for a weekend toy?
I posted this a little while ago on another forum . . . . .
Drivetrain - A whipple supercharged DOHC I-4. 88 mm bore X 84mm stroke (~2 liters of displacement), running 12-14 lbs. of intercooled boost & a 7,000 rpm redline. Of course, 147mm rods, for r/s ratio of 1.75. With good piston & combustion chamber design, a C/R of about 10:1 should be attainable, for good off-boost performance & gas mileage. Forged pistons & rods and a well balanced crank should keep things reliable & running smooth. Output (at the wheels) might be around 285whp@6,500 rpms, & 240ft/lbs.@4,800 rpms.
It'd be RWD, with the engine mounted longitudinally, low & against the firewall, with the tranny at the rear (if necessary) for a 50/50 weight distribution. 5 speed manual transmission with a Torsen LSD, geared to take advantage of the supercharger's fairly wide power band. 5th is an overdrive gear.
A 4-1 tubular header joins into a 3" mandrel bent b-pipe, through the cat & out a single tailpipe on the passenger side. A long resonator, and straight through muffler should keep the exhaust note tolerable. A removable silencer tip is available.
With any luck, it should get 27-30 mpg on the highway. Maybe more, since it weighs so little. 10-15 if you're hammering it.
Chassis - 2 seater (lightweight cloth seats, 5 pt. harnesses, etc.), open top frame, with exposed 5 point roll cage. Canvas soft top for inclement weather (I picture like a zippered Jeep soft-top setup). 102 inch wheel base, 132 inch length, & a 72 inch track width. Overall curb weight should ring in at less than 2,000 lbs. (the lighter the better, but I suppose there are limits these days).
Suspension - 4 wheel independent wishbones, 16X7 forged lightweight rims (~12 lbs. a piece - SSR competitions, maybe) wrapped in 205/50-16 Bridgestone SO-3's. 11" slotted zinc plated rotors up front, & 10 inchers in the rear, with 4 wheel independent ABS. Spring rates should be around 250 lb/in., front & rear. Sway bars shouldn't be necessary, since Cg will be so low, & spring rates so high compared to the body weight. Independent adjustable rebound & compression damping on the shocks. Roughly 5" of ground clearance.
Misc. items - A/C is included, but the condenser is mounted with quick-release brackets so as to be removable for track & autocross. Stereo is not included, but a DIN opening exists, as well as large areas in the doors for mounting some nice, deep 6.5's . . . . It's only a two seater, so a fair sized enclosure & amp can be mounted behind the front seats. Power steering would not be an option.
There would be no sound-deadening, carpeting, or interior upholstery to speak of. An optional package might be available that included sound-deadening, carpeting, and a hard top. Entire package might cost around $2,000, and add around 200 lbs. to the curb weight. But I'd take a noisy car in order to shave weight. Not to mention show off a shiny, brushed aluminum interior. Just pray you never have to park in the sun.
A full assortment of gauges would be included - speedometer, tachometer, oil temp, oil pressure, coolant temp, fuel gauge, EGT, IAT, boost gauge, voltmeter, Db meter, ambient cabin temperature, ambient outside temperature, barometer, temperature due to wind chill, passenger heart rate, etc.
Styling - I couldn't tell you. I'm no artist, and can't quite picture what it might look like. But definitely a minimalist approach to the car. No excessive sweeps, lines, grooves, vents, pinstripes, etc. All body panels should be urethane (like a Saturn), for ease of replacement, weight savings, and no need to paint. No glass is necessary save for the windshield - the softtop would have lexan inserts for side & rear windows. With the given track width, wheelbase, & length, tires would have to be pushed out to the 4 corners of the car, with little to no overhang front & rear. Maybe the front tires might actually extend farther forward than the front bumper. It'd be nice to bump the front tires up against the curb when parking, rather than the front under-spoiler. Fenders would ideally be cut for limited wheel-gap, but the priority would be given to suspension travel, & the ability to upsize the wheel/tire package. Function over form.
Anyway, that's what I picture. Maybe it could be sold for under $35,000. Who knows. For someone handy with a welding torch & some hot-rodding experience, maybe it could built for under $20,000.
I posted this a little while ago on another forum . . . . .
Drivetrain - A whipple supercharged DOHC I-4. 88 mm bore X 84mm stroke (~2 liters of displacement), running 12-14 lbs. of intercooled boost & a 7,000 rpm redline. Of course, 147mm rods, for r/s ratio of 1.75. With good piston & combustion chamber design, a C/R of about 10:1 should be attainable, for good off-boost performance & gas mileage. Forged pistons & rods and a well balanced crank should keep things reliable & running smooth. Output (at the wheels) might be around 285whp@6,500 rpms, & 240ft/lbs.@4,800 rpms.
It'd be RWD, with the engine mounted longitudinally, low & against the firewall, with the tranny at the rear (if necessary) for a 50/50 weight distribution. 5 speed manual transmission with a Torsen LSD, geared to take advantage of the supercharger's fairly wide power band. 5th is an overdrive gear.
A 4-1 tubular header joins into a 3" mandrel bent b-pipe, through the cat & out a single tailpipe on the passenger side. A long resonator, and straight through muffler should keep the exhaust note tolerable. A removable silencer tip is available.
With any luck, it should get 27-30 mpg on the highway. Maybe more, since it weighs so little. 10-15 if you're hammering it.
Chassis - 2 seater (lightweight cloth seats, 5 pt. harnesses, etc.), open top frame, with exposed 5 point roll cage. Canvas soft top for inclement weather (I picture like a zippered Jeep soft-top setup). 102 inch wheel base, 132 inch length, & a 72 inch track width. Overall curb weight should ring in at less than 2,000 lbs. (the lighter the better, but I suppose there are limits these days).
Suspension - 4 wheel independent wishbones, 16X7 forged lightweight rims (~12 lbs. a piece - SSR competitions, maybe) wrapped in 205/50-16 Bridgestone SO-3's. 11" slotted zinc plated rotors up front, & 10 inchers in the rear, with 4 wheel independent ABS. Spring rates should be around 250 lb/in., front & rear. Sway bars shouldn't be necessary, since Cg will be so low, & spring rates so high compared to the body weight. Independent adjustable rebound & compression damping on the shocks. Roughly 5" of ground clearance.
Misc. items - A/C is included, but the condenser is mounted with quick-release brackets so as to be removable for track & autocross. Stereo is not included, but a DIN opening exists, as well as large areas in the doors for mounting some nice, deep 6.5's . . . . It's only a two seater, so a fair sized enclosure & amp can be mounted behind the front seats. Power steering would not be an option.
There would be no sound-deadening, carpeting, or interior upholstery to speak of. An optional package might be available that included sound-deadening, carpeting, and a hard top. Entire package might cost around $2,000, and add around 200 lbs. to the curb weight. But I'd take a noisy car in order to shave weight. Not to mention show off a shiny, brushed aluminum interior. Just pray you never have to park in the sun.
A full assortment of gauges would be included - speedometer, tachometer, oil temp, oil pressure, coolant temp, fuel gauge, EGT, IAT, boost gauge, voltmeter, Db meter, ambient cabin temperature, ambient outside temperature, barometer, temperature due to wind chill, passenger heart rate, etc.
Styling - I couldn't tell you. I'm no artist, and can't quite picture what it might look like. But definitely a minimalist approach to the car. No excessive sweeps, lines, grooves, vents, pinstripes, etc. All body panels should be urethane (like a Saturn), for ease of replacement, weight savings, and no need to paint. No glass is necessary save for the windshield - the softtop would have lexan inserts for side & rear windows. With the given track width, wheelbase, & length, tires would have to be pushed out to the 4 corners of the car, with little to no overhang front & rear. Maybe the front tires might actually extend farther forward than the front bumper. It'd be nice to bump the front tires up against the curb when parking, rather than the front under-spoiler. Fenders would ideally be cut for limited wheel-gap, but the priority would be given to suspension travel, & the ability to upsize the wheel/tire package. Function over form.
Anyway, that's what I picture. Maybe it could be sold for under $35,000. Who knows. For someone handy with a welding torch & some hot-rodding experience, maybe it could built for under $20,000.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 11,517
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From: Boo, did I scare you, US
Re: the perfect import (Pyrochaos38)
Yea, me too. Wazzzzzup Todd?
Or the NSX.
My next car will be a Vette though. (in addition, I'll keep the Lude... probably forever unfortunately.)
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Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Macedonia
Re: the perfect import (JG Luder)
oooh man....nsx, i'd never seen one in person actually, until recently. a big honda dealership got one in. electron blue it looked, so awesome, man are they low to the ground 
[Modified by Volumelevel7, 11:39 PM 4/11/2002]
[Modified by Volumelevel7, 11:39 PM 4/11/2002]
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