April 11, 200718 yr The video is great! I've favorited it and sent it to one of my friends who goes on and on about how Domestic vehicles cannot 'turn' ... But the comments are pretty fun too!
April 11, 200718 yr Author Learn about the car here: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/featured...y_el_camino_ss/ I'm in love!
April 11, 200718 yr From the owner of the El Camino after a flame war started on that site. His last two paragraphs are really all you need to know. Alright guys, the last thing I wanted was to start flame war. I appreciate the comments, both positive and negative but let's see if we can do witho ut the personal attacks. When I uploaded this video, my intent was to show the stark contrast between a 37 year old American muscle car and a modern day imported sports car on the road course. It was NOT my intent to try and show that my car and/or my driving ability is superior to t he Lotus and it's driver. On the one side you have a car/truck that was never intended to be used for anything other than hauling 2x4's and drywall and on the other, a car that was specifically designed for performance type driving. It's a pretty rare sight and a comment by a spectator at the track that day is what prompted me to eventually upload the video. No matter how you slice it, my El Camino is decidedly low tech. It has some newer upgrades such as fuel injection and the braking system but for the most part, it's old school stuff. It is true that the suspension has been upgraded with newer parts but they are still based on a 38 year old design. They've just been beefed up and perhaps improved somewhat. There certainly isn't anything new or high tech about them. There is nothing new about the engine. The first big block Chevy, on which my engine is based, appeared in 1965! Yes, the transmission is much newer but the only real difference between it and my original 4 speed muncie is that it has two overdrives and weighs 70 lbs more. The Elise is no slouch. It can sprint to 60 under 5 seconds and weighs less than 2000 lbs., which is about 2000 lbs less than my El Camino. And it's SMALL! It has 190 hp so carries around 10 lbs per horsepower. Compare that to my 7.5 lbs per horsepower and I have a clear advantage. However, the Lotus makes MUCH more efficient use of it's power than my El Camino does. Think about how much more aerodynamic it is. Still, higher power cars have an advant age on a track like Brainerd with it's long straights and high speed sweeping curves. I think the guy with the Lotus said he was topping out around 130 whereas my top speed was in the 145-148 range. On a smaller track or an autocross course, there's no way I'd keep up. The Camino obviously won it on the straights. Hah was that a drag strip integrated into the track?!?
April 11, 200718 yr Author Was there another car on the track? I didn't notice. :AH-HA_wink: This is the Uber Camino I would own if I could.
April 12, 200718 yr Heh, OK someone just showed me the track layout. 70-80% of the track is a gentle turn or straight away! Of course the V8 was gonna pass. http://www.brainerdraceway.com/road/layout.html Edit: 'Blu is right, that thing on the hood is pretty neat. I guess it opens when the vaccum pressure is high enough and improves airflow?
April 12, 200718 yr Goll deng it... that flapper hood is sooo damn sexy. Hot video, Camino! hehehehe... I did NOT say "goll deng it". Goll Deng It is the name of a local Korean restaurant, however. :AH-HA_wink: Edited April 12, 200718 yr by ocnblu
April 12, 200718 yr Author Heh, OK someone just showed me the track layout. 70-80% of the track is a gentle turn or straight away! Of course the V8 was gonna pass. http://www.brainerdraceway.com/road/layout.html Edit: 'Blu is right, that thing on the hood is pretty neat. I guess it opens when the vaccum pressure is high enough and improves airflow? Actually, the Cowl Induction works in two ways. There is a door you can't see in the video that opens when a switch is actuated by the gas pedal - it is located beneath , and ahead of the flapper. When you mat the pedal, the flapper also opens (what you saw in the vid) it is actuated by the sudden drop in vaccum. There is a screen at the back of the hood which allows High-pressure air to enter when the flapper is closed and even more air enters when the flapper opens. It was one of my favorite things about driving my '70 SS El Camino. Just cool to watch it work.
April 12, 200718 yr Well, since your Camino now needs a powertrain..... Think a Ramjet 502 could fit under there without resorting to an aftermarket hood? Great video! I'm grinning ear to ear.
April 12, 200718 yr Author Well, since your Camino now needs a powertrain..... Think a Ramjet 502 could fit under there without resorting to an aftermarket hood? Great video! I'm grinning ear to ear. Don't tempt me Z! Hmm... I could graft a cowl induction hood onto the stock one, thus gaining clearance...
April 12, 200718 yr That's a great sounding motor. You guys should have a media section here with the sounds of the motors. That would be cool.
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