Check out this site with 0-60 times for several cars. It also contains a link to their (admittedly extremely simple) formula to calculate a rough time based upon weight and HP. Members with engine mods and swaps ... how close does your experience match the formula?

http://www.cars-cars-cars.org/Car-zero-sixty-Times.htm

Well using a 1988 GT with a curb weight of 2850 (manufacturer's listing) It says 0-60 is 10.277 seconds.
That is about 2 seconds too slow.
For the formula they show 2850 lbs is 1295kg
140hp * 0.9 is 126

I know an 88 GT with stick is running high 7's low 8's 0-60.

Thanks, Oreif. That puts the simple formula >20% off for a Fiero GT, whereas most of their examples are much, much closer. Is the Fiero gearing something special? Is the torque more important? Perhaps the formula is only "close" for the 10% of vehicle types they chose to show, so the Fiero is just "normal," not an interesting outlier. I was hoping this might spur on our mod and swap members to post their 0-60 times ... any takers? (Sorry, but 1/4 mile times don't mean much to this daily driver.) Anyone find a complete list of stock vehicle performance times?

here's the problem with the site, they only take into consideration the HP of an engine, and don't take into account the gear ratios. so basically, if you have a high torque motor, like a 4.9, it'll be WAY off, but if you have a high HP screamer, like an S2K, then it'll be closer.

the only way to be relatively accurate is to use HP, TQ, Gear ratios, weight, Aerodynamic drag, traction, driver, elavation, etc. so basically, there is no way that you can calculate it without driving a car and get a reliable number.

-Fish

I'm still faaaaar from tuned, and I'm getting ~ 7.1seconds 0-60

quote Originally posted by cooguyfish: there is no way that you can calculate it without driving a car and get a reliable number. -Fish

Sure there is... Drag Racing Analyzer v3.2 It at least takes most of those factors into account. (Including wheelspin)

You know why there is so much variance in their formulas? because hp has nothing to do with initial acceleration. Hp makes your car have a fast top speed, Torque is what makes you go 0-60 fast. According to the calculator on this site it says my car will go to 0-60 in 3.54. According to this site http://www.smokemup.com/auto_math/60_foot.php my car is doing 51.8 mph at the 60' mark on the track. (1.579 second 60') So is this site saying that it takes my car another 2 seconds to gain another 8.2 mph? Beats me, but from what I know my car goes 0-52 mph in less than 1.6 seconds.

www.car-stats.com

They publish mag numbers. Not always totally accurate, but at least they are based on real world testing and not a formula that doesn't take all aspects into account.

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: Sure there is... Drag Racing Analyzer v3.2 It at least takes most of those factors into account. (Including wheelspin)

ok, while this is better, i would have to see it to believe that it's very accurate. but i suppose anything is possible these days. but i tell you this, there is no way that the one in question here will always be accurate.

-Fish

quote Originally posted by fieroX: Torque is what makes you go 0-60 fast.

[nod] The torque at the wheels at any given moment is directly proportional to your acceleration given no wheelspin or air friction losses.

quote but from what I know my car goes 0-52 mph in less than 1.6 seconds.

So uhh... what's the secret? And do you have wheelie-bars?

[This message has been edited by ryan.hess (edited 04-14-2004).]

Fellow enthusiasts, when you post your numbers, can you please briefly list your major mods? I haven't been around long enough to know what you've got. Can the 3.4, 3800sc, 4.9, & SBC folks chime in??

Are people pretty much agreeable that torque is the main factor for short bursts off the line?

Torque is what gets you off the line....That's why some pickups use diesel engines, there is a ton more torque put out by those engines. To get that trailer or whatever moving from a stop.

That car-stats site has A LOT of cars faster than 8 - 8.7 seconds. OK, let's narrow it down to just two popular swaps:

1) Where would a no-mod 3.8sc/automatic place?

2) How about the 3.4 pushrod, porting, usual better cam, and turbo place?

Thanks!

quote Originally posted by fieroX: Beats me, but from what I know my car goes 0-52 mph in less than 1.6 seconds.

No Flame, but are your sure of that time ??? Seems pretty incredible to me, I've only seen numbers under 2 seconds with cars running double the horse/torque you'd be running.

I gave it a couple shots on mine with street tires, best I could manage was 4.2 sec 0 to 60 mph with a 2nd gear start (eliminating the required 1 - 2 shift to get to 60mph). While I'm pretty confident that I could break 4 with practice/tuning/tires, etc., I don't think I'd chip off that much time.

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0 to 75 Audio http://www.cartsys.com/fiero/cal-engine.wav

Like most simple models, these are "generally right but specifically wrong". In other words, they do a pretty good job explaining all the points collectively, but any given point can be off somewhat. As an example, I did an analysis of sportscars from the late 1980's including the Fiero. Part of this analysis was a simple model to explain their differences in 0 to 60 times using only curb weight and horsepower. The model explaines about 85% of the differences between the cars. On average, the model is off from any car by about 5%. For example, for a the formula fiero, it predicts a 0 to 60 of 8.6 seconds while the actual published time was 8.0, which is off by about 7.5%. For an 84 coupe, the model would predict a 0 to 60 time of 11.1 seconds, while a published source has it as 11.5 seconds, a difference of about 4%.

I guess the moral of the story is that a simple model will yield simple answers. For more precision, more precise models are needed which will take into account other things such as type of transmission, gearing, tires, temperature, driver weight, amount of gas in tank, etc. Here are the details of the model if you are inerested:

quote Originally posted by California Kid: No Flame, but are your sure of that time ??? Seems pretty incredible to me, I've only seen numbers under 2 seconds with cars running double the horse/torque you'd be running. I gave it a couple shots on mine with street tires, best I could manage was 4.2 sec 0 to 60 mph with a 2nd gear start (eliminating the required 1 - 2 shift to get to 60mph). While I'm pretty confident that I could break 4 with practice/tuning/tires, etc., I don't think I'd chip off that much time.

Hell beats me, thats just what the calculator said based on my 60' time. My tranny is set to shift into 2nd at about 6000 rpm, and it does so right at the 60' mark. Thats 52 mph according to my calcs. According to my fastest timeslip 11.55 @ 117, my 60' time was 1.579. heres a vid where you can see my speedo. www.fieroX.com/speed2.mov

FieroX, I know your car is fast, but I wouldn't trust the calculators, or speedo (tire slip). Here is a site that has some 0 to 60mph times posted, as I referred to above, you can click on the car to see some of the specs (included in the listing are some pretty damn hot cars):

http://www.fast-autos.net/0to60.html

[This message has been edited by California Kid (edited 04-18-2004).]

Yea....... Sometimes the Calculators are off. The rough one on this thread says mine will do it in 1.9 sec. Honestly I would use a G-Tech or some g-recorder like that. FieroX.... With a car that fast, measuring 0-60 is almost pointless. You may want to measure 0-100 mph. The accuracy would be better. A lot can happen in 1.x seconds that will greatly change the results.

I can't wait to see your car at WheatStock!

Paul

yeah, i wasnt so sure about those calculators. I found one elsewhere that did a 0-60 estimation based on my 1/4 mile and trap speed. That one put me at 3.07. I dont remember where I found it though. So heres what I can figure. Take the Enzo for example. http://www.fast-autos.net/ferrari/ferrarienzo.html Runs 11.1 at 133 mph. My car went 11.55. The ferrari would beat me by about .4 in the quarter, or about 4 car legnths at that speed. My car would be traveling at 117 mph, but the enzo at 133. He would be pulling on me by about 16 mph. So you can assume if he would beat me by 4 car legnths but 16 mph, chances are I would have his ass off the line and for the first couple hundred feet of the track. The enzo goes 3.3 0-60.

All this is speculation though, and fieromojo owns my old setup. I cant wait to get the turbo stuff running. Has anyone seen what Intenses turbo GTP went at IDD V?

Ffindley, great job on the graph and model. California Kid, thanks for posting the numbers w/engine on a swap (i.e. in the picture). So, to get in the ballpark of 0-60 in 5 seconds, a rough estimate would be 300 hp. That would suggest a 3800sc dropped in "as is" (260 hp) would turn mid 5 -- very respectable. How wrong am I ?