aiboart

There is also the weight of, larger wheels, larger tyres, larger IC, the oil cooler and associated plumbing, the dual zone air con and associated plumbing, 2nd air intake (around 2kg), premium sound with CD stacker extra speakers amps and sub, and any other equipment additional to the base XRT. Regards, aa

How does the induction vary to the current setup for the T? Is there a new system specific to NA and another to turbo applications? Any news of lightweight polymer panels? I know that one of the big plastics companies were chasing Ford Australia about a year ago to implement lightweight precoloured panels for Orion. With the current focus on fuel consumption and performance it seems like a reasonable path for mass produced mid market vehicles to now take. Also 310 fwkw, with an upgrade path..... Regards, aa

Orion styling cues - Link to Article for new Ford Mondeo at Paris Motor show

If you look at the underside of your bonnet you can see that the standard Falcon air intake area is isolated from the rest of the engine bay, and thus from a supply of hot air, by a rubber seal on the bonnet. Both the standard air intake and the FPV 2nd air intake access unheated external high pressure air. Regards, aa

Link to BBC Coverage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...ire/5365676.stm

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=146278 BBC motoring presenter injured in crash Thursday Sep 21 06:43 AEST AP - The host of a BBC television show about automobiles was critically injured when the jet-powered car he was test driving at about 450 kph crashed, the network said. The accident occurred when Richard Hammond, 36, the host of Top Gear, was racing the car down a runway at an unused Royal Air Force air field near York city in northern England and it overturned, police and the BBC said. Hammond, who often drives high-performance cars for the show, was rushed in an air ambulance to a hospital in Leeds. The accident occurred while he was filming for a future show. AAP

I bought a set of four yesterday. Price at K-Mart auto was $289 per tyre fitted and balanced. Subjective comments based on a new set of tyres (in dry conditions) with unknown tyre pressure compared to a worn set of factory SP3000’s. Background I drive with the TC on. The car is an std. auto BAII XRT sedan with Premium Brakes. So far the Maxx’s seem to be a nice tyre. They are quieter than the factory SP3000's. The ride is smoother; then again, they are new tyres. They seem to have higher ultimate lateral grip than the SP3000’s in steady state cornering. Initial turn may be slightly less aggressive than the SP3000’s. I can’t say what the tyre pressures are in the Maxx’s, therefore the comparison with the SP3000's may not be valid. Slip angles for the Maxx's for low degrees of steering input may be higher than the SP3000’s – though pervious comments about tyre pressure apply. The Maxx's seem to have similar longitudinal grip to the SP3000’s in acceleration. (I drive with the TC on so not much to compare with here). Longitudinal grip of the Maxx's during deceleration seems significantly higher than the SP3000's judging by force required to activate antilock in the Premium brakes - and by the amount of deceleration generated. Overall Impression. I thought the SP3000’s were a great tyre for the XRT – good grip - nice linear wet and dry performance. Other members of the forum disagree… At this stage it seems that the Dunlop Maxx’s are a higher performance 17” tyre than the factory SP3000 – they are also quieter and have a more compliant ride. Ultimate levels of grip and braking seem noticeably higher in the Maxx's than in the SP3000. Regards, aa

hybrid??

<edited>.... I have nowhere seen anyone relate to Helmholtzs' theory openly in a Ford Forum, or relating to these cars. I see Simon G alluded to it, without actually mentioning it one time. It makes me think he used the formula to some degree, with engine dyno testing to come to a final spec on his plenum design. I have seen no real literature to support the use of the formula in boosted applications. Plenty for N/A, as you mention. One reason being, will the return pulse from the intake valve be enough to overcome the ~20psi in the runner, and the forces directed against it?? I am not sure, but every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction, so maybe, atleast untill the pressure in the runner is equal, then yes, maybe a return pulse?? I assume the benefit would be small, but worth looking into. Not that hard to work it out.. Also, tuned length gets bandied about alot. Well, tuned to what length?? Bottom end, midrange or topend?? Alot of guys pride themselves on there 'tuned length' manifolds, or extractors, (which are more commonplace) they have bought, but to what rpm range are they tuned to?? Are they aware if they even meet there own requirements? Does the 'tuned length' of the intake runners match the exhaust, if it's been done?? ....<edited>.... Runner Length. Short runner are good for top end, longer runners give excellent torque down low, this is fact, not an opinion.. I am waiting to see a Nitto plenum back to back on a Ford Lower half and aftermarket upper half, of any brand. If the XR6T revved to 8500rpm even 9k, as Jap 6's do, I would call it a winner. There powerband is alot higher in the rpm range than the Barra engine, and they predominantly boost late. They also launch VERY hard at the drags, generally on antilag. But the design, in my opinion is based on upper rpm, which some people will be looking for, so it will fill a market neiche.. My only arguement to this, I've experienced better results looking at peak torque, and where it occurs ( lower rpm ), as opposed to peak power high in the rpm. <edited> ← What effect does the variable length intake runner system have in the turbo? As per the above post, tuning the intake lengths has positive effects on a NA application and therefore being able to vary the tuned length is a undisputed good thing to do in a NA variable speed (car) engine. However, I understand that the variable length runner system is turned off for our XRT/F6/TT applications, why? 1/ it doesn't matter in this turbo application 2/ it does matter 3/ it matters but the effect of boost is overwhelming 4/ it matters, the effect of boost is overwhelming, except when the engine is running at low boost and low rev 5/ it matters at low boost low rev conditions, however the extra volume of long runners improves cylinder filling whilst inducing runner fill time lag, so there is a net zero effect trade off involved 6/ it matters, but the effect of variable boost and intake temp creates a variable compression wave velocity in the intake runners, which in turn creates a variable resonant frequency that is difficult to tune. 7 it is a factory fitted power/torque restriction device 8/ it is something the factory is keeping in reserve for as part of a staged model upgrade sequence. (as per the independent variable valve timing system?) 9/ there is so much other tuning head room and low rev torque with this turbo application no one is bothered with further improving low rev, low boost, (eff. NA performance) 10/ there are other variable involved Regards, aa

Squeeze her in and drive it offf a cliff, 0-3oo in 3 sec flat. It isn't possible in a car but a dragster will do it easily. ← No the cliff won't do it. It is only 0 to 108 km/h - less if you factor in air drag. Regards, aa

You need 17" for the PBR's - and then they just fit. Regards, aa

Brakes The common PBR upgrade option is essentially duplicating the (BA) FPV ( and BA Premium Brake) development path for your car – a good thing. It provides an excellent braking package, in all respects, for road use and light track use and further the package is well designed to minimize unsprung and rotating mass (for its price point). Remember once you can lock your wheels adding extra (bigger and heavier) brakes will only add mass and polar moment. You can get bigger, stronger and heavier brakes and they have their purpose, especially for high power applied to track use for hi speed and hi frequency braking. Again Ford have created a development path for you to follow with the larger 6 piston options. The trade-offs here, apart from the cost, is the weight of the system itself but if you need them you need them. The state of the art for these things, is the funky PBR 6 piston/ 6 pad setup for the Corvette Z06 super car and a similar 8 piston/ 8 pad setup on the AMG V8’s. There are also lightweight carbon disc options – which cost as much as a Ford Focus. In general drilled rotors are for looks. They look pretty but work pretty poorly on the track, they crack. Wheels For wheels lighter is better. Lower polar moment is better. Bigger is not always better and can be worse and in fact far worse. Bigger wheels are heavier and in general add mass and polar moment… bigger wheels will slow you down and they will detract from braking. They will also detract form the performance of the suspension…. which in turn will reduce grip…and ride. Turn in is also affected. But then again, you may need big wheels to fit big rubber for big power and to make room for big brakes for hi speed and hi frequency braking. Bigger wheels can allow for the fitting of ultra low sidewall tyres. These types of tyres can add the perception of responsiveness, however they reduce longitudinal grip on flat terrain and they can reduce all grip on uneven surfaces. Going beyond what your car needs or ends up needing after mods, with wildly oversized wheels and brakes is about fashion. It will detract from at least one and probably several important performance parameter of your car if not integrated into a whole and well sorted package. Regards, aa

From LC's and the Ford site photo's it is the right part. However my part is fitted onto the duco not onto the rear windscreen glass and as noted above there are steps moulded into the component that suggest the fitting should be otherwise. I will check with the dealership today, it's actually a very cool team of guys - equal to the best that I have ever encountered - including Lexus. Everyone however is human. Regards, aa

Thanks for the photo Lord Cyric and to all for the advice. LC, the thing is though... your car is so glossy that it is difficult to discern the complex compound curves of the sunshade and the roof from amongst all the reflections and highlights Regards, aa

The component was dealer fitted and it looks rather good. I suspect however that its positioning may be incorrect. There are several complex curves moulded into the part that suggest the placement is intended for a specific location on the car. The picture on the Ford web page doesn't aid in resolving the matter. Regards, aa

Re; Part # BA 18249 AA Can someone please advise if the main double sided adhesive of the Ford sunshade attaches to the car's roof (the duco) or to the rear windscreen? Regards, aa

Std. BA Mk2 17" rim weighs 14.1 kg including the hub cap. Std. BA Mk2 17" rim and factory SP 3000 tyre weighs 25kg (inc. air and hub cap) Try this site, Wheel Weights Listing As noted above, reducing your unsprung weight will have positive effect on your adhesion, handling and ride on undulating surfaces. In addition to reducing your unsprung weight, a lighter wheel and tyre assembly and or one with a lower polar moment, will improve performance and braking even on a perfectly smooth surface. Reductions to unsprung and rotating mass and the benefits derived thereof, are also possible via lighter brake and or suspension assemblies. Also, as noted above, whilst lightweight wheels will improve many important aspects of your car's performance, they are expensive and the results are nowhere near as, dramatic, as a nice spikey boost curve... Regards, aa

Don't forget the Power Pedal Adjustment option for the automatic. It's $350. Primary function is safety, it is intended to keep drivers positioned as far away as possible from the steering wheel and airbag. The system may also report to the airbag computer, although this is yet to be confirmed. The power pedals are a handy feature if people of different size or proportion use the vehicle, the gf will appreciate this. Anything that conforms a car to the driver to aid comfort is rather cool and contributes to driver performance. Manual versions of pedal adjustments had previously beed confined to uber expensive sporty vehicles and typically involved the prospective owner flying off to the factory for a fitting. We of course can have a much more advanced system... for $350 Regards, aa

Other ideas - 4 black Velcro spots on the back of the Atom mated to a Velcro strip on your Ford phone presenter (about $30). This is simply The way to mount your phone (and possibly your GPS and other electro stuff) in the car. (The Velcro dots also act as protection pads for your phone on rough surfaces and isolate the phone from vibration when using the hands free function.) When mounted in this manner in your car it is possible - but not ideal to use the hands free of the phone as is - depending on the amount of ambient noise. An elaboration is to run the phone's out put through the Aux input of your sound system (Aux input is Falcon std - but you need a cheap cable from Ford to bring the access point to behind the tissue box). Note this gives you amazing output but still retains the mike system of the Atom as the input. This is also the way to output Atom MP3 to your sound system. To do this, you will need another cheap cable with a headphone plug at each end. However, the Atom uses a miniplug. An adaptor that will convert one end of your cable to fit the Atom The double headphone plug cable then will enable you to connect cheap DVD players etc to the sound system. The Atom uses a mini USB plug. This enables you to charge and power the unit in the car using a USB cable and yet another cheap ($ 12V USB charger. Blue Ant Bluetooth earplugs are also handy - and they come with the 12V adaptor already. These are great devices - if you get a good example. Mine went in for repair 3 times (months of stuffing around) before ending up with a stable unit and I know of several others with chronic problems - these are very complicated gizmos and quality is an issue. The other thing to note is sometimes less is more and sometimes more is more. A cheap Nav system is about $400 retail now - which is about the same price as the map and GPS receiver systems for the Atom. There is something to say about having dedicated devices and there is something to say about single unit portability... The fact of the matter is that the gps system for the Atom consists of two devices in any case... One last thing, these little multi digital Swiss army knives (DSAKS) chew up battery very quickly if used a lot. And, if you get to rely on them - carry a backup, loosing your all your communications (phone/mail/web access) and contact numbers and itinerary and gps when travelling is a not fun. Regards, aa

I think a bikini wearing topless chick driving the (your?) Atom at speed would probably have some interesting comments to make. Regards, aa

My sunroof managed an 11.8 pass I love my sunroof and I will have another if I buy again.When I cruise during the day I have my sunroof tilted up and my parkers on.Its kind of a Expensive Daewoo thing ive seen around but I like the look but then again im a TRANNY ← Sunroofs are a good thing, and, they come at a performace cost. 11.8 is impressive; there was however a performance cost in having a sunroof down the 400. You should find the discussion here interesting, see third paragraph.car_design_forum regards, aa

There is a lot to like about them. Against, they add considerable weight to the car at its highest point. They add flex to the chassis (generally) and they take up internal head room. If I recall correctly BMW made a huge fuss about the fact that they saved 6kg from the roof of the M6 by going to carbon sections - no data forthcoming from BMW however about the weight penalty of a sunroof - which they also like to fit. A modern fully featured sunroof together with its reinforcements, tracks, motors, wires, shades, glass, blinds, windshields and drainage must add some 20kg to the roof of the car, though I stand to be corrected on this. Some people are sensitive to the weight of the fuel load in their car whilst to others it is just not that important. A sunroof is the weight equivalent of a bag of pool salt located above your head in the car... Some options are simply about bang for buck, you trade off your money for the item - or not. The decision to have a sunroof however involves more than that, it involves a design compromise. If you want the crispest fastest chassis, then no roof, if you want the comfort, the experience and the aesthetics then get the roof. Regards, aa

Ford GTs on the way http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384...7-21822,00.html Muscle car: Ford's GT supercars meld vintage cues from the Ford GT racing cars of the 1960s with modern, sophisticated materials and finishes 23 June 2006 James Stanford An Australian company is bringing the Ford GT supercar to local roads. Ford Australia decided against importing the modern interpretation of the GT40 racer from the US, mainly because the limited edition muscle car is only produced in left-hand drive and demand would be rather limited. But Dreamtech, a Melbourne company specialising in stretched limos and other modified vehicles, aims to bring around 10 of the Ford GTs to Australia and convert them to right-hand drive. The cars will come with a Dreamtech warranty and compliance that allows them to be road registered in all states. The GTs won't be cheap, with the final bill likely to come to nearly $500,000 a car -- $115,000 more than a Ferrari F430. The GT has an official list price in the States of $US200,000 but production is winding up this September and dealers are demanding $US270,000 to $US290,000 for the few in stock. Import taxes, red tape clearance and conversion costs will account for the rest of the half-million price tag. Dreamtech partner James Ware admits $500,000 is steep, but says the GT is a rare and legendary vehicle. "It is a lot of money but to get an equivalent Lamborghini you are paying $600,000 or more. It's cheaper and it's much, much rarer," says Ware. "The car will be the ultimate rare car and I don't think too many will even get out of their garages except on special occasions." The Ford GT was built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original GT40 car's first, second and third place finish in the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race. The original racer, which now has cult-car status, was powered by a whopping 7.0-litre engine. The new GT, a modern interpretation of the racer, is powered by a supercharged 5.4-litre V8 which pumps out 410kW and 678Nm. Many American writers claimed the Ford was better than the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper and Ferrari 360 when it was first released in 2004. According to a review at thecarconnection.com: "It makes a Ferrari 360 brought for comparison look like a Hyundai Tiburon." The GT's supercar halo has dimmed slightly since the latest generation Ferrari F430 hit the street but the GT is still regarded as a star. It has graced the covers of more than 40 car magazines worldwide and even out performs a $750,000 Saleen 57 in the latest edition of Motor magazine. Ware explains that Dreamtech will only be able to bring a few of the GTs to Australia. "We are only offering a very limited number ... as the base car is quite expensive and the steering conversion, done properly, is not cheap," he says. "We have designed the completed right-hand drive vehicle to look, feel and drive exactly as the factory would have intended, had they built it. We have had to completely remodel the whole interior of the car in a mirror image of the original and modify the fuel tank so we can reposition the gear lever." The only Ford GT supercar known to be in Australia is owned by Ford and is currently on display at the Ford Performance Racing shop at FPV headquarters in Melbourne. The Daily Telegraph

The Premium Brakes were a $3000 option. An alloy spare in either 17" or 18" was a mandatory extra $350 option to the Premium Brakes. It made for an expensive but seriously refined, powerful and lightweight braking package. As noted above, the 16" steel space saver would not fit over the Premium Brakes. regards, aa

FWIW the 'standard' semi perforated leather trim is cool in summer. It is far cooler than leather found in other cars and this is despite the fact that it comes only in black. It's is actually an incredibly comfortable material. Mk II's have a rear armrest. BA's have smooth alcantra in the door. BF's have a perforated version. Cars with suede trimmed seats have suede type trim in the door.