The deal.
......along with the misrepresenting of my words regarding the transition capability from under to oversteer, which I feel, is more than a little hyperbole. What I don’t get is the absolute adherence to the TT siren song and how it is the be all end all. Allowing posters and moderators to denigrate or cast sarcastic comments directed at other members. The mods expunging them and then continuing to allow said members to post their theories with a “be really careful here….” admonition to those that dissent. I guess if I were provided the parts or even a whole system installed gratis I would be towing the party line but sadly I have to pay for mine.
Sandman,
You have been around this Forum for a long time, and though your post count is not high you are one of our more recognizable and respected members. As one of a minority of our members who regularly track their cars and take it close to the limits of its capabilities, your posts carry a lot of weight with our membership and with me. My only admonition in this thread was directed at a proponent of the twin turbo system, not to a detractor. I don't allow or disallow any opinions, they are all welcome here. I simply requested that members state their opinions and comments in the first person. I struck a total of three words from this thread and they were "You are wrong", I have not stricken any theories or admonished anybody for dissenting. Members should feel free to tell us what they think and why, or that you disagree and why. Any information one wishes to post can be presented without crossing the line from "I think", or "my experience is" to "you are".
As less than 1% of the Ford GT population (fewer than 40 cars) has been converted to Twin Turbo's, it certainly isn't the end all system and the vast majority of owners will certainly stay with the supercharger. My intent was to accurately represent my actual experience with the car, it was not to misrepresent your words. Perhaps there is a better way I could have more delicately disagreed as you are one of the last people I want to get sideways with.
As regards the value of information, in the beginning, until field experience is acquired, all that we have to go on is theory and extrapolation. From electric toothbrushes to the space shuttle, everything starts out as design theory on paper. When that theory is turned into hardware that can actually be tested, the actual results of that field testing trump all of the theory that came before it. I have tested a number of modifications that I thought would make my Glasair III aircraft faster. My buddy Kirby Chambliss is constantly testing theory and modifications that he thinks will make his Red Bull Air Race plane faster. Our theories are well thought out and based upon 30 years of flying and aircraft building experience. Still, 90+% of the time our theories prove themselves to be wrong in the field, and our aircraft end up being slower. I don't care how well my theory was formulated or how confident I was in its validity, when field testing shows it didn't produce results, my theory is worthless. For a couple years I worked as a test pilot for the MT Propeller Company in Germany. They sent a series of computer designed three blade propellers for me to test on my airplane that they were virtually certain would make it faster. Decades of knowledge and the most powerful computer programming said so. In the air, they were a disaster, some of them slowed my plane down 15 knots. "What I think will happen" is always trumped by "What did happen".
Which brings us back to the twin turbo Ford GT. I would be perfectly happy if mine was the last one ever built (#35). But as we have many members who are considering going in this direction, and as most of them will have to spend approx. $35,000 without ever having driven one, I believe accurate information from members who have experience with these cars "in the field" is more valuable than the theories of those who have not driven one. I had to pay for my twin turbo as well, Jason Heffner refused to comp me! The last thing I would like to have happen is for somebody to spend that type of money upon my recommendation and have it fail to meet their high expectations. Conversely, it would be a shame for a member to decide against this mod on the basis of opinion without experience.
And Sandman, lest you think I don't respect your opinion or ability, I'll make you a deal. At Rally VI, you are the only person I will let drive my car on the track (I'll ride in the passenger seat). Then you can write your comments up, good or bad. Afterward, I'll buy the cocktails. What do you think?? Cheers.
Chip