Re: Blue Meanie 0-60 time

[John Wayland <dat1200@EUROPA.COM>]

Hello to All,
      Wired On Line  quoted me as saying:

  '72 Datsun 1200 sedan 'sound-off car." ...snip... With 156 volts of
Optima AGM batteries, and only weighing in at 2320 pounds, this is one
quick and spirited  EV! It can do zero-60 in about eight to nine
seconds, and can easily eclipse 100 mph! ,

      After reading this quote, my friend Rich Brown asked:

>John, if the Meanie can do 0-60 in 8-9 seconds then why didn't >you race it at
 Woodburn?

      As you might recall Rich, I barely got to the Woodburn races in
time to make two poor passes in the Zombie at about midday. Then, I had
numerous problems to deal with...a broken race car, and a wrecked garden
tractor, plus I had to spend time doing NEDRA PR stuff, too. The Meanie
sat on the sidelines, during all this time, with only a few timeouts
taken to demo the sound system for interested guys like you. Also, the
clutch is slipping a bit these days, as I ve been pretty hard on
it....something about flooring it in 4th gear from rest to show ICE
dudes how the car can take off in top gear!
      With the above said, I am planning on running it at Woodburn this
year, and expect that it will turn a 18-19 second run in the
quarter....that is, if I have the clutch replaced by then! The 0-60 time
of 8-9 seconds is really what the car can do.

>The Wabbit and the Yellow Screamer (192 volts each)
>were only doing 0-60 in about 16 or 17 seconds (if my
>memory is correct).

     Actually, they were doing 0 to approximately 64  mph in the 19
second range, with those last 4 mph taking many extra seconds. Both cars
were pretty closely matched and were hitting 60 in about 15 seconds.
Both cars also weigh in at about 2700 lbs. each, too. These cars, as
well as Rudman s Goldie, had tremendous wheel spin in the first couple
of gears, which no doubt lengthened their times by 2-3 seconds. This is
the typical front wheel drive,  poor traction on hard acceleration
stuff, that happens at the drag strip. When Bill, Lou, and Rich get
their front drivers to hook up better, as the Sport Compact crowd has
been able to accomplish in the import drag racing scene, their 1/4 mile
times will come down into the 16-17 s, and their 0-60 times will be
substantially quicker as well. Lou s car should do it in 10-11 seconds,
Rich s with 1200 amps flowing through the copper should be down to
around 8-9 seconds (maybe even quicker), and Bill s Wabbit with his new
Grizzburger MPC and 192 volts should be able to do it in 7-8 seconds,
but only when he gets some traction out of his front-driver.
      The Blue Meanie has several advantages in the 0-60 race over these
other cars. First, it barely cracks the scales at 2300 lbs......400 lbs.
lighter...that s a major difference! Second, it has a massaged 800 amp
Kodiak under the hood that is pretty aggressive on takeoff. Third and
most importantly, it is rear wheel drive, and while the front drivers
are fogging their tires with the car barely moving, the Meanie squeals
its rear tires, but then they bite real well and the car launches off
the line aggressively. Unlike my other Datsun 1200 which has so much
horsepower and torque that it is breaking axles and shredding 9 inch
wide slicks, the Meanie has just enough power to spin the tires, but not
enough to obliterate them, so it takes off nicely.
      This balance of power, weight, and traction is what the EV1 driven
by Marvin Rush exhibited at the Saturday Night Electric Desert Drags in
Phoenix this past March, too. Although it is a front driver, it does
have traction control and again, a nice balance of power and weight.
With very little wheel spin, and 134 hp pulling 2900 lbs. of car, it ran
the 1/4 mile in the low 16 s, and has a tested 0-60 time of 7.6-8.5
seconds.
       Now compare the EV1 s 134 hp at 2900 lbs., to the Blue Meanie
with approximately 100 hp at 2300 lbs. Both cars have great traction for
the power they have and for the weight they have to get moving. The EV1
has a bit better power to weight ratio, at 1 hp for every 21.6 lbs.,
compared to the Meanie at 1 hp for every 23 lbs. The Meanie has more low
end torque though, which helps even the score a bit. The EV1 can do 0-60
in 8 seconds or less on average. My estimate for the Blue Meanie of 0-60
in 8-9 seconds is on target, and driving it with that satisfying shove
in the seat and the ability to dust off many ICEVs on the road, confirms
its acceleration as well.
      I ve driven many EV1 s, and of course, I am well acquainted with
the Blue Meanie, so I have a good feel for both vehicles and what they
can do. To me, after driving the Blue Meanie, the EV1 feels sluggish off
the line, and its lack of stump-pulling torque is a let down. Once the
AC motor is spinning up in its revs, however, the EV1 is a blast and it
feels very strong.
    If both cars were side by side in a 0-60 shootout, here s what would
most likely happen:

Out of the hole, I d easily beat the EV1 up to say, 30 mph or so. After
that, the EV1 would be pulling up on me, eventually getting past me at
around 50 mph or so. From 50-60, the EV1 is very powerful, and this
where it makes up for lost time....at this speed it would pull away
strongly. I wouldn t catch up until the EV1 s AC motor ran up against
the rev limiter. In the quarter mile, the Meanie would lose the match by
three seconds or so. Out on a long stretch of highway, or on Portland s
insane I-84 freeway, the Meanie would eat the EV1 for lunch! While the
EV1 is computer-mandated to not go more than 85 mph, the Meanie keeps on
pulling very strongly, especially in top gear....from 80 to 95 it hauls
butt! (ask those who have taken a ride in it at high speed) I ve seen
the speedo bang the peg at 100 mph on several occasions, too! (wouldn t
the EV1 be a kick with a 2 speed tranny?)

      0-60 times for EVs are very different from ICEVs, and when they
both have comparable 1/4 mile times, the EV will always be quicker to
60. In example.....take two 1/4 mile drag cars that can actually run a
flat 14 second 1/4 mile. An example of this in an ICEV would be a 60 s
era muscle car, such as a 440 Cuda, 396 Chevelle, a 429 Cobra Jet
Mustang, etc. These 14 second machines typically ran 0-60 in 5.5 seconds
or so...very quick cars! An example of an EV that ran 14 seconds, was
the Maniac Mazda at its peak, when it ran 13.95 in the quarter mile, but
this car, with its DC motor s awesome torque, would run 0-60 in 5
seconds or less! Rod and Bob weren t satisfied at having broken into the
13 s...they wanted more, so the car was redesigned with twin motors and
a whole new controller/battery pack arrangement. Yes, right now it s not
as quick as it once was, largely due to tired batteries that deserve to
be laid to rest. However, I have no doubt that they will get the Maniac
Mazda back up to speed, and I know they will eventually get the car into
the 12 s....keep your eyes on them!
     My own White Zombie, when I have huge 15 inch-wide meats in back to
get traction, should be able to deliver all its 240 horsepower and 300
ft. lbs. of torque to the ground, and by most people s accounts, the
sub-1900 lb. car will run mid 13 s. It ran 15.77 after wasting a couple
of seconds igniting the drag slicks, going sideways in 3rd, and having
me let off the throttle to straighten it out, before I could slam it
home again! 15.77 seconds, minus 2 seconds, equals mid-thirteens. ICEVs
that turn mid-thirteens can blast 0-60 in the low 5 s to high 4 s! When
I finally get everything dialed in, the White Zombie s 0-60 time will be
in the 4 s!

See Ya........John Wayland

Re: Blue Meanie 0-60 time