This past weekend we had a contest. It was a slow day. You park your vehicle at the top of this very long grade at a dead stop. You release the brake and whoever travels the greatest distance wins. Most of the road is concrete, some asphalt and large sections of decomposed granite. The winner was a 1954 Chevy Suburban, long wheelbase 1 ton with 16.5 tires, 10 ply bald, with 120 psi. Everything that could catch air as taped over and the underneath was streamlined with cardboard and the bumpers removed. This is serious high buck competition. If we can get the owner of the land to agree we are thinking of making this a serious competition. It would be cheap, environmentally friendly (can't have your engine running) and slow enough to be safe. It really does reward smooth driving and a gentle touch through the gravel. The guy that drove the winner improved the times of three other vehicles that he drove for other owners.
The winner is...
- Thread starter OneEyeJack
- Start date
- Status
You would post this without a video? or at least a few pics?
Gravity is underrated!
We are working on doing a vid. And we are working to make this an official event, sort of the X-games for non athletes.
Maybe you can help. We are trying to determine how to classify the vehicles. My idea is to class vehicles on the height and width so vehicles of the same cross section would compete against each other. Another idea was to run a tape measure from the front at the ground to the back, over the top of the vehicle. Maybe a composite formula could be drawn up, but it has to be different than auto racing because we don't allow you to use your engine or a push start.
Maybe you can help. We are trying to determine how to classify the vehicles. My idea is to class vehicles on the height and width so vehicles of the same cross section would compete against each other. Another idea was to run a tape measure from the front at the ground to the back, over the top of the vehicle. Maybe a composite formula could be drawn up, but it has to be different than auto racing because we don't allow you to use your engine or a push start.
Way to go.
Check Newton's Playground near here.
http://www.bathurst-nsw.com/MtPanoramaEvents.html
Will think about some gravity fed format for cars.
Check Newton's Playground near here.
http://www.bathurst-nsw.com/MtPanoramaEvents.html
Will think about some gravity fed format for cars.
For safety, how about limiting air pressure to the max printed on the tire. I'd hate for someone to be hurt pumping too much air into a tire.
Kestas
Staff member
I remember the contest for highest mpg back in the 70s. The winner had his tires pumped up high, and shaved the tires so they'd run on a one inch wide strip of tread. The accelerator pump feature was removed from the carburator, and he used a pulse and glide techniques. He went full throttle, then shut the car off, and repeated. He achieved 70 mpg. In later years the mpg went up to 2000? (don't ask me how).
I don't think I want to be around some old and worn out 16.5 tires with 120 psi in them.
Kestas
Staff member
Good find, Shannow. I now remember it was an Opel used in the contest.
- Status
