Shadowman's thoughts on forced induction.


Aug 25, 2006
4,436
And yet one more comment as I have to get this off my chest.

DBK

I went back and read this reply from you which I have cut pasted at this end of this reply as a point of reference; now even though I enjoyed and appreciated reading your point of view/opinions and shared experiences your comment in association with my no disrespect comment continues to roll through my head as does your comment about me changing a phrase that I used within my post.

DBK; your comparison of no disrespect but your mother’s ugly does not mirror that which I was sharing. When I said no disrespect I was saying that in sharing my opinion it is was not my desire to critique any one system or a person’s methodology as used to create them but rather what I was sharing was solely my opinion of turbo systems in general in association with the Ford GT; which is exactly what I was asked to do and in this case my comments were based on facts.

I stated that the turbo systems as presently offered for the Ford GT community have the turbos improperly placed for optimum performance and the list goes on. Sadly I cannot come up with a better phrase to use because this is the truth.

Is it because it was easier, less expensive, and or for aesthetic reasons; certainly I do not know because I was not a component of the design team however if I were asked to speculate and share my opinion I would say that it was a combination of all three with the path of least resistance tossed in for good measure. I would also add to the mix that when Joe’s gal was presented a few years back as the initial extreme turbo Ford GT presenting numbers in the plus 1400 horsepower range that his system became the basis for others to create their own certainly with individual tweaks here and there however the basic premise and design layout changed very little because akin to bugs being drawn to the light folks were drawn with checkbook in hand to the dyno sheet that showed extreme results never questioning and for many simply not understanding just how inefficient the systems are and how much crisper they could be.

Having shared this it does not mean that the system available are bad systems but rather that a better mouse trap can be created; who knows maybe my saying this will inspire someone to pick up the proverbial ball and run with it. In my world I would consider this progress in much the same way that alternate supercharger systems are constantly being created. If I were not to share these facts and folks do not know that something more can be done then what compelling reason is there for anyone to continue the quest towards; in this case the “Holy Grail” of performance. Furthermore my knowing this and not sharing it would have significantly reduced the value of my post.

Now throughout my post I was very careful not to mention any names, I did not even differentiate the supercharger evaluation between OEM, smaller pulley, etc. What I did do was present what I thought was good information that would encourage folks to think about their personal goals and the manner in which they do or desire to exercise their gal and then compare this to the options available and maybe even look for more. Furthermore I also expected the thread to become more about shared experiences in the most general of senses never expecting it to become a marketing tool.

Lastly DBK; you share that you had to disagree with me when in fact there was nothing to disagree on; I presented a laundry list of opinions based on my personal experiences, I shared a few facts, and I also shared my personal preference and then in turn you did something similar. You shared what you like, what you dislike, and also a few facts as such both of our posts were very similar in the sense that personal opinions and experiences were shared.

In closing most know that I am very much a straight shooter not to mention as honest in that which I share as I am anal about that which I do and then add to this folks know very well that I leave my door open and lights on for all expecting nothing in return; to this there are no exceptions. I share this in hopes that no one was offended, troubled, and even more so took personally anything that I have shared because this was never to be the case; I simply shared a bit of the Shadowman.

Shadowman

“Posted by DBK
Bill,
I'm going to have to disagree with you big time on this one. Just for some background, here is why I wanted to get turbos. There are two primary reasons that I had to get rid of the supercharger. One is that the car intolerably overheated at the track and ran hot on the street. It was annoying, and honestly embarrassing, to go out on the track, make 5 laps, and then have the car limp back into the pits on an 80* day. This will happen to any Ford GT with a supercharger on it. If you have tracked your Ford GT on more than a quick lapping day, you have seen limp mode. This has been shown repeatedly to be exacerbated on many cars with Whipples on them, including wild variances in dyno runs from one pull to the next.

The second was because precisely what you describe as enjoying is precisely what I couldn't stand. If you plan on short shifting the car, or pulling it forward using prodigious torque in 2nd or 3rd gear from low rpm, the mass of torque it makes is great. Likewise, you can do this at a track. I've done "3rd gear only" track days with the blower where you just stick it in gear and pull yourself around because you can't go any faster, and if you throw it in 2nd, you will annihilate the tires. This can be viewed as either good or bad. Good because it makes you use your right hand and left foot less, bad because it makes tracking the car or driving twisty roads less involving (see 3.90 gear upgrade).

Which leads me to the point that yes, while instant torque can be useful in many ways, in others, it can be insanely eye-rollingly frustrating. When I had the p/t/e on my car, 1st gear was rendered useless at virtually all times. 2nd gear was useless on days less than 70*. Unless you are commited to switching tires to something stickier and wider, the immediacy with which a blower car delivers the torque will ensure that you would most likely get blown away by any number of lesser horsepower cars that don't annihilate their tires constantly. I challenge anyone with a Whipple on the street to beat a stock GT-R from 30-80 mph.

The combination of these two situations is why I think you have seen very little difference in 1/4 mile times out of a big power, supercharged Ford GT vs. ones with less. Soroush has delivered what I see to be by far the fastest at 10.7@140, and that was spraying the car as well. We've seen plenty of 130-135 mph Whipple cars that make huge power on the dyno. I ran 133mph in a pullied car with less than 600rwhp. Now obviously few people are going to drag race their Ford GT, but in every traditional measure of acceleration, the turbo cars, as presently constituted, absolutely destroy the blower cars. That is unless of course you are racing from 2k-4k rpm.

So with that intro on where I stand, it brings me to this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowman
(I share this with no disrespect to the turbo systems presently integrated in the Ford GT’s) this is not the case. IMO the turbos are not properly placed, too far from the head, and the list goes on as such what all have are high horsepower gals capable of cutting through the air at extreme speeds more efficiently than any of the supercharged Ford GT’s and yet lack the low end grunt and torque through the lower and early mid section thus making them “less” fun to drive.
That's like saying "No disrespect, but your mother is ugly." Maybe "properly placed" should be rephrased. Now, the low end grunt portion and fun to drive equation is where we differ. Precisely because the car has less tire-melting torque at low rpm, the car is simply way more usable on the street, which in turn, makes it more fun. My car made 500rwtq at 3500 rpm. That, in my eyes, is plenty of available torque to get from stoplight to stoplight. And should I choose to mat it to the floor, in first I know it will not spin the tires running on wastegate springs, and if I choose to do so, the drop in RPM's keeps plenty of power available when shifting 1-2-3.

That is why the "lack" of torque makes the car so enjoyable now. I don't worry about the cars incessant desire to loop itself at any RPM with the huge pool of torque. In the graveyard of Ford GT's, a huge number have been wrecked because the owners have thought "well I'll just punch it here" and that tidal wave of torque sends them onto surfaces unintended for driving. This is irrefutable and everyone with a FGT knows the feeling. Right foot to the floor, tail end to the side. I've seen it first hand. Both as a passenger, and seeing a freshly pullied car wrecked the same day. This is in no way saying doubling the horsepower with turbos won't lead to the same result, but that split second your foot is down and the car isn't rocketing forward/sideways is very valuable for the brain/eyes/behavior relationship to reconcile.

I can envision no scenario in which you would shift 1-2-3 everytime shifting at 4k and care. If that is a concern to anyone looking to get more power, I would recommend leaving the car stock. The car is very entertaining under 4k rpm as is. As I've made the joke before, I understand people like torque, but you can yell out the window "But look at this torque cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve." as any turbo car from any tuner, as presently constituted, goes flying past. This is in any realistic race situation. The only turbo car I ever went in that had what I would describe as significant lag was the original Stage 6 car.

I prefer not having the huge torque which makes putting your foot down a dicey proposition at all times. If the car made more power and torque earlier, I would be unhappy as I'd be back to square one being slower than cars with half the power on everyday roads. I explained this to Rick Saute before he tracked his TT car at Willow. Having tracked the TT's at MMP, it was clear that you could come out of corners with your foot down and have a nice window of opportunity to make sure you're placed correctly before you get sideswiped by your own torque.

So that's my opposing view. I don't think it's less fun at all to drive a car with a more forgiving powerband. And with that more forgiving powerband, the car is still crushingly faster in virtually every situation that you would ultimately care. If given the option to have a turbo system that spooled 500 rpm sooner, I would decline it. 500 more rpm before that and I flat out wouldn't want it. My last car made peak torque at 2k rpm. Entertaining at first, but old quickly. I had to drive the car everywhere on ET Streets or I couldn't get it to go anywhere (but I made lots of nice rubber stripes on the road).

It's important to remember that we're talking about cars that make 700-800-900 hp. When we say current turbo systems have lag, think of what that means. Peak's car went 0-100 in 5.73 seconds. It went 20-100 in 4.74. It went 60-130 in 4.55. You can take your car at 50 mph, punch it in 2nd and be going 130 mph in under 5 seconds. A very small moment in time indeed!”
__________________
 

911teo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jan 5, 2007
628
Surrey, UK
I am in the SC camp. I couldn't care less that it takes a TT car to reach 140mph from 60 1-2-3 seconds faster. I want instant throttle response.

In fact the SC is a sub-optimal solution for me. I'd rather have 8 individual throttle bodies strapped onto those head but I am digressing.

The instant torque is dangerous, yes. But everyday I am getting better at controlling it. After 20k miles I am nearly there.
If I wanted safe I'd get a GT-R or a Scud, with traction control, anti-spin etc.

On the track I want to be in total control. I want to/need to know that when I am flexing the throttle an extra 30 degrees I will always have the same consistent reaction. This way I can play around with when to open up.

The FGT is also quite predictable so opening up too early (on the track) often ends up in a prodigious power slide (or a spin at the worst).

Here in the UK I have never had any problems with heating up so much that the car went into limp mode.

Last observation.... for me peak HP numbers mean very little, especially when acheived above 5,500rpm. On the track I will spend 12-15% of the lap above 5,500rpm.... Even at Silverstone I come out of Becketts in 3rd at 110mph, upshift to 4th and 5th.... A TT car would probably gain 1-2 seconds max.... butthe big assumption is that they could exit Becketts at 110mph...

Peak and DBK I hear what you are coming from and like Bill said I think your cars are perfect for what you want/need. I'll keep the SC for my GT...
 

MAD IN NC

Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 14, 2006
4,219
North Carolina
:pop:beer2:
 

shelbyelite

PERMANENTLY BANNED
May 10, 2007
1
Bony would have zapped this thread long ago. I don't feel anyones really at fault here. Simple fact of the matter is, when people express their views over the Internet, they can be taken the wrong way from time to time. It's clear that we all have different opinions on what's the "ideal" setup for the GT. We are all great friends and I personally feel this needs to he put to rest and we carry on with our regularlly schedualed program. My views haven't changed on anyone because of this thread. It just shows we are a well rounded group!
 

Fubar

Totally ****** Up
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 2, 2006
3,979
Dallas, TX
It's funny how these threads go awry. I thought your post was informative and relatively unbiased (expect for your stated early love of the look of a supercharged system). I didn't feel as tho you were trying to make an argument for anyone to change their system and yet many who have a turbo system feel the need to 'justify' it after reading your post.

I posted your comments on another forum an got a similar response. I simply posted it because I thought it explained the differences between a turbo and a supercharger very well. I often get questions from turbo owners about "why Ford choose a supercharger, when turbo are so much more efficient." I know both system have their advantages but I could not disseminate the nuances of each as well as you.

Again, thank you for the post... I'm sorry it is going to put you in the middle of a debate that you didn't ask for.

Regards,
MM
 

jaxgt

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jul 12, 2006
2,813
Thanks for your opinion Shadowman, as requested by several forum members. I found it very informative and appreciate it.
 

dbk

Admin
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,251
Metro Detroit
I didn't feel as tho you were trying to make an argument for anyone to change their system and yet many who have a turbo system feel the need to 'justify' it after reading your post.

That's not what I was trying to do Mark. Obviously, every setup has it's advantages and disadvantages. I just wanted to give some background on what initially makes the turbos desirable, and then challenge the idea that a turbo system powerband that more closely emulated that of a supercharged car would be preferable overall.

If the supercharger seemed like collateral damage subsequently, my bad. :lol Obviously for a guy like 911teo it makes much more sense.
 

STORMCAT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,582
Ft. Lauderdale
Great information from both sides. One just needs to choose how he will best enjoy his power delivery.. In a GT it's all good !! :thumbsup Hearing from both sides I guess Variable Vane Turbo's would be an interesting set up.
 
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Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,362
Washington State
... Hearing from both sides I guess Variable Vane Turbo's would be an interesting set up.


I thought you were upgrading to "dual interstellar flux capacitors"?:biggrin
 

STORMCAT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,582
Ft. Lauderdale
I thought you were upgrading to "dual interstellar flux capacitors"?:biggrin

SHHHHHHHHHHHH....:secret:
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,362
Washington State
SHHHHHHHHHHHH....:secret:



Oooooops! 'Sorry! :ack
 

tpraceman

THEE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 20, 2006
2,835
Washington Michigan
Thanks Both Bill & Dave and others.

I can say that the thread is excellent as it points out the reality of the upgrades available.

I firmly believe in modding the car for the 95% and not the 5%.

Now if you have unlimited funds then owning one with each mod is the ticket.

For me the pulley tune and accufab TB making around 650RWHP on pump is perfect and though I have low miles I have never had a over heating issue or warped vent to date.

Chip's question is a valid one as to which Bill has on his own car. These ?'s are valid as when someone is in the buisness everyone wants to know what they did after seeing and working on a wide range of mods.

Stillen had a great comment as when racing you are constantly on & off the throttle and feathering it most of the time while passing and negotiating traffic as well.

If 1/4 mile is what you want well its not the car but some 90/10 shocks on the front and a Stillen clutch with 390 gears then 9's are very doable

Thanks again for the thread..I need another GT with TT and one with a big ass Whipple......Now back to trying to sell some Marking equipment to pay for the dream.:wink
 

S592R

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 3, 2006
2,800
Great information from both sides. One just needs to choose how he will best enjoy his power delivery.. In a GT it's all good !! :thumbsup Hearing from both sides I guess Variable Vane Turbo's would be an interesting set up.


Like the 911's setup? Borg warner ....
 

sandman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jul 10, 2006
465
Gardnerville, Nv.
I just came across this thread and thought I’d add my experience with the Whipple on the track. I thought the 5 lap limp mode comments were very interesting in that they were so different from what I’ve experienced. I have run the GT at several private track days at Thunderhill Raceway. Thunderhill is located in Northern California air temps when I have been there were in the 60’s to mid 80’s. The course can be viewed online for those interested. I’m running Shadowmans track tune with 91-octane gas. I usually run 10 lap segments, which take around 20 minutes. Of course I’m not driving the car at ten tenths but I am running consistently around the low 2-minute mark so we are keeping up a decent pace. I have never had the car go into “limp mode”. At the end of the last track day my brother and I traded off driving the car doing 5 lap sprints we took two turns each only pausing to switch drivers. My final 3 laps were the fastest posted of that day. Aside from some seriously fading front brakes the car performed flawlessly.
 

AlohaGT

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jul 13, 2007
1,600
Honolulu, HI
I just came across this thread and thought I’d add my experience with the Whipple on the track. I thought the 5 lap limp mode comments were very interesting in that they were so different from what I’ve experienced. I have run the GT at several private track days at Thunderhill Raceway. Thunderhill is located in Northern California air temps when I have been there were in the 60’s to mid 80’s. The course can be viewed online for those interested. I’m running Shadowmans track tune with 91-octane gas. I usually run 10 lap segments, which take around 20 minutes. Of course I’m not driving the car at ten tenths but I am running consistently around the low 2-minute mark so we are keeping up a decent pace. I have never had the car go into “limp mode”. At the end of the last track day my brother and I traded off driving the car doing 5 lap sprints we took two turns each only pausing to switch drivers. My final 3 laps were the fastest posted of that day. Aside from some seriously fading front brakes the car performed flawlessly.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good to know. :thumbsup
 

shesgotlegs

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 20, 2006
1,183
Gentlemen,

Occasionally an exceptionally interesting post is buried deep in a thread that many members have stopped following so they miss it. The following post by Shadowman in response to my request for information about what type of horse power modifications he has made to his personal GT is a great example. I'm certain the vast majority of our membership will find both entertainment and education here so I'm assigning this Shadowman post it's own thread.

Thank you for your insight Bill, we'll drink the Makers Mark Manhattan's when we get to Texas.

Chip




And the man responds......


So Chip who's next? :biggrin:lol:wink
 

t32b

Verde
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 21, 2007
432
Bay Area, CA
This has been an amazingly informative thread. I really want to thank the contributors for adding to my knowledge base. Lots to consider but I suspect like many in this forum, my budget coupled with my desire for variety will almost certainly preclude me from ever owning more than one GT (at a time!). So mine will remain stock, well, close to stock subject to a mild warming over by our illustrious hand model. That said, from the physics and the description, the properties of a TT GT would probably be more to my liking. Not so much a torque kind of guy, the second derivative rush at high rpms is my preference in sports cars.
Separately, having grown up in inner city NY some years back, my tolerance for discourse is, um, quite a bit higher than many. So I didn't even notice if there was any stress in the system. All good discussions to me. This really is the finest forum in all of Al Gore's invention. :)
 
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