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1/4 mile times for SLR5000 and L34 etc


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#1 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 10:10 AM

I think we've discussed this before but now I'm asking about REAL practical data

I've read in a few publications that SLR5000's and L34's do flat 13's on the quarter, for examplt Fiv Antoniou talks about this. I think it was 12.8 for the L34 and 12.5 for the SLR5000 or something like that.

There are a few memebers here that own original and well restored and unmodified SLR5000's. Has anyone tested these on the 1/4? what were your times? Please be truithful.

The reason I ask is I'm currently in an arguement thats been doing on for some time from annother torana fan (and he knows his shit) and he says they do 15's, but the books say otherwise.

My mates SLR had a genuine SLR5000 but recently sold it:
http://www.gmh-toran...?showtopic=1800
Anyway, I used to beat him with ease every time with my SL 5ltr auto (TH400) and it wasnt even running healthy. It would beat his SLR from stand still across approximately 400m or from slow travelling speed (ie 30 or 40KPH) or any other speed.
Now here's the mindboggle: My car only did 14.3sec on the 1/4 then (at 30degrees celcius) and I'm convinced that it should do a flat 13 if the engine was built similar to the L34 output and use a decent auto (cos the TH400 is stuffed) and use better gears other than the 3:1 that it has now.

Please guys, without going into tangents with opinions and that, could you please give me some feedback on your experiences with your genuine unmodified SLR5000's on the 1/4 mile ????

#2 Heath

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 10:24 AM

Rick, you have a PM. I think if people had actually tested their SL/R 5000s then it would be more accurate, because we all know about the Supercar scare and figures being modified etc, I'll get back to you when I get home from school.

#3 Redslur

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 11:34 AM

From memory and the articles i have read, the L34 did a 15.2 quater mile and the L31 did 16 seconds flat. The Xu1 was quicker again.

Mine is not exactly stock so is not a good vehicle to judge by..

#4 MRLXSS

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 12:41 PM

Yeah my guess would be they do a high14 low 15..... A XY GTHO Phase III only does 14.5's and the Hemi Chargers were very similar, both these cars we the fastest cars of their time....

#5 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 01:21 PM

When we're talking SLR5000's and L34's etc are we talking HO packages?

#6 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 02:07 PM

Published figures in Spotlight on LH/LX Torana are definitely up in the 15's for the SL/R 5000 and the L34. I'll get the actual figures from it tonight.

#7 _ChiaLX_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 02:38 PM

I remember my brother in laws stock-as SLR did a flat 15 back around 1980 and he was pleased as punch! As far as i know thats roughly what they all did, some a touch slower some slightly faster. I would imagine the L34 might have done a little better but dont know anyone who ran one stock from factory.

#8 _keith1962_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 03:14 PM

Hi guys
I own a L31 LH SL/R5000 & i took it to the creek early January and it ran a 16.495 to 16.728 with 6 runs. The stats state that a sl/r5000 does a 16.1 1/4 mile and XU1 does a 16.00 flat.
regards keith

#9 Heath

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 03:38 PM

Please note that these figures are highly debatable, and I am not saying they are correct or incorrect but I can find at least one mistake there. I don't know what the source of these is; they were posted by another member a while ago and as far as I know, they were period specs, not recently taken.

Posted Image
It states 16.1 here which sounds a little slow but may be correct. ChiaLX that sounds outstanding for a completely stock one!

#10 _Mondie_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 04:06 PM

Those figures look spot on to me Heath. There is no way a stock SLR500 was in the low 15's. For the 72 Bathurst XU-1 (and subsequent cars) Holden published 14 sec flat, probably the fastest Torana made.

#11 REDA9X

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 04:20 PM

Here we go again :cry:

http://www.gmh-toran...topic=1140&st=0

To answer the question

In a test between the two cars I have written at the time, both the SLR5000 and L34 pulled flat 16.0 seconds.

Earlier in the year they got 15.8 quarter for an LH SLR 5000

0-100 8.0 sec for the SLR5000, 8.7 sec for the L34 (yes, slower)

0-160 24.1 SLR5000
0-160 25.2 L34.

just for the record
A9X 2.60 diff 16.1
A9X 3.08 diff 15.8

#12 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 04:40 PM

Thank's REDA9X, that's the info I was trying to find before, but no search function.

All the answers are coming in the same

Looking at the sheet
It says there that SLR5000, 308, 9:1 compression 170KW, 3.08:1 gears, 1/4 Mile time = 16.01
Hmmmm,
My LX, SL has all of that and the same gears in the diff, but it's got a stock 308 that's running like a pig, an old clunker, probably 150Kw with a Holley on top. It has a stock TH400 that is stuffed that flares between 1st and 2nd. 15inch rims with 235mm wide road tyres on the back with a single exhaust, I reckon it would have run 15's when I first bought it, but since then, all I've done is lighten it up and use a 2inch spacer under the carbie. I weighed the car, it weighs 1200Kgs, which apparently is only up to 100Kgs lighter than an SLR5000, (so I'm told).
This car did 14.3 seconds at Heathcote on a 30 degree (celcius) day. It was only a test to see what it does before I make significant changes to it. I was dissapointed with it cos I had read that SLR5000's/L34's do flat 13's (which I'm gonna check again when I get home) and I was always under the impression that they do, reinforced by the numerous claims that people make on their 308 LX's over the net (especially when they're selling them).

Yet, it still doesn't make sense. What has thrown my car into early 14's in the state that its in?

#13 _ChiaLX_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 04:42 PM

I was about 9 or ten at the time he ran it and remember seeing the time slip when i was 15 so i know it wasnt a lie . The only mod i can think it may have had was a big coil, other than that stock as far as he was concerned. He bought it a few years old so it could have been tinkered with but it didnt sound lumpy etc and when he pulled it down a few years later the bore was still virgin. How much difference could a coil make??

#14 REDA9X

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 04:52 PM

The figures I have quoted are when the cars were brand new, unmolested in any way. You really can't go on figures a few years down the track, especially if a car has changed hands, you don't know what has been done to the cars. Exhaust was usually the first thing changed as the stock systems went from standard manifolds to something like a 1 3/4 pipe to the mufflers, and 1 5/8 after the mufflers. It was a deliberate thing done by Holden at the time to chock the performance after the supercar scare.

#15 _ChiaLX_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 06:29 PM

Didnt think of the exhaust ...... good point! Tell you what though i still think it was pretty good even a 16 sec quarter for a 74 to 77 model car.

#16 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 08:56 PM

On top of that, the Holley's are pretty good at getting a fuel/air mix. Cars would have been running an engine fan, would of been manuals, would of had factory air cleaners, would have used old grind cams not CNC machined cams and would of had factory headers/exhaust manifolds. Oops, would have also had points.

As was also said previously, the L34 was built more for reliability than outright speed, well that was the intention anyways.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 06 February 2006 - 08:56 PM.


#17 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 09:39 PM

Spotlight on Torana:-
SL/T - 16.1s best 400m
- 16.5s average
A9X - 15.9s best 400m
- 16.5s average
^^ Article in rear on the Turbo Torana

P. 10
SL/R 5000 - 16.0s standing 400m

"It took 16.0s to cover the standing 400 metres, making it no faster (and a lot less nimble!) than the XU-1 it replaced.

Interesting aside: LX SL/R 5000's had a 9.7:1 compression ratio, beefed up from 9:1 to compensate for anti-pollution power drop.

P. 16
A9X ran the standing 400 metres in the low 15's (Contradicts above I know).

Page 17 onwards...
LH S - 3 speed auto - 2850 - 19.8s
LH SL/R 5000 5 spd manual (from above) - 16.0s
LH SL/R 5000 4 spd manual with L34 Option - 15.5s
LX SL hatch - 3 speed auto - 4.2L V8 - 17.5s
LX SS 5000 sedan with A9X option 4 spd - 15.9s
UC SL/T - 4 speed manual - 16.1s

From the debate so far and these figures, all depends on what mag you read as to what the standing 400m times were.

For what it's worth a quarter mile is actually 402.25 metres, not 400m.

Edited by Yella SLuR, 06 February 2006 - 09:39 PM.


#18 _purpleLC_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 09:44 PM

In the late 70's my brother took his stock 308 4speed hatchback to Castlereagh Drags, it was a real hot day and it was suffering from a slight vapour lock at around 4800 rpm, he ran a 15.1 time.
I then hopped in it and ran a 14.8 which upset him greatly as he was also commentating at the track at the time!!!
It had no mods other than dual 2in system from the manifolds back.

Louie

#19 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 06 February 2006 - 09:58 PM

Spose we'll never really know. Spose we aren't allowing for heaps of things here, i.e. the driver and specific drag experience, stickiness of tyres, suspension mods, temp, humidity, windspeed, etc on day of testing.

Prolly also a bit of the Super Car Scare factor as well, as REDA9X said.

#20 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 07 February 2006 - 12:20 AM

We'll have a better idea in March, just gotta know what each car has got under the hood.

Yella, you're right about what you said and I've already taken that into consideration. The Holley, Electronic Dizzy, electric fan, tri-wy extractors and a proper air cleaner. Each of these will make a small additional improvements to the performance and power output at the flywheel.

BUT

It's not a healthy motor and has a few problems (that I won't get into - long story) and the stock TH400 is crap and flares far too much btw gear changes, besides that TH400's use up btw 12 to 17% of the engines power just to operate. Both of these things need work & reconditioning and I'll be dealing with all that soon.

The Pro's and Con's probably weigh themselves out. The running gear is definately not putting out more than what a healthy SLR5000 would. And although I've been told by numerous SLR owners that they weigh btw 1250 and 1300Kg, the books say 1200Kg or 1180Kg. I'll accept a figure of say 1150 cos I think these guys weighed their cars with spare tyres and jacks and stereos and stuff in them or something. So apparently there isnt much difference in weight (or none at all)

First time ever testing it and the first time I've ever ran a 1/4 mile on a track, it runs 14.3 seconds and then consistent 14.4 again and again and again.

I will post some tables regarding the SLR5000, L34, A9X and XU1, standard and race trim tomorrow from the book I've got (History of the Holden V8) when I can get hold of a scanner.

Publications can be wrong, and the supercar scare can be one reason why, that's why I asked all you guys what you ran in your restored SLR5000's unmodified.

In any case, I'm starting to accept 14.3 as a good time, what do you guys think?

Edited by TORANR AMORE, 07 February 2006 - 12:21 AM.


#21 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 07 February 2006 - 12:43 AM

And although I've been told by numerous SLR owners that they weigh btw 1250 and 1300Kg, the books say 1200Kg or 1180Kg...........

...........Publications can be wrong, and the supercar scare can be one reason why, that's why I asked all you guys what you ran in your restored SLR5000's unmodified.

In any case, I'm starting to accept 14.3 as a good time, what do you guys think?

Mine weighs 1300kg, I had to take it to a registered weighbridge before they'd let me register it. Only had the stereo on board from your list, and only about 20L of fuel, didn't want it weighing too much.

Yup, as much as I like the Spotlight Book, and all my other ones, they unfortunately do have glaring errors, even the manuals (scarey!!).

14.3 is a pretty good time for a street car. Something to work with to see which way your mods are going anyways.

#22 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 07 February 2006 - 08:39 AM

Oop's I just read my previous post and I said "I'll accept a figure of say 1150", HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, it's meant to say 1250. (typo)

Anyway, it seems that the books and some of the comments say 15's for these cars, I would like to think they do a lot better on the quarter. Maybe it came down to the driver and the 4-speed manual, having to gear change can slow you down, although you get a lot less transmission loss. Maybe they didn't race change? Who knows. Maybe some of the genuine owners can start to redefine this in March with some 14's or 13's, I hope so. I hope there's gonna be Falcons (XY's etc) there so we can dust em, blow em away.

Yella, yeh, thats what I thought, I reckon anyone who owns an SLR5000 or similar, they should expect 1300Kg. They may be in for a shock when they weigh it and it could weigh even more, I've weighed every car I've owned since my first Torana, always another surprise. The good news is that's its easy to change all that without butchering your car.

Edited by TORANR AMORE, 07 February 2006 - 08:40 AM.


#23 _Yella SLuR_

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Posted 07 February 2006 - 02:46 PM

..... The good news is that's its easy to change all that without butchering your car.

No need mate, it's a cruiser not a race car.

#24 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 08 February 2006 - 01:07 AM

I think my previous impressions and expectations have stemmed from the performance of the HDT SLR5000/L34's Team Brock cars besides what I've read and heard from others claims.


Here are some scans from the book "History of the Holden V8", by Fiv Antoniou.

This is a comparison btw the HDT Team Brock SLR5000-L34 and the Stock SLR5000-L34, (Huge difference):

Posted Image

And this is a general comparison btw some stock Monaros with 1/4 mile times that may interest tiny:

Posted Image

The following you guys can download and view, they are ful page scans and are BIG:

Comparison of The HDT XU1 vs HDT L34 (Race cars in race trim), specifications (1Mb):

https://cache.gmh-to...XU1vsHDTL34.jpg

Comparison of Specs and performance differences btw the HDT L34 and GT 351 (1.2Mb):

https://cache.gmh-to...TL34vsGT351.jpg

Comparison of Specs and performance differences between the SLR5000 and the SLR 4.2 (750Kb):

https://cache.gmh-to...R5000andSLR.jpg

Specs on the LX SS A9x (430Kb):

https://cache.gmh-to...ecs/LXSSA9X.jpg

Edited by TORANR AMORE, 08 February 2006 - 01:12 AM.


#25 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 10 February 2006 - 12:04 PM

DAMN!, I just realised that photobucket has shrunk the size of the images I linked to and too hard to read. If anyone wants to read them, I'll post them properly if you like.




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