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Oldsmobile Aurora: Acceleration

267 messages,  Last post on Feb 25, 2010 at 5:26 PM

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What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Aurora, Performance Mods

Messages Page 1 of 27

#1 of 267 Acceleration by aurora5000

Aug 06, 2002 (7:41 am)

It seems under half-throttle the car takes off in the 3500-4000 range and really pulls hard.
 
Anybody else notice this? Kinda like the back 2 barrels of a 4bbl. carb. system.

#2 of 267 Peeling out by shucknet

Aug 06, 2002 (9:23 am)

I have noticed a similar situation with my car. I have really sticky Michelin Pilot MXM tires on my car and I can't get them to spin on launch no matter how hard I try, but if I mash the pedal at 20 mph, I can light them up.
 
As a matter of fact, I was running the other day just to check out how she was performing, and from a dead stop I couldn't get any tire spin at all, but as I passed through 20mph, the tires actually started to spin and I had to let up on the throttle a little to get them back to 100% traction.
 
My car is a 98 autobahn with K&N and "garnes" airbox modification.

#3 of 267 Shucknet by aurora5000

Aug 07, 2002 (6:40 am)

How do you like your Michelin Pilot's?
 
I am having problems with my factory MXV4's.

#4 of 267 Eventful day... by rjs200240

Jul 19, 2002 (11:02 am)

Well, I was going to Target around lunchtime to pick up a few things today. I was on my way there, driving briskly, when I noticed a charcoal gray IS300 weaving around traffic behind me. He got around everyone and rolled up to the left of me at a red light. We were both in the front row. It was a short light so I had to work fast. I clicked the shifter down into 2nd and flicked the traction control off. I looked over at him but he was busy watching the light. He was a young (late 20's) guy with spikey hair so I figured he was gonna go for it. The light changed and I lit them up and looked over at him. He was looking at me with this shocked/surprised look on his face as I blew past him and left him in the dust. He was probably planning on just driving briskly to pass the "Old"smobile next to him. I guess if he'd looked over at me he'd have figured out I wasn't about to let that happen easily.
 
Then, on the way home from Target I was stopped at a longer red. A youngish (30's) chick in a Boxster convertible with the top down pulled up on the left. I looked over as I was shifting into 2nd to see if she was gonna go. She had a rather arrogant look like she thought I was checking out her cool machine (I hate Boxsters... what a ween car. If you want a Porsche, buy a 911.) Anyway, being as it was a chick, I didn't want her to feel intimidated or anything so I didn't look at her too long and I didn't say anything. I did however left-foot brake and gas it up to about 1500 rpm. She kept rolling up a little as she watched the light. Once it changed I dropped the hammer and peeled out ahead of her. She had this astonished look on her face like her world just collapsed as this big Olds barrelled past her and her upper-class sports car. The IS300's guy's look was great, but this chick's look was classic. Anyway, it seemed like she had gotten on it pretty briskly but as I rolled past her she backed off. It made me think of Jerry Seinfeld saying "I refuse to race", as if she wouldn't be able to handle it if she did get on it and couldn't catch up. I got hung up at the next light and she eventually caught up and was making a left turn. She had the left-turn arrow before she got there, so she punched it a bit as she passed me to give me a little Boxster growl.
 
I swear I love my Aurora. It is like a stealth bomber. No one even sees it until the tires are barking and the exhaust is snapping a stern lecture at them as it passes. I can't wait to get the Corsa's... I actually haven't had anyone car try their hardest to race me yet (the Sunfire was planning to punch it anyway). I usually look over at people when I want to try it. That's all it ever took with the Corvette. People were always looking back. I'd just flash a little smile and look back at the light and it was on. With the Aurora, people don't even look over, and when they do it seems to be because they are wondering why I'm looking. I guess I'll need to start rolling the window down and saying "Hey, let's race". I really have no desire to start doing that, though. I guess they just don't think that big Olds next to them is going to try anything. Even people in comparable cars who obviously spent extra money because of the "performance" cachet that comes with their car. People in Bimmers, Audi's, Mercs, and even LS's. They just don't pay attention until I light them up or they catch the growl of the race-bred V8. If we happen to catch the next light together, they act spooked. They don't look over and pretend like they aren't paying attention. I guess by then I've shown my hand and they don't want their pricey car getting spanked.
 
As far as the Aurora being slow in the lower speeds, I really don't think it is. Obviously it would be quicker if it were lighter, but it does pretty well I think. About two weeks ago my wife and I were driving back from a trip to Monticello (Jefferson's home, pictured on the nickel). We had just stopped to fill up with as much gas as we could squeeze in the tank ($1.33 a gallon for premium!) and had started back on our way home. A young (late teens early 20's) kid in a new Sunfire GT was working through traffic and was working his way up on us. I was in the middle lane when the light turned red and he got over into the left lane, which was going to end shortly after the light. This guy was definitely trying to take us before his lane ended. I nodded to my wife and switched off the traction control. The road was at an upward slant for the intersection, thus giving an advantage to the lighter car. Anyway, the light changed and I feathered the throttle a little to keep the wheels from spinning and the Sunfire stomped it. He didn't stand a chance, though. He slowly started to fade back to the rear doors as we worked up to about 40-45mph. The Aurora was belting out a beautiful tune, really sounding smooth and muscular compared to the Dremel sound coming out of the Sunfire. By 40-45 mph, he had to get on the brakes and fall in behind the Aurora. Even to 40 mph with a really full tank and two occupants the Aurora managed to hold it's own against a substantially lighter car. I was proud of the car. I probably could have really disgraced the guy if I'd left-footed the brake and didn't feather the gas. He probably wouldn't have even needed to brake to get in behind me.

#5 of 267 Stoplight Olympics by hammen2

Jul 19, 2002 (4:57 pm)

RJS, I guess I'm not the only one who enjoys the Stoplight Olympics. It's amazing the number of folks who pull into the right lane (where there's only one through lane) and think they're going to get past my Aurora. Mine's an Autobahn black/black with chrome wheels, so it hardly looks like an old person's car (I once had a rental white/gold trim Deville DTS in San Jose - 18 miles on it - and, at virtually every intersection, people tried to go around me. Heh heh heh).
 
I push in the "power" button (my wife knows that's the cue), take off the traction control, and left-foot brake. When the light changes, I push down on the pedal, but don't mash it, and watch the shocked look on the other driver's face in my rear-view mirror as I pull away .
 
In Milwaukee there's Highway 100 in Greenfield/West Allis, which is the local cruising strip. I don't make it a point to go there on Friday/Saturday nights, but, if my wife and I are out, I certainly don't hold back (and haven't lost yet . As an aside, my wife is a former Detroit street racer (she drove 'cudas and Camaros up and down Woodward), and she now drives a white Grand Prix GTP sedan (the special edition one with the hood vents, the black roof fencing, and the special spoiler and wheels). I guess we were made for each other
 
--Robert
 
P.S. She and I are both dying to take one of the new CTSes out for a spin (but I'm trying to hold off until the new 3.6L V6 comes out, or the CTSi, or the new Monaro GTO)

#6 of 267 Stop light Olympics by garnes

Jul 20, 2002 (10:27 am)

RJS/Hammen2 - I love those stories. Great. Rjs, actually from what I've read, that IS 300 is about the same as the new 4.0 to 60. If you get the jump and a good launch, forget it for the IS. I guess the same could be said for other cars that are supposed to be quicker.
 
RJS - yeah, the 4.0's launch pretty decent, but they really shine for the passing power. These 4-something transaxle cars jump off the line and get to 30 in a hurry, but I think some fade a bit from there. You are so right about how hard it is to pass or be passes once you have the momentum and are already past somebody. Even a much faster car has to work hard just to make up the lost ground. If you get the jump off the line or while passing, it can be pretty demoralizing for the other guy unless he's in something really fast.
 
The Corsa with the K&N filter will certainly go a long way at the Olympics.

#7 of 267 olympics by blk97aurora

Jul 20, 2002 (10:05 pm)

rjs, hammen2,
 
My '97 gets the same lack of respect that you have observed. My most satisfying encounter to date was with a BMW 528. I saw it coming up behind me, weaving in and out of traffic, then we were both stopped by a traffic light; I was in the right lane, the 528 in the left. This set-up is virtually the same as rjs's IS300 story. I knew from the way he was driving that he would punch it as the light turned green, so I was ready. We launched and I was 1/2 to 3/4 car length ahead and held it up to about 60 mph when I had to back off to make my planned right turn (much too fast for conditions, anyway). He backed off too, then floored it again as he passed me. There was no point to that, except to show his frustration.

#9 of 267 1/4 mile results by musclecar97

Jul 30, 2002 (4:47 pm)

Replying to: blk97aurora (Jul 20, 2002 10:05 pm)
Unfortunatly I got all of you guys' tips AFTER I got back today. Nevertheless, I feel pretty good about the results. Again this is with the Garnes Airbox modifications and a K&N filter, new AC Delco plug wires and new platnium bosch plugs. I ran 92 octane, quater of a tank of gas, sparetire and jack out, and NO DONUTS! The altitude of the track is 500 feet above sea level, the humidity wasn't very high that day and it was 76 degrees out. I'm really dragging this out, huh?
 
Okay, here we go right from the slip: 15.837 87.99mph. Reaction time was a good .523. If the humidity had been higher and the weather cooler and my tires had a bit more rubber (old tires which were replaced two days after the run), I think a 15.3 may be possible. The other two runs I did in higher heat with slightly slower reaction times were: 16.04387.29mph and 16.089 89.19mph. Really the tires didn't spin too much but every little bit helps.

#10 of 267 What we beat by musclecar97

Jul 30, 2002 (4:48 pm)

I was surprised that the 15.8 time was better than the best runs of the following cars there that day: 64 Chevy 2 with a 327, 71 stock Monte Carlo with a 350 (the car only had 23,000miles on it), '68 chevy pickup with a built up 350, and a 66 Buick Skylark GS with a 401v8 that produces 445lbs of torque. The Buick had problems getting traction, as he didn't have posi, the same with the pickup, the Monte Carlo was close, but we took it everytime. The best run was beating a Plymouth GTX by a hair (the GTX cutout for a second off the line, then caming flying up behind me and passed me just after the finish line. The whole thing was a major blast and if I had more $ I'd go for the port & polish and bigger TB. Once my muffler's go, I may try straight pipes from the catback that or glass packs, I just don't think going with the full exhaust mods will add that much over just dumping the stock mufflers.

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