[geeks] Re: Need an opinion

[alex j avriette]

> Remember, modern engines are computer controlled. Sure, the basic Police

Yep. No amount of computer changes are going to net more than 15-20 
horsepower without hardware changes, i.e., intake manifold, exhaust 
manifold, cylinder heads, etc. Unless you have computer controlled valve 
timing (the northstar motor supposedly has this, but i havent seen it). 
You can continue to add fuel and spark advance to a car with the 
computer, but until there is more air and more turbulence to match that 
fuel, and less resistance to evacuate it, you are going to make small 
gains in power. Oh, this does not of course apply to forced induction 
vehicles.

> beefed up. Have YOU ever driven a police car? Well I have. I've driven
> Ford Crown Vics, Chevy Caprices, and of course my favorite, the Dodge
> Diplomat, and they ALL blow away their civilian versions. While I had

Exactly how are you qualified to judge the performance of any of these 
vehicles objectively?

> totally different too. While on the topic of gearing, there are (or were
> in the case of Dodge) 2 different 'police' gearings you could get, the

Gearing changes acceleration but not power.

> they could get going real quick, but topped out around 130 or so. One
> car I had was a pursuit model, and WOW, it took a while to get to speed
> (you could wind it out to 70 in first gear!) but it could cruise at 160

This isnt particularly unusual; The Dodge Neon tops out first gear at 
64mph. (automatic) Your car probably is similar.

> all day long without a hitch. When I first bought that car the PD I got

As indicated by the speedometer, or calculated by gearing/rpm/tire 
circumference? Depending on the weight of the car and the coefficient of 
drag, it is ... unlikely you were actually exceeding 160mph with a 
sub-300hp engine. Furthermore, unless you had VR or ZR tires on the car, 
traveling in excess of 154mph for any length of period is likely to 
explode one or all of your tires.

alex