Bonneville Marauders?...

[GreekGod]

...It seems this is a 1/4 mile focused forum, which isn't bad, at all. It also seems there must be some Bonneville top speed enthusiasts like me. I feel like the old man in the movie "The worlds fastest Indian",

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World%27s_Fastest_Indian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World%27s_Fastest_Indian).

I haven't been able to go to the Bonneville speed-week yet, but it is on my list of things to do some day. Is there anyone planning to go there with an MM, and give it a try? A supercharged, forged internals DOHC 4.6 in a lowered '03-04 MM would be a really cool ride to drive to Salt Lake and find out the performance limits.

[magindat]

I've heard it mentioned the the car would need a belly pan. Dunno why, just remember seeing that.

Would be cool with some 3.23's and a big motor to see what she'll do.

[Pops]

Dale this is on my list of places I have to go. I wont be able to race but would like to watch. We should plan for the future and get a group out there.

[GAMike]

I've heard it mentioned the the car would need a belly pan. Dunno why, just remember seeing that.

Would be cool with some 3.23's and a big motor to see what she'll do.

Got to smooth out the underneath so air flows through, and not get caught underneath in a way to lift the car off the ground as speed builds.... Would also help to have some kind of baffle/air difuser hooked up tight to the bottom of the rear bumber where the Pro Guard goes.

They say the salt flats are not as easy to drive on as it appears.... they say it is somewhat slippery at speed.

I like you guys am a top speed nut and would love to get to this event at some point.

[Vortex]

Unfortunately that rear bumper cover doubles as a constant drag chute.

[JonW]

What about the Silver State Challenge? Anyone ever thought about that?

[Raudermaster]

Come again Jon?

[GreekGod]

...I went to an early version years ago. It wasn't friendly to spectators, to say the least. They pretty much don't want anyone to watch, on the course.

Last I checked, they raised entry fees sky high, making it a very expensive sport, not counting vehicle prep, travel expense, etc.

[SC Cheesehead]

They say the salt flats are not as easy to drive on as it appears.... they say it is somewhat slippery at speed.

I had a chance to drive out on the Salt Flats a couple of years ago while out in Utah on a job assignment. I didn't find the surface particularly slippery, but there are really no orientation points (everything's all white), so it's hard to keep your bearings. Also, the salt was really rough; lots of pot holes, etc. that you can't see while driving at speed. I was in a rental car, and got out about 2-3 miles from the road, got the thing up to around 100 or so, but really didn't sense the speed, again due to lack of reference points.

I was told that for the USAC runs, the strip is graded to smooth it out, and a line is painted to provide a reference.

I agree that it would be fun to take a well-preped car (as in MM) out there for a high speed run.

SCCH

[GAMike]

SC Cheese- I'll take your word for it for sure... You have been there. I would very much like to to run there also. I think it would be great to have like 10 different cars.........Put 5 on one side of a 5 miles stretch, and 5 on the other. That would be a blast:beer:

[snowbird]

I took a quick check for the 200 mph rules and they're pretty tough:

Among other things, roll bar, fire extinghisher in the cockpit and an another one in the engine bay (i guess triggered at distance or from the cockpit some ways), special fuel cell/or/tank that doesn't spill a drop in the event of a rollover, encaged fuel line in a pipe around the flyweel area, external electric cut off, complete approved racing apparel and helmet, multiple return springs on throttle body.... etc I'm not shure they would accept factory windshield and side glasses.

Look it would be easier to wait for the next glacier age and rush to be the first on a new dry salt bed before they would come up with their rule book ... :(

[GreekGod]

I took a quick check for the 200 mph rules and they're pretty tough:

Among other things, roll bar, fire extinghisher in the cockpit and an another one in the engine bay (i guess triggered at distance or from the cockpit some ways), special fuel cell/or/tank that doesn't spill a drop in the event of a rollover, encaged fuel line in a pipe around the flyweel area, external electric cut off, complete approved racing apparel and helmet, multiple return springs on throttle body.... etc I'm not shure they would accept factory windshield and side glasses.

Look it would be easier to wait for the next glacier age and rush to be the first on a new dry salt bed before they would come up with their rule book ... :(

Those rules are common or similar to NHRA drag-racing rules for the quicker street legal cars. The 200 mph club is getting into an exclusive class of vehicle and driver. Remember, 200mph for over 10 miles (2 passes + roll-up) is much more difficult to achieve than a single 1/4 mile pass on a motorcycle.

A 200 mph car would be very expensive to build. Even with a used NASCAR chassis, it might take at least $50,000.

[Tom Doan]

I don't think I'm good for 200 with out alot more time and money but I have had Shamu's speedo straight up and down at 6 o'clock with no fuss and I got there quick, felt solid.
Cobra motor
14lbs boost
1800 PI T/C
3:27's
Wilwoods front and rear

[03calitejas]

The D production (sub 5 liters N/A) world record at El Mirage (1 mile run) is 183.936 MPH. The SCTA (Southern California Timing Assn) which sanctions El Mirage and Bonneville is a great bunch of people. No belly pan allowed in production classes. The rulebook is $10 and I have a 2008 version if you have any questions. A properly prepped Marauder with a bolt in single seat cage should be able to do this. My project is on hold for now due to family and job isues but in time...

[SC Cheesehead]

OLD THREAD ALERT!

All the same, it was interesting to see some of the comments again.

Here are some pics I took while I was out there back in 2002.

[GreekGod]

The D production (sub 5 liters N/A) world record at El Mirage (1 mile run) is 183.936 MPH... No belly pan allowed in production classes...A properly prepped Marauder with a bolt in single seat cage should be able to do this...

My WAG is it would take way North of ~500hp to go 184mph+ in a N/A '03-04 Marauder. How do-able is that, engine-wise, with D Production rules?

_____________________________

[O's Fan Rich]

Jerry Barnes has been seriously working on this very project.....

[Vortech347]

I've got tons of pics of my black one out there.

I will be racing out there this sept. :)

They have a 130, 160, and unlimited classes.

130 club you get 1 mile to reach 130mph and you must hold it for I believe 200ft. If you go any faster than 140 youre DQ'd any slower and it dosn't count.

The 160 club you get 2 miles.

You have to be in the 130 before the 160. I will be taking my mustang out for the 130 one day and hopefully 160 the next. Its also harder than it looks. The salt eats your power quickly, alot off folks said it feels like pulling a 1000lb trailer. A "bolt on" Marauder IMHO wont' make the 130 club. You dont' understand how crappy this Utah air is till you drive in it. Wendover raceway (2 miles from this spot) all my MM could muster is a 15.9. It'll definatly need forced induction.

[juno]

It's more difficult then it seems. Being in full boost for 30+ seconds will likley overtax the stock cooling system on the MM. I wouldn't recommend it on a boosted car without increasing the cooling capacity.

[03calitejas]

The track at El Mirage (1.3 miles) is hard packed with a covering of dust that doesn't give you much traction off the line but its very very flat and free of soft spots and ruts. 183 MPH there is the record. On the longer salt runs at Bonneville the record is 223.476 set by the same racer in 2002.

Using a little Isky slide rule power speed calculator that my friend at the SCTA gave me, it looks like a 2.73 gear ratio at 6500 RPM with a 29 in tire diameter "can" yield right at about 200MPH. How much horsepower needed to push our bricks thru the ambient air is the big unknown.

The rules to meet inspection are really stringent for good reason. I've seen a few spins at El Mirage and a few of them didn't keep the shiny side up -but every one of them that I witnessed is around today to tell their story.

Things to consider for class record attempts ...For D production class (261-305 cu in) you have to keep a stock silouette and you can have only the factory rear spoiler. I think an after market air intake of less than 48 sq in is the only silouette exception and it cannot be any lower than the stock intake- I didn't look into that any further. Ride height is up to you. You can alter the airflow behind the factory grille if desired. You could remove side mirrors. No belly pan allowed. Use of the proguard "could" be approved as a safety item due to the instability caused by the rear bumper cover waffling. Approved cage, racing seat, harness, fire suit, helmet, restraining device, dual fire bottles, parachute system(any vehicle in a class with records over 175), emergency electrical cutoff, I think the stock gas tank is acceptable, speed rated tires, no S/C, turbo or NOS allowed. At Bonneville, the car would also need to have roof rails added (over 200MPH class record).

Yes, I believe it is "do-able" but it woud be expensive.

The rules for the Bonneville 130 and 160 club classes are completely different and I don't have a clue about those.