Group A Thread

[N1GTR]

Here you go guys

This can be SAU's picture thread for all the group a nuts out there

Who can start?

[ajrichar]

Great stuff! A new thread specifically for Group A material.

I was thinking of scanning up an August 1989 article from CAR Australia where Paul Gover tests the R31 Gibson Motorsport Group A Skyline. When I next get access to a scanner I'll scan the article and post it up for everyone.

[Jetwreck]

Might as well start the ball rolling with a bit of flame.

[jenkies]

flames ftw

[N1GTR]

Great stuff! A new thread specifically for Group A material.

I was thinking of scanning up an August 1989 article from CAR Australia where Paul Gover tests the R31 Gibson Motorsport Group A Skyline. When I next get access to a scanner I'll scan the article and post it up for everyone.

That sounds good!

[Roy]

R31s are the best sounding, but there is something about the old CUSSIE

[31GUN]

One of my favs....

[blk180]

Stole some pics from old Group a threads

[blk180]

There are heap more of the Gibson R32 GTR posted by sydkid in here

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Ph...l&hl=Gibson

[evil_weevil]

:subscribes to thread"

love the 31's!!!!!!!

[ajrichar]

That sounds good!

I'll get on to it when I can then.

Also, the focus in threads like these are on European and Australian Group A. Does anyone have any good pics of the Japanese Group A scene up until, say, the end of 1993?

Edited February 10, 2008 by ajrichar

[Stupid Toyota]

To keep things even and balanced I decided to support Japan's leading manufacturer and present one of their Group A efforts. While I can appreciate the efforts the French have gone to with the Nissan brand Im afraid I prefer Japanese Toyota's a little more.

This information was taken from www.turbosupras.com along with the images.

In the heyday of Group A touring car racing Toyota campaigned the MA70 Supra as a contender in the over 3 litre category. In total 11 Group A MA70 Supras were built by TRD Japan and raced internationally. The car in the photos is number 7 of these 11 factory built cars and was raced on the Australian Group A touring car circuit by John Smith.

After the demise of the Group A category, John Smith was able to retain this vehicle rather than return it to TRD Japan. It is believed to be one of only 2 (the other wearing the blue BiJo/Fujitsu Ten livery as seen on various scale models) remaining intact.

Built to the group A formula the specifications of the car are a sign of the times.

Engine specification include: Cast magnesium 9 litre oil pan with matching high flow oil pump, Knife edged steel crank, N/A block hand picked from production line, Short skirt Mahle/TRD pistons, prepped rods and full floating pins.

Titanium fasteners were used throughout the motor. Extensive porting and re-shaping of the combustion chambers was performed with oversized titanium valves fitted. Camshafts were of 288 degree duration with their 10.88mm lift making shim under buckets a necessity along with 100lb valve springs. Titanium cam gears were also employed. Intake and exhaust manifolds were port matched. A 65mm throttle body was used. Fuel delivery consisted of 1000cc injectors and multiple fuel pumps. The ECU was MAP based rather than the traditional AFM which was found on the the production MA70 with the exception of the homologation Turbo A, of which 500 were made.

The turbocharger used on the race cars was a derivative of the CT-26 unit used on the Turbo A homologation production model but with a larger compressor wheel and more importantly a larger turbine housing and wheel. The intercooler was of a similar style core to the road going vehicles but with larger core area and larger piping. The turbine outlet employed a smaller separate outlet for the wastegate, similar to some of the aftermarket units currently available. Engine output was 580hp at the flywheel in qualifying trim (2 Bar) and the vehicle was able to achieve a maximum speed of 300km/hr on Conrod straight during the Bathurst 1000km Endurance race. In 1991 the car was running in 6th place late in the race until sidelined by a power steering failure of all things.

Drive train consisted of a Hollinger close ratio 5 speed with a direct 5th gear (all contained within the standard Toyota gearbox housing) and a TRD billet differential similar to the units commercially available but not identical, evidenced by the carrier not fitting into a standard housing explaining the slightly different housing on the race vehicle. Harrop 4 piston callipers with 15.5" (393mm) Rotors were fitted up front, as a result 18 x 12 " rims were required.

The vehicle was not as successful as its peers, notably the Ford Sierra and Nissan Skyline GTR, as its larger engine capacity required it to run at a higher kerb weight by the Group A regulations and also due to a lack of development relative to its competition.

[Jetwreck]

To keep things even and balanced I decided to support Japan's leading manufacturer and present one of their Group A efforts. While I can appreciate the efforts the French have gone to with the Nissan brand Im afraid I prefer Japanese Toyota's a little more.

This information was taken from www.turbosupras.com along with the images.

In the heyday of Group A touring car racing Toyota campaigned the MA70 Supra as a contender in the over 3 litre category. In total 11 Group A MA70 Supras were built by TRD Japan and raced internationally. The car in the photos is number 7 of these 11 factory built cars and was raced on the Australian Group A touring car circuit by John Smith.

After the demise of the Group A category, John Smith was able to retain this vehicle rather than return it to TRD Japan. It is believed to be one of only 2 (the other wearing the blue BiJo/Fujitsu Ten livery as seen on various scale models) remaining intact.

Built to the group A formula the specifications of the car are a sign of the times.

Engine specification include: Cast magnesium 9 litre oil pan with matching high flow oil pump, Knife edged steel crank, N/A block hand picked from production line, Short skirt Mahle/TRD pistons, prepped rods and full floating pins.

Titanium fasteners were used throughout the motor. Extensive porting and re-shaping of the combustion chambers was performed with oversized titanium valves fitted. Camshafts were of 288 degree duration with their 10.88mm lift making shim under buckets a necessity along with 100lb valve springs. Titanium cam gears were also employed. Intake and exhaust manifolds were port matched. A 65mm throttle body was used. Fuel delivery consisted of 1000cc injectors and multiple fuel pumps. The ECU was MAP based rather than the traditional AFM which was found on the the production MA70 with the exception of the homologation Turbo A, of which 500 were made.

The turbocharger used on the race cars was a derivative of the CT-26 unit used on the Turbo A homologation production model but with a larger compressor wheel and more importantly a larger turbine housing and wheel. The intercooler was of a similar style core to the road going vehicles but with larger core area and larger piping. The turbine outlet employed a smaller separate outlet for the wastegate, similar to some of the aftermarket units currently available. Engine output was 580hp at the flywheel in qualifying trim (2 Bar) and the vehicle was able to achieve a maximum speed of 300km/hr on Conrod straight during the Bathurst 1000km Endurance race. In 1991 the car was running in 6th place late in the race until sidelined by a power steering failure of all things.

Drive train consisted of a Hollinger close ratio 5 speed with a direct 5th gear (all contained within the standard Toyota gearbox housing) and a TRD billet differential similar to the units commercially available but not identical, evidenced by the carrier not fitting into a standard housing explaining the slightly different housing on the race vehicle. Harrop 4 piston callipers with 15.5" (393mm) Rotors were fitted up front, as a result 18 x 12 " rims were required.

The vehicle was not as successful as its peers, notably the Ford Sierra and Nissan Skyline GTR, as its larger engine capacity required it to run at a higher kerb weight by the Group A regulations and also due to a lack of development relative to its competition.

Awesome car and Bloody quick as well.....passed the Sierra & me like we were standing still on EC Straight. Another car that was capable of shitting on the rest of the field...so why not put a weight restriction on it so that the Ford's and Holdens can win....bastards!!!! No disrespect to Sierra's...just the drivers...DJ for one.

P.S. To win the Supra would of only had to get past 2 R32 GTR's, 1 Holden, 1 Sierra, 1 BMW and maybe the R31? Was it in front of the R31 before it broke?

[evil_weevil]

I quite like the old Celica - the chickadee one!

[Stupid Toyota]

Awesome car and Bloody quick as well.....passed the Sierra & me like we were standing still on EC Straight. Another car that was capable of shitting on the rest of the field...so why not put a weight restriction on it so that the Ford's and Holdens can win....bastards!!!! No disrespect to Sierra's...just the drivers...DJ for one.

P.S. To win the Supra would of only had to get past 2 R32 GTR's, 1 Holden, 1 Sierra, 1 BMW and maybe the R31? Was it in front of the R31 before it broke?

Afraid I don't know sorry. My memory struggles to go back 17 hours let alone 17 years.

All that info was lifted direct from turbosupras as credited.

Not Group A but I did happen across a little bit of info on the JZA80 Super GT Supra that TRD have in Australia currently

http://www.toyota.com.au/TRD/#main/motorsp...trdSupra:page=1

[Roy]

Awesome car and Bloody quick as well.....passed the Sierra & me like we were standing still on EC Straight. Another car that was capable of shitting on the rest of the field...so why not put a weight restriction on it so that the Ford's and Holdens can win....bastards!!!! No disrespect to Sierra's...just the drivers...DJ for one.

P.S. To win the Supra would of only had to get past 2 R32 GTR's, 1 Holden, 1 Sierra, 1 BMW and maybe the R31? Was it in front of the R31 before it broke?

Blame Toyota, not the powers to be. The car was never competitive because it didnt suit the regs as well as some others. The displacement meant that it had to run a minumum weight and tyre size. The GTR was never intended to be a 2.6L, it was only after they realised that the weight of all the diffs etc were factored in they were never going to make the weight they wanted to...so upped the displacement to suit the maximum for its classification in Grp A. Turns out that the GTR had so much weight thrown at it they could have run a 3L anyway.

Like Larry Perkins used to say. The GTR was a Racing Car, the rest were Touring Cars which did not suit the regs as ideally as the GTR.

That said, i always liked the Supra. Its s shame that Mazda didnt try with the FC RX7. I suppose all their money was going into the Le Mans effort?

[djr81]

But.....The turbo equivalency changed from 1.4 in the early days to 1.7 later on. Also, technically even the 91 regs weren't true to group A anymore.

[Roy]

Well the Poms etc walked away from Grp A in 1990 didnt they? I think it was still running in Japan in 93, well at least loosely based on Grp A. Ditto the Germans as i recall in 92 they were still bringing out homologation spoilers for the BMWs

[djr81]

Well the Poms etc walked away from Grp A in 1990 didnt they? I think it was still running in Japan in 93, well at least loosely based on Grp A. Ditto the Germans as i recall in 92 they were still bringing out homologation spoilers for the BMWs

Yeah it was basically a dead parrot by 1992. Something a lot of people tend to forget/gloss over. EVen watching the '92 season it was a matter of how many laps went by until Longhurst punted Bowe. But by god the 3x20 minute heats format sucked teh wang.

[Wheezy]

Got a hi-res version of your sig????