Group A Thread

[Mr. Keets]

magnesium oil pan...mmmm that could have made life interesting

[Stupid Toyota]

magnesium oil pan...mmmm that could have made life interesting

Only if you manage to set it on fire. I believe the magnesium alloys they use in the last few decades are different to the old days. Hewland for instance offer magnesium casings for most of their gearboxes and Rays Engineering still supply wheels manufactured from forged magnesium. Im sure it'll still burn like a beauty once you get it going but I think they've toned it down a little from how it used to be...

[Roy]

The magnesium components need to be lifed more frequently then alloy etc. I think its because they absorb moisture etc. I know the old magnesium wheels were not meant to be stored on bare concrete.

[Duncan]

Yeah I had a good look at the chickadee celica (group C) at the Bathurst hillclimb last year, very nicely presented car and certainly no museum piece - its great to see these cars out and still being raced

[floody]

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.

But come on! "They banninated Godzilla so the Fords and Holdens could win!!!!" "racing is so crap now with only two manufacturers" make for such a better story.

Group A's glory days were 1985-1990, maybe '84 in Europe.

Also, funny how quick the Aussie supra is, compared to everywhere else where it was just heavy, unreliable, and outgunned even in a straight line (going from what footage I've seen).

Edited February 11, 2008 by floody

[RS500]

here's the best Grp A vid on youTube;

[Roy]

Actually, i love this race footage...

[Stupid Toyota]

Actually, i love this race footage...

I love the misplaced commentary lol. Murray's a classic, talking it up.

"Rouse is up alongside Harvey..." - No, he's actually 2 car-lengths back

"Rouse makes a pass and takes the lead" - No, he hit harvey mid-corner unsettling harvey then passing him

It was clear Rouse was being held up though, and its good footage but pity it's not Australian GrpA

[Roy]

My mate used to work in teh Channel 7 library. Hs used to be able to get soem cool footage of the V8 Supercars before they went to Channel 10 all those years ago. I often wondered if he could get the footage from their piss poor coverage at 11pm on a Sunday night of the Lakeside rounds etc.

He is at Sky News these days but surely he would still know someone at Channel 7 ???? Maybe i need to ask, mind you he is the same guy that gets me into the 888 garage so i think i am about out of favours

[Stupid Toyota]

But come on! "They banninated Godzilla so the Fords and Holdens could win!!!!" "racing is so crap now with only two manufacturers" make for such a better story.

Group A's glory days were 1985-1990, maybe '84 in Europe.

Also, funny how quick the Aussie supra is, compared to everywhere else where it was just heavy, unreliable, and outgunned even in a straight line (going from what footage I've seen).

Yeah but even here the Supra did poorly. I think Toyota didnt really give it the support it needed as they were going hard in the rally arena. They might have done better if they'd released the JZA70 supra a little sooner with the 2.5ltr engine. Better reliability then the 3ltr 7M and with the lesser capacity it'd get away with a lighter weight and maybe it'd get somewhere but GrpA died before it got a chance to race.

[floody]

Yeah but even here the Supra did poorly. I think Toyota didnt really give it the support it needed as they were going hard in the rally arena. They might have done better if they'd released the JZA70 supra a little sooner with the 2.5ltr engine. Better reliability then the 3ltr 7M and with the lesser capacity it'd get away with a lighter weight and maybe it'd get somewhere but GrpA died before it got a chance to race.

Heh yeah the rally thing really worked out with the Supra too...almost 2000kg in endurance rally trim... (But I know you mean the celicas etc).

It is odd that the supra is quick now and wasn't then...also a number of other cars which were outgunned back then (i.e. mustang..) seem to be a lot quicker now...

[tom_v]

FWARK!

[Jetwreck]

Heh yeah the rally thing really worked out with the Supra too...almost 2000kg in endurance rally trim... (But I know you mean the celicas etc).

It is odd that the supra is quick now and wasn't then...also a number of other cars which were outgunned back then (i.e. mustang..) seem to be a lot quicker now...

I am thinking the Supra is so quick now due to the ballast being removed...only a guess though...should have never had that much ballast to start with...mind you top speed was always quick with these things even in there day.

Funny on the Mustang's...I gather you are talking about the Pine pack car's. Lot's of little things on both of them e.g diff for 1......One of them has all SVO motor parts as well...not to Group A Spec'. In saying that don't disregard the driver's as they are bloody good.

[Stupid Toyota]

Heh yeah the rally thing really worked out with the Supra too...almost 2000kg in endurance rally trim... (But I know you mean the celicas etc).

It is odd that the supra is quick now and wasn't then...also a number of other cars which were outgunned back then (i.e. mustang..) seem to be a lot quicker now...

I think the power will be up too. Newer technologies, even with the restrictions imposed will give better torque plus manufacturing techniques etc will result in a higher specific output. 16+yrs is a long time

[31GUN]

The Supra's quick because John Smith is a really good driver, and he's been driving that car since he got it!

Pity it lunched the gearbox at it's last outing though.

Hooks

[GTR-32U]

I never knew the Supra made those sort of numbers...And to be honest I am sort of sceptical.I used to sit and watch every ATCC as well as Bathurst and Sandown.The Supras were nowhere near competitive.It was slower than even the Commodores by a long shot.The Best VL Commodores were HRT making 520 hp @ 8000 rpm...in a car that weighed 1300 kg ( approx )..Yet I think 3 Commodores qualified in the top 10 pole shootout ( 2 HRT cars and Larry Perkins I believe )..But no Supra..If it was making the sort of power quoted it should have been quicker than they were.

[Stupid Toyota]

I never knew the Supra made those sort of numbers...And to be honest I am sort of sceptical.I used to sit and watch every ATCC as well as Bathurst and Sandown.The Supras were nowhere near competitive.It was slower than even the Commodores by a long shot.The Best VL Commodores were HRT making 520 hp @ 8000 rpm...in a car that weighed 1300 kg ( approx )..Yet I think 3 Commodores qualified in the top 10 pole shootout ( 2 HRT cars and Larry Perkins I believe )..But no Supra..If it was making the sort of power quoted it should have been quicker than they were.

My recollection of the 7M power from back then was 490hp.

Its probable that the quoted power output is its current state which reflects my earlier comment of newer ideas and technology releasing greater power then they used to have.

Also you'll note it says "qualifying trim" which obviously isnt what they raced it at otherwise she'd be oiling down the track every time...

Edited February 14, 2008 by Stupid Toyota

[ajrichar]

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

Unfortunately, no. I stumbled across this pic and 2 others that are similar from a Photography website and they were selling prints of these images. I wish I could remember where they were sourced from because a) I'd like to buy a print, and; b) I'd like to be able to credit their website for the photo in the sig. It would have been an exciting time having both the #1 and #2 Winfield cars together.

[GTR-32U]

My recollection of the 7M power from back then was 490hp.

Its probable that the quoted power output is its current state which reflects my earlier comment of newer ideas and technology releasing greater power then they used to have.

Also you'll note it says "qualifying trim" which obviously isnt what they raced it at otherwise she'd be oiling down the track every time...

490 hp...Yes for back then I would think it would have made something in that vicinity...big Shame they werent making the 580 back then...Would have made Group A a whole lot more exciting...Shame they dont bring back Something like Group A as all the Manufacturers from then now have some seriously fast machines..BMW M3 V8, 6ltr HSV, FPV TYPHOON ,Nissan GTR ,MAZDA MPS etc..

[icydude]

some group a race

http://scmotorsports.ca/scmfdb/download.php?file=81

1992 bathurst GIO

http://scmotorsports.ca/scmfdb/download.php?file=70