Gordy's ecotec 510

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defdes
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by defdes »

Is there track video of this rig?
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PoorMtnKid
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by PoorMtnKid »

defdes wrote:Is there track video of this rig?
Yeah he has a lot of in car videos on youtube. Look him up by Jordan Connor
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Sleepys-14
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Sleepys-14 »

Here is a quick video from Road Atlanta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL9DnMZcHZo
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Re: Full feature now on Speedhunters

Post by Sleepys-14 »

DADZSUN wrote:http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/09/dat ... tec-power/

Good article!

Now that you're famous I need to find something that I can get you to sign. :-)
If you send me a blank check, ill sign it!
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defdes
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by defdes »

How was the design for the splitter, fender cut outs and wing arrived at in terms of performance, or did it start as an aesthetic thing and just evolve from there?
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Sleepys-14 »

Well, the design of the fenders was to relieve air pressure and lift from the wheel wells. The splitter is a well known design in the Time Attack world for good downforce and minimal drag. It also helps the air flow through the engine bay for cooling. The front splitter is currently set to a -1* pitch, and has the winglets attached. The wing was added for high speed stability. As we all know, the Datsun 510 has quite a large lift off oversteer and in a rear steer attitude at high speed. With the wing at a low drag angle, it almost eliminated all of the high speed oversteer issues. If you compare my videos for years ago to now, the car is amazingly stable at all speeds in its current configuration. The only components on the car the would produce downforce are the splitter and rear wing, the rest is to reduce lift and drag.

For instance, if I take the wing off, the car has a considerable oversteer in any corner above 50mph. Same goes for the front end, if the splitter is removed, the car has quite a bit of understeer. My top speed may have dropped a few mph, but the car is much easier to drive and you can drive it more aggressively with a little downforce.

It is kind of a educated guessing game when it comes to aero, but the parts that I have added to my car have been tried and true components on a majority of high dollar time attack teams. So these components have been confirmed to work effectively with minimal drag from years of testing throughout the time attack world. Now, with that said, I can't give you data to confirm the amount of drag vs downforce on my car, but I can tell you my setup is a low drag configuration compared to what it could be, but that's because I only have 240whp, and it would need more power if I were to increase the downforce.

I basically took the 5 major components that have been tested by many other teams:
1. Tire strakes (blocking the front of the tires from incoming air to reduce the amount of air flowing into the wheel well, also reduces drag and lift due to essentially the same frontal area)
2. Front splitter (Separates the air flow from the underbody and engine bay. Better cooling, produces downforce with very little drag)
3. Front splitter winglets (adds downforce with little drag)
4. Fender cut outs (relieves positive air pressure in wheel well to reduce lift and drag)
5. Rear spoiler (adds downforce with minimal drag)

There are millions of other things I could do, but they involve more knowledge of air flow around the car and much more calculated angles. I don't have any real great pictures, but I have included a few for reference.
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DADZSUN
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Re: Full feature now on Speedhunters

Post by DADZSUN »

Sleepys-14 wrote:
DADZSUN wrote:http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/09/dat ... tec-power/

Good article!

Now that you're famous I need to find something that I can get you to sign. :-)
If you send me a blank check, ill sign it!
LOL.

Your front splitter has gained considerable width since the SH photos. That looks like a good 4-6" wider than the car itself on each side?

The article also mentions upgraded sterring, are you going with the R&P kit from http://www.jbcoachwerks.com/?
'72 Datsun 510 - MS KA24e, Watanabe, STI R180 & CV axles, R&P assisted steering
'76 Datsun 620 - VQ35DE, CD009, G35 suspension & brakes.
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Sleepys-14
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Sleepys-14 »

Yes, the splitter is 6" wider per side. The winglets are attached to that area. I also looked at the JBC stuff. I actually like the design a lot, but my cross member is much different that what they use, so it would not work for my application... It would be nice.
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by 510tdi »

You just can't leave well enough alone can you? :^)
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Three B's Racing »

Splitters, winglets. tire strakes, rear spoliers etc; and to think Troy Ermish, BRE, and every other well know names in 510 racing history did it with only a front chin spoiler. No doubt those items work so why is it they never use these? I look at it this way and it's only me. I do photography and firmly believe a real good photographer does 90% of the work within the usage and know how of using a camera and the ability of reading the light, not taking the shot then makeing it perfect through digital manipulation.

Just wondering..take it easy..
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Sleepys-14 »

Three B's Racing wrote:and to think Troy Ermish, BRE, and every other well know names in 510 racing history did it with only a front chin spoiler.

Did what with a chin spoiler? Raced competitively? I'm not sure I understand the statement?

The reason they don't use any of these aero things:
1. Vintage racing does not allow them
2. 99% of vintage racers are stuck in an old school mentality of "if John Morton or Troy Ermish used these components, then that must be the best there is"

And before the chin spoiler, they said the same thing. Why use a chin spoiler if it worked fine before that... and why would you use disc brakes in the rear if drum brakes are sufficient... and why would you use cv axles instead of slip joint driveshafts... and why would you use a steering rack over a steering box...

I'm not saying my car is perfect or better than anybody else's, but over the course of 40 years, cars have gotten faster and easier to drive. Many of these improvements are from suspension geometry and aerodynamics. I also understand that these aero bits on my car do not add massive amounts of performance, but it does help a considerable amount without loosing much top speed. Many older racers don't like or understand how or why you would do this to a car, but I also don't understand why they do the things that they do sometimes. Troy Ermish is the only living example that I know that can back up his shit talk about my car. And I actually enjoy it. He gives me shit about my aero and I give him shit about using all this old Datsun crap. He is an amazing driver and his cars are prepped amazingly well. Here is the comparison: His car is on the ragged edge of performance, as in needing constant engine rebuilds, race gas, race tires, and in general, high maintenance. My car has a very low stressed engine at 240whp, street tires, 91 oct and drives to and from the track events on the street. Similar times... Now it all depends on what you like, and personally, I would prefer my car at this point in my life.
Beer... The cause of, and solution to, all of lives problems- Homer Simpson
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by 510rob »

If I'm not mistaken, it is fundamentally a lump of metal, owned by you. End of story.
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Sleepys-14 »

Thank you. I understand that my car is different and not everyone will agree with the direct I have chosen.
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by Mattndew76 »

I like the mesh of old with the new without taking from the essence of it being a 510.

What class are you competing in again? Could you show us some of your competitors cars?
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funwithmonkeys
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Re: Gordy's ecotec 510

Post by funwithmonkeys »

I think your car looks great. All the things you've done work even in their most basic form. Most of this stuff has been around for 30 years or more. Now it's just much easier to implement using the knowledge that racers in the 70's and 80's pioneered in the top forms of motor racing.
If no one from the future comes back to stop you from doing it then how bad of a decision can it really be?
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