How Much BHP to Scare a Person Silly?

JP · 01-16-04, 06:28 AM

This is an intersting one. How much BHP do you need to scare a passenger? You always get people asking for a ride, but when do you get to the point when they go white?

I'm guessing at least 350BHP.

Regards,

J.P

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-16-04, 06:39 AM

Hmmm - about 90BHP!
That's about how much the Mk1 Escort I navigated in many moons ago had when I was taken out by a 'driver' (i use the term loosely)for a run. Considering myself at least 'competant', it was definately a white knuckle ride, but I believe drivers make poor passengers.

I presume you mean a GT40 though so let me think....
(closes eyes....still see's blind crest of hill.....on a bend....100+mph.....airborne............)

About 300 at the wheels if memory serves me correct - perhaps the owner driver can confirm? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Seriously though - scaring a passenger is NOT a good thing to do, unless they are happy with it. A panic attack for a person who has not experienced a GT40 at speed before, in a confined cabin could be very bad news for both persons.

Personally - I quite like it, although having just watched a few laps of the Nurburg Ring, in-car in a Nissan Skyline at 185mph+ in places - now i'm not so sure. - certainly not for the feint hearted!

JP · 01-16-04, 07:00 AM

From personal experience 400HP, 4WD, rain & a nutter behind the wheel make for a good white knuckle ride!! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Mike Inglis · 01-16-04, 07:11 AM

Tell 'em that the brakes don't work too well and about 5bhp will be plenty.
[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

gt40rick · 01-16-04, 07:16 AM

300 at the wheels is plenty to scare most people who have never been in a GT40. I took a co-worker (who is a big Nascar fan), for a ride and after a brief run down a road at 150mph, going over a small hill where the car got air borne for a few feet and then braking hard to make a 90° right hand turn at 80mph... At the end of the ride (very shortly after the final right hand turn), my co-worker got out of the car and fainted when he stood up. After picking him up I told him that I thought that he liked speed because he always goes to the Nascar races and talks about them all of the time, he told me that he likes to WATCH the cars go fast not be in them when they are being driven at 150mph!

Brett James-McCall · 01-16-04, 07:22 AM

I think Paul has the right answer. I'd happily sit behind most steering wheels But put me on the seat on the left and I am constantly stamping the forward bulkhead for imaginary brakes [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Brett

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-16-04, 07:30 AM

Funny that - Roy has never been fussed about being a passenger with me and I'm not bothered these days about passengering with him....

(great minds think alike - or fools never part!)

On another note - my wife has 1HP! (with four legs) and there is no way I would take a ride on that! - driver or not! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

JP · 01-16-04, 07:32 AM

Just get in a car with a Woman!!

I've had some really scary moments with Women drivers.

Don't tell my wife though, or things will get really scary. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-16-04, 07:43 AM

Just what is it that gives the 'scary' feeling? - Is it a burst of adrenaline that then has no use as you are not exerting yourself as a passenger (excluding any involuntary bowel movements)..

Perhaps Mike can explain, being a qualified 'giggle-gas expert/technician'...

Peter D · 01-16-04, 07:59 AM

I agree with JP - Women ! As the victim of the driving skills of a wife & 2 daughters, I can speak with some authority !!

As for the GT40, I suspect that 300+hp will be quite enough for me to scare myself silly, & when I get to that point, I won't really care what the passenger is feeling or thinking !

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

pvan340 · 01-16-04, 08:18 AM

About 50hp! I think thats what our galant had, my brother decided to show me the moves he'd been working on. "Come for a ride" he said, "watch this" he proceded to get the car sideways through a washout, and up on to a causeway. All I can remember is seeing water out the front window, with a flick of the wheel, he straightend it up and pwered off down the track! "Hows that?" he said "Coool" says I trying to unclasp my fingers with an air of being compleatly calm!
It was pretty cool, seing as he was 14 at the time!
Seriously, I hate being a passenger, as I can tell when the driver is being a d***head, and I know that they don't know how to control/get out of the situation if it goes pearshaped.

ChrisL · 01-16-04, 09:47 AM

Fast corners are FAR scarier than fast straight.
A friend at work made a new-years resolution to do something scary this year, like sky-diving or bunjee-jumping. "How about a fast ride in a GT40 around a race track?" I asked as he walked back into his office. Sixty seconds later, he walked out with a big grin on his face. "OK, its a deal. Can my daughter have a ride too?" [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] You betcha [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Ron Earp · 01-16-04, 10:46 AM

Paul, I think Roy has a different perspective on life than you do. See, he's seen a lot more, war, etc. and is older than you, so he probably doesn't have that fear of death thing going like you do! Therefore, his scare threshold is going to be higher than yours! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

MK -IV J6 · 01-16-04, 12:39 PM

1200. 0-200 in 12 sec. P 917-30. It got the job done.

JP · 01-16-04, 12:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
1200. 0-200 in 12 sec. P 917-30. It got the job done.

[/ QUOTE ]

1200 BHP ??? That's overkill! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

dave harris · 01-16-04, 12:55 PM

I'm not sure it's the Hp that adds the scare factor to most rides, I think it boils down to 2 things;
1) does the driver know what he/she's doing - and do you believe it, and
2) are there any corners involved!!!

I've take the most mild mannered people for rides at the drag strip in purpose built cars with ~ 900 hp and a top speed over 200 mph and they LOVED IT. The same person in a moderately prepped track car going around a corner at speed or into an sharp 90 from 150+ down the straight and they were looking for the toilet when they got out (of course, maybe reason #1 played into that one then!?).

dave

Iron Sheik · 01-16-04, 01:31 PM

Chevy V6 Celebrity, 120Hp, 4000lb, bald tires. Doing about 115 to 120 with passengers that had asked for a ride (did not knew either one of them).

Saw the same people at the bus stop the next day. They refused a free ride!!

P.S Brett, what do you mean sitting on the left side?! That's the driver side [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Howard Jones · 01-16-04, 02:21 PM

Do not ever REALLY put your foot into it with your wife on board. If she ever really knows how fast you 40 is you will never hear the end of it.

I took a friend of mine's wife for a short ride. He said " give her a good one" loud enough for her to hear him and she didn't say a thing about it sooooo..... I Left in 1th gear easy, got it into 2nd and put my foot into it, and half way thur 3rd she stuck her fingernails into my right arm DEEP enough to draw blood. Never said a word though. Don't scare the girls it's not nice. AND they are armed and dangerious.

Its going to be about who you want to "scare" I guess but I would advise against doing this on a roadcourse or on a road with curves. Your victum might just "scare" the hell out of you!! How about your rider plants their left foot onto your right foot just about the time you want to lift for a 125mph lefthander. This could happen easly with the foot room in these cars.

At least give them a heads up before you go for it.

I little squirt in 3rd gear from low revs is usually enough for most people.

I have a 302 with about 350-370hp or so.

Brett James-McCall · 01-16-04, 02:36 PM

Fali,
That is why I kept hearing screaming from the back when I was in Germany I must have been driving [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Brett

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-16-04, 03:36 PM

Hi all -
Ron - you're probably right and Roy says he knows the secret for this season - he's going to 'nail it from the 1st run' - god help us!

Dave - most definately - corners are scariest. As a passenger in Dave P's mighty R42 at Castle Coombe, I remember him telling me how he could take one corner, 'camp' i think 'absolutely flat' in his Cosworth, but not quite in the 42 on P-Zero's. On one such lap after exiting said corner and approaching Avon Rise, I noticed that there is very little run off to the left. Anyway, I decided to look down at the instruments instead (less scary) and just as Dave braked from about 130mph, BANG! - Lower, rear nearside track control arm separated from the hub - hmmm very entertaining!......... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]