Top Speed: 4.055 vs 3.555 Mirage final drive swap...

[7milesout]

Guys - I contend that this speed measurement may be as documented as we can get. So, if this is going to be a "documented" test, I'd like to do it right. I would like to know your thoughts / ideas on the following items. Feel free to rip me a new one, if you feel so compelled. But I think these things should be solidified before conducting "testing."

Video - I'm going to simply run my dash cam. I would imagine I can make a YT video from that. My dash cam takes great video and great sound. However, if I mount it on the windshield, it may not capture everything to make the video ... complete. Should I relocate the camera so that it is capturing the instrument cluster + out the front windshield? Or just leave it windshield mounted? I always leave the speed active in the dash cam window because if I do get involved in a crash, I want proof that my speed was not the issue. Outside of this testing, I normally drive in close proximity to the speed limits.

Tires - I may have them rotated prior to this test. In any event, they are wearing normally / minimally / evenly, and have 26k miles on them. These are the original Dunlop Enasaves. If anything, I would have to believe that these LRR tires would contribute to a faster top speed. Not by much maybe. As for tire pressures, these are 44 psi max inflation pressure tires. I was planning on running them at 40 psi. Agreement? Higher? Lower?

Top Speed Documentation - I'll run the Waze App, and my GPS Speedo app. I trust the GPS Speedo app more than I trust the speed reading on the camera. And plus, the GPS Speedo app will record the max speed attained. So I don't have to be looking at it. I won't be able to see the dash cam speed until later, so post run I will be referring to the phone app.

Oil / oil level - I am about halfway into my OCI, so I will not be getting an oil change first. I will ensure it is topped off. Perhaps running it halfway down the acceptable zone might yield a bit less "slapping" of the crankshaft through oil / oil splash, but I'd rather have full protection versus that last mph. Agreement?

Time of Day - It will have to be a weekend day, as I have a regular job. I will only test during the daytime. So I'm thinking of doing this in the timezone of 1 pm to 4 pm. Traffic should be light, and visibility good. Agreement?

Legal Ramification Avoidance - Radar Detector: Just as a precaution. I'll likely run the "test strip" at legal speeds just to look it over for signs of the heat first. But because I'm going to run 2 electronal devices, I'll find the A.P.O. splitter that I have, to run dual A.P.O., dash cam and radar detector. It's not like I'm going to be overly dangerous. Down in this area, the traffic is always sparce. The roads are straight and mostly flat. The average speed is probably 80 mph. Frequently 85 mph. So I'll be doing what 15 to 20 mph faster than anyone I may run across? I doubt any fellow road users would even realize I'm doing top speed research.

Since the Waze app, and the GPS Speedo app will both use my phone, I think I'll run the test strip, then look the test strip over with waze app, then switch to the GPS Speedo app and perform the test.

I have identified a stretch via google maps, but I'm going to want to "put tires on the ground" on said stretch first to ensure it's as good as I'm going to get, unless Toyota decides to let me use their 10 mile oval in AZ. (I wish!).

[Fummins]

I dunno if I'd post too much incriminating evidence about yourself on the interwebs. Because Karens. Unless of course you just say you're on a closed course or in Mexico then I think you should be 100% okay.

[Wallythacker]

Keep quiet about where and when. All else sounds solid to me. You're lucky to live where 85mph is no big deal. As I'm in a tourist area my provincial cops are quite prickish about nailing anyone going as much as 10mph over our 62mph speed limit. We have a provision if you get caught going 150kmh (about 94 mph) you can lose your ride and license for 30 days, face a fine of max $5,000 and effectively lose the ability to be insured for a couple years.

Yet once you have cleared the border and my town by 10 miles then you don't see a cop, provincial or local.

[7milesout]

I don't actually know where this might take place. I'm going to have to do some scouting. For safety and levelness, to make this as scientific as I can. It would be nice to have data to document when traffic is lightest, during daylight hours. I'm guessing between lunch and 4 pm.

[7milesout]

Does anyone know a simple way to be able to display a tach and speedometer on a dash cam video? I'm really only interested in the tach. I believe the tach is more accurate than any other gauge. And can be used to (fairly) accurately determine the speed.

I just don't know of a way to do this.

[7milesout]

Tonight, the rattlesnake-in-law arrives. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and dry. Tomorrow would be a great time to NOT be at home. Sometimes the planets do align. Just sayin' ... for a friend.

[foama]

In these parts (Europe) the 1.0 car (3A90) and the 1.2 (3A92) both have the taller differential, but the less-tall 5th gear. All in all, the European MT is taller than in the States.
In spite of that, I would very much prefer having a taller transmission in my 1.0, especially in 5th gear. More than 2500 rpm at 100km/h is just too much, an unnecessary waste of fuel and on top of that more noise than necessary.

[Wallythacker]

Does anyone know a simple way to be able to display a tach and speedometer on a dash cam video? I'm really only interested in the tach. I believe the tach is more accurate than any other gauge. And can be used to (fairly) accurately determine the speed.

I just don't know of a way to do this.

Are you looking to do a split screen display? I agree that the tach is far more accurate than a speedo.

I have a thought, for the best accuracy maybe buy, beg, borrow, steal a bluetooth ODB module and try out a couple of monitoring programs? It's been a long while since I've monitored the BT module as I have the Scangauge in place.

I do recall there being a difference in the displayed speed and rpm between all 3 units, the Mirage factory instruments, the scangauge and the Veespeak with some prog called Torque something or other? It was a small discrepancy, maybe 150 rpm. Maybe less. It's been 3-4 years since I ran

[7milesout]

I done done got me a couple OBD dongles. And, just this morning I got the Torque app to work. I don't know what the problem was, but I "messed" with it and it connected. I'll wind up using the Torque app. I think that app has a way of logging data. I'm going to mess with it some more and see if I can figure that out. It would be best to have a log of Torque app data for gps speed, obd speed, and rpm. Through those 3 datapoints, I can arrive at what I deduce is the accurate speed. We shall see.

At this point, I'm not going to worry about the telemetry. It's too late. And I think I'm going to leave the dash cam on the window. I did pull it inboard and test it. And the video was still good. I could make out the speedometer. If I aim it down, the gear lever could be seen, which would be interesting. However, I'm concerned about the gps speed on the dash cam being negatively affected being up under the roof instead of out on the windshield. That's another datapoint.

And foama, I'd rather have the European taller gearing too. Only except for the "possible" bragging rights of top speed. But I could be wrong about the top speed advantage of the 4.055 differential. I've been wrong before ... I am married after all.

I just was monitoring waze this morning, and have been looking at it sporadically over the last couple weeks. There was a LEO smack dab in the center of my testing facility. He's gone now, but there's another one on the end - outside perimeter of my facility as I type this.


7milesout

[Wallythacker]

Torque, yes that's what I used before. The version I used was finicky setting up the dashboard but once you learn that aspect the rest of it seems pretty good. That reminds me to buy the paid version. I've used it enough, and will likely use it again so that buddy deserves a few bucks.

The value we get from a lot of user supported software is off the charts. Nothing beats free but when a great program gets put out there for $5 we should be supporting these folks.

Can you get a spotter or two? Nothing beats real eyes on the road a couple of miles ahead of you. If I hadn't a spotter one summer night coming south on the 400 extension (Toronto people know exactly what I refer to) for speed tests we ran exit->exit. My forward spotter would park on the side on the freeway keeping the on ramps and overpass bridge visible. The freeway was guaranteed police free from my current position to a few hundred meters past the next exit where the spotter was parked. It was completely foolproof, no way to get caught unless the police somehow got on the highway without being seen

We even had an area on the freeway recently repaved that was pool table smooth, excellent traction, and very import, no painted markings used by spotter planes to calculate your groundspeed. My friend was caught that way. If/when caught in the 80/90's you just got a big ticket, likely 3-4 points against the 15 allowable on your license and no hit against your insurance if there were no other infractions against your license. Pretty reasonable all around.

Now? Once you are caught going 93.1 MPH or faster, its: $10,000 Ticket, 30 day license suspension, roadside vehicle impoundment 30 days (your car or not, makes no difference), expect your insurance to treble, or worse still, become uninsurable unless you join a special high risk pool and potentially pay $15,000 or more annually for insurance. It's just not worth it any more. Get a spotter or two, if you can. Hey, you have a couple of sons, right? There you go, spotter crew ready to go!