SC handling

Back in 1989 two Ford engineers, Arch Cothram and Lou Williams, supplied Car Craft magazine with SC they had modified to explore the limits of the then new MN-12 chassis. Their performance goals were to equal or surpass the current Corvette in acceleration, top speed, braking, handleing, and lateral acceleration numbers. They exceeded it in all areas. Car Craft was all over the engine mods and quarter mile performance but listed the suspension mods as "HD suspension" and noted the BBS 17x9 wheels with 275/40ZR17 tires. The ride height was 1.1" lower in the front and 0.8 in the rear (including the 0.4 from the tires). They managed to remove 180 lbs in spite of a 6-8 point roll bar install, total wieght was 3667 lbs. Weight distribution was improved from 57/43 to 54/56.

The car generated 0.935g lateral acceleration.

Other things of interest since many will be qurious are the quarter mile time of 13.61 at 102.04, 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, top speed over 160 mph, and would out stop a 1989 Corvette by 15 feet (thats a mile in brakeing).

Other mods: 3.8 liter with billet crank, 8.0:1 forged pistons, 282/292 degree cam, 125 cu.in. Eaton blower (engineering prototype for the M112) driven at 2.25:1, larger intercooler and tubes, 1.75" headers, no cats, 2.5" exhausts, Flowmaster mufflers, and a 3.55:1 rear axle.

Vernon
 
Vernon,

That SC of which you wrote was the same SC that ran the year before at the Road & Track Invitational at Lime Rock and was detailed in the R & T Super Cars issue. It was constructed from a 1988 prototype car and eventually became the Bonneville SC that set records in 1990 and 1992. So says Lou Williams who I interviewed last year in Detriot...a month before he retired.
 
Well I don't have the ability to scan mine. If it makes you feel any better there's not much to it. The article is in the September '89 issue of Car Craft, titled Late Model Performance 2. There were about 11 cars that were tested back to back. Each one got a little one page bio with some pics. Most of anything technical in it I already typed out. The rest is just fluff. I can understand the quiriousity though, It was a white car with white BBS cross-lace wheels. The engine bay looks much like a stocker exept the tubing is custom fabed larger diameter pipe with two bolt exhaust type flanges at the custom fabbed larger spread slightly raised top, and at the slightly wider intercooler's flange. The inlet looks like stuff we have now. The filter box lid and intercooler inlet plenum are kinda wierd looking, bubble top is how I would describe them. Looks to have a Mark 8 MAF, the Eaton is longer with a shorter drive snout, the A/C compressor is gone replaced by a idler pulley, tubing follows stock paths, the battery must be in the back, all under hood bottles and tanks are stripped. Inside the door panels had to be channeled to make room for the roll bar front brace and it looks bad, The EEC is mounted to the roll bar behind the pass side seat, Recaro buckets, five point belts, radio delete, stock appearance other than that. No options in or out.

that's about it, the rest is bla bla bla about these mods may point the way for car crafters when these cars become more common. They wonder who'll be the first to the aftermarket with pieces like these. Says the car was optimized for road racing not drags though it faired well at the strip. Mentioned they think this chassis will be used more by Ford in the future for other performance cars.

That's really everything but the pics of which there are five and I just described everything in them.

I don't know anything about Duffys article, and considering the level of quiriousity from this I won't even tell you about all the other articles and clippings I have on SC's - LOL. My library is substantial. Hot Rod starting in 1981 through mid 1990's, Car Craft from '86 through mid '90s, lots of MM&FF, one PHR on the SC from '89 and a few others.

Vernon
Vernon
 
I've seen the "book". All I can say is that Vernon must have had a lot of time on his hands back in the day. Large 3 ring binders with charts and graphs (hand drawn) with speed vs mph per gear (for several different transmissions). Magazine clippings from the 80's weathered like a stash of old Playboys.

Jeff
 
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