Caspers latest visit to the JMM Skunkworks..

[Casper]

OK, time for the wrap up.
Many of you have asked, a number of you knew. Yes, my car was at JMM and no, it wasn’t a Jacket or sticker this time. Today was a real mod, one I have been after for about 6 months.
So what was it? Well, for those that haven’t worked it out from the clues (that were about as subtle as a train crashing into a truck filled with TNT) it was the JMM 3000rpm Stall converter.


I’ll assume most of you already know what it does… so how does it work?

Well, I think the best way to explain it is HOLY CRAP..YEEHAAAA!!!
Damn, these things work! Not only do they work but they work WELL!

I was lucky enough to actually get driven there today by Laminge in his Fairlane Ghia, fitted with one of these things, and I couldn’t feel any difference while just putting around. Then he gave it a squirt on Millers Rd and suddenly you knew something was up, the big heavy luxobarge surged forward quicker than some modded XR’s I had been in (15.6 ET does not do this car justice.. it deserves a second less for the sheer comfort and style factor).
Anyhow, this just made me think how much of a difference I would notice.

After a chat to Brenden and Jim about the goings on at JMM (there are some surprises in store.. oh, and if its not raining at Calder tomorrow the Red EB is coming back and its old time is going to get decimated) and having a look at the new turbo kits (top spec, :sm_drool: , gimmie gimmie) I finally trundled out of the driveway in my new toy (sorry for those 2 black lines Brenden : ).

So, whats it like? Well, puttering about on 1/5th throttle its simply not there, nothing, you don’t notice it at all. Get to about 1/4 throttle and there’s a noticeable change as you hear the note of the engine change as it revs a little harder. After that it just gets to be fun.. followed by silly fun, followed but tyre shredding goodness.

Given the grip I’ve grown to know and love with the XR and its IRS, wheelspin has never been a problem at launch.. ever. Even in the rain its always been very composed. Sure, I could make it spin but it had to be forced so to speak. This is no longer the case : Take off as normal, nothing there. Floor it from standstill and you have major tyre smoke if wanted. Stall this puppy up and let rip and your going to court for tyre abuse (and probably a few other things). It is stunning how it has changed the car. Brenden said you have to relearn how to drive your car… he was understating it. Its now a whole different animal.

So now the big questions.
A) Does it work? Hell yes, far more than I expected
B) Will it improve take offs? With traction…the difference is massive.
C) Will it use more fuel? Probably. If you take off with minimal throttle then it simply does not feel like its there… but who takes of at 1/5 throttle?? I'm going to be burning up more fuel.. and loving it Oh, and yes, tyre wear will be an issue on the rears.. at least in my car! :
D) Does it even out the manuals advantages? No, not quite. Add some diff gear changes and then it will be a manual killer but its not quite there by itself. But then again, can you drive a manual and drop its clutch at 4000rpm each day? Cause that’s about the change it makes to an auto.
E) Was it worth it? If you own a Falcon auto, you MUST have one of these if you are serious about performance. It is like someone has given my car a massive dose of steroids … yet not a KW difference has been made.

Anyhow, another mod down, time to start saving for the next one… and that’s going to REALLY make some ¼ mile difference to the old Grandpa VCT!