Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: (email redacted)

Not to add another question to your question, but I would like to know what
effect lowering the car would do to top speed/drag. At 140mph(top speed)
wind resistance is a major factor, what increase could be obtained by
lowering the car a couple inches. I've heard that most of the drag from a
hardtop car is produced from turbulance underneath the vehicle. I know
from playing around at high speeds that adding 100hp from my nitros adds
only 10 mph to top speed. I have a '94 GT with a 100hp nitros kit,
flowmasters and K&N. I was rather disappointed that I could only go 150mph
in what I thought was a considerable more aerodynamic vehicle than the '90
mustang LX 5.0 I used to own, which I ran at 140mph with just a K&N.

Thanks, Michael in Sunny Florida land of straight desserted roads(someplaces).

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Mail From: Kelly Murray <(email redacted)>


> lowering the car a couple inches. I've heard that most of the drag from a
> hardtop car is produced from turbulance underneath the vehicle.

Getting the air to go around the car rather than under it makes a
huge difference. As already mentioned, a big factor is getting
the air coming in from the front-grill out of the engine compartment.
In really fast door-slammer drag cars, they use solid front-ends
(no grill openings) so air doesn't get in. I've read in some
of the drag mags that cars with open grills can loose control
of the car from the air coming in the grill at 150+ mph.

This is why air-dams or spoilers are used in the front of cars,
and can pickup your ET by .1 and 1-2 MPH in the 1/4-mile.
By lowering the car, you're getting the same effect.

-Kelly Murray (pretending to know what he's talking about)
'72 Mustang 460 12.96 @ 106 lowered, but no spoiler