Originally posted by Renaultfool@Dec 22 2005, 07:06 AM
"Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand". Recorded by many bands in the 60's. Music Machine, Jimi Hendrix, Vanilla Fudge to name a few. Maybe if I could program some Jimi into my ECU it would help!
Do the folks on this thread really think that going back to allowing modification to the stock computer is the answer. You will still have the "haves" and the "have nots" because some ECUs are easy (cheap) to modify and some are not.
As the cars become more sophisticated we will be less able to do it ourselves, therefore encouraging high priced aftermarket parts for the cars that are popular enough for some company to engineer them. The rest of the fringe cars and/or less funded drivers, will be where they are now, running at the back.
Allowing a total replacement ECU such as the Motec (around $1,000) or the MegaSquirt (around $250) and many others that may be out there is a rather simple way to level the playing field for those who chose to buy in. The cost will probably turn out to be cheaper than trying to build a ship in a bottle, modifing the stock one as it were. It would allow everyone with an ECU to be on a level playing field. No, I do not have one. Stock Renix for me!
To keep things equal, if that is what we are going for, I just looked up some prices on the net. A race prep modified 32/36 Weber Carb is $625 from Pegasus and a race prep modified distributer for a CRX is $590 from King. So give me the race Weber and a race distributer, both of which are legal for some cars now and the total is $1,215. Oh wait, that is about what the Motec costs. So I guess it isn't about cost then.
Is it about adjustment? A clever lad can adjust their Weber across the entire rev range. Those who don't have the skills and knowledge to do so probably don't have the skills and knowledge to adjust their ECU either.
If you are trying to equal the performance in the ECU cars the only way to do it is to allow the aftermarket ECU, otherwise some will be able to get rid of speed controls, limp home modes and the like and some won't, so "factory stock" if you could police, it just won't work. Also, some will have access to modified chips, (find one for a Renix) some won't. We will still be where we are now, with an unlevel playing field.
To make the carb cars equal to the ECU/Injected cars is more difficult. They probably will never be equal. SCCA should just class them to the most appropriate group. How long can one expect 30+ year old technology to remain competitive anyway? Maybe give them a Motec and a throttle body the same size as their current induction on their stock manifold and have at it. Whatever, two valves will never equal 4 or 5. One cam will never equal two with variable cam timing, and on and on. It will never be equal.
It seems to me that most of the arguments against controlled progress are not well founded, looking at todays technology, and may be presented to maintain the status quo for particular cars that have an advantage now.
We need to look ahead, not behind.
Carl
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I think you have been misinformed. Motec is more than 1K to cram into a stock ECU box AND takes hours of dyno tuning time. I have looked into the Megasquirt unit personally and it is just barely if at all IT compatible. (It uses GM and Ford sensors which are not "legal" in a BMW or Acura, etc. It also only controls injectors unless you go with a separate unit The Megaspark, which will handle the firing duty.
The point is that Motec is outside of the parameters of the "original class intent" and we need a groundswell to get rid of it.
You must understand one point. I drive a 1.9l Z3 which would GREATLY benefit from Motec. There aren't many bigger oddballs out there! However, I am categorically against the rule as written. If MOTEC is to be the future of IT racing then just let it out of the box.....otherwise put it back in the bottle!!! :P
Rob
Rob Breault
BMW 328is #36
2008 Driving Impressions Pro-ITA Champion
2008 NARRC DP Champion
2009 NARRC ITR Champion
2009 Team DI Pro-ITR Champion
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