I have it plugged into my DL1 too

 

I think the naysayers are the same people who insist that clamping a hardtop on the S doesn't make the car more rigid either . Granted, it's not as dramatic as the hardtop, but the Cusco definitely decreased the "flexy flier" feel of the S going over railroad crossings etc. Decreased laptimes? Not likely. Better road feel and less shimmy/shake on rough roads? No question!


ron

 

riiiiiiiight

please someone explain how screwing some 1" pvc pipe to each corner on your house is gonna make withstand earthquakes better?

http://www.answers.com/placebo&r=67
[QUOTE]
pla

 

muz is pretty

 

Seriously, it would be interesting to log heart rate and breathing. I feel like some kind of ice-man when I drive hard, because it seems that even if I'm totally out of control, it's no big deal. Two years ago I almost dived over the pit wall, right on top of the RE's Forumla 440, and I think I was the only person at the event that didn't get a rush out of the incident. It would be cool to have some data logs to back up the feelings (or to prove that I'm getting more fired up than I realize, whichever the case might be).

I don't know if we're all the same in this respect, but for me (and some of the people I've mentored) it's a lot easier to go fast when relaxed and confident, so believing that one has an advantage can translate into a real advantage. Also, part of racing/autocross strategy for me has always been (at least back when I was serious about such things) to psych out the competition, to shatter their confidence (because I'm quite sure this gives me an edge). When we were campaining the X-1/9 I use to write numbers on the side of the tires after every run. When the competition would ask about the numbers I'd just tell them that I just liked having numbers on my tires, which only served to convince them that I was up to something that they didn't understand. That kind of "scam" is actually quite common in professional racing.

Confidence really does make a difference, so a placebo can make one slower or faster, even if it doesn't actually affect the cars performance directly.

 

I seriously doubt that, because the hardtop *does* make a very real difference.

 

I daily-drove the S on my 25 mile round trip commute for about 6 months prior to buying the Cusco so I had a very good feel for how it functioned and felt over the the same roads. It becomes rote after a while. Just before I put the Cusco on I also made a circuit of some road that included a straight section of really broken/bumped out pavement. At about 65 mph it got to the point that it no longer felt prudent to go any faster . As soon as I got done installing the brace I made the same circuit and was up to about 80 when I had to slow down for the upcoming corner and it still felt better than without the brace. Railroad crossings on my commute that I know like the back of my hand felt less loose and tighter in the front end after the install. Again, not a night/day type of difference but an improvement none the less.

Is it extremely strong? Obviously not. Is it enough to make a difference as an add on to the existing structure? It was enough for me to keep it. I don't think it takes a lot to make a little difference in torsional rigidity particularly when it's a diagonal bracing. Look at the little minor changes Honda made to the frame with the AP2. On paper they look like basically nothing. But they went to the time and expense to add them to production though...

The Cusco only cost me $135 shipped. In other words, very little and certainly nothing I would feel the need to "justify". Nobody else knows it's on there and the only time I see it is when I get under the car to change my oil or whatever. If I didn't think it made any difference I'd have just taken it off, saved the weight and sold it while it was still nice and clean . I bought an AP2 Mugen exhaust and waited 6 months for it. When I finally got it intalled I knew right away it wasn't what I wanted. It looked nice but didn't have the tone I was looking for so I turned right around and sold it at a $200 loss. I have no ego in that respect. If it works for me, great. If not, I just move on.



ron

 

I was being a little factitious there . But the point remains. Although not to the same degree, the cross brace does make a *real* difference in front end rigiditiy just like the hardtop does for the whole car.


ron

 

read the description I posted. I'm not arguing you think there is an improvement.

 

[QUOTE=krazik,Apr 3 2007, 06:35 PM]read the description I posted.