It's been a long, cold, snowy winter and since I have no garage, only a driveway, the only work I do on my car during this time consists of essential maintenance, which I usually arrange to do before the cold weather sets in, or emergency repairs (assuming the latter can be done out in the open or I can borrow my friend's unheated garage, and special tools aren't needed - otherwise off to the dealer).
Years ago while living in Sin City East (Brooklyn Borough), I had just picked up my almost new Honda Civic after bringing it in to the dealer for its first 3,000 mile oil change and then proceeded to drive north 185 miles to my friend's house in Whately, MA. He lived in a log house in a really rural area in the western part of the state in the Berkshires - beautiful. Upon arrival, I decided to check my oil and found to my horror, disgust, revulsion, and sadness that the oil was dirty, obviously unchanged, and the dealer had stiffed me. Whately had a PO but nothing more so the next morning we went into the nearest sizeable town, Northampton, where I bought oil and a filter. The month was January, the temperature was 15 *F and my friend's long dirt driveway through the woods from the road to his house (he had no garage either) was covered with patches of snow and ice. My friend, being a car guy too, had all the tools I needed plus a drain pan. The oil filter could be accessed from up top but I had to lie on an ice patch under my car to drain the oil. But enough reminiscence.
Returning to the present from those thrilling days of yesteryear, since any additional mod work will have to wait until it warms up, now would be a good time to take stock of the mods I've already done and try to estimate the amount of HP and torque that I've added to my engine through the essentially simple mods I've performed. This is meant to be a fun post and the estimation is based largely on inferential techniques, not accurate, scientific measurement. In other words, an educated guess. It largely correlates with what's generally called Butt HP (SAE BuHP). But that's another story. All I can say is that it's so much fun playing around with numbers and concocting imaginary HP figures.
Some may question my devotion to my Protege and why I'm willing to spend so much time and money modifying it and then going to the further trouble of calculating imaginary HP. It's not something I can easily explain in a rational and logical way but perhaps is best expressed by the following ode for which I give my sincerest thanks to the inspiration provided me by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, along with my heartfelt apologies.
This exists somewhere else on the Forum but it really belongs here.
My Protege
Protege, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee for thy smooth and rounded form oer which the air so smoothly glides,
And for thy surpassing mechanical perfection which oertakes all lesser rides.
I love thee for thy color of purest red which in this whole millenium sees no compare,
And for thy smooth and supple ride which transports me floating as a cloud on air.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with other cars,
My unbreakable bond with you was forecast in the stars.
My love abounds for you from within the deepest depths my soul can reach
Wither our travels take us, through the valleys, across the mountains, or to the beach.
Yet still you can'st so nobly and aggressively cling to the road
That all other cars are left in your angelic dust.
Therefore, I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life,
And if God choose I shall but love thee better, after you have turned to rust.
But enough of these diversions. Let's get down to the serious business of calculating imaginary HP.
Comments are welcomed.
Happy Motoring!
Years ago while living in Sin City East (Brooklyn Borough), I had just picked up my almost new Honda Civic after bringing it in to the dealer for its first 3,000 mile oil change and then proceeded to drive north 185 miles to my friend's house in Whately, MA. He lived in a log house in a really rural area in the western part of the state in the Berkshires - beautiful. Upon arrival, I decided to check my oil and found to my horror, disgust, revulsion, and sadness that the oil was dirty, obviously unchanged, and the dealer had stiffed me. Whately had a PO but nothing more so the next morning we went into the nearest sizeable town, Northampton, where I bought oil and a filter. The month was January, the temperature was 15 *F and my friend's long dirt driveway through the woods from the road to his house (he had no garage either) was covered with patches of snow and ice. My friend, being a car guy too, had all the tools I needed plus a drain pan. The oil filter could be accessed from up top but I had to lie on an ice patch under my car to drain the oil. But enough reminiscence.
Returning to the present from those thrilling days of yesteryear, since any additional mod work will have to wait until it warms up, now would be a good time to take stock of the mods I've already done and try to estimate the amount of HP and torque that I've added to my engine through the essentially simple mods I've performed. This is meant to be a fun post and the estimation is based largely on inferential techniques, not accurate, scientific measurement. In other words, an educated guess. It largely correlates with what's generally called Butt HP (SAE BuHP). But that's another story. All I can say is that it's so much fun playing around with numbers and concocting imaginary HP figures.
Some may question my devotion to my Protege and why I'm willing to spend so much time and money modifying it and then going to the further trouble of calculating imaginary HP. It's not something I can easily explain in a rational and logical way but perhaps is best expressed by the following ode for which I give my sincerest thanks to the inspiration provided me by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, along with my heartfelt apologies.
This exists somewhere else on the Forum but it really belongs here.
My Protege
Protege, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee for thy smooth and rounded form oer which the air so smoothly glides,
And for thy surpassing mechanical perfection which oertakes all lesser rides.
I love thee for thy color of purest red which in this whole millenium sees no compare,
And for thy smooth and supple ride which transports me floating as a cloud on air.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with other cars,
My unbreakable bond with you was forecast in the stars.
My love abounds for you from within the deepest depths my soul can reach
Wither our travels take us, through the valleys, across the mountains, or to the beach.
Yet still you can'st so nobly and aggressively cling to the road
That all other cars are left in your angelic dust.
Therefore, I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life,
And if God choose I shall but love thee better, after you have turned to rust.
But enough of these diversions. Let's get down to the serious business of calculating imaginary HP.
Comments are welcomed.
Happy Motoring!
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