Hidden Hero

I saw this little trick on my buddy Craig Boone's car that I thought was cool. The hidden coil is not a new idea, but his take on the trick places the coil in the cowl area of his early Camaro, running the wiring and high-tension coil wire through small holes in the cover. The cover is easily removable with two small sheetmetal screws. Mounting the coil in the cowl area also keeps the coil cool when Craig is flogging his Camaro on the local road courses.

Shift Etiquette

At a car show the other day, I watched this guy start his Mustang and shift his four-speed from neutral into reverse. He did this a couple of times and each time, you could clearly hear the crunch of the reverse gear grinding against the cluster. What it revealed about this guy was how little he cared about his equipment, especially because there's an easy way to avoid mashing those gears together. It's just not cool. The simple trick is, with the engine running, the shifter in neutral, and the clutch out, to push the clutch pedal in and shift into any forward gear like First or Second. This will stop the main shaft from spinning and then allow you to easily nudge the shifter into reverse. This is not necessary on some new manual transmissions like the T-56 because the engineers have graciously put a synchronizer on the reverse gear to save it from ham-fisted guys like the Mustang owner. It's a small thing, but at least you won't announce your ignorance to everyone within earshot every time you shift into reverse.

Build a Budget Iron 5.7L, Part II

On our previous blog, we started the idea of building a budget-based Gen III 5.7L motor by combining a 5.7L rotator package with a 4.8 or 5.3L iron block. The key to this is a bigger bore. This bore increase is roughly 0.110 inch, but our sources tell us the iron motor cylinder walls can accommodate this—but you should sonic-check the block. Shoot for a wall thickness on the thrust side (inboard side on the driver side, outboard wall on the passenger side) of between 0.200 and 0.240 inch or more. You will also need to upgrade to a 5.7L head gasket since the 4.8/5.3L gaskets will be too small. This idea will not work with the 5.L aluminum block nor will boring a 4.8 or 5.3L out to the 6.0L 4.00-inch bore size. The walls will be too thin. What you will end up with is a 5.7L motor that masquerades as an iron 4.8L. Pocket-port the heads, add a camshaft and a carb'd intake, and you've got an easy 450hp engine for little money.

Build a Budget Iron 5.7L, Part I

The beauty of the Gen III/IV engines is that, like their Gen I cousins, parts interchangeability is what makes the world go ’round. Let's say you found a used, iron 4.8 or 5.3L truck engine for a budget price. The 4.8L (293ci) uses the same bore but  shorter 3.268-inch stroke crank compared with the 5.3L. The 5.3 shares the same stroke as the 5.7 but with a smaller bore. So the trick is to machine the 5.3 iron block from 3.78 to 3.898 inches and add a 5.7L rotating assembly. Start by searching eBay or Craigslist for a used 5.7L Camaro or Corvette engine rotating assembly that includes the pistons, rods, and crank. Try engine builders like Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE), Street Legal Performance, Turn Key, or others that do 383 conversions on LS1 engines and ask about their leftover rotating assemblies. These can be purchased for $300.00 to $400.00. We'll finish this idea in Part II.

Ford V-8 Focus

With all this talk about high gas prices, the concept for better fuel mileage is a little motor in a light car. The Car Craft variation on that theme is a light car with a not-so-little motor—like a 5.0L (or a 289 if you prefer) in a late-model Ford Focus. Kugel Komponents won the ’01 SEMA Best Engineered Product award for its engine swap kit for these little pocket rockets. According to our Ford guru Chris Kaufmann, the cars actually handle surprisingly well. We're talkin' a 5.0L Ford motor, a T-5 five-speed, and an 8.8 Ford rear end, correct-wheel-drive rocket ship. According to Kugel, the swap parts will cost around $5,000, and you'll still need a motor, trans, and rearend. Buy a wrecked Mustang GT, gut it, and bolt the internals into a fire-breathing Focus. For the California crowd, you could do a modular engine of the same or newer vintage, for emission reasons, but Kugel has that covered, too. For more information, contact the company at Kugel Komponents; LaHabra, CA; 562/691-7006; kugelkomponents.com.

The 600HP 302

A friend asked me the other day about an engine I built back in the early ’90s using a 302ci small-block Chevy with AFR heads, 9:1 compression, and an Accel/DFI injection system with a Lingenfelter SuperRam manifold, boosted by a Vortech centrifugal supercharger. The idea was to build an engine that could make 550 hp and get 25 mpg on the highway. We chose a tiny Crane mechanical roller cam with very short duration and wide lobe-separation angle to take maximum advantage of the boost. It did what we asked it to do (just barely) at 449 hp and it hit 25 mpg in my ’65 Chevelle using an overdrive manual trans. Later, we added a bigger cam, and the engine was on its way to 650 hp with a water-to-water intercooler when a distributor gear broke. With gas prices near $5.00 a gallon, a turbo would make more power and help fuel mileage as well. What would be fun to try now is that engine with a Magnuson TVS blower.

Rock Auto Comparo

I've been buying from Rock Auto mail order for about a year now when I'm looking for parts that I don't need immediately and can afford the time to have them delivered. The company recently assembled a price comparison program called the Price Index that allows you to compare the cost of similar parts for two different types of cars. For example, we plugged in a comparison of an ’88 305 TPI Camaro versus an ’88 LX Mustang 5.0L. Not surprisingly, the Rock Auto software revealed that the same parts for a Mustang are an average of 25 percent more. What's really fun is to run this Price Index program against an import. We did a comparison of that same ’88 Camaro with an ’88 Toyota Supra with a normally aspirated 3.0L inline-six. The Price Index revealed the Toyota parts, on average, are 2.13 times the cost of the same parts for the Camaro. But then, you already knew that, didn't you?

Hot Fuel

We've heard about several instances of high-horsepower cars with mondo fuel pumps experiencing fuel pump lockup when subjected to several hours of low-speed driving. Some of the causes stem from things like restrictions in the suction side of the pump circuit, high-mounted pumps that require electrical power to draw fuel, restrictive paper filters on the inlet side, low voltage supply or poor grounds to the pump, a restrictive vent system, and/or a high-temperature heat source like exhaust too close to the pump. Under extended driving, especially at low speeds, these various issues or a combination of all of them will heat the fuel and eventually cause the fuel pump to quit due to excessive heat. This can also be partially attributable to small fuel tanks that at º-tank are circulating the fuel very quickly. The solution is to pay close attention to alleviate all the above issues. One solution that does not work is to reduce the voltage supply to the electric pump since that causes the motor to generate more heat and will eventually cause a failure.

409 Shine

We were hanging out at Edelbrock several weeks ago in the dyno room with our pals Curt Hooker and engine builder Robert Jung. Robert was working on a classic 409 big-block Chevy slated for future dyno testing, and we grabbed a couple of photos. If you've never seen the deck configuration on a 409, it's weird. The combustion chamber is actually built into the block deck surface, creating volume on the exhaust side of the cylinder instead of in the cylinder head. In this case, the best way to increase compression is by adding dome volume to the pistons. Edelbrock now has affordable aluminum heads for these engines, which should fuel a resurgence of interest in these W-engines. A pair of aluminum 348/409 heads will run around $2,100.00, priced from Summit Racing.

Day one was outstanding. Check this car! Parked where you can get a good long look in front of the GM rig.If you don't know already, the Car Craft Summer Nationals is our biggest show of the year with tons to see and do. It is taking place this weekend at the State Fair grounds in St. Paul, MN. The entire Car Craft staff is there.

Cadillac XLR-V
The Cadillac XLR-V ultra-luxury, high-performance roadster sets new standards in power, performance and personal amenities by combining distinctive, bold styling with contemporary luxury, ingenious technology and rear-wheel drive performance.
At the heart of the XLR-V is the 4.4L version of the Northstar engine outfitted with a positive displacement intercooled supercharger. The Northstar V-8 SC (supercharged), which also powers the STS-V, produces 443 horsepower (330 kw) at 6400 rpm and 414 lb.-ft. (561 Nm) torque at 3900 rpm (SAE certified*). The engine’s power is underscored by its ability to deliver 90 percent of its peak torque between 2200 and 6000 rpm. The engine also features variable valve timing, enabling outstanding top-end performance while maintaining the refinement and quality associated with a luxury marque. The engine is mated to the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.
The 6L80 is one of the most technologically advanced automatic transmissions in the industry, using clutch-to-clutch operation and an advanced integrated 32-bit transmission controller to deliver smooth, precise shifts with Driver Shift Control.
In addition, a wide 6.04:1 overall ratio spread enhances performance and fuel economy.

How Quick Can You Shift?

Manual transmissions are making a serious musclecar comeback (not that they ever really left), but I doubt even the legendary Ronnie Sox could complete a gear change in 0.060 second. That's how much time it takes for the new Ferrari 430 Scuderia to complete a gear change with its F1-SuperFast2 gearbox. That 60 milliseconds starts the moment you hit the paddle shifter until the clutch is completely engaged. As a point of reference, the Quarter, Pro dragstrip simulation program for a street car places the gear change time frame at 0.20 second or roughly three and a half times longer. NHRA Pro Stockers and cars running clutchless transmissions are probably under that 0.060-second time since the clutch is never disengaged—they just yank the handle. The price for that Ferrari technology is $277,000.00, but then chicks dig Ferraris. How many do you want?

Friday is here and that means the Car Craft Summer Nationals. I am at the show right now so I don't have too much time to Blog. I do have a few more press releases about the GM cars you will see at the show. Think turbo!

Chevrolet HHR Panel SS Turbo
The underpinnings and powertain of the HHR Panel SS concept include the production turbocharged and
intercooled 2.0L Ecotec engine that produces 260 horsepower (194 kW), unique exterior styling and an
SS-specific interior. The exterior details include production SS front and rear fascias, rocker panels, a modified SS front grille and an SS rear spoiler. It also features polished metal body side trim and 20-inch wheels that are unique to the concept vehicle, while a “suede” paint scheme has a satin appearance that recalls classic hot rods.
At the 2007 SEMA Show, Chevrolet revealed the HHR Panel SS – a customized vision that previews a forthcoming production model differing only slightly from the stylized SEMA concept. The Panel SS fuses the production HHR SS’s turbocharged powertrain and race track-bred suspension with the unique HHR Panel body style.The HHR Panel SS concept combines production components with custom details. And while the concept vehicle will be shown at events around the country, the HHR Panel SS limited-edition production model will be offered at Chevy dealers starting in the 2009 model year.
Inside, SS-embroidered sport seats – with suede-like Ultra Lux inserts – a new gauge cluster with 140-mph
speedometer, an A-pillar boost gauge and a new, driver-oriented steering wheel support the vehicle’s
performance capability. The cargo area – there is no rear seat – has been customized with billet aluminum
tie-downs, floor strips and load brackets.

HHR Panel SS

2.0L Ecotec turbocharged and intercooled DOHC engine with 260 horsepower

Electronically controlled automatic transmission

HHR SS FE5 Sport suspension with modifications to accommodate concept 20-inch wheels and tires

Enhanced brake system

Production HHR Panel body with production and modified HHR SS exterior panels - BILLET ALUMINUM

RADIATOR GRILLE SURROUND w/CUSTOM MESH INSERT

Satin paint finish - GRAPHITE GRAY METALLIC 30 GLOSS PAINT

Polished metal exterior trim - DARK CHROME FINISH

Modified HHR SS interior, including SS-embroidered seats, specific gauges and A-pillar boost gauge

Customized cargo area with billet tie-downs, rub strips and load brackets

The Nats are Here

I’m off to the LAX in less than an hour bound for St. Paul, Minnesota and the Car Craft Summer Nationals.  Bags packed, camera stuff ready, I hope I haven’t forgotten anything. I’m brimming with excitement to see the turnout. Last year’s was huge, and we’re hearing this year’s may be bigger. Doug is already there and I’m meeting up with Jeff and freelane photo-ace Wes Allison at the airport. We’ll all meet up tonight and do some planning before we hit the fairgrounds early tomorrow morning.

If you are planning to attend, look for us there. If you see me, call me over and show me around your car. I’d love to check it out. If you can’t make it, check with our website periodically. We’re taking a stab at streaming video from the show. We’ll also post some photos of the highlights. Should be a great time for everyone.

Hope to see you there.

-John

Corvair Nightmare     

My buddy Tim Moore and I cooked up this scheme the other day. We were bench-building a lightweight street car when this whole plan fell into place: locate a rear-ended turbocharged Cobalt SS car in the junkyard and pull the entire drivetrain. Lock out the steering and build a cradle that would mount the drivetrain in the back of a denuded Corvair Monza. Upgrade the front suspension with C4-C5-C6 Corvette underpinnings, stuff monster rubber under all four corners, and embarrass the hell out of all kinds of road ragers. If you could pare this screamer down to around 2,200 pounds, it would be unbeatable. The only thing that would be better would be all-wheel drive. But that's just plain crazy.

The Car Craft Nationals start on Friday July 25, 2008 at the St. Paul fairgrounds in MN. In addition to the burnouts, dyno runs, Miss Car Craft and other candy, GM is bringing toys. Here is another one. See you Friday!

Chevrolet Cobalt SS Turbocharged
True to its legendary moniker, the Cobalt SS delivers a balance of track-proven performance capability, driving refinement and premium features – along with an undeniably fun and youthful character.
Developed by GM Performance Division (GMPD) and powered by a 260-horsepower (194 kW) turbocharged and intercooled 2.0L Ecotec engine, the Cobalt SS delivers 55 horses (41 kW) more than the previous Cobalt SS Supercharged, and its driving experience was validated on racetracks throughout North America and Europe, including Germany’s legendary Nürburgring circuit.

Vehicle highlights
Engineered and developed by GM Performance Division
2.0L Ecotec turbocharged and intercooled engine with 260 horsepower (194 kW) - 0-60 time of approx. 5.7 seconds
GM Powertrain Sweden five-speed transmission with short-throw shifter
Nürburgring-tuned FE5 Sport suspension delivers 0.9 g grip
Brembo fixed-caliper front discs and vented rear disc brakes
SS-specific appearance with unique fascias and rear spoiler – including available high wing
18-inch high-polished forged aluminum wheels and Y-rated performance tires
SS-specific interior with new sport seats, A-pillar boost gauge and more

Engineered to offer more than merely a turbocharged rush of power, an all-new FE5 Sport suspension was developed and includes specific stabilizer bars, spring rates and damper tuning – all designed to complement the high-output turbocharged powertrain and mitigate afflictions such as torque steer. Driver-selectable modes help maximize performance whether on the street or track.
The unique “no-lift shift” feature enables manual-transmission-equipped models to achieve the best acceleration time via an algorithm in the engine controller.

Ensuring the car stops as confidently as it accelerates and corners are four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS. The front brakes are from Brembo and have a performance-oriented fixed-caliper design, which resist fade better than floating caliper designs; the rear discs are vented for better heat dissipation. Along with these high-performance attributes, the Cobalt SS comes standard with a host of safety features, including the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system and side-impact air bags.
With its balanced tuning, the Cobalt SS delivers a quick 0-60 time of approximately 5.7 seconds – thanks to the manual transmission’s “no-lift shift” feature – and a sports car-like maximum lateral grip of 0.9 g. This combination enabled the Cobalt SS to set a new class record while circulating the famed Nürburgring racing circuit, posting a time of 8:22.85 minutes.

What Was Once Old Is Now New.

From time to time I am obliged to show my age. Just after graduating high school in 1972 in Boone, Iowa, my friends Bob Cryder and Tom Sorenson built a ’57 Chevy two-door sedan to go drag racing. I offered my services as a skinny kid with a wrench, and we had fun on the dragstrip breaking lots of parts and spending all of their money. Bob still owns the car, and it was a time-warp trip to visit the car again for the first time in about 15 years. It is mostly complete with its Olds rearend, Liberty four-speed, and 331ci iron-headed small-block. Murphy's Law ran in the AHRA's D/Hot Rod Formula 1 , and while I don't think we ever made it past the first round, our first season was a summer I will never forget.

MegaSquirt

For those who like the idea of EFI but are turned off by the expense, take a look at the MegaSquirt system. This was started by a couple of car crafters named Bruce Bowling and Al Grippo. My friend Tim Moore and I constructed one of the early systems (OK, Tim did most of the work, including all of the soldering and motherboard assembly) several years back. We tested the system on a small-block Chevy on the dyno and it worked wonderfully. For a short time, Spectre got involved and built an outstanding unit called the eMS-Pro. Spectre has discontinued that program, but the eMS-Pro box is still sold by Diyautotune.com that includes several wonderful features. DIY also sells a basic, assembled MegaSquirt I system for as little as $341.00 that requires some additional hardware, but the software is in the public domain, which means there are all kinds of folks out there supporting new ideas almost every day. Check it out at megasquirt.info or to Diyautotune.com.

Going to the Car Craft Summer Nationals in St. Paul, MN, this weekend? The entire Car Craft staff will be there looking for feature cars. We will also be joined by GM Performance Division and some of thier toys. Here is the press and photos. Enjoy!

Corvette Z06 E85 concept
The Corvette Z06 E85 concept pace car is based on the production Z06 – already one of the fastest
and most powerful cars on the market – and blends its performance with the high-octane, renewable alternative fuel that is derived from a variety of crops grown across the United States.
E85 is blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Its benefits include reduced emissions
of greenhouse gases and a reduced dependence on petroleum. GM is the leader in E85 production
models, with more than 2.5 million E85-capable cars, trucks and SUVs on the road – with more on
the way. Chevrolet offers seven E85-capable models in 2008.
Apart from the fuel system and powertrain controller revisions required to run E85, the Z06
concept pace car is mechanically stock. It is distinguished by a unique Gold Rush Green
color-shifting paint scheme that changes between hues of green and gold when viewed from
different angles and in different light. A subtle checkered flag pattern also is part of the paint
scheme. Safety equipment and strobe lights are the only other equipment added to the car.
After winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993 while driving for Chevrolet – and spending
30 years in his native Brazil as a refiner of ethanol – Emerson Fittipaldi is the perfect ambassador
to lead the Indianapolis 500 in an E85-powered Corvette Z06.

401 Build Update

The current 370-inch engine has a set of Edelbrock heads with an 185cc intake runner, 2.02/1.60 valves, and a 54cc chamber. They flow 260 int/182 exh cfm at 0.500 lift. On the larger engine we are going to use the 235cc Indy Cylinder Heads with gonzo 2.10/1.65 inch valves that flow 262 int/209 exh at 0.700 lift, and a 53cc chamber. We also plan to use 1- 7/8-inch headers and the Hogan tunnel ram. 

401 Build Update

There are, sadly, a couple of downsides to such a radical cut on the crank. There is an oil hole that runs on a diagnaul through the joural that feeds oil to the bearing. As the crank is cut, the oil hole moves toward the crank cheek. If it moves too far, the oil will escape through the breach and the engine will lose oil pressure to the bearing. We’ve heard that some cranks will have this problem, and some will not. We will find out if our crank grinder picked us a good crank.

A special online auction give you the chance to own Kyle Petty's 2006 Victory motorcycle and join Kyle on the 2009 Ride Across America. But hurry, the auction runs July 15-25, 2008. All proceeds benefit two extremely worthy charaties.

Last year SEMA held its annual Installation Banquet in conjunction with a fundraiser to benefit two very worthy charities: Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The 2007 event raised more than $175,000. This year the Installation Banquet and Gala Fundraiser will be held on July 25 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine located in Irvine, California.

This special online auction will assist in SEMA’s effort to help raise awareness and addtional funds. 100% of the proceeds from this auction will benefit Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The auction runs July 15-25, 2008.

THE AUCTION FEATURES

Kyle Petty’s own 2006 Victory motorcycle, valued at over $15,000 and driven in the 2007 Ride Across America Charity RIde. This beautiful motorcycle is a black Jackpot model and includes a custom luggage rack built by Kyle himself, saddlebags and a full windshield.

In addition, the winner will receive one core rider position on the 15th Anniversary Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America in 2009 valued at over $13,000 and includes:

• Nine nights hotel accommodations
• Fuel for one motorcycle at all scheduled Pit stops
• All scheduled group meals
• Commemorative Designer Leather Jacket
• Event t-shirt and cap
• All company-sponsored t-shirts
• Transportation of one (1) motorcycle from NC to designated 2009 headquarters of Charity Ride

TO BID OR LEARN MORE PLEASE CUT AND PASTE THE LINK BELOW INTO YOUR BROWSER:
http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=semacarescharities

AUCTION RUNS JULY 15-25, 2008

100% of the proceeds benefit these two important charities

About Childhelp

Founded in 1959 by Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, Childhelp® is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Childhelp’s approach focuses on prevention, intervention and treatment. The Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. www.childhelp.org

Victory Junction Gang Camp

Victory Junction Gang Camp enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in honor of their late son Adam. www.victoryjunction.org

401 Build Update

The rod journals on a 401 crank are 2.249-inches in diameter and the rod is 5.858 inches long. When you take material off the crank journal, you reduce the size of bearing surface and consequently, the size of the big end of the rod. Fortuatly, you can buy 6-inch rods with either a 1.88-inch. 2.00 inch, or 2.100-inch journal size with a common wrist pin size. As an example, if we ground a 2.249-inch journal to 1.88, the new stroke would be 4.04 inches ((2.249-1.88=0.369) + 3.69 = 4.04)). The new engine size would be 448 inches with a 0.040 overbore. Using the 1.25 hp per cubic inch calculation, the engine should make 560 hp. Sound good?

AETC to Highlight Gen III/IV Motors

If you're into the GM Gen III/Gen IV engine tech, then the Advanced Engine Technology Conference (AETC) is the place to be December 8th through the 10th at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Speakers already slated to present the latest in Gen III/IV engine information include many engine builders that you've read about in Car Craft, including Ken Duttweiler on advanced tuning techniques on LSX engines, Janson Haines from Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) who will detail how to make 1,000 RWHP reliably, and Judson Massingill of the School of Automotive Machinists (SAM) will discuss building big-inch LSX engines for maximum performance. Just those three topics alone are worth the trip, but there are several other presenters for the three days. I will definitely be there and you should too. You can register at aetconline.com. The first 100 entries get a free jacket.

401 Build Update

To get more stroke out of a regular Ford, Chevy, or Mopar engine, you can buy a crank from a larger engine and install it, like on a Chevy 383, or you can buy a new crank with a longer stroke. Since the 401 is the largest engine AMC offers, it also already has the crank with the longest stock stroke. The solution is to take material off of the rod journal to increase the distance of the rod centerline to the crank centerline and therefore add stroke. Adding stroke adds cubic inches. Here is the math: bore x bore x stroke x .7853 x 8= CID. As you can see, any addition to the bore or stroke also adds cubic inches. Bigger is better!

    NHRA Moves the Finish Line to 1,000 Feet.

In an interim move to address concerns regarding the safety of 300-plus-mph Top Fuel and Funny Cars, the NHRA has moved the finish line from the current 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet until more permanent safety rules can be written. This move comes in the wake of the recent death of Funny Car pilot Scott Kalitta, who died of injuries suffered after the engine in his Funny Car exploded, sending the car into a series of violent tumbles at the Lucas Oil SuperNationals in Englishtown, New Jersey, in June. The NHRA announced that the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver would be the first race in which the 1,000-foot finish line would be enforced.

In conjunction with this temporary change, the NHRA will also be investigating other technical issues such as what might be done to reduce engine failures, parachute mounting techniques, and materials that would make parachutes more fire resistant as well as other methods that could be used to help safely arrest high-speed vehicles beyond the sand trap and catch fences already in place. The current NHRA Funny Car top-speed record is held by Jack Beckman at 333.66 mph, only slightly slower than Tony Schumacher's Top Fuel 336.15mph speed. At 330 mph, these cars are traveling at 484 feet per second or more than one and a half football field each second. When the parachutes deploy, the driver is hit with roughly 6 g's of instantaneous deceleration.