When personal computers first hit the marketplace, Radio Shack touted these wonders as a great way to store recipes and perform other mundane tasks. Most of us scoffed at the idea that a computer could do anything worthwhile. Clearly, we had no idea of what this little desktop giant could really do. Fast forward a dozen years or so and car crafters again jeered at the first computer simulations that dared to predict dragstrip e.t. and speed based on a few basic inputs. Well gang, the votes are in, and if you're not at least conversant with computer simulations and the power they yield, you need to get on board.
The latest in computer simulation software comes from a company called ProRacing Sim. This company has assembled a trio of impressive high-performance automotive simulations that represent the cutting edge in affordable computer simulations. The Dyno Sim is the engine simulation software, while the Drag Sim does just what you might expect for quarter- and eighth-mile dragstrip runs. Just to make it interesting, ProRacing Sim has also come up with a road-course and oval-track simulation that offers some impressive opportunities for those of you who like to turn left and right. This package is called Fast Lap Sim. We decided to take all three for a testdrive on our computer-just for fun.
Drag SimOf the three simulations, Drag Sim will probably be the most popular. This program allows you to input all the normal categories that affect quarter-mile performance, including weight, a power curve, transmission ratios, tire size and traction, and shift points. If you've ever experimented with dragstrip simulation programs, these are typical. Drag Sim also includes pop-up menus that list gear ratios for all the popular manual and automatic transmissions. You can also input the exact weather conditions, including altitude, and see how they affect performance.
The output screen lists the typical 60-, 330-, 660-, and 1,000-foot e.t. and speeds, as well as the quarter-mile results. In the Pro Data category, the run is broken down in the first part of the pass into 2- and 5-foot reporting segments and are later expanded to 25-foot distances toward the end of the pass. Drag Sim also computes the amount of time the car spends in each gear, which can be very informative.
We set up a simulation to duplicate our white '66 Chevelle after recently flogging the real car for an evening at the track, and like most car crafters, we found our car is not running anywhere near what the simulation says is possible, even with the poor weather conditions. The best we could get our Chevelle to run was an observed 12.60 at 108.92, while the simulation suggested the car should run a much quicker 11.77 at 114. It could be that the simulation is a bit optimistic, but we also know the car is performing far below its potential. Clearly, we have our work cut out for us, and this simulation gives us a goal to shoot toward.
Dyno SimThe engine-dyno simulation also offers an immense amount of potential to learn how all the different engine systems work together to create power. In the past, you would have to build an engine and test it in order to see how a certain cam profile or cylinder worked out. With an affordable and powerful engine simulation such as the Dyno Sim, you can now play out all kinds of "what-if" games on the computer first before you ever get your hands dirty.