Can a vehicle have too much horsepower?

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dartfreak75 said:
I say it all the time to everyone questioning my build! Yes ——
I'm sticking with my 300hp 360 lol
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IIRC, your doing the 5.9 Magnum?

I really like the 5.9 Magnum in my ‘79 Magnum. Backed by a 727/3.55’s with 245/60/15’s. It should be a really great performer in a several hundred pound lighter A body.
I’ve lightened my ‘79 up a bit from its stated 3700lbs.

In the future, I’d like to give it a small cam and aluminum heads. Just a liiiiiiitle more umph!
 
rumblefish360 said:
IIRC, your doing the 5.9 Magnum?

I really like the 5.9 Magnum in my ‘79 Magnum. Backed by a 727/3.55’s with 245/60/15’s. It should be a really great performer in a several hundred pound lighter A body.
I’ve lightened my ‘79 up a bit from its stated 3700lbs.

In the future, I’d like to give it a small cam and aluminum heads. Just a liiiiiiitle more umph!
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I'm doing a LA360 home ported heads, speed pro h116cp pistons .030 over, 9.5 cr lunati voodoo 10200702 cam it will put me around 7.9 dcr. 340 cast intake and a thermoquad finished off with full length summit cheapo headers. I'm guess around 300-340 real world horsepower. What do you think?
 
Meh.

Yeah it will destroy the factory tire size.


To much is almost enough.

I have built engines that were, mehhh, ok, and I always regretted it. Even now with almost 500HP and 4.88 rear gear I'm spending money to make more power in a street car.

So my advice is find a fast car and go for a ride then if you like it ok, add 20 percent.
 
See, this guy gets me!

After everyone said, "no you cant do that" me and DIY sat down and made it happen.

That right there is my entire get down.

thanks brother!
 
dartfreak75 said:
I'm doing a LA360 home ported heads, speed pro h116cp pistons .030 over, 9.5 cr lunati voodoo 10200702 cam it will put me around 7.9 dcr. 340 cast intake and a thermoquad finished off with full length summit cheapo headers. I'm guess around 300-340 real world horsepower. What do you think?
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Depends on the heads ability but probably more than what you listed of the head is right. Looks like it’s right in the true driver nice and enjoyable range.
 
Totally agree. ...I have a Hemi Shaker Challenger I custom ordered and it is just awesome. A Mopar that has brakes and handling. My 68 500hp rt charger was scary. Awesome but drums for brakes and original suspension. At 100mph was scary. The Shaker is an Rt Plus not an Srt. Just doesn't need to be. Been 137 in it and that's ok with me. Its a stick with a Hurst pistol grip too. MOPAR
 
If you're in the losing lane, yeah I guess there's a such thing as too much power. lol
 
Well if I was racing it would be different. And at least I would be in a Mopar. On the road and with driver's today. ..more than enough Hp.
 
Having grown up racing 800+hp dirt cars I've definitely mastered throttle control. Basically having an egg between your foot and the throttle. That being said, I'm not hp obsessed. I am however obsessed with light weight and suspension that works. I'll gladly take 2500lbs and 600hp over 3500lb and 1000hp.

But to the original post...310hp in a 6000+lb truck is actually kinda underpowered by most modern standards. Something is mismatched or your tune is way off. That thing should be a kitten to drive.
 
Cope said:
See, this guy gets me!

After everyone said, "no you cant do that" me and DIY sat down and made it happen.

That right there is my entire get down.

thanks brother!
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no problem man
by the way, now is the perfect time to plumb that blower intake for nitrous
 
famous bob said:
Called-------ur right foot !!!!--------common sense operates it !
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I was thinking more like,with a gas engine, in no particular order;
a bigger cam to give away some of that low-rpm torque,
or a different throttle-arm ratio, or a stiffer return spring,
Or a better seating position
or a higher stall TC, or a lower stall, or different rear-gears.
Or a slower timing curve.
Or If I had to, a smaller throttle-body, or a two-stage.

But if you have a manual trans that has a touchy throttle,and a carb;
then the first line of defense is a spreadbore carb, and second is to delay the timing. And third is a different intake.
With a factory EFI,I think you might be pretty much screwed.
I had an old Ford 4.0 Explorer that had a funky way of opening the TB. The first 50% of the pedal travel opened the TB about 80%, so when the 4l took off, it seemed pretty peppy, but the truth is that last 20% had nothing in it,lol. Maybe your engine has something like that on it. My 4speed auto Explorer was hard to drive in first gear, especially when taking off from a stop. Second was better, but rolling back into it, after slowing, was always a surprise.

But with a Cummins and mega-torque......... IDK
 
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My 65 once had a cammed 451 with ported heads, single plane intake, 850 TQ, 3.91 rear and a mild convertor. The first time I rolled it out, I was thinking this is gonna be fun. Fun turned to "What was I thinking?" when i accelerated out of a left turn lane and promptly swung the back end out. Ended up recovering but it took all 3 lanes to get it straight again and I wasn't even going that fast. I just ran out of tire as the 205/75's were not up to the task. The suspension was nothing special, just 340 torsion bars and Koni's. Rear was stock "S" 5 leaf. No frame connectors, just a big heavy motor in a car chassis designed for a 225. The slightest gas underway wound up the convertor and broke the tires free. FFWD a few years and I'm back to an LA or a slant, weight is under control (although the 451 was not much heavier than the LA) and the power is more in line with what the chassis is set up for. Safety first. fun second. At least I started with disk brakes.....
 
Never enough!!!

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Depends what you are using the car for...

I daily drive a slant six car. In the time it has taken most of my car buddies to build that "Max horsepower" engine and car.....I have gone through a couple sets of tires and driven tens of thousands of miles.

Some guys are just never happy and it's going to take an eternity to get enough horsepower for them. Its as bad as wanting the absolute fastest computer or phone money can buy...... LOL
 
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