25-30 years ago, cars were speed limited to 85 mph, but we found out that even with the 55 mph speed limits, 85 was dangergous because it limited the cars ability to have enough pulling power to get out of trouble.

There is a funny story that the CHiPs took delivery on several thousand Dodge Monaco's that were speed limited at 85. They found out after they paid for them and after the first not so high-speed chase.

 

I assume these were cop cars right?

 

Yes, they were police specials.

 

I figured there must be evil forces acting on the top speed for the Monte. I had to go up 95-North into Maine ... where the Road up-north was made by drawing straight lines that are 15 to 20 miles long before they bend a bit to keep pointing toward Canada. Traffic is always flying in these no-man-lands. Somebody is always pushing an exotic to the limit on 95. It's the closest thing to the Autobahn you'll find this side of Berlin.

I "Went after" a trio of German-mades that were eating-up big hunks of highway in a hurry yesterday and began wondering why I couldn't get really rolling the way I thought that fuel injected six would haul if I showed it the whip. The car has a limiting factor to acceleration after 99 mph ... huh? I'm going to need to learn Computer Voodoo and start reading-up on tuning to get this car to show me three figures in a hurry ... right?

What's the strong medicine I'm going to have to practice to get this sixes Mo-Jo woikin' ... so I can at least drop the hammer and give the competition a little run for their money instead of pulling-over and walking-back to get my doors after they get blown-off by the Big-money Kraut-cans and the sleek Jap rocketeers?

 

I'm a fan of BOOST! I KNOW my Intimidator SS can hit at least 140, with the ease it hit 135, and my wife's new Solstice GXP turbo has a rated top speed of 142, STOCK. I'm in process of kicking that up a notch or 3, so that should be fun Shooting for initially about 320hp from a 2.0L, up from 260hp.

 

Those Solstices are sweet!

 

My 2000 SS used to limit out at 107mph, and I was always hitting it, but just recently I "broke" my governor. Now when I hit 107, it rev limits out for about 2 seconds, then kicks past it. I don't know what the deal is, but i like it!!

The fastest I've been so far is 122mph on anarrow tar 'nchip back road. You talk about scary. The roadis kinda wavy, and it felt like my car was getting air. lol
I actually personally know 2 people that have been seriously injured on that road. One of them was a high school friend that lost control ofher '04 stratus at 100mph. She almost died, and one of the passengers was actually ejected from the car.

Speed kills, but I live off it, and my favorite quote of all time comes from a young Ricky Bobby. "I wanna go fast!!"

On this same road, I had my '76 Nova up to "god only knows" how fast. The speedo was the old needle sweep type, and it went up to 120mph. I had just got my new 289ci V8 built (man do those things rev high!), and my new 7004r overdrive tranny in. Only thing is, I still had my stock 2.73 gears in... haha

With one of my friends in the passenger seat on that same back road, I hit 120mph in second, burried the needle in the dash in third gear,then hit 4th and kept on it for about another 10 seconds. I know I had to be going at least 150mph, even though I didn't think it would go that fast with the crappy aerodynamics of the car. I slowed to about 80mph, but the needle stayed in the dash. 2 quick punches popped it out back into its place, and off we went. [8D]

My buddy actually slightly "dribbled" (as he called it)in his pants. He hasn't rode in a car with me driving since then...

 

lol, interesting story there...

 

Matt - I wonder how much improvement a ground effects hit would help. Maybe hold you down a bit more and let less air under the vehicle.

 

i doubt you "broke" the govener. if you managed to do that the car wouldnt run.

the top speed is limited by a few tables in your PCM-Power Control Module. AKA computer. if something is screwy in there im suprised the car even runs.

after you get past the inital fuel cut from reaching the limitiing speed you are held in check by reduced shift points... this is what hurts pull uptop for most. (also after a certin speed 2-3 injectors are killed)

My car for example... stock the gov is 118. at 115 it shuts down 3 injectors at 118 it kills all fuel. i adjusted the speed in the computer via my tuner (new speed 170 the speed rating of my tires) and one day i decided to push the limiter... went 118,119,120,121 then the car shifted into 4th.... the rpm to mph conversion is something like 120 in 4th was like 800-1000 rpm or something rediculusly low. the car bogged down began to misfire. so i had to remap the shift points so that at those speeds i would be in a proper gear.

there are also a few other tables at work at those speeds and prob a few that im not aware of even that are locked out of the tuning software. so your telling use by a fluke about 4-5+ tables just happen to mess up... and the car runs? very doubtfull....



but yes most of these cars now have plenty of power to push well past their gov's. esp after you modify them a little...intake and exhaust mods work best... anything that improves flow. GM just made these engines restricted via flow... some engines have plenty of flow and not enough cam or valve.