Can you spin your tires?

[Tooky]

Here's the deal.  When I bought my TGP a month or two ago with 96K for a good price in good condition, I knew I was still taking a risk because on the test drive it was the slowest vehicle I have driven in a long time.  I have a 3.1L 93 Cavalier Z24 that ran 16.2 at the drag strip and the TGP was WAY slower than that.

Well I have been slowly servicing every part of the TGP and the more I drive it, the better it seems to get.  I know it was in storage for about a year prior to me buying it but even after going through that first tank of gas and refilling, it was not any faster.  However after putting about 800 miles on it, it is really waking up.  I ran fuel injector cleaner through also and now I got a cone filter for the turbo and that has increased the fun factor by 200% just for the noise alone.  The car really rips now and I would estimate it to be mid or low 15s already and I still haven't tuned up the ignition or serviced the tranny or done the fuel filter!  (Next on my list)

Anyways, here's my problem.  When I was getting into TGPs heavy I wanted one bad and I saw the photo of Jeff leaving 2 loong tire marks and I mistakenly assumed all TGPs had that kind of power.  My TGP has 215/50/16 Blizzak studless snow tires mounted on the factory rims (silly previous owner, not my choice) and I cannot spin the tires at all.  I can brake-torque to 2000-2500 RPMs and launch and the car moves like a freight train leaving the station...  quiet and silent but it gets up to speed pretty quick.  A friend told me the snow tires are really soft (they are) and maybe they are gripping really well.  I know the are so narrow because they are only 215 instead of the factory 245.

Is my TGP just weak or all they all kinda doggy off the line?  I dunno it doesnt actually feel slow off the line, but it just doesn't spin the tires at all.  Maybe it has a really sweet traction hookup that I should be appreciating instead of complaining, I dunno.   I know some drag-racers spin a lot and they work very hard to do the opposite!!  8)

PS: We also ran my TGP on a scan tool, the knock retard remained at 0.0 under WOT and I always use 93 octane and I never heard it ping so I assume the knock sensor is working properly and knock is not a factor here.

[turby]

Mine will not spin the tires either, so don't feel bad. I just got new tires and the old ones were bald. I mean belts showing bald. They would not spin either. I like the way they hook up off the line but I'd like to do a little tire frying once in a while. Guess I'll have to wait to do the chip, x-over, and heads.

[Chris A]

My car would not spin the tires easily even once I got the chip and an air filter. However, when i tore down my motor i noticed i had a wiped cam lobe and a few others were low on lift. So it may have been the cam. My brothers car will spin the tires more easily, but not for 20 feet like the picture shows. We've had discussion on this before and are attributing it to inconsistencies in the wastegate actuator and other minute differences between cars.

[skalor]

speaking of wastegate actuators...on my tgp it was overboosting everytime I hit the gas and I traced to a the wastegate and finally the wastegate actuator.  I had an extra T25 laying from a turbo sunbird and I switched actuators.  My car never overboosted again and I know that the actuator was the problem.  I put a boost gauge on the car and it ran between 7 and 8 lbs of boost.  My car even before I got the chip would spin the tires a decent amount off the line.  Now that I'm chipped it's even better.  I was wondering how many lbs the wastegate actuator is set to in the TGP and in the turbo sunbird if anyone knows??

[Jeorge]

Well untill my Wires went bad, which have not been changed in like 60K no joke.

I could Spin mine for about 10-15 Feet then when it would shift it would Cherp again.

how ever now I can just get a small Cherp 1-2 sec  thats it.

I know the minute I go to change and do a tune up on her she will Rip again no Questions asked.

I also know the car is not governed at 128 Like it is supose to be I have been clocked at 135

so I do not know if mine is chiped but judging by the neglect the Prev owners did to her Im gussing not.  I think its just a Freak of production.
Clays TGP doesnt spin them either if I remember correctly.

but mine does and I dont know how. or why.

[Chris A]

A word on the Governor.

This car is NOT speed governed. What happens is it will hit the REV limiter at 128mph in 3RD gear. If you have the pedal mashed, it will not shift into overdrive (this is a function of the transmission, not the chip), because of the large amount of force on the clutches in the high gear. So if you have it to the floor, you will hit the rev limiter at 128mph, but the true top speed is much higher.

Chris

[crazychuck29]

ok right now i have the lumi ok i knwo this isn't tgp but hwpo do i get it past the 128 say if i had a tgp....

[1trucavalier]

well my TGP has been messed up since I go it and I can punch it even with boost cut and peal/burnout for about 10-15 feet and its an auto BONE STOCK!  so something is wrong with your car  i am using 245-50-16's.

[TGPilot]

I had my TGP at 133 on the HUD with plenty of throttle left over. My roomate and his Girlfriend are my witnesses. That was with the Auto in it...let's see what we get with the 5-Speed in her.... 8)

[JTOWNPATGP]

Just outta curiousity, what is the true top speed...I have pegged the speedo out and wanted to know...by the way everyone, the car is getting assembled and painted this week...cant wait to get some pics to show ya! :lol:

[JTOWNPATGP]

Oh...duh, i forgot to mention about the tire peelin thing, mind doesnt really peal tire too much.  My car just has a nasty case of wheel hop.  If i mash it, the damn thing just sits there and bounces the front tires up and down, rattles the whole damn car...downside to FWD!

[Chris A]

Just outta curiousity, what is the true top speed...I have pegged the speedo out and wanted to know...by the way everyone, the car is getting assembled and painted this week...cant wait to get some pics to show ya! :lol:

I've heard 152 has been reached. I don't think there is a tested top speed.

[Jeorge]

My car just has a nasty case of wheel hop.  If i mash it, the damn thing just sits there and bounces the front tires up and down, rattles the whole damn car

well it sounds like you need struts and springs my friend. of course if you have z rated tires that are sticky they would give hop too because of the Friction
I never get wheel hop just a nice spin.

[90TGP]

I can spin my tires on an incline! Rarely I can spin them from a stop on flat pavement. Then again, I don't have the chip or crossover yet.

[corvette]

YES!

This car (TGP) is quite different from others (rear drivers), though. Mine will come off the line about like a N/A injected FWD, but as soon as it starts to generate boost, it is radically different. It immediately goes to wheel spin, with significant torque steer side to side for the next 25 feet or so, then hooks up and gets on with it. 1-2 shift also barks the tires, not just a chirp!

Everything so far to my knowledge is stock, no chip, no Xpipe, only mod is the converter is out since it plugged from a bad turbo, and the muflers are shot. Tires are good 245/50/16's.

Comparitivly, my IROC will light the tires immediately at launch, and it takes 20 feet or more to get them hooked (same 245/50/16's), but doesn't launch nearly as radically as the TGP. It is much more gradual, feathering the go-pedal will hook it up quicker, but doesn't seem to effect 1/4 times much. There is no need to feather the TGP, as power to weight is just about right.

All in all, the TGP is much more fun to drive cause the launch is so much more radical. Just doesn't have the raw ponies to do the 'smokey burn-out' for ricer showdown.