Will high altitude effect my Griff500?
Discussion
DustyC said:
Will high altitude effect my Griff500?
Only if God decides he wants your car.
Might run a bit richer (less dense air), a bit less power maybe, and it'll be a bit cooler (adiabatic lapse rate and all that).
Wondering if I will need to watch out for anything when doing my jaunt through the Alps.
Goats, snowballs, errant hang-gliders and paragliders.
As the air is thinner at altitude the engine will need to work harder to suck in enough air to mis with the fuel.
Just be sure that the sides of your chest wig are glued tightly in place so that it doesn't get sucked off an in to the air intake. Also, and I know this will hurt, leave the medallion in the boot for the high altitude parts (it won't make you any less a griff driver) if that got sucked off it could scratch the paintwork on its way to the air intake.
HTH.
Just be sure that the sides of your chest wig are glued tightly in place so that it doesn't get sucked off an in to the air intake. Also, and I know this will hurt, leave the medallion in the boot for the high altitude parts (it won't make you any less a griff driver) if that got sucked off it could scratch the paintwork on its way to the air intake.
HTH.
DustyC said:
Will high altitude effect my Griff500?
Wondering if I will need to watch out for anything when doing my jaunt through the Alps.
For a serious answer.. you might find you need to stick super unleaded in it to get the same performace.
I lived in colorado for a while at 9500 feet, and up there I needed super unleaded in my firebird to get decent performance.
stu
Always use super and have now decided that Optimax (98+ octane) is the best.
As for all the sucking off I'll be getting, I didnt realise just how fun it was going to be!
Thanks for all the answers so far.
Wouldnt the tyre pressure also rise due to the reduction in atmospheric pressure?
>> Edited by DustyC on Tuesday 10th August 14:03
As for all the sucking off I'll be getting, I didnt realise just how fun it was going to be!
Thanks for all the answers so far.
Wouldnt the tyre pressure also rise due to the reduction in atmospheric pressure?
>> Edited by DustyC on Tuesday 10th August 14:03
Yep, it will affect the tyre pressure, but only a little bit.
When we used to do family Hols in the Jag (old XJ6), we would jack up the pressure for full loading, but were still fine up the top of the mountain. Probably weren't doing a lot of hooning round corners though!
I'm sure that somebody here will have a special calculator that relates height to atmospheric pressure and so to the impact on the tyre.
When we used to do family Hols in the Jag (old XJ6), we would jack up the pressure for full loading, but were still fine up the top of the mountain. Probably weren't doing a lot of hooning round corners though!
I'm sure that somebody here will have a special calculator that relates height to atmospheric pressure and so to the impact on the tyre.
Drove my old Chim500 to Europe several times, including many mountain passes. You WILL notice the power drop on the passes - air pressure reduces by circa 10% at the top so, all other things being equal, power output will also be 10% reduced. Then going up, you obviously have gravity working against you as well. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge, otherwise there is nothing else you need to do.
Coming down is clearly another matter...
Coming down is clearly another matter...
(no parachuting car or plane smilies!) 
DustyC said:
Will high altitude effect my Griff500?
Wondering if I will need to watch out for anything when doing my jaunt through the Alps.
Yeh, lunatic 205 wanna be rally drivers and big cliffs!
Seriously though,i've had mine at the top of Mont Blanc a couple of times with no problems whatsoever.
You'll love it, enjoy.
h
DustyC said:
Will high altitude effect my Griff500?
Wondering if I will need to watch out for anything when doing my jaunt through the Alps.
Dusty,
you will lose a bit of power - but everyone suffers the same, you will still be the fastest then.
On the other hand temperatures up the mountains are much lower, the Griff will love the fresh clear air.
Fill up before you go up, usually no petrolstations up the mountains and it is really a long way doing the 50 miles to the next filling station with an empty tank.
Especially Speed 6es don´t like high altitude and empty tank - but nothing to worry for the Berg-Griff.
If you are going low on fuel you will experience fuel supply problems in fast steep bends as well.
Use the best quality fuel (highest octan) you can get, you really will need it and enjoy it.
Italy is a huge problem for getting 98 octan and if you then fill in whatever you get it will show dramatically on a mountain pass and will very soon not only kill your fun.
Good tires are very important for the fast hairpins, Bridgies SO3 proofed very nice.
Because mostly it suits best to do the unavoidable overtakings in the bends or just before a narrow bend turns up.
Because there are many strong BMWs who wont let you go on the short straight bits it pays to wait for them braking for the hairpin and thats your opportunity to pass and brake later into the corner.
But you need very good brakes for it. Standard brakes are okay but check that there is still enough left on your pads to do such a trip and you really will need some. Check the moisture in the brakingfluid, boiling brakes are not what you want when reaching a hairpin downhill and nothing but 2.000 feets of freefall in front of you. Foreigners usually apply brakes to much going downhill - some even all the time - that leeds to boiling brakingfluid and eventually ends in no braking at all. Always take a lower gear and avoid braking, only apply brakes for the bend or hairpin and then give it time to cool for to the next one.
Watch out for bikes, they do not expect to be overtaken and usually need a lot of space, but are very slow in the bends.
For sure you will have a lot of fun,
good luck,
Martin
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