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Nitro Funny Car of the Day : May 4, 2013; Racing Champions '97 Dodge Avenger Funny Car
Topic Started: May 3 2013, 10:19 PM (590 Views)
craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

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The car for today is Racing Champions 1997 Dodge Avenger Funny Car (Dean Skuza).

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Wikipedia.com
 
Funny Car is a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. In the United States, the other professional drag racing classes are Top Fuel, Pro Modified, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Bike. Funny cars are characterized by having tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies over a custom fabricated chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers' showroom models. They also have forward-mounted engines (engine placed in front of the driver), as opposed to dragsters which (currently) place the engine behind the driver.


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Quote:
 
Funny car bodies typically reflect the models of newly available cars in the time period that the funny car was built. For example, in the 1970s, then current models such as the Chevrolet Vega or Plymouth Barracuda were often represented as funny cars.[2] Currently, the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala sedans, along with the Ford Mustang and Toyota Solara coupe, are now commonly used in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Worldwide, however, many different body styles are used. These "fake" body shells are not just cosmetic; they serve an important aerodynamic purpose


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Wikipedia.com
 
Engine blocks are usually made out of billet. Crankshafts are CNC machine carved from a single piece of steel billet then nitrided in an oven to increase surface hardness. Intake valves are titanium and of 2.40-inch (61 mm) width, while exhaust valves are 1.90-inch (48 mm) width of Inconel. Every funny car has ballistic blankets covering the supercharger because this part of the engine is prone to explosion.

Funny car fuel systems are key to their immense power. During a single run (starting, burnout, backing up, staging, 1/4 mile) cars can burn as much as 15 US gallons (12 imp gal; 57 L) of fuel. The fuel mixture is usually 85–90% nitromethane with 10–15% methanol. The ratio of fuel to air can be as high as 1:1. Compression ratios vary from 6:1 to 7:1. The engines in funny cars commonly exhibit varying piston heights and ratios that are determined by the piston's proximity to the air intake. Funny cars have a fixed gear ratio of 3.20:1 and have a reversing gear; power is transmitted from engine to final drive through a multiple staged clutch which provides progressive incremental lockup as the run proceeds. The rate/degree of lockup is mechanically/pneumatically controlled and preset before each run according to various conditions, in particular track surface. Wheelbase is between 100 and 125 inches (2.5 and 3.2 m). The car must maintain a 3-inch (76 mm) ground clearance.

Horsepower claims vary widely—from 6,978 to 8,897—but are probably around 8,000 HP. Supercharged, nitromethane-fueled motors of this type derive their extremely high speeds from their torque, which is estimated at about 7,000 ft·lbf (9,500 N·m). They routinely achieve a 6G acceleration from a standing start.


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Dean Skuza is a an interesting person. He basically lost interest in the sport and is out of it completely now after having success in the mid 90s. Burnout, family and the $ costs involved seemed to drive him from the sport.

This was the only article i could score on him - http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/feature-stories/12863-life-simply-has-changed-for-skuza-former-funny-car-favorite

As for the model, I'm guessing it's an Avenger body shell. Mopar didn't have a RWD car that I recall in the mid 90s. This was a recently raok/extra that quicksilverdc tossed in as part of our last deal. Thanks Larry!

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JeepXJLover
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Minivan
I've had the pleasure, if one calls it that of riding in both a late 90s Avenger, an ES I think it was. Had leather, moonroof and color matched wheels and it's sister car a late 90s Chrysler Sebring LXi that was my niece's first car. Neither really impressed me. Both reminded me a fancier Pontiac Grand Am from the same time period, they rode like a Grand Am too sadly. Both also had mega electrical gremlins. Power seats moving on their own, frozen moonroofs and barely functioning HVAC controls. Though I appreciate the Dodge/Chrysler effort of interior and exterior styling far more than Pontiac's efforts.
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pjedsel
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Muscle Car
:toy: It has always amazed me how many areas of racing Racing Champions tried to cover in those early years - NASCAR, Indy Cars, a couple of forms of drag racing - plus their wonderful Mint Edition series. The early examples were a bit on what we would call the crude side but one has to give them credit for offering so many variety of cars and racing machines to collectors. In many ways it is to bad they could not maintain their independence and still be a player in the diecast world.
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
pjedsel
May 4 2013, 09:11 PM
... one has to give them credit for offering so many variety of cars and racing machines to collectors. In many ways it is to bad they could not maintain their independence and still be a player in the diecast world.
YES.YES.
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