Ok...I have been reading up on how a lot of people like more torgue in the quarter mile than horsepower. Why is this? And if more torque is better then why does the 66 Gran Sport run a a 15.5 when it has 325 hp and 425 lbs/ft torque? That is basically the same run as a stock contour. I know they weigh a LOT more than a contour but at the same time it power number are so much higher.

The Gran Sport is most likely a pig, and the HP/TQ were rated different back in the day.

Take a ride in a Lightning or a similar torque monster to get the definition of torque. The best car I can think of for a feel of HP on the upper end is a SHO. Its much more 'feelable' HP, IMO.

Many things, rear end gearing, tranmission gearing etc. 15.5 is what they run stock or is this someones that u know?
Cause there tires they used back then, had no traction what so ever.

considering the stock tires were 15" that might have something to do with it. LOL. Didn't think of that. That is what the car runs stock according to most reports.

Torque is a twisting force. Horsepower is twisting force times rate of motion. Acceleration is proportional to torque, but not engine torque: it's torque at the wheels that matters. If you gear the car down, you multiply the torque by the gearing factor, and get more acceleration. Usually when people say that "torque wins races" and stupid crap like that, they are refering to a car with higher torque numbers than another car, even though hp may be similar. This usually means a flatter torque curve, and more area under the horsepower curve: which is what REALLY makes a car go. And in drag racing, assuming constant drivetrain, aero, and other losses, acceleration is proportional to the power/weight ratio (not tq to weight), assuming again that you can keep the engine operating at the hp peak. But all the little factors that come out of the woodwork are in favor of the lighter car, and so big heavy cars need a slighly better power to weight ratio to keep up with a lighter car. Also, modern cars are more efficient with those little losses.

Originally posted by elraido:

---

Ok...I have been reading up on how a lot of people like more torgue in the quarter mile than horsepower. Why is this? And if more torque is better then why does the 66 Gran Sport run a a 15.5 when it has 325 hp and 425 lbs/ft torque? That is basically the same run as a stock contour. I know they weigh a LOT more than a contour but at the same time it power number are so much higher.

---

Horsepower IS torque, so to speak! They are both a measure of power. Think of HP as the summation of all the torque in a given time frame...that's the best way I can describe it. THere is no separating the two and you can't have one without the other.

What you are really asking is where do you want your torque curve? OR How much HP is enough to do the job at 'X' peak rpm, etc.
Engines that produce lots of torque generate lots of horsepower at any given rpm. If the torque is high in the lower rpm range but low at higher rpm then the 'peak' HP number will be low while the 'peak TQ' numbers will be high. THis is what you are really driving at.
You have to factor in the car weight as well. Heavier cars require more torque at low rpms to get them moving. This requires some compromises.

To make a good 1/4 mile vehicle you want something with a good hole shot. THat is anything that will put lots of power to the ground right off of idle and the traction to hold it. That AINT the contour!
For a road race car you want that torque to be very high at high rpm, screw the takeoff. THis makes max horespower.
The words 'lots' and 'more' are relative
Enter the Toyota Celica GTS motor:

Gutless wonder off the line with something like 100 ft-lbs of torque. It goes on cam around 6500-7000 rpm and suddenly boosts torque output by another 15-20 ft-lbs and keeps it up there out to 8000+rpm. NICE. I mean it peaks out like 130 ft-lbs but it is a light car and it has the 130 ft-lbs where it counts for road course acceleration. Do that math and that little engine with only 130 ft-lbs makes like 200 HP on cam at 8000 rpm. It is NOT a good drag car though.