Reply to "Electronic Paddle Shifting ZF 5 & 6 Speeds"

Hi again Lloyd and followers of this topic. Here's research product for your eyes only. See this link or do an internet search with the words "electronic shifting paddle shifter" to get results:

http://websearcht.cs.com/wm/search?query=electronic+shifting+paddle+shifter&fromPage=WMTSuggestion

Go carts have electronic paddle shifters avaiable for purchase already, motorcycles are getting electronic paddle shifting.... (synopsis)

I was watching the Formula One season opener and a program preceeding it called F-1 Decade on Speed channel this weekend. The 1995 Gran Prix was re-broadcast in part. A driver in the 1995 race was suffering from pain and numbness in his shoulder and the commentator was saying that it was making it difficult for him to shift gears. Thus, 1995 F-1's didn't have electronic paddle shifting. I think it's only about 5 year old technology. Patent protection only lasts 20 years, and may be avoidable if independently developed, but I don't know about this legal issue.... I say that because it's being offered for go-carts, so maybe they pay royalties? I don't know, but I know it's coming. If they pay royalties, the royalty fee must be pretty reasonable. Any licensing possibilities there that the go-cart crowd came up with? Maybe they invented it?

Please excuse me for dreaming on your PIBB Forum, but I'm visualizing a very top end Pantera with a 351-Windsor at 427 cid, stroker, efi, etc., performance upgrades not complicated by smog and emissions laws due to 1971-74 vintage. This Pantera has a computerized electronic paddle shift 6-speed ZF and beats almost anything but the Saleen, with maybe 0 to 60 in the 3.2 second range.

If you watch the programs this weekend, you'll see the Formula One 'rules change' part of the story for changes from the 2004 to 2005 season. This is relevant to the dream Pantera I'm imagining because it shows how the ground effects work for the rear of the car. The rear wheel area has air deflectors which trail off the rear of the bodywork and go almost to the edge of the rear wheel. This is an essential issue for matching performance of the top end exotics avaiable today. 230 mph requires upgraged technology theory and design, which is avaiable for your viewing pleasure on Speed channel during this upcoming F-1 season. (Next rcae is in two weeks in Malaysia.)

It seems possible to offer such ground effects for the Pantera, doesn't it? Then, with the best brakes and 'load levelling' i.e. 'active suspension' or tunable suspension, and hydraulic or air adjustable shocks, to lower it for the track or open road top speed event, or raise it for trips around town or entering the driveway, gives the vehicle best g-force loadings for high speed stabilty, cornering, accelerating and stopping stability or parcticality. Safety and performance....

Only a final, sort of unorganized thought, I think it most marketable and valuable to have a paddle shifting ZF that has a feature where it can be electronically and manually operated with the stock gears shift lever or with electronic paddle mode. (The gear selector would probably stay in neutral position during paddle shift mode.) A downside to electronic shifting I noticed during the F-1 event was the engine must be operating to change gears. (An early retiree of the event had to have the corner workers engage the back-up neutral switch to rol him off the side of the track.) So, I was thinking it would be nice to be able to manually engage the ZF in a garage environment or roadside emergency, or puch a switch in the interior and change modes during everyday driving.

Maybe some of these parts are available already. Heck, I don't know. But I'd search robotics suppliers and aircraft suppliers too to see what is comercially avaiable already. Lots of learning, lots of cool info to look at and think about. I'm sure I'll think of something else to tell you later. Or you can tell me to forget it, but I won't be discouraged until then. In which case, I guess I'd have to figure it out myself.... Adios, VFI