Cruise Control?

David, I was planning to purchase the Dakota Digital CC for my Pantera, what I like about it is the throttle actuator, being electric, is more copmpact than older designs that employ a vacuum motor to operate the throttle. It will look cleaner in the engine compartment.

There is another unit available, but I won't have access to my notes until Monday evening, I'm out of town this weekend.

Have a gret week end yourself, my friend.

George

Thanks George. I look forward to your comments. Another wild "single guy with a hot tub" weekend huh?

Check out this Audiovox unit. I have considered this one for 2511.

http://www.store.yahoo.com/brandsplace/0002-ccs100.html?source=inksitematch

Larry

I've been asking the same question for a few years, trying to find someone with first-hand experience with a cruise control system. At least once, and often twice a year I take a several thousand kilometer road trip that is mainly made up of highway droning. I'd love to have a cruise control to be able to maintain a constant speed while blasting down the highway.

The only person I ever spoke with who had actually installed a cruise control system was Tony Harvey. Unfortunately, shortly after we began talking about the subject via e-mail, he was killed in an auto accident.

I'd be curious to know if anyone has had any luck in getting a reliable system working on their carburetored engine....

quote:

Originally posted by deeb:
Another wild "single guy with a hot tub" weekend huh?

David, No hot tub this weekend, but some beautiful driving through the foothills on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Everything is green and lush, just gorgeous.

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie McCall:
I'd be curious to know if anyone has had any luck in getting a reliable system working on their carburetored engine....

Charlie, I installed 2 cruise control systems back in the eighties, both using vacuum motor type actuators, both required splicing into the speedo cable. They worked perfectly. It was a common name brand manufacturer, but the name is eluding my aging mind at the moment. Mind you, neither of these installations were on Panteras, but that really shouldn't make a difference. One gotcha for anybody to consider, your car needs to have losts of intake manifold vacuum to utilize a vacuum motor type actuator. Lumpy idling cars are out of luck.Compared to a modern system, those systems had more speed "drop" when going uphill. I'll bet the newer systems are improved in that regard.

your friend on the DTBB, George

quote:

Originally posted by george pence:

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie McCall:
I'd be curious to know if anyone has had any luck in getting a reliable system working on their carburetored engine....

Charlie, I installed 2 cruise control systems back in the eighties, both using vacuum motor type actuators, both required splicing into the speedo cable. They worked perfectly. It was a common name brand manufacturer, but the name is eluding my aging mind at the moment. Mind you, neither of these installations were on Panteras, but that really shouldn't make a difference. One gotcha for anybody to consider, your car needs to have losts of intake manifold vacuum to utilize a vacuum motor type actuator. Lumpy idling cars are out of luck.Compared to a modern system, those systems had more speed "drop" when going uphill. I'll bet the newer systems are improved in that regard.

your friend on the DTBB, George

A healthy cam will give you low vacuum at idle, but what about steady-cruising conditions at highway speed, which is when you would be using cruise control anyway?

Good point Charlie,

the vacuum at cruise speed will still be lower than that of a motor in a milder state of tune, but whether or not it is too low will depend upon just how "big" the cam is, how well the ignition & carb are calibrated, and even the design of the vacuum motor. In the end, only testing on a case by case basis will determine whether or not the system will operate properly. If I were pressed to be more specific, I would tell you that as long as the power brakes operate satisfactorily, the cruise control will "probably" operate properly as well. Knock on wood.

The fall back system is the one manufactured by Dakota Digital, which I believe uses an electronic servomotor, instead of a vacuum servomotor.

When posting on a BB like this, there are so many people reading, and each one with a different set of circumstances, it's impossible to make a recommendation that applies to everyone. In this particular case, it seemed best to err on the safe side, at least the warning has been made.

Your friend on the DTBB, George