I'm building a budget drag car, a 65 comet that will be built ford tough with chevy stuff. The engine I have is a fresh but stock 350 chev, I'm going to top it with a Holley pro dominator 2x4 tunnel ram. I'm looking for some cam advice to work well with this intake, and some carb options as well. Its gotta be budget minded for sure, racecar that can also be driven on the street a bit, but more race than street. The car is only going to be 100 ft car, so bang for the buck in 100 ft. Since we dont have a drag strip within 500 miles, the local car club host 100 footers at the local airports. I'm not doing anything in the bottom end of this engine. Just cam, valve train, ignition, and carburation. I will most likely back the engine with a powerglide. Planning to run open large tube fenderwell exit headers. Any drag engine guys care to spec out a budget sbc?
run small tube headers. They'll help build torque which you giving away with the TR. You'll need 2 of the smallest Holley 4 bblds you can find. There's some 450 vacuum secondary models floating around. Truth is, a stock or stock-ish 350 is a bad place for a TR. That manifold you have starts working about 5000 RPM on a 350, you're going to ba all out of cam and heads before then.
X2 You would be better off with a good dual plane intake, and 600 cfm 4 bbl. It will be a dog with a tunnel ram even if you went with a single 4bbl carb on the tunnel.
Forget about the tunnel ram. You'll never use it on a 100 ft drag race. Match your cam and torque converter so the TC stalls out at the torque peak. Build the chassis for MAXIMUM traction, and use lots and lots of rear gear. Consider a trans brake for even harder launches, and maybe spray the engine with nitrous. Build the engine for maximum mid range power. This is actually an advantage, since you wont have to invest extra $$$ in parts you will only use/need at 7000 rpm. Mechanical secondary carb is going to hit harder than a vacuum model. Put a few extra bucks into the electrical system to ensure it'll light off the extra fuel when the hammer is laid down. Small tube headers, and a full free-flowing exhaust with an H or X pipe to boost the torque.
Maybe use a single 4 barrel dual plane manifold, and run a "snorkel" type fitting up to a hilborn type scoop. That will look the part, (to some extent) and perform way better than a tunnel ram. And I suggest putting some very low gears in the rear like 5.57s. And drag shocks on the front too. Have fun with it
Good deal, lots of good advice. I dumped a performer dual plane intake to do the tr. Based on what everyone has to say, bad choice. I'm not sure what the heads are, basicly picked up a fresh engine in a trade from the machine shop. I havent run the numbers to know exactly what I have yet. So...the question is, is the bottom end up to the task of high revs being fairly stock or should I invest in some H beams and pistons? What heads should I be looking for? I was planning on full roller rockers, 1.5 ratio and stud girdles, springs of course. I chatted with a fellow dragger and he told me big lift and long duration, and my heads aint going to handle it. So maybe fuelies or 202's? I dont have the coin for fancy aluminum heads, so unless someone has a used set for a song, thats not even an option. I know the heads I got are nothing special, so I had kinda planned on a change there. Now I know there are a few of you that dont dig "built ford tough with chevy stuff". But this comet was on a rocket ride to the crusher via a forklift and I literally saved it in the nick of time, 5 minutes later it would have been southbound in my trailer for headed for the shredder. So while a sbc aint a sbf, it still puts a classic hunk of mercury iron back on the road intead of on a slow boat to china in tiny pieces. I think the world has enough red 69 camaros, so a red 65 comet it is. Do the best ya can with what ya got to work with.
So are you still trying to run a TR? If so here is a site on intake info http://www.grapeaperacing.com/tech/inductionsystems.pdf I'm not sure on the sbc but I think it is a TR1y or TR1X is what you might want to be looking at you will have to research. What you want are long smaller runners to keep velocity up and a smaller plenum area. If you do a search on HAMB there are a number of posts on TR's. The TR likes more initial timing, around 20 deg some even lock them out, also you will need more pump shot from the carbs. I'm not familar with a holley 450 vacuum sec, I know there is a 450 mec sec holley #9776. Holley also makes a small 4 barrel vac sec carb which is 390cfm. The headers you will probably have to fab some up and I would not go with large tubes. Maybe you could make some Tri y type of header for more tq. With a powerglide you will need some deep gears, drag cars I think shoot for ratio around 10:1 (first gear X rear gear) Every combo is different and more to than just bolting on and going. (Don't forget to do a search on tunnel rams on HAMB you will find a number of posts).
Here's my experience, for what it's worth. First, do a LOT more research than asking strangers on a website mostly unrelated to racing. Talk to real racers (active today) face to face. Make the car as light as possible. Use a transbrake and the converter dictated by cam specs. Then you can build for power. You're miles ahead with a 400 block and it's big bore to unshroud the valves. You can get good flowing aftermarket iron heads used. Clean 'em up and port match to TR while you're at it. Shoot for 10.25 compression with pump gas. Solid flat tappet cams are affordable (use cam manufacturer recommendations to the letter!). I run two 650 doublepumpers on a TR - threw away the power valves and locked timing at 36 degrees. I know it sounds crude, but it's effective, cheap and simple. I made 1 7/8" headers with no regrets: The converter gets me up on the cam before launch and produces 1.40 60' times. It goes low 10s in the 1/4, is a blast to drive around town and I love it. If I can do this, anyone can. I have NO money and not much smarts, but lots of passion. But I've never run 100'...
got a 327, flat tops, camel humps, mutha thumper cam, weiand tunnel, 2 - 450 holleys, headers - nasty for what it is - revs straight up instantly off idle - use small squirters, pink cams - i'm jetted 69s on primary, 82s on secondaries - 38* total
Basically this formula plus a min 10:1 compression ratio. As high a comp ratio as you can get away with depending on your altitude and fuel available. I've gone as high as 11.5:1 on the street but it needed a bottle of octane booster or race gas pretty inconvenient I'd stay 10 to 10.5. I'd go pretty steep on the gearing too especially for tho hundred footers, like 5.88s. Or trade the chevy stuff for a 351 Cleaveland with a big cam, single plane intake, big 4 bbl and back it up with a 4 gear and a more street friendly rear gear like 4.10s.
If you're wanting to go racing, then I'd recommend using a open plenum single 4 brl. carb and intake. If it's for looks or just fun, then the tunnel ram is great looking, but wont perform on a SBC 350 as well as the single carb will. The setup you're describing is almost identical to what I run on my '46 Austin, but the difference is mine is almost all street miles, so I didn't care that it wasn't as quick as the Edelbrock Performer RPM I took off. Mine is also a Holley Pro Dominator, with twin 450 Holleys that have mechanical secondaries, but not secondary accelerator pumps or metering blocks. I had to change from the stock 30cc pumps to 50cc pumps to keep it from falling on it's face under hard acceleration. I'm still trying to get it to run close to what the single carb did, but as I said mine is more for a look than performance. Only real difference is my engine is a '67 327, with 2.02" fueler heads. I'm running small tube fenderwell Patriot headers. They were listed as "fat fender early Chevy", but fit and clear most odd applications, so they worked. The little 1.5" primary tubes are great, and they really perform well.
Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to invest some more money into a different engine and build it right rather than hillbilly it. I've got a 540 sitting in the barn with a 1471 and a hat on top, maybe it will find its way into the comet?
I have the bottom half of a sbc holley pro dominator intake manifold. In good condition. I would led it go fot $110.00 plus shipping. You can buy the top half for $84.00-(Summit racing). email me probilt1@att.net
Ok so how much racin' can you do in 100 FT??? Build it stock you won't even got out of first gear in 100 FT.
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