With the HAMB drags coming up, and the thought of going to the local 1/8th mile track. I thought maybe I would post my previous slips, and see what you guy's thought. Also maybe what I could expect as I learn to launch and drive the car better. These will be in the order I ran them remember it was my first time and I am far from smooth. Run number 1: Reaction--- .1226 60ft ---- 2.3254 330ft---6.1084 1/8 et----8.9554 1/8mph---87.01 1000et---11.3683 1000mph---102.67 1/4et----13.3972 1/4mph---109.1 I did this with my repo caddy breather and tons of wheel spin Run number 2 Reaction---.6547 60ft---2.2426 330ft---5.5546 1/8et---8.4285 1/8mph---79.06 1000et---11.2431 1000mph---81.33 1/4et----14.1735 1/4mph----69.07 On this one I missed third but that never happens on the street!!hahah I also had tons of wheel spin on this run and I changed my air breather to a open element 5"er Run 3 Reaction---.0337 60ft---3.0391 330ft---6.6826 1/8et----9.5154 1/8mph---87.28 1000et---11.9197 1000mph---102.90 1/4et---13.9118 1/4mph---112.70 This is what my little Model A ran I never got out of third going through the lights with the motor at the top of it's useable range. Comments ? Suggestions? Real world predictions on what it may run ? I know I am a suck driver but am looking to improve. Thanks Lumpy
Your reaction time is all over the place, that's the time from when the light turns green till your tire moves out of the beam. The last run you did great. Negative numbers mean you red lighted. The 60ft time is where the wheelspin shows up. You probably need to play with different techniques to launch the car....play with tire pressure, burnout procedure, launch rpm, maybe try easing into the throttle, etc. You did the important thing, you went down the dragstrip
Good advise, your 60s need the work, try some tires after the above if it doesnt help. And, have more fun testing. Its addictive.
Why is it that the 1/8 mph is slower on run 2 but the et is quicker? How much would it have dropped total et if they hadn't hid third gear from me ? I do need to work on launching the car to get the 60fts down under 2 seconds. I hope to run a solid mid to low 12 on these tires with the car in it's current setup. Thanks Lumpy
In answer to your post #4 you probably did a better job of getting off the line with less wheel spin and time wasting. When I was racing I never got too excited about the mph but worked hard on my et. Anyone who went to Little River during the spring of 1969 can tell you that that Fort Hood boy in that silver Cutlass wasted a lot of time in wheel spin coming off the line though. I usually got pulled off the line and caught them before the lights except when I had to run that national record holding 409 wagon. Have fun at the Hamb drags. You get to learn how to deal with a flagged start there.
Reaction times won't matter at the HAMB Drags. We make side-by-side quarter mile passes, but it's not actually racing. In the 3 years I've been there, I haven't seen a flagman.
Your 60ft sucks balls. If you are going for a shot at the title, you are gonna need some drag radials of some sort and know how to use them. Yes, you could mount some slicks when you get there, but that is kind of cheatin.... Score the widest set of BF Goodrich or Mickey Thompson drag radials that you can fit on the car. Borrow or spend some of your moldy cash on a set of 8 or 10 wheels and run them for teh trip there. The BFs are very good in the rain, but the MTs are a teeny bit better on the track. Drop the air pressure to around 20 and start from there. Do a fairly light burnout and drive around the water if you can. Experiment with air pressure and clutch release untill you have your 60ft in the 1.7 range. Dropping your piss poor 2.3 60ft to a 1.6 or 1.7 would take your 13. 39 to a 12.50 or so. You are still light years away from my FIRE BREATHING PONTIAC POWER, but at least you will be in the ball park. Honestly, if "dashaeffer" drives his A, we are both fucked he beat my 10.90 by a half second last year.... See you there, -Abone.
Oh and I don't care about the title. I just want a true street driven mid to deep 12 second car. I am fight a egregious lack of Pontiac power but I think I may have enough SBC power to get there. Its just a personal goal and I think i am within striking distance. What would my 1/8 et need to be? Thanks Lumpy
I was right in your range in 2003 at the OG Hamb Drags with mid 13s, but it took a few years to get into the 12s with no traction. Even after the blower, the motor made LOTS more power, but was still stuck at 12.10 or so. The addition of a set of drag radials took my 60' from 2.30 like yours to 1.8s or high 1.7s (which is still not very good) that got me to 11.31, then just a bit more tweaking to go 10.90s. The 60' is where all the et comes from, spend some cash on a set of drag radials (which will be no problem on the road ,I do 3000 miles on mine round trip) The tires and a few passes at your locak 1/8 mile will get you to where you want to be. Also, beware that MO-Kan is a bit higher elevation than your track and it is usually over 100 degrees when we run, so good numbers don't come easy. ( my car does 10.70s at my local track.) If you can get your local track 1/8 mile times to around 1.9 60', 8.50 or 8.60 et, you should be well into the 12s at Mo-Kan. Good luck, you are gonna need it with that Chevvie motor.. -Abone.
I have to agree with others.... You could write a novel durring your 60' time. Get some good track tires like a drag radial or slick and heat them up, that should cure your anemic 60' times. The rest will come with a little bit of tweeking and a lot more seat time. Just for a reference, my 60' times are between 1.45 and 1.55. Oh, and that's with a Chevvie motor!
For low 12's I'm thinking you need to be at least a 1.65 60 ft with guesses at your combo. You'd need DR's, or a slick. A slick is a lot more forgiving for a stick shift car from a traction standpoint, for a car with no real drag suspension. But dumping the clutch at 4000 can also find the weak links in your drive train. I'd throw a driveshaft loop under there if you don't already have one, it's required for 13.9 and quicker for an NHRA track and it's a good idea regardless for older cars. What is your raceweight, rear gear, and rear tire size? What kind of rear is it, and how old is the driveshaft? Tangent but I cut a 1.94 on stock Pirelli's in my DD, 2010 Camaro auto. I've gone 1.35 in the past in other cars, and the OT car I crew on my buddy has gone a best of 1.23 on 315 DR's.
hmmm....I'm running low 11s with a 1.7 60' time. It's ok to have a street car be kind of lazy off the line, as long as you have enough HP to make up for it
I haven't seen a car that traps 112 in the 1/4 run low 11's but maybe I'm missing some info. I personally have gone 11.7@112 in an OT car.
Thanks for the input guys. My combo is a 28 spline 9" with 3.55's, 28 1/2" tall tires and a race weight around 2800lbs. The car is set up with ladder bar rear. I went trough the traps at the top of third, redlined at 112.7. I'm looking realistically at mid 12's to high 11's I think? Lumpy
I'd say theoretically it could go 11.5-12.0 at that raceweight. But the 60 foot needs work. If not posi or locker, would need that + sticky tires. 4.10's would add too.
You are DRIVING it right, not some pussy ass trailer?? If so, you might wanna stick with your 3.55s unless you have an OD...4.10 would get you into 4th gear before the stripe, but would suck for your 300 mile trip. My recomendation stays the same...score a set of 275/60/15 drag radials from BF Goodrich or Mickey Thompson, stick em on an extra set of rims and get your ass out to your local track and cut some bitchn 60 foots. (the 275s would clear your inner wheelwells with the right wheel even with your skinny rearend.) Good luck and don't break anything you can't fix before Joplin. -Abone. PS. How is your clutch cyl ????
I like the MT's more and the 4.10's though they suck for gas mileage would help with torque multiplication and would be easier on the clutch too.
Hi Lumpy. Lots of good suggestions so far. I would recommend you get an extra set of rims and smaller diameter slicks. The smaller diameter will look like more gear. Cutting lights takes practice. People tend to rush staging. Creep in until you light the top light. Take a deep breath and very slowly creep to just when the next light comes on. Plant the brakes and get read for the tree to come down. Do the same routine every time will help you eliminate variables.
Addictive, isn't it ????? I hadn't been down the strip since the late 70's but when I ran my 27 at the BP Drags I was hooked all over again. I had the same problems as you........my 60 ft times sucked and I had no traction in first or half way through second. I found out Firestone slicks don't hook worth a damn. My best run was 7.91 @ 92 mph. Next October I am going back with good slicks and a blowproof bellhousing. (those 7,000 rpm shifts were a little scarey with a regular bellhousing ) Damn BP Drags are going to make me spend my SS checks on something other than food ! Don
The Jalopy Journal
