Finally got out to the dragstrip!

[Evolution1980]

Well, it's been 7 years in the making, but I FINALLY made it out ot the strip last night with my baby. First time ever running.
It was definitely fun. Especially being at Norwalk Raceway Park, which is one of, if not THE, premier Drag strip in the country.

1st run: 13.826 @ 100.70 MPH R/T: .952 :z :L
2nd run: 13.567 @ 102.16 MPH R/T: .556

I was told that ain't too shabby for my first time ever... I guess so...I dunno...

Next year should be much more fun with the 700R4 in it...

Next week I may go back and grab some video.

....speaking of... I've scoped out where I'm going to video the 150mph top speed run. Now I just need to recruit one or two more people to help me out... That should be fun too! And of course, you'll all be the first with the video!

 

[Ken]

Not too shabby at all, especially your second time. You improved you reaction time considerably! Congratulations, you're hooked.

_ken

 

[fasterthanu]

by any chance, do you have a g-tech meter? Just curious what it says is your speed at the end of the 1/4 mile mark. It is exact. Tracks average the last 60 feet out. I ran 14.8 @98.8 miles per hour on it (Open Headers, old smogger heads, old afbs, and 3.08 rear end, 700R4, a distributor retarding to 8 degrees at 3000 rpm, and not using my 2500rpm stall speed). I just put on some open chamber heads, two new 1405 edlebrocks, Spiral baffles,and a 4.11 gear in it, and was heading to the track the following day, and broke my right foot =( Won't be there any time soon. But I will say this... I never could get rubber before, now on the way up to use my stall speed, at 1800rpm, no traction at all burns them, goes sideways, and just sits there. If I come off the gas, it starts to move, and burns them the whole way =P Gotta completely let go of the gas =P

 

[Scott81]

Cool! Looking forward to some videos, get a good burnout too If all goes well I'll be taking mine to the strip this coming Saturday for a little tire flamability testing :L

 

[fasterthanu]

Wish ya the best, keep us updated too =P Will rehab as fast as I can so I can get out to the track too =P Why couldn't it be my left foot..... hehe Funny thing though, all the guys there were fighting who was going to drive my car home! I said none of you, and drove myself home, and was ****ed off and sat there burying them all in smoke, boy, did their jaws drop =P I thought I was in pain then, wait till I hit the brake !!!!!

 

[JHL]

Nice Work

13.5 definitely isn`t to shabby for a first try when you consider a standard 80 would be lucky to run low 16`s and about 85mph.

With a bit of practice I`m sure you will find a couple of tenths.

J.

 

[mmvette80]

fasterthanu

What do you mean by using stall?
I have a 2200 stall, If I hold the brake and get he rpms up to 2200 and launch?
Without stall would be just hammering it to the floor?

 

[Evolution1980]

FasterThanU
Believe it or not, I DO have the G-Tech. In fact, I've had it for over 2 years. But ya know what? I've never used it! Why is that? I don't know the weight of my car! Too many mods since stock to get an accurate weight. The G-Tech relies on knowing the weight of your car. That's the one constant it needs. Everything else gets figured out by it's accelerometer.

BUT...from people I've talked to that have run the G-Tech in their car while they do actual tracktime 1/4mi runs, they say it's either right on, or only off by no more than .2 (but usually less).

But figure it's gonna vary just as much as regular runs. Example: my two runs. They are each different by slightly less than .2 sec and 2 mph. One of these days I'll find a place that can weigh the car. Then I'll use it everytime I go to the track. I s'pose I could run it on my daily driver, as I know the weight of it, but taking it to the track to run it is a different thing. (I don't really care what my Contour does in the 1/4...I mean, I'm slightly curious, but c'mon...what is there to prove? That I'm faster than a Neon?) :eyerole

Ken
...not quite hooked. Somewhat hooked. But since I grew up in SCCA, I've always been more of a roadcourse racer mentality. Sure, dragracing is fun, but it doesn't last long enough. With roadcourse, everytime I creep up on a car in a corner the excitement builds, then passing, weaving through traffic, drafting...it's constant fun for the duration of the race. 13.5 seconds versus ##:## minutes? Gotta go with the roadracing...

If anything, if I can get consistant runs a the strip, maybe some bracket-racing will be in my future. SCCA is no longer affordable for the average Joe.

 

[fasterthanu]

Evolution1980

For running the 1/4mile with the g-tech, you don't need the weight of your car =) It is for hp that you do =)

mmvette80,

I mean the same thing you said, if I hold the brake down to get the rpms up to my stall speed. Mine is a 2500rpm stall speed, but somewhere around 1800rpm i am just burning the tires now.... Gotta get traction, cam kicks in at 3500rpm =(

Yeah, when I say without stall, I mean just flooring it. As soon as I hit the gas the car goes forward, hence no stall speed =(

 

[Evolution1980]

FasterThanU,

This is getting to be a different thread subject, but when you refer to stall speed, I think you are incorrect in the way you think it works. I recall reading (would need to find it online somewhere again) that the stall speed of a tq converter ("TC") refers to the point where the TC has the most locking potential. This creates the most torque. Ideally, for racing, you want your stall speed to match the peak torque of your engine. So, essentially, if you put a higher stall TC on your ar that is for daily driving, you're not getting full power to the wheels, and by the time you do hit your peak torque, you're past the full potential of the TC. ....or something like that... If you want, I'll see if I can hunt up the article I read...

 

[sac001]

Evolution,

Believe it or not, take your car to the local dump. At most places they weigh your car in and out. Let the guy know you just need the weight, and most likely you can get a quick weigh job FREE!

All you'll have to calculate is yourself and fuel.

Good luck, your car is just awesome.

Steve

 

[Evolution1980]

SAC001,

Yeah, my mechanic recommended that some time ago. Now I just need to find a dump in the middle of Suburbia, USA. I s'pose I could call the city Health Dept or Parks & Recreation Dept...

 

[JHL]

My friend took his T/A down to the local trucking company and they had a calibrated weigh bridge or scrap metal yards usually have them but they are not always accurate.

J.

 

[fasterthanu]

After looking over the g-techs instructions again, you do not need the cars weight for 0-60, or 1/4mile times, just for hp...

 

[Evolution1980]

Ahhh....I shoulda have read closer... well, now all I have to do then is get it back from my friend. I'll take it next time I go to the strip (along w/ the video cam!)