First timer on the dragstrip

[Christian]

This was my very first time on the dragstrip, and may be the last.
Curiosity was my motive. What can I get out of my 1971 LS5 roadster M20/3.08, stock but restored? Answer is: 14.3 sec @ 97.8 mph. I feel it is not too bad for a first timer. It looks like the weakest element is the clutch. I smelled it.
Does anyone here have an opinion on these numbers?

 

[Stallion]

Hey that's not bad for a stock Vette. I never took the '78 to the strip, but articles (from 1978) said that she should run a low 15. I guess depending on the driver (I can't imagine I'm the best racer, don't have the experience under my belt) that is pheasable (sp?).

4-speed. Good. How did you shift? Did you do power shifting? I always thought that dangerous with us Sharks because we don't have a rev limiter or anything. But I guess if you are good and quick that is the best way.

Stallion

 

[Christian]

I believe I am rather good at shifting (I have 20 years of practice on mountain roads in Europe), but I did not do "power shifting" because I am caring a lot for this car. On the dragstrip, I was shifting at 5,400 rpm.

 

[72Mako]

Christian, thats sounds pretty good for a stock LS-5. A lot depends on the weight of your car, (ie: A/C, P.S etc.) and tire spin which I am sure you had a plenty with a big block. I eventually had to go to drag radials to hook up. Charles

 

[Stallion]

I bet if you put racing slicks on then you would maybe go under 14. Just a thought...

 

[JohnZ]

Sounds fine for your combination - the "highway" 3.08 axle is what's hurting your e.t. a little, but it lets you smile at freeway speeds.

 

[Christian]

... A lot depends on the weight of your car, (ie: A/C, P.S etc.)

The car is loaded indeed, with A/C, P/S, P/B...

 

[blacksharkL82]

This was my very first time on the dragstrip, and may be the last.
Curiosity was my motive. What can I get out of my 1971 LS5 roadster M20/3.08, stock but restored? Answer is: 14.3 sec @ 97.8 mph. I feel it is not too bad for a first timer. It looks like the weakest element is the clutch. I smelled it.
Does anyone here have an opinion on these numbers?

I don't know you or your car. They way I drove my 69 BB at the track was;
Bring motor up to 2800/3200rpm, hold it there till it was time to go. Feather the clutch, slightly for a few milisecs and put it to the floor. As my shift points came up, pass them by 300/500rpm and slam into the next gear, hang on cause it's gona happen again in a sec or two. Do it again and again till you run out of gears or track. Hopefully you'll be at the end of the track and your tach will be about redline or a little more. You want some wheel spin not much.
If your car is in good shape and you are a good driver, you should be running in at around 13.2 or so. You'll need some gearing and pratice to get there. Your mph will go way up and your et way down, with the above points.

 

[Stallion]

"You want some wheel spin not much."

Why would you want any tire spin? Are you looking for absolutely no spin?

 

[atmmac]

I plan on hitting the strip this summer. Should i have a full tank of gas? I know the traction Control must go off but should i keep a full tank of gas with my stock tires so that they can grip or not?

Thanks,
-Andy

 

[Glensgages]

atmmac:
While I have no knowledge about 'traction control' on the newer Vettes, I'd strenuously suggest running a full tank of gas during your first trip to the strip.
It may slow you down (a bit), but the added weight over the drive-wheels can only aid in getting maximum traction.
Nothing will confuse and/or frustrate a beginning racer like having inconsistent times due to traction woes.
Without traction, you'll have no 'baseline' to judge future runs against, or 'base' your tune-up on (if you plan up-grades in the future).
The consistency you gain carrying the extra weight of the fuel will off-set the few hundredths-of-a-second you'd gain with a less-than-full tank.
If you find your car 'hooks' on it's first test-n-tune with a full tank, try 3/4-tank the next time (and so-on...).

 

[atmmac]

Thanks i appreciate the help ill be sure to have my tank full!

-Andy

 

[blacksharkL82]

"You want some wheel spin not much."

Why would you want any tire spin? Are you looking for absolutely no spin?

You need some spin to get you going. I'm not talking funny car burnouts, just a little. Reason? don't know why it works but it has been shown many times at the track that you get lower ETs with some wheel spin.
If any one knows why, please post.

 

[Glensgages]

If you have a high-winding motor, with little bottom-end torque (i.e.: 283/302/327), you might want slight (VERY slight) wheel-spin on the launch, to get the motor 'up' into it's power-band sooner.
If said motor had a 'dead-hook', it'd 'bog', and never get 'up' to it's operating range.
On-occassion, you might see where a spinning-launch will produce a slightly slower ET, but a higher MPH for the same reason;
as the tires spun (with the clocks running), the ET went-away, but once the tires DID hook, it was really ready to boogie-on-down (higher MPH-reading).
Spent a cool November day at my local strip with a young C5 owner, explaining this to him & his helper/crew. As he looked-over past ET-slips, he realized that (on a given day) his quickest ETs didn't necessarily produce his highest MPH.
example: his 60' might go-up .05, and his ET by .07, yet he'd MPH higher than on his best 60' timed-runs...'Usually', this increase is very slight; less than 1 MPH is common.

 

[yellow_2002_germany]

atmmac -- In my trip to the drag strip (First timer) I was running a full tank and run craps. A fellow vette driver told me what he did and I ended up doing what he did. I would rev to 2000rpm then dump the clutch. I got a bit of wheel spin but not much. I was shifting at about 5500rpm on up through to 4th gear.

My best time and speed in 4 runs was 13.8 @ 104mph.

 

[Glensgages]

I would rev to 2000rpm then dump the clutch. I got a bit of wheel spin but not much. I was shifting at about 5500rpm on up through to 4th gear.

...which makes sense:
the wheel-spin got the LS1 up into the power-band further (higher-RPM) AND quicker (like NOW!!!), where the motor breathes good.
The ideal set-up would be run the biggest/widest/softest tire poosible for a 'dead-hook', then throw as much gear-ratio at it as you can (4.11s, 4.56s, etc).
The extra gear increases the available torque, 'hitting' the slicks as hard as possible, AND allows the motor to 'wind-up' quicker once under-way (ALL acceleration times {10 MPH-30 MPH;30-55; 55-90; 90-up; etc.} will decrease accordingly.
Of course, you'll lose your 165-MPH top-end, but how often do you really USE it?).

 

[JHL]

If you give it everything off the line and have slicks or drag radials, there is a chance that something will eventually break. When my car had the Edelbrock RPM cam it had no bottom end so you had to give it some revs off the line. A bit off wheel spin worked well for me as it kept the motor spinning in the sweet spot. Unfortunately the downside of this was that it fried the clutch in no more than a few races so I never found out how well it would really go. The wrinkle wall slicks and absolutely no wheel spin is for the Pro`s. The trick is to get the balance and that will only come with experience of the track and your car. Practise makes perfect.

In it`s original incarnation as purchased it took a few meetings to get my Vette dialled in and running reasonably consistantly and I have been at it for about 15 years. Your time is not so bad and almost certianly there are a few tenths with a bit of practice.

J.

 

[Glensgages]

If you give it everything off the line and have slicks or drag radials, there is a chance that something will eventually break.

J.

J:
you ARE correct; dropping the hammer with slicks on a Corvette is a risky proposition.
It is the old Irresistable Force vs. Immovable Object confrontation:
When you mate the 'Irresistable Force' (potent motor) to the 'Immovable Object' (slicks), it is like the old movie entitled 'SOMETHINGS GOTTA GIVE', and in Corvettes, there is plenty to GIVE (especially 'our' late C3s, with the 'weak' Dana-44 aluminum housings).
Our Corvettes WEREN'T built for straight-line, high-powered acceleration; they were built to go AROUND CORNERS. Axle half-shafts, U-joints, splined-joints, etc., are just WAITING to come-apart during a high-power 'dead-hook'.
I figure, as long as I keep the hard-to-modify Cross-Fire in my '82, and D.O.T. tirres on the rear, I 'shouldn't' have parts-breakage in the rear-end.
Eventually, (I hope) the '80 gets a 9"-Ford & 33" x 15" slicks.....