Have You Driven a Race Car Lately ?

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Just finished the 8 point roll bar in my Belair. Ended up using a Chris Alston Kit. Will NOT do THAT again... shipping cost worked out to almost $250 U.S. , on a $181 purchase :scratch .
With the roll bar installed ( body re-enforcement ), I then installed my new slicks.
NOW I can feel 1st and 2nd gear :D . Drove the car around a bit yesterday to get used to it. In 1st gear at about 3800 RPM, stab the pedal... still spun a bit, but this got the tires cleaned off ( those little "nibs" that stick out of new tires ), take 2nd gear at around 7000, still about 20ft of tire spin.
Now the tires are warm.
Engine at about 165 degrees, oil fully warmed ( 60 PSI @ Revs ).
At "the line", tach the engine to about 3500, then simultaneously releasing the clutch/PLANTING the gas, engaging at around 5000 RPM. Engine IMMEDIATELY hits 6800 RPM, hovering there like it's on a governer... slicks smoking for 60ft, until the car speed catches up. Take 2nd at 7200...just a touch of spin... hard HARD PULL :beerbang :D Then 3rd at 7200... until about 7000 RPM.
Drop into neutral, let the engine idle down, coast down to about 50 MPH... and cruise home RIGHT NOW... before I get in trouble ;) .

Have you driven your race car lately ? :D

[fatride]

:beerbang :beerbang Aubrey, if you can feel it pulling hard while your in the drivers seat (it's hard to get a real feel when driving) I can only imagine what it would feel like in the passenger seat! :clap :clap

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Oh yes, Fat... 2nd gear is FUN FUN FUN !

This car is good for all kinds of things.
Here's me about an hour ago, at the grocery store :deal

[Tom Kochtanek]

Aubrey:

Looks like your average "grocery getter" :)

We all used to pick up the essentials in a 1962 Bubbletop, all tricked out :) :) :)

Cheers!
TomK

[jester]

Where is all the Snow? :? :?

[dq409]

:D ....... :D ....... :D....... :D....... :D....... :D
Thats a great store !!! I remember the great peanuts they sold !!!
Wish I had a bag or two now !!







O,,,yeh,,,,, And a GREAT looking car !!!:clap


.

[droptop62]

OK, ............Now I want a bag of peanuts. :takethat
Maybe Aubrey would like to take the belair out for another ride to the store.
Then he can send us all some peanuts :D

[fatride]

DQs got the munchies, DQs got the munchies, Heehee. :love :rofl

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Oh, just great... I haven't had supper, and you guys start talking about these peanuts. :(

Eat first
Type later






;)

[dq409]

Now Aubrey,,,,,,,,,, When you go back to the store to get the peanuts,,,,,

make sure you get a photo of the rubber marks you left in the lot !!! :D


And you can bring the peanuts to KC !!



BTW,,, REALLY glad to see your car on the road !!!!! :cheers :cheers

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Thanks guys !

No, DQ, if you heard this thing, you SURE wouldn't dare horse around anywhere NEAR where there are houses or people :eek: I can't afford to get in trouble... and you know, with your name on the side of the car, it's pretty hard to say, "nooooo, that wasn't meeeee" ;)
But... I'll tell ya' what... It's about 60 degrees here right now, with not a cloud in the sky. REALLY tough not to give in to temptation and go for a ride :help . I've noted that this engine picks up HUGE horsepower when the temperature is down.

BTW... about fuel. I have 103 octane low lead Esso AV gas in there right now. Here's a copy of part of a post that I read on another forum. This fellow seems to really know about this stuff, and the differences.

1. AV gas is not racing fuel. it is intended & formulated for the specific application of aircraft use.
2. burn rate: I have never flown an airplane that has an engine that turns more than 3,750 RPM. (except Jets)The AV gas is formulated for a slow burn rate. At least slower than race gas is for race engines. The burn rate is critical to making power at high RPM. Why do you think race gas companies have so many different types of gas available, octane is not the only difference. Do you just run your race engine 4,000 RPM?
3. Carb ice: All aircraft engines can get carb ice that forms in the venturi. AV gas has chemicals added that retard carb ice. These chemicals make the gas vapor hot, or warm the intake track. Inducing warm air into a race engine intake track increases the chance of detonation in race engines. Hot intake track air also makes the air less dense. Less dense air makes less power. Try running a foot race in 100 degree air vs 70 degree air. Your body knows the difference, so will your race engine.
4. Octane: Here is a good one! The formula, or test, for establishing the octane for aircraft fuel is different than land based engines. That makes a true A-B comparison of AV gas octane to any other gas octane rating almost imposible.
I have dyno tested it in a few combinations & have had customers try it in their cars. I have found that it is always better to stay away from AV gas in race cars. Leave it for what it is designed to power.
In Back to back track tests with several hard headed customers their cars run faster & quicker with the "correct" grade of race gas.
Yes, some of my customers still run it & get by with it, but I have found when it is engine freshen up time they have more than normal wear on valves, guides, cyl walls, pistons & rings.
So, is it really cheaper to run it and does it really perform?

As I had mentioned before, VP C12 ( 108 octane ) seems to be TOTALLY inappropriate for this type of engine. After a lot of reading and numerous phone calls, I think I have discovered the elusive fuel that I should be using.
VP C11.
104 octane, with faster burn than C12. IDEAL for a modest compression ( 11 - 12:1 is modest in drag racing ) engine that likes to rev.
Also, it's one of the few fuels that is accepted for NHRA / IHRA Stock & Super Stock.
I'll be getting some this week. Install my new jets & rods, and see what happens :deal

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Just wanted to mention, guys...
looks like I REALLY WILL be going to Calgary at the end of the week ( 14th & 15th ) for the IHRA Canadian Open. Will be running in the Stock / Super Stock combo... as the first qualified 409 Stocker in about 30 years !

Got a call from the track. Official altitude adjusted index times for Race City Speedway:

E Stock.... sea level, 11.95... Calgary, 12.35
F Stock.... sea level, 12.10... Calgary, 12.50

My car, without me in it, has to weigh just over 3620 pounds to fit into E. This is about exactly where it is, with no ballast.
With a full tank of fuel & 100 pounds of ballast at the tail end of the car, it will fit into F. Traction will be enhanced, but ET & speed will probably be down a touch. A lot tougher on drive line parts too.

Just one other note... If any of the local members feel like coming out to watch, or better yet, give me a hand.... HEE HEE ! It would be VERY VERY welcomed !
Been a long time since I raced on slicks, and over 22 years since my old Stocker 327.
I DON'T really know what I'm doing :( :dunno

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Update:
My wife sent an email a couple days ago to Race City, to find out what the fees are.
Here's a copy of their reply:

First off it does not appear that Stock/Super Stock Combo will be running as the majority of the local racers are heading to Brainerd for the National event. He of course is welcome to come and run Non-Electronics.

The entry fees and payouts are now available on our website under Racing/Competitors Only. Having said that the fee to race in both races Saturday and Sunday is $175. Sunday only is $125. This is Car & Driver fee. There is no charge for the 3 & 5 year olds. Yourself and the 18 year old are $40 for the weekend. There is a no charge test & tune included in the weekend entry on Friday night.

Hope this helps!
Lynn Church
Race Operations

I will refrain from repeating in written form, what it was that I uttered when I read that :cuss :cuss :cuss :cuss :evil :bang :bang

So, I have $21,000.00 of my feable Canadian money tied up in an engine to make Stock class, just to be told that I can bracket race ? I could have spent about 30% less, and gone a good 1/2 second quicker :bang

[jim_ss409]

That's not good news! :mad: That would be alot of money to spend for what would amount to a test and tune session. :cry I can only imagine how anxious you must be to run that thing down the dragstrip, waiting to dyno it was bad enough. I don't understand what the "index times" mean. Is that how fast your car has to run?

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Thanks Jim...

Yeah, the anticipation is getting the best of me. It just seems that there is ALWAYS one more thing, one more day, one more let down. The build of this car has interfered with all aspects of my family life... and business. Fortuntately, for the most part, I still get support from them ( especially my 18 year old daughter, who has been for a GOOD ride in the car ). I think they are just as disapointed as I am... even if we COULDN'T afford it.

About index times.
They used to mean more than they do now. In the "proper days" they were used as the basis for handicapping the start of Stock and Super Stock cars according to there class designation. It used to be that if you built a fast car for the class, even if you were a little slow on a light now and then, you still had a good chance of winning. Now it seems it's just a reference point which helps elect the low qualifier at an event, and to help NHRA apply their horsepower factoring system.

The times themselves use to be based on the average time of the top 100 ET's in a given class. They seem to descend by an average of a .15 sec margin for every .5 pounds per horsepower.

[Dan Hunt]

I just looked at the list of cars in stock and super stock for Brainerd from our area and there are only 4 cars going (not ONE from Alberta or BC).I think Race City is giving you B.S.