Hunnert Car Heads Up

[La Hot Rods]

Any of you guys going?
Tom and I are planing for the trip and thinking about stopping at St Louis on the way home for the Black Sunday race on Sunday.
The more laps the better.
Sorry that is Byron Il

 

[1961BelAir427]

I won't be anywhere near there, but I'm looking forward to hearing about the car's first 12 second pass.

 

[La Hot Rods]

I won't be anywhere near there, but I'm looking forward to hearing about the car's first 12 second pass.

It made a 12.76 @106 at the HAMB Drags last Saturday.

 

[1961BelAir427]

It made a 12.76 @106 at the HAMB Drags last Saturday.

Missed that. That is great and much more in line with what it should run. Is there a post on here about that anywhere?

I'd address the rearend first for reliability's sake, but once that is done a convertor swap will knock a good bit more off. If ya'll are just going to race it I would go straight to about a 4500 stall speed.

 

[La Hot Rods]

My converter will hold too 3000 RPM now that the engine is hitting on all 8
My 60 foot time was 1.82 not so bad if I say so myself.

 

[1961BelAir427]

That's very good for your combination. I might be wrong, but I think a convertor change (if you can maintain traction) will net you some high 1.6 second 60' times and have you running in the low 12's. Did you try any carb spacers yet? Or spacing the rear of the hood up about 1.5"? That last one is free and helps get cooler air in and more importantly hot air out from under the hood.

 

[La Hot Rods]

I have not tried the spacers yet.
I was hoping for a at least 2 or 3 base line runs before I start the super tune.

 

[La Hot Rods]

I have been thinking about the hood trick or the head light fresh air tubes but was thinking that it would be a bunch of hard wear under the hood that would be getting real hot and heating up the air before it makes it to the carbs.
I did the hood trick on my brand X car with a pan sealed to the hood and it picked up .2 seconds in the 1/4.

 

[La Hot Rods]

Waiting on Tom hope to be on the road by 2.

 

[models916]

See you Saturday.

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

James and I drove up to Byron Drag Raceway Friday evening, arriving around 9:30 PM. Meet a few guys that evening and got set up for the Saturday morning runs. Our objective was to try to be consistent across several runs in different lanes, then to begin the fine tuning. Models showed up to cheer us on. The Hunnert car race is a kind of nostalgia race for cars older than 1965.

James will correct me with the right times, but each time he improved upon the last. We had four runs on Saturday, starting at 12.44 and 106 MPH and ending with a 12.26 at 108 or thereabouts. I call that consistent .

We left Byron Friday late afternoon and headed to St. Louis to show up for Black Sunday at Gateway. Got two runs in there and headed home to Columbia. I'll let James tell you about those .

Here's a few shots (I have some video but I need to upload that at some other time):

This is James and Mike (Models916) in front of BA409 at Byron:


Here is James getting her in position:







Cheers!

TomK

 

[Fathead Racing]

Congratulations Tom, those are great times.

 

[models916]

Is only one Craiger Black on your 62 belair?

 

[63 dream'n]

That is consistant .......nicely done,congrats to both of you

 

[La Hot Rods]

Is only one Craiger Black on your 62 belair?

The crager is black because the chrome was bad and the other wheel is a rocket.

 

[La Hot Rods]

Well guys the weekend was a blast. As Tom stated the time slips got better every run.
I had kept a close eye on the valve train and every time things were good.
So after my first two runs seem like it was laboring at the top end so I backed the timing down from 38 too 36 and the car picked up on the MPH and sounded much better going through the traps 6000 RPM.
Now for the first round I must of wanted the race to be over and I red lite so bad that I could have phoned it in.
All in all it was a big step in the right direction for me and the ol BelAir.

Now when we go to St Louis it is a different story. When I try to unload the car the battery is dead so I get it charged up go to get tech in and they are at the end of the only time trial so he told me to get in line and hurry up. Hats off the man for not holding me back.
When I do my burn out (and yes the lead is still holding) I am looking at the track as to where to line up and I see this seam in the lane thinking it would be in the center of lane and it is not so get lined up and staged and launched the car and realized I had not put the car in first gear because I was to occupied with the seam in the track. Now going down the track it throws the belt so this run was a wash.
Whit no time trial to get a base time I picked a 12.30 dial in and am paired with 10.44 dial in car and I leave not a bad light for me .022 and am out front looking over my shoulder looking for this cat and down on the big end I still don't see him and not wanting the beat myself and brake out I lift before the line and he goes flying past me and he wins.
I am not much of a bracket racer and I have no idea why I would try to play there game. And note to self never let off the gas unless I am upside down and on fire.

But the car ran a 12.44 at 104 letting off before the traps so I think it was on a good run then.

 

[Phil Reed]

James.................you are getting EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!

 

[Ronnie Russell]

Great progress, James. The more runs you make,, the better it will be.

 

[La Hot Rods]

And now for the rest of the story.

My buddies drag my brand X car up to St Louis so they can get some track time.
They show up shortly after we do.and get tech in under grudge and pro.
First try for a pass the car overheats and never gets to do a burn out (damn it)
I am note sure he had the pump on. So I get the car cooled down swap radiator caps with the 09 the send the next one down the line. (as I was also working on the 09)

So the other buddy gets in and does his burn out (not bad) and stages deep, this is first round pro and I thought look at you go I was two pair behind him and watched him red light.

Now I watch this 70 camaro pull this beautiful wheelie ( this is the pair behind him) in front of me then I am up next not even thinking of my buddy so I hammer the 09 go back to the pits and brand X is not there.
Now the guys I had pit buy take golf car to pick up the car at the end of the track with the straps broken at the rear end yoke and the left slapper bar has dug into the track and had shoved the left rear tire into the front of the quarter.
I have no idea what the crap went wrong.
Did the wagon fail or the wheel?

 

[Tom Kochtanek]

It would have been even neater if James' Charger was able to line up with BA409 .




Cheers!
TomK