This was my first time running my car again since Memorial Day of 2006. Some history to catch everyone up on it:
When I first started racing, I ran a MILD 468 BBC, TH400, 2800 RPM 11" conv, 4.88 posi in original housing, all stock suspension including worn bushings and SBC front springs. MT 28x10.5's. Front end sat about 2" lower with heavy rat motor. Weight around 3750 lbs with driver. Bests: et = 8.05 MPH = 87.0 60' = 1.800
Would pull the driver's front tire about 8" on launch. Drove to and from track. (Maybe I should have left it like that??)
Between getting married and having 4 kids, and suffering engine failure with a more radical 468 that didn't make it through the break in. (No more flat tappets for me!!) It was along time before I raced again with my current 433". It's pretty nasty with 13.5:1, a big solid roller, 950 HP Holley, 2 1/8" Headers, etc. I had also installed a 10" convertor (hoping for around 4,000 rpm stall) and a 12 bolt with a spool, but still 4.88 gearing. Lightened to about 3550 with driver.
I made a few trips to the track with the following fairly consistent results:
et = 7.30's MPH = 94.5 to 96 60' = 1.76
Lightening the front end had caused my front end to be "topped out" which gave me ZERO weight transfer and on top of that...my 10" convertor wouldn't stall much more than stock and I couldn't foot break it past 1800 without it pushing through the lights. Car was very lazy through most of the 60', but then charged very hard. Was scary at speed due to alignment issues.
Over the last 3 years, I have gotten divorced, have custody of my kids, rebuilt the front suspension, added Moroso trick springs, Summit shocks set at 90/10, swapped in a TCI 8" stall rated at 5,500 (actual footbreak rpm is 4,000 to 4,500) dropped weight down to nearly 3400 lbs with driver and added an adjustable upper control arm and panhard bar. I was really hoping to run around 6.90's to 7 flat considering the previous 96 MPH, lower weight and higher stall. I figured the 60' alone should drop to the 1.50 something range. Boy was I dissappointed!!! My tach which has always worked quit in the staging lanes before my first pass so I had to drive by ear all night. The timing system was messed up on my first pass, so I got no numbers except for a 1.804 sixty foot time. (Mild burnout and took it easy for first pass to check the car out.)
My second run, I left okay, weight transferred well, but still spun. At about half track I hit something slick from a previous oil down in my lane and the car snatched hard to the right into the other lane so I lifted and coasted through at 45 MPH. My 60' was worse yet at 1.844.
My third pass I redlighted, but lifted the driver's front like it used to and felt like a good pass. When I got the time slip my side of it was all zeroes. Apparently I left before the tree was activated or something?? My fourth and final pass.... Again I pulled the driver's front and it felt like a strong pass, but the time slip was dissappointing. et = 7.59 MPH = 90.45 and 60' = 1.76
I was really thinking my 60' should have been much better. I've never driven anything with so much stall, so not sure if I was hooking 100% or not. Don't think I was. Also, my water temp was already at 180 before each pass and over 220 on the return road. It was very hot (over 90) and there was a thunderstorm over the lake about 5 miles away so the humidity was extreme. I have no idea what rpm I shifted at.
On a few positive notes....I had a great time. Saw lots of old friends. Everyone who didn't know what I should have run was impressed, and the car worked great as far as going straight and stopping well. Hopefully I can get back in a couple weeks with a working tach and more cool down time between runs. Between that and maybe getting some time slips to look at I can at least try to figure out where my 6 MPH went. Maybe I was short shifting it that much?? Was still AWESOME to go down the track again. Wish I could have been with ya'll at Thompson.
When I first started racing, I ran a MILD 468 BBC, TH400, 2800 RPM 11" conv, 4.88 posi in original housing, all stock suspension including worn bushings and SBC front springs. MT 28x10.5's. Front end sat about 2" lower with heavy rat motor. Weight around 3750 lbs with driver. Bests: et = 8.05 MPH = 87.0 60' = 1.800
Would pull the driver's front tire about 8" on launch. Drove to and from track. (Maybe I should have left it like that??)
Between getting married and having 4 kids, and suffering engine failure with a more radical 468 that didn't make it through the break in. (No more flat tappets for me!!) It was along time before I raced again with my current 433". It's pretty nasty with 13.5:1, a big solid roller, 950 HP Holley, 2 1/8" Headers, etc. I had also installed a 10" convertor (hoping for around 4,000 rpm stall) and a 12 bolt with a spool, but still 4.88 gearing. Lightened to about 3550 with driver.
I made a few trips to the track with the following fairly consistent results:
et = 7.30's MPH = 94.5 to 96 60' = 1.76
Lightening the front end had caused my front end to be "topped out" which gave me ZERO weight transfer and on top of that...my 10" convertor wouldn't stall much more than stock and I couldn't foot break it past 1800 without it pushing through the lights. Car was very lazy through most of the 60', but then charged very hard. Was scary at speed due to alignment issues.
Over the last 3 years, I have gotten divorced, have custody of my kids, rebuilt the front suspension, added Moroso trick springs, Summit shocks set at 90/10, swapped in a TCI 8" stall rated at 5,500 (actual footbreak rpm is 4,000 to 4,500) dropped weight down to nearly 3400 lbs with driver and added an adjustable upper control arm and panhard bar. I was really hoping to run around 6.90's to 7 flat considering the previous 96 MPH, lower weight and higher stall. I figured the 60' alone should drop to the 1.50 something range. Boy was I dissappointed!!! My tach which has always worked quit in the staging lanes before my first pass so I had to drive by ear all night. The timing system was messed up on my first pass, so I got no numbers except for a 1.804 sixty foot time. (Mild burnout and took it easy for first pass to check the car out.)
My second run, I left okay, weight transferred well, but still spun. At about half track I hit something slick from a previous oil down in my lane and the car snatched hard to the right into the other lane so I lifted and coasted through at 45 MPH. My 60' was worse yet at 1.844.
My third pass I redlighted, but lifted the driver's front like it used to and felt like a good pass. When I got the time slip my side of it was all zeroes. Apparently I left before the tree was activated or something?? My fourth and final pass.... Again I pulled the driver's front and it felt like a strong pass, but the time slip was dissappointing. et = 7.59 MPH = 90.45 and 60' = 1.76
I was really thinking my 60' should have been much better. I've never driven anything with so much stall, so not sure if I was hooking 100% or not. Don't think I was. Also, my water temp was already at 180 before each pass and over 220 on the return road. It was very hot (over 90) and there was a thunderstorm over the lake about 5 miles away so the humidity was extreme. I have no idea what rpm I shifted at.
On a few positive notes....I had a great time. Saw lots of old friends. Everyone who didn't know what I should have run was impressed, and the car worked great as far as going straight and stopping well. Hopefully I can get back in a couple weeks with a working tach and more cool down time between runs. Between that and maybe getting some time slips to look at I can at least try to figure out where my 6 MPH went. Maybe I was short shifting it that much?? Was still AWESOME to go down the track again. Wish I could have been with ya'll at Thompson.
I wonder if I was shifting out of first before the 60 ft mark too soon? I guess I need to stop thinking about it until I get the tach fixed and make some more passes. 
bang
