[elky] Re: Drag Racing Report
- From: John Christensen <johncgg@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:39:10 -0500
Both great stories guys.
If you go 9", I want to make a deal with you on that GN rear.
Now that my body is attached to the frame, traction is another focus for me.
I want to get some tubular control arms, and will be talking to Iceman when
I can afford to. Will be talking more about the cross member to get the
transmission replaced with overdrive first. Then I would need a Posi unit
for the rear.
I would like to go to the drag races, but I don't have the jones to trash
the car like that. I like lateral G's. The Solo II, or road course, or even
more driving school experiences would be what I go for. You break less
things (hopefully) . That said, would probably have to go to some sort of
fuel cell, and big brakes for sure.
Looks like I need a chalk board in my garage.
I stopped on the road side yesterday, while taking the El Camino for a
cruise, when I saw my friend Ed with the hood up on his Cobra. He had gotten
rid of the 4 barrel carb and intake, and put 4 Dual Webers on the 427. He
said it sings above 2000 rpm, but sucks below that. The guy that sold it to
him has been sending him different jets to play with but he has had trouble
ever since going to that set up. I I am glad I don't have 8 idle screws. I
would suffer through the experience though.
JC
---
John Christensen
1984 El Camino "Elkenstein" 350 TBI
NECOA #042 http://www.myelcamino.net
Saint Charles, IL
---
John Christensen
1984 El Camino "Elkenstein" 350 TBI
NECOA #042 http://www.myelcamino.net
Saint Charles, IL
[image: Ed_Midgley_Cobra_fall_11.jpg]
On Sun, Oct 23, 2011 at 8:09 AM, Brian M <ctsvmongo@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I for one am super jealous, the track nights are so much fun even if youre
> just waiting in line. Around here you meet people everytime you have to
> stop, dad still gives me a hard time cause he handed me the keys to his 68
> camaro and when the track was being cleaned up, this incredibly, and i mean
> wow gorgeous 25ish girl hopped in the passenger side and was as persistant
> as could be. Dad was almost crying he was laughing so hard, she kept saying
> she saw the car and knew i was her man. I was married. It didnt matter, and
> finally i said... 'Its his car'. His car was awesome... But appearantly dad
> wasnt her type :-)
> It sounds like you have done a few things to the 80? Id be surprised if a
> stock 80 ran that fast....
> If i were to get to build a car, itd be a resto-mod pro touring car with a
> suspension set up that could be tuned to drag or drive. Having a sole drag
> racer severely limited my drivability with the 65, though my intentions were
> always geared for having it look cool. Bigger wheels, lower stance, corner
> carver that can squat. If you build it right, it can do all that, right?
> Hotchkis, eibach, airbags like you suggested...
> A trailer would be nice since racing isnt racing unless youre trying hard
> enough to break something, right?
>
> Sounds like it was a good night.
> On Oct 22, 2011 10:22 PM, "Chris Lindh" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> I wanted to go drag racing to help me decide the direction I want to
>> proceed with the '80. More power? Durability? T56?
>>
>> The drive to the "Atlanta" Dragway takes an additional hour on a Friday
>> due to rush hour and the race track being 70 miles from Atlanta. The
>> lifesaver? Ear plugs: with no carpet and headers the '80 is loud. I
>> arrived at the track 30 minutes early and was first in line. Paid $20 and
>> proceeded to tech. The tech inspector passed the '80 without comments, I
>> wanted to ask him what things he looked for, but I was in a hurry... to then
>> wait 30 minutes for racing to start (hurry up and wait, this seems to be
>> common theme for sportsman racing).
>>
>> First run, blew away the tires off the line and in every gear thereafter.
>> Clearly traction, or the lack thereof, would be the theme of the day. 16.3
>> at 88MPH. I had hoped to be quicker. Although the Marauder in the other
>> lane blew my doors off he red lit... so I win dammit.
>>
>> Next run 15.4 at 103MPH. This is more like it. 103 miles per hour
>> calculates ~300 hp to the wheels, and the elapsed time should be 13 flat.
>> So I'm not putting the power to the ground... should this be a surprise?
>> Air shocks, Eibach springs and hard tires with little sidewall... like a
>> recipe for no traction. I did lower the pressure in the air shocks, but I
>> was afraid to lower it too much lest the 275/40s get into the fenderwell.
>>
>> I hotlapped the next 4 runs, all 16 something at ~97 MPH. Then I was told
>> I had an oil leak, so I made a banzai run to a local parts store for a valve
>> cover gasket and swapped it out in the parking lot.
>>
>> I came back and made 4 runs, getting into the low 15s at 97. I wonder if
>> the 103 MPH run was correct? I took a break to snap some photos of other
>> cars (night shots, mostly blurry, I need a monopod). Something happened on
>> the track so the line to race got long, so I headed for home around 9:45. I
>> was pleased to have made 10 runs, I data logged so I can tune places on my
>> fuel map that I will never see in street driving (high load, high RPM).
>>
>> Carnage to the '80? Header collector gasket (sounds like a log truck) and
>> possibly the heater core. Not bad all things considered. Where do I go
>> from here? For traction I at least need to install the load leveler springs
>> and air bags waiting on the shelf, then maybe drag shocks? (I had planned
>> on Bilstein shocks like the front) Drag radials or slicks are a
>> possibility, but too much traction will no doubt lead to the demise of the
>> original 7.5" rearend, driveshaft, or both. I have an 8.5" from my
>> Malibu... or maybe go to a Ferd 9"?
>>
>> A trailer would be nice, take the worry out of breaking something at the
>> track & being stranded... I'm visiting my brother next weekend and I may
>> come back with his trailer and my old MGB. Our driveway would look like a
>> home for wayward cars...
>>
>
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