One heck of a race car! John, that is one great combination and a model for other pump gas racers to follow. My combination is Eagle BBC rods with off set ground crank and .038 over JE pistons for 10.3 to 1. Stock oil pump and girdled block with scavenger oiling system. The cam is a custom grind that is .557 intake and .589 exhaust. Durations are 244 and 254. Heads are stage one aluminum that flow 325 and 233. SP-1 with a Holley 950hp. 2 inch Kenne Bell headers with 18 inch extentions and turn outs. Dynoed 588 hp. Car is stock suspension with Competition Engineering shocks and Landrum leaf springs. Trans was a th350 full auto valve body until I killed it. Converter is a 3500 Coan. I let it make the 1 to 2 shift auto and shifted 2 to 3 at about 6000 rpm. Rear end is a 12 bolt with 3.73's and a spool. Slicks are 28x10.5 Mickeys. Best sixty foot has been a 1.42, best et is 10.57, and best mph is 126. Car weight is 3671 with me in it and 14 gallons in the cell. I fill my fuel cell for the race car and my truck at the local BP station. Next years trans is a 350 with a brake and a 4500 stall converter. I am also thinking about trying the Hoosier radial slick in 30x9. All maybe worth another tenth or so? I have a long way to go to get to the nines (could stand to loose 100 lbs myself and the car could loose a few hundred also) but I will be on who ever makes its' heels! Good luck to all who choose to give it a try! :TU:
Carl, you're engine in my car WOULD FLY!!! Actually sounds like you're heads & carb. would put my car easily in the 9's, I'm hoping to put a set of the Aluminum Bulldog heads on my car for next year, and a good carb. would help as well, though I've tried a 1150 Dominator on it, just made it hard to start/drive(no E.T. gain). I have started to build another engine(definately NOT pump gas) but I like the challenge that you put up of, Who can be the first pump gas car in the nines(I'm assuming nobody has done it yet,since they haven't posted it here) alittle more 'glass here and there, I'll try for 3000lbs. w/driver. (less wieght is cheaper than more power!) Talk to you later! :TU:
Power adder So how many people know what there cranking compression is??? I was at 185 if I remember correctly and I'm pretty sure thats why I got away spraying a small shot with pump gas at 11.6 comp. So why doesn't anyone else try a little spray???
Rick if I remember correctly(and I may not! as I haven't checked in it awhile)my cranking comp. was in the 165 range. As for the spray believe me when I say that I've been close, the fact that I have 2 complete NOS set-ups here in my garage isn't helping either! But I feel that my trap RPM would be to high, I'm already going thru the traps at 6,400-6,500(on stock rods with near 600 passes) so until I put a little less gear in the car which has been thought about, which would probley help tame the launch down alittle(nothing like your's by the way) I'll pass on the spray. I haven't even put it on my "70 GS ( I promised myself that I wouldn't do it until I saw a 11sec. timeslip, has been 12.18 @112mph) I've got the parts to do it, but, I enjoy driving the car the way it is too much to make it less streetable. Later!
Rick, Is there a ''rule of thumb'' in regards to comp. and using nitrous in your opinion ? I am setting up a new motor for next season and the intent is to gear back and spray it, using a timer to start early and attack the front of the track. And then click it off and let the motor pull me through the lights. I have heard many different ideas about this and still don't know for sure. I sprayed 175 onto a stock 75' motor for a little deal we had here and had a blast. I had a feeling once I used it I would be hooked. Now its looking like I am building a decent motor for brackets, that I can spray when the time is right for fun at some Buick events. Your opinion ????
My opinion....... Under 185 I feel is good to spray on with pump gas. THere isn't really a limit as it is combination dependent when you start using race gas. I like to go a point lower in compression on my nitrous combination. It allows a thicker deck, its easier on the bottom end and can allow the motor to "use/take" more nitrous. If the 1/4 mile is the only thing keeping you from running nitrous, you wont get any slack from me. Your 1/8 mile will just mirror your 1/4 mi times. You can do all your tuning in the 1/8 and change your gear later. Your motor will last longer that way anyways. Better to learn on your old motor over a new motor. A junkyard motor with a few oiling mods and bearings is a great guinni pig. They take abuse pretty well as long as you keep the rpms down. Even if you use a timer you will still run out of rpms since you were so much faster the first half of the track. A th350 will not live under The Spray! :blast: Plan on getting a th400 Ok it may live for a short while but its runs are numbered! From talking to Gary G. He is running a 3.70 gear and a 30" tire that puts him through the traps just over 6000 (under 6500)running 9.59.
John, sounds like your have a very stout combination yourself. The power is definately in the heads though. I killed my TH350 so I am having the blues trying to decide if I fix the 350 or build a 400 . 350 takes less horsepower to drive but a 400 is generally bullet proof. Whatever, it uses up the money for next year so the car won't be any lighter but we should still be able to race. Maybe one of the other guys can race you to the 9's. I have never checked my cranking compression or used spray. It is tempting buy I like to make horsepower the old fashioned way. Good luck to all!
Rick, I don't use the spray because, it's for 5.0 mustangs and cheating pro stockers o No: :laugh: Chris
Hi Carl, I have a idea, maybe we can trade motors? Mine is to lame to break a TH350. :laugh: :ball: :3gears: :3gears: :3gears: Tom
Trade! Tom, that is one mighty fine offer you made, but I just happened to have scored a TH400 with a brake for an unbelieveable price. Now just gotta buy the trans shield ($300) and a slip yoke ($100), have the shaft shortened and move the crossmember and we are back in business. :bglasses: It's only money anyway!
LOL Carl, I thought it was worth a try :laugh: I am glad you found a trans all set up already. Those old TH400s must be pretty tough, mine has just a cheap rebuild kit in it and a cheap shift kit and I beat on it pretty hard and the only problem I ever had was a burnt up high clutch because of a mod I tried from a book and didn't have the right number of the check balls in it. I fixed the clutch and took out the mod and its been going good ever since. It don't even have the heavy sprag in it, it has the newer roller clutch in it yet. As far as money I just go out back and get what I need off a money tree I have. {I wish} Tom
Oh, it ON NOW!....... Sounds like words from someone thats carrying around a little "baggage". In heads-up racing the "W" light only goes to the winner. SO, call it being old school, SCARED, cheating, or whatever else clears you conscience. No one is going to make you use nitrous but for those who do, you can keep those excuses handy for when you see tail lights so keep working on them. :laugh: I take it turbos and superchargers falls under the same category??? There a power adder just like nitrous. People may get away with bolting on a small kit and get some good success but anyone who puts a 300 shot on a car and think there really using it needs a reality check-if it even stays together. Generally people max out at there potential at about 125-150 shot unless there combination is adjusted to use it correctly. Most likely above that it gets waisted either out the exhaust, in the converter, or out the bottom of there oil pan. N/A combinations are cool in there own but in a "Top-Dog" world of pump gas racers, N/A is usually at the back of the line. How many Guys in the top pump gas drags did you see naturally aspirated that weren't running a mountain motor?? Hey this is good fun, keep it up. :Brow: :laugh: :TU:
Carl, I've got a B&M transhield if you need. Model 22151. http://www.bmracing.com/products/race_prod/transSheild.html -John (Joliet/Ill area)
Tail lights??? Tail Lights???? Only if you rush up to the staging lights first. uzzled: I can make further past the 1/8 than you want to know about. :Brow: For what little bit I'll have to coast, i don't think it's going to help. You sure that's as big as you can make it, 540cu in??? I know it's only N/A so I wont be too hard on you. :spank: So, if you want to......IT'S ON BABY!!!!! :spank: Have Trailer.....,will travel...... I just want to know if you want any help putting on that nitrous kit and tuning when its all said and done? I'm a nice guy, i'll give you a hand a tell you a few tricks. I know your "old school" and might need a hand. Can you do "Frank the Tank"? :laugh: I should be back hopefully by the end of March. I just have to update my cage for 25.5 specs to be legal, build a set of headers, and put my motor back together. Hopefully only a month or so. Sometime next year sounds great. Preferably at a Buick event but I'm not too picky. There a a few 10.5 limited street races out that way that you could meet me at and I'm sure we could arrange a grudge run. I understand your kiddin'. No harm done. :TU: I'm sure we'll run into each other at a Buick event sooner or later. Here's a preview for ya'. This is fun, and I just can't resist talkin' a little trash. :laugh:
Hey John. Good to hear from you. Did you make up your mind on what you are going to do about your engine? I went out to see the guy that you are buying parts from out west. He said that he had a 400 with a brake that he would sell me. Turned out not to have a brake in it. :error: Anyway, I just ordered a CSI shield from summit not 20 minutes ago. Thanks for the offer and let me know about your project.
Carl, I've got an extra TH400 shortshaft with a brake and ready to drop in, if you are interested. I fell on a great deal local. Tell you more about it later. In regards to the motor, I will be heading down South to put the pieces back together sometime within the next few weeks. PM me if you are interested in the trans. -John
Hey Rick,That's cool, You have a good sence of humour,I've been following you and your car for quite awhile. I love small tired cars especially fast ones. I've got lots of hardware in the shop to step it up and the car is certified but NO time, wife 3 kids, run a trans/automotive shop all day and build buick engines for customers nights and weekends, i've got 7 BBB's waiting right now so I should get going. Keep it safe over there.Hope we meet up some day.Its about time someone livened up this board it's been abit boring lightly :laugh: :laugh: Chris
Veiwer points... Glad I could keep you awake. Keep that midnight oil burnin'. THats the only way to make money for the ole' Buick. It's how you keep up with the Jones's. I hear you on the wife and kids. There like the money/time vaccutron. If there was only 36 hour in a day.... :jd:
