Taking the Charger down the strip tomorrow! Tips / Suggestions?

[resq302]

Well, I'm doing it.  Crazy as it sounds, I'l taking my charger down the track at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ for the Mopars at the Patch car show and racing event.  Since this is my first time down the track, any tips / suggestions / or any other advice.

Also, what does everyone think my car will do?  It is a stock 69 Charger with a stock 383 V-8 4 bbl (bored .30 over), 4 spd manual trans (also stock) with a 3.55 sure grip rear.

[Ghoste]

It doesn't sound crazy at all, it sounds fun.  I think it will run 14.79.

[resq302]

thanks.  Oh yeh, the car will be wearing its radial sneakers that day.  No bias ply as I think I would just be sitting there with the tires spinning like crazy and me going no where fast.   

[1974dodgecharger]

I see a 14 sec car......


I dont know how to burn out......i dont even know how to accelerate in a race.

Is it hold the clutch in or hold brake down while holding gas?

[cdr]

have fun     15.2@ 92mph

[resq302]

I'll be happy to make it into the 14s.  With my inexperience, I hope I can just do the car's name justice!

[cdr]

you will do just fine,have fun thats what its all about 

[dual fours]

Can someone ride shotgun? Do you have a line lock (roll control)? When you are just watching on the side, (out of the car) or if you are in the car don't have the engine running, study the lights, (Christmas tree) and practice the foot game, (to get the timing of the lights), described below. AS YOU WATCH THE LIGHTS, MOVE YOUR FEET TO GET THE RHYTHM.

With out a line lock, come up to the line, clutch pedal pushed in, right foot on right corner edge of brake pedal (just so car will not roll forward and red light it), on green light, slide right foot on to gas pedal, mash it and at the same time clutch pedal out. (remember have it in gear).

With line lock, come up to the line, clutch pedal pushed in, apply brakes, hold line lock, put right foot on gas pedal, on green (all at the same time) release line lock, right foot down, left up all at the same time, watch the tach, look at the finish line.

Put the other car out of your mind. Remember gasoline weight is around 6.074 per gallon, a full tank would be appox. 115 lbs. do you want to carry extra weight?

SHOW THEM RB's WHAT A B 383 can do

There's more to a lesser time, but this will do, Oh what color is your 69 Charger? Like the picture, Red?

As you get better with eye & foot coordination, see all the lights, concentrate only on the last yellow light, (before the green) when you see it (the last yellow light) light up, go into action, because the green will be light by the time the car moves. If you red light it , next time go on green.
This could be the case for you.  
                                                    **                                                      

[resq302]

Yes, the charger in the avatar picture is my car that I will be taking down the track.  No line locks or roll control.  Not really looking to "race" anyone just have a little fun with what I can do for time.

Good point about the gas.  It is about a 40 min drive away from where I am meeting up with my parents with Dad bringing his GTX vert.  Probably take it down track with less gas and then fill up on the way home.  Great tip!

A friend of mine who used to race his Mustang said that the time trials does not start until you cross the beam so as to not worry about the reaction time but the actual time that your car crosses the light beam at the starting line to when you cross the beam at the finish line.

[cdr]

thats really cool that you get to go to the drags with your dad. 

[resq302]

Dad is into the old cars also.  He is too worried that something might happen to the GTX vert if he takes it down the strip.  We just got it the end of April this year and it is all original sheet metal, #s matching engine, basically the works!  Way too rare of a car (1 of 47 left known in existance) to have something happen to it.  Can't say as I blame him.  He is just going for the show part of it.  Me.. I am going for both parts!  Although my dad has expressed his concern about me taking the Charger down the track.

[TexasStroker]

If anyone is in your group and a track regular, hit them up for advice.  Also, make sure you know how the tree is set.  If you plan to make a few passes don't worry about leaving on the last yellow, just go on green.  If you do that and had fun, then try to pick up time at the tree.

I'd drive around the burnout box, stage early, and just keep the focus on the tree and not worry about the other guy.  A first time pass is a success if you have fun and don't hit the wall, lol.  I wouldn't launch hard either...just progressively ease into the throttle so you don't spin.  As stated, if you keep going back for more try launching harder, holding an rpm, or getting a good light.

I run a few track events and what always sucks is the number of people who will not run their cars.  It isn't because they don't want to, it is because they don't want a number put on their car.  It usually comes down to pride and lies...Most guys like to tell stories based on fiction, not fact.  The simple truth is, most know they are full of it, yet they remain oblivious to that fact.

You've got a really nice car that can win shows, run around town, and have fun at the track.  You are already a winner.  Given the elevation I'll go 14.90. 

Looking forward to seeing how you like it!  When in doubt, just talk to the guy with a fast car, or who regularly runs.  In my experience they take it as a big compliment someone thanks enough of them to ask for advice.  Might make a friend and go a tenth or two quicker    Hope it is a good time!

[myk]

This sounds very uncharacteristic of you, but I mean that in a good way!  Have fun!

[War wagon]

 

Hope you have a BLAST, the most important advice anyone can give you is .... HAVE FUN!!!

Don't be disappointed with your timeslips whatever they may be. These are BIG cars.

Props for using your car and ENJOYING it

Memories that will last a lifetime

[twodko]

I'm seeing hydrocarbon nirvana! What fun you're going to have. I'd love to run my Charger but it'll never happen. It's an original car with the original 440. I'd never forgive myself if I broke that sweet motor.

Is your Dad going to run his Elky or did he sell it?

You're code 3 without the restraints.........go for it. 

[cudaken]

Do drive around the bleach box and do a short dry hop but don't light them up. Just want to clean the tires a little. If you have time and a air tank, do a few burnouts, let some air out of the rear, do another burn out till you find the widest contact patch.

Pull off the air filter but leave the base on if you can. You can either disconnect the field wire or install a by pass switch, that will give you about 5 more HP.

  I am going to guess 14.78 to 14.91 at around 93 MPH.   

Cuda Ken

[rt green]

any results?

[resq302]

Well, just got back a little while ago.  Got 4 runs in and the best one was my first run. 

R/T -  .866  (yeh I know it sucked! but got it down t .259)
60' - 2.497
330 - 6.862
1/8 - 10.455
MPH - 69.60
1000' - 13.516
1/4 - 16.111
MPH  - 87.25

I was talking to Bluess454 and he seems to think my tires were spinning going down the track, more likely when I was shifting as he said I should have had better times than that!

be back in a few to post the others

[1974dodgecharger]

Wasn't the stock 383 back in the day ran a 14.5?

[myk]

Wasn't the stock 383 back in the day ran a 14.5?

Weren't Hemi cars, especially heavy Chargers, high 13 or low 14 second cars?  "Garden variety" muscle cars like ours were at best 15 second cars back in the day.  Obviously if you had a Hemi, ZL1, Cobra Jet or some other "special" or otherwise limited edition muscle car your performance would be better, but that was the exception, not the rule.  When you talk to old timers they'd have you believe that 60's/70's cars were so fast that they could travel backwards in time.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the first time in American muscle car/performance car history that had muscle cars that "regular" people could afford (no limited editions, special orders, etc.) was when the '98 Z28 and Trans-Am's debuted; those things were 13 second cars off of the showroom floor, in bone-stock condition right down to the paper air filter, factory tires and pump gas.

'OP again I'm proud that you did this, and I hope you had a blast.  With slicks and practice I'm sure you could shave quite a bit off of your times...

[Dino]

That's not a bad time for a 383.  My 68 had a strong 383 with headers, column auto and 3.23's with 14" wheels and it did around the 15 mark when my experienced racer buddy took it for a try.  I was never able to stop the tires from spinning but when he did it it looked like the car had traction control!   

With my granny gears in the back I think my 440 wouldn't do as well!

[resq302]

Thanks again everyone.  I really did have a blast.  I think the first time down the track I couldn't stop laughing or get the smile off of my face.  Either way, it was fun racing another member from the NCPC Skylands Region (he had a new challenger,  think it was a 2010 or 2011 model and was also as a stick).   The second race he stalled it at the line and I somehow missed going smoothly into second gear.  Probably from the shock of the vast improvement of my reaction time from the first run of .866 down to .378 on the second run.   

[resq302]

I'll try and get some pics posted up here as I know some friends are posting pics on facebook but I don't know if I can steal them and then repost them here.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

.866 RT?  What were you doing changing radio stations? 

Definitely need more seat time on the track to get used to feathering it off the line...especially with a 4speed.  Gotta learn how to walk her out instead of matting it off the line (your 60' time shows that)

[Ghoste]

The mph shows that too, by the time the car starts catching up to the tire and pulling it still brings you to an mph that is about a mid 15.  Although had you been hooking up at the beginning your mph would have gone up too.