Going back to the drag strip tonight after almost 20 years

[timmycharger]

Going back to the strip tonight for the first time since the restoration was completed.  The car is very different than it was back then, so it really is not a fair comparison but will be interesting to see what she runs and weighs if the scales are open.


Below is what I posted in my build thread regarding the last time I was there. Still pissed about it lol.


in the video below, the car had the same 440 block/pistons/rods/crank as I do now, but with a MP 284/484 cam, ported iron heads from Muscle motors. CPPA/TTI 2 inch headers, Six pack setup with modified outboard carbs to accept jets.  It was also an automatic with a Turbo Action 3k stall converter and 4:10 8.75 rear gears.  Weight was 3680 w/o me in the car.


Car now has same block/pistons/rod refreshed with rings/bearings, Edelbrock Aluminum heads, Lunati Voodoo cam, same six pack set up, slightly less jetting. Same CPPA vintage 2" headers from last time.  Car now is a 4 speed with 3:54 Dana 60.

I added a crap ton of weight with the steel hood put back, power steering/brakes, steel wheels, air conditioning, 4 speed, Lakewood blowshield and Dana rear.

Just hoping to be in the 13s this time around, different ballgame with the 4 speed vs. Auto/converter launches..


The video at the track is frustrating to watch for me. We planned it for weeks, it was a rent a track day with some members of another car club so I had all day to test and tune, the weather was perfect, I just bought new front and rear aluminum wheels and new tires. The rears were ET Streets, brand new, still sticker residue on them. I should have known something was off as the rear wheels were so hard to get the lugs in, but I put them on in the pits when I got there and lined up. My buddy didnt get to the line in time to catch me go down the track as there was no lines in the staging area and I just rolled up to the tree.  Did a small burnout, made my pass and it was the one I noted above, my fastest pass ever, 12.8 at 108.  Then the track guy flagged me down saying I couldn't run as my rear wheels were wabbling badly.  I didnt notice it as I was running open headers.  Turned out, the weights on the drums were hitting the Weld wheels and they were not sitting flush on the drum.. I was so pissed, I even tried to knock them off, but wasnt able to with the tools I had there.  Ended up bolting my terrible street tires and did a few passes. It was useless to try to tune, I even brought jets to mess with. I always wondered what that car could have done that day.  


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSO-DlxlKs   -  FFWd to .28 sec mark!

[BSB67]

Very cool thanks for sharing.

Good luck.  Looking forward to your outing results.

[cdr]

Very cool you are trying again, keep us posted !! 

[timmycharger]

Thanks guys, had a great time. The best I could squeeze out of it was a 14.0 at 101, Ill post the slips later but I had a hell of a time hooking up. In the pass against the Charger, I left at 2500 and went sideways, the next passes I took it easy but it didn't matter. It fell on its face at the end of third and fourth, I wonder if I need to mess with jetting because I think it should do 105 at least. It just felt dead. I messed around with shifting at different rpms and didn't change much.  I added 300 lbs since I raced it last, it was 3982 w/o me in it but I still thought it would go better. Anyway it was a blast, my wife went with me for the 100 mile round trip to the track. I was happy that it did well in hot stop and go traffic and highway on the way home, that is the furthest I drove it since restoring it.  I also didn't time it properly, I literally did it by ear because the light I had wasn't working and I didn't have time to get another.  Next year, Ill do some tuning and give it another go.

Some vids of the beatings lol, at least I "won" the second race when the guy red lighted lol..

https://youtu.be/rKXRzBvXLqc

https://youtu.be/7nruWuPf-PU


https://youtu.be/GA1-99s0X1I

https://youtu.be/wqyOh5K1XMs

[cdr]

AWESOME,, keep at it , you will get there, my 1st pass in my Charger was VERY disappointing & I am slowly getting where I thought it should run.
Thanks for actually racing this cool Car of yours.  My Charger is 4100 lb with me

[BSB67]

Glad you had a good time.  Love it when folks actually test their muscle cars. 

Weak fuel delivery, or a muffler failure will suck a bunch of power while still seemingly to be running fine.

[timmycharger]

Thanks guys, felt great to get back there again, a lot has changed since the last time I made a pass at the strip.  I plan on some more tuning and will give it a go again next year when they have a Mopar only event on a Sunday.  Here is one of my timeslips, I had better reaction times on the first two runs, but using that Dragtree app definitely helped my timing.

[70 sublime]

I am not a drag racer so can you tell me what all the numbers on the slip mean ?
I imagine it says at the bottom is your finish time and speed but what are the rest of them ?

[timmycharger]

Sure, here is another slip that shows what they represent. The circled number on the top is the number they assigned my car.

R/T is reaction time
60 foot
330 foot
1/8 mile
MPH for 1/8

1000ft

1/4 mile time

1/4 mile mph

[c00nhunterjoe]

Any day at the track is a good day. Your 60 foot time is leaving an easy 6 tenths of et on the table. Traction is the most likely culprit from your descriptions. What concerns me is the 101 mph from your former 108 mph. With the amount of work done to the engine, it should be 110. They ran 101 stock. Hopefully there is alot of tuning to be had. Keep at it.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Video links didnt show before i made 1st response. In watching the in car, it looks like it wanted to react well on launch. Slicks are going to make the car alot more fun at the track. Your 1-2 shift sounded very early. 2-3 sounded ok, 3-4 sounded early. What were you shifting at. Depending on the specs of that voodoo cam, i would think that motor and head combo would want 5800 easily. The 1-2 sounded like 5k but video speakers can be hard to judge. Your shifting needs work. Probably 2-3 mph increase in trap speed in your shifting. Not to bust your chops on any of it, just trying to send some track advice and tips. Absolutely love in car 4 speed videos. Keep up the work and be sure to take more videos.

[timmycharger]

Thanks Joe, great advice, it is much appreciated.  I believe it is the 60303 lunati voodoo cam, not sure off hand what they say it makes power to but I set the shift light to 5600. I felt the same, thought I may have been shifting too early on some of the upshifts.   I believe i went down 3 jet sizes on the outboard carbs and 1 size in the center but will have to check my notes, I wonder if that is hurting my top end. Fuel delivery is a mallory 110 elec pump mounted low near the tank with return line.   I would love to try with slicks, 20 years ago It used to hook with drag radials, still have the safety hoop and frame connectors installed. Thanks again


Edit: just checked the specs on the cam

[XH29N0G]

What do you use for the in car videos. 

I wish I could do the same.  Thanks for posting.

[timmycharger]

What do you use for the in car videos.  

I wish I could do the same.  Thanks for posting.

Its just a cheap amazon go pro knock off. I believe its a crosstour 9000. Comes with a bunch of attachments to mount it.

[Kern Dog]

Way to go, Tim. 
Regarding the weight: The first number seemed a bit light but the second number is real close to mine. I'm at an even 4000 lbs with all steel body, HD suspension set up for handling, A/C and sound deadener on the floors.
Thank you for posting the progress.

[timmycharger]

Thanks KD, the first weight was the number I scribbled on one of my time slips from back in 2001, who knows what I was thinking then, but I assumed it was what it was.   My car was way different then. Had the glass hood, manual steering/brakes, sway bar removed, no AC, 318 T bars, 727 auto, 8.750 rear and aluminum wheels all around with skinnies in the front.   Maybe it was the rotted floors/trunk/quarters/roof that was making it so light  

Here is how she looked right before restoring it. I might put the sixpack hood back on someday  

[Kern Dog]

All that stuff does make a difference.
Mine was 3660 when it was 100 % stock with the 318, 4 wheel drums and 14" wheels. After the 440 swap and front disc brakes, I was at 3850. Now with the bigger torsion bars, frame connectors, torque boxes, stereo. A/C and sound deadening.....Ugh. 4000 lbs even.
It is much more comfortable now though!

[MoparMike68]

Thanks KD, the first weight was the number I scribbled on one of my time slips from back in 2001, who knows what I was thinking then, but I assumed it was what it was.   My car was way different then. Had the glass hood, manual steering/brakes, sway bar removed, no AC, 318 T bars, 727 auto, 8.750 rear and aluminum wheels all around with skinnies in the front.   Maybe it was the rotted floors/trunk/quarters/roof that was making it so light  

Here is how she looked right before restoring it. I might put the sixpack hood back on someday  

Nice looking before car light metallic green like mine it's a unique color and does look great with the vinyl it was a tough choice
For me to consider changing it.   

[timmycharger]

Thanks KD, the first weight was the number I scribbled on one of my time slips from back in 2001, who knows what I was thinking then, but I assumed it was what it was.   My car was way different then. Had the glass hood, manual steering/brakes, sway bar removed, no AC, 318 T bars, 727 auto, 8.750 rear and aluminum wheels all around with skinnies in the front.   Maybe it was the rotted floors/trunk/quarters/roof that was making it so light  

Here is how she looked right before restoring it. I might put the sixpack hood back on someday  

Nice looking before car light metallic green like mine it's a unique color and does look great with the vinyl it was a tough choice
For me to consider changing it.   

Yea, it was very difficult for me to decide, looking back and now seeing restored cars in the light green metallic, I probably would have put it back to stock color. My reasoning at the time was the original green interior was shot so I was going to restore it black, which gave me a choice to pick pretty much any color.