Thread: Just bought blown car, looking for track tips

Tweet

Good lookin' ride!!! Glad to hear it made it to it's new home intact. Should be a blast on the street!!!!!

Aren't high stall converters a pain in the rear to street? Seemed my buddy with the 427 in a VW bus had one and it was...

Oh and that does look like a fun ride. Man I think you got a great deal!

Posted by kcress:
"Aren't high stall converters a pain in the rear to street? Seemed my buddy with the 427 in a VW bus had one and it was..."

Converters up to 3,000 or 3,500 are very streetable, providing you use a transmission cooler of adequate size and mount it in the airstream, not flat under the car like I've seen some guys do. You have to consider that the converter will STALL at that rpm. That doesn't mean that the motor will be buzzing to that rpm every time you start off or when you're cruising. They are absolutely essential though, when using a cam with a higher operating range. If you're making power from 3,500 to 7,000 rpm's, you can't use a stock stall converter because the motor won't pull the hat off your head at low r's. Stock-type cams make power from idle to about 4,000 or 4,500 rpm's, so the factory used a converter that complements the low-end torque produced by the stock cam. Granny doesn't want excessive revs and the subsequent motor noise when she's headed to bingo.

Thanks tech. So until the converter locks up, it is real lossy and needs to dump those losses out a *functional* radiator.

Man that engine looks sweet! Let us know how it does after you drive that puppy. I am sure no ricers will give you any problems either, especially with that blower and all sticking out the hood haha.

Originally posted by kcress
Thanks tech. So until the converter locks up, it is real lossy and needs to dump those losses out a *functional* radiator.

Unless you're using a lock-up converter from a late-model computer car with electronically controlled trans, the converter will never lock up. A conventional stock converter will lose 3-5 % at the top end and a looser converter will lose a little more, depending on the design.

Nice looking Pro Street S10/Blazer. You should have a blast at the local cruise-ins. As far as the 4-link. Read as much as you can, I learned from a book called 'Door Slammers' it's a chassis book. Anyway, The more power you make then you will move your IC towards the front of the car. I've bot mine at about 39" from the rear axle. You can change the IC so many ways with a 4-link that the possibilities are nearly endless. However there is only a couple of "right" settings.

Start off with your bottom bars parallel with the ground (Make sure you are on a level surface) with you in the car and at racing weight. Move your top FRONT bar rod end to the bottom hole and your top rear rod end at either the top or second hole (Mine only has two holes). That should get you in the ball park and then you can tune from there. Shock settings also play a role with tuning a 4-link. Oh yeah: almost forgot about pinion angle and pre-load. Set your pinion angle at 1° to 2° for 4-link cars with the top drivers side bar then lock it down (Don't forget to be on a level surface). Then you can adjust pre-load, if needed, by turning the top passenger side bar.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Phantasea427, thanks for the tips. I found a book for sale by Dave Morgan "Door Slammers - The Chassis Book". Looks great.
I'll probably get it in a few weeks. In the meantime, could you clarify how to preload? I am a stark naked beginner at this.

Oh yeah, anyone have experience with water/methanol injection systems? Looks like a good way to keep it "cool", gain power and prevent detonation without taking out timing.

http://www.aquamist.co.uk/

Originally posted by blownS10
In the meantime, could you clarify how to preload? I am a stark naked beginner at this.

Preload is where you "jack up" the passenger side anticipating that during launch, the car will be even. In your case, I think you can just leave it level. Extreme cases can be seen at the track where when you look at the car from the rear, the passenger side rear bumper is higher than the drivers side rear bumper. I use very little pre-load in my car. You will learn all this stuff when you read through "Door Slammers".

Good Luck!!

That's a sweet Mustang Phantasea427. Where is Mountain Dragway? I'm originally from Lousiville and was a spectator at Bowling Green and Ohio Valley quite a few times, never raced there.

Thanks again for the info!

How good is that Door Slammers book? I am looking for another chassis book more on performance instead of this little So Cal Speed Shop "How to build chassis" book since all it's on is old 30's Fords and to buy their parts.
If it worth the money or what? There are about 12 other books I am wanting to buy over this year and first starting with chassis and engines and paint since that is what I am doing and later I wan't more electrical books, etc.

Originally posted by Phantasea427
Preload is where you "jack up" the passenger side anticipating that during launch, the car will be even. In your case, I think you can just leave it level. Extreme cases can be seen at the track where when you look at the car from the rear, the passenger side rear bumper is higher than the drivers side rear bumper. I use very little pre-load in my car. You will learn all this stuff when you read through "Door Slammers".

Good Luck!!

I read some stuff yesterday that I thought said the right rear would try to twist off the ground on launch so extra weight may be needed on that side. Wouldn't jacking up the right rear take weight off? Of course who am I to question someone that's been racing. I need to get that chassis book!

If this is the one, here's a link: Door Slammers - The Chassis Book Includes 1 book, 2 tapes, 1 audio CD - $99.95 ($10 off) + $4.95 shipping.

I just ordered it. I know I need it. I got on mine about 1/2 throttle the other day in front of the house and it got all kinds of sideways! Of course this street isn't all that smooth but it spun the 18" street tires like it was on ice.

Originally posted by blownS10
That's a sweet Mustang Phantasea427. Where is Mountain Dragway? I'm originally from Lousiville and was a spectator at Bowling Green and Ohio Valley quite a few times, never raced there.

Thanks again for the info!

MP Dragway is to the south east of Lexington. I sometimes race at Ohio Valley. Maybe we can hook up one day and go racing :-)

You got the correct book. I think I got mine from Summit about 10 years ago, I just have the book. I didn't know that they now have a video etc.........

The torque of the engine is trying to push the passenger side rear into the ground and trying to lift the drivers side. That's why some people will preload a chassis. I'm sure you will figure it out with some testing and tuning, that's the fun part

Posted by Phantasea427:
"The torque of the engine is trying to push the passenger side rear into the ground and trying to lift the drivers side. That's why some people will preload a chassis. I'm sure you will figure it out with some testing and tuning, that's the fun part"

I think you'll find that the opposite is what's happening. A front-motor, rear-drive doorslammer will twist the chassis so that the left front and right rear get light, the right front and left rear get heavier. This is why you'll always see the right rear tire worn out on cars owned by stoplight wannabees that have an open (non-posi) differential.

Ever since I was a kid, we've been adding a leaf or two to the right rear on leaf spring cars or changing to a longer/stiffer spring on coil-equipped cars to preload the right rear and also to keep the left front down. It became easier with the advent of air shocks. You'd just bolt an air shock on the right rear only and adjust the pressure until you got two equal length black patches.