Thread: MSRA Back to the 50’s

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http://youtu.be/clZGpVbL3wMDrove to Minneapolis from Dallas Texas last week to attend the MSRA Back to the 50’s event at the Minneapolis State Fairgrounds. I have honestly rarely seen anything so awesome. Cruised for three days and did not see it all. Not sure what the head count was but it was well into the 20-30000 range with 11000 or better cars. Weather was beautiful, mild 70’s and Low 80’s. Rain on Sunday was a bummer but this show is a definite bucket list item. Series of Videos for your enjoyment. Item of interest. With my Holley EFI, computer controlled timing, 3000 CFM fan, wetter water, and Louvered side panels I was able to cruise these crowds for hours with absolutely not heat issues. Car stayed consistently between 185 and 195

http://youtu.be/clZGpVbL3wM

Hot Laps on Day One

https://youtu.be/7fqD7iuX9xQ

Cruising around the grounds

https://youtu.be/9vlBPhhS7nk

Cruising some more

https://youtu.be/S02AGkJNKVg

Back to the 50's is always a good time, good hearing you had a fun time! Just curious how the Holley EFI did for driving and fuel mileage on the trip? Helped a young guy put a Holley EFI on his bracket racer, he really likes what it did for the cars consistency and predictability on his ET!

Have to confess we trailered it up. An experienced tuner took my Holley Sniper tune from good to awesome. In the tuning session we picked up nearly 100 whp and mileage went from 9 to 15 mpg. Greatest thing to me was engine temp control which I strongly believe was a result of the computer controlled timing. Two days of steady cruising through high 80-mid 90 heat in the middle of the afternoon. Made the circuit around the fairground at least 5-6 times. Never got over 195, nor out of 2nd gear. I agree it is the consistency as well. Quite a change in altitude from DFW to Mn-St Paul. The car was beautiful through it all.

Sounds like another happy Holley customer, sure beats the heck out of fiddling with jets and timing every time you go someplace! Many moons ago we used to go to a big bracket race in Denver, from South Dakota, talk about a steep learning curve on the tune up at that altitude! The EFI units have certainly improved all those old nightmares!

Just an observation from the previous 2 posts. But, the more it changes, the more it stays the same. WRP has been running that system for some 2 years, maybe 3. And it sounds like he hooked up with someone with a dyno and a computer and knew how to use them. So it's been running weak all that time and it took an "outside influence" to fix it.

HMmmmm.. just like the old days. A guy with some basic knowledge of the systems and how to optimize / influence them comes to the rescue. One uses a wrench, One uses a keyboard. Now, I am not downplaying the role a computer plays in making horsepower, it is huge. But it still didn't learn the optimum without a human influence. Some things never change.

Very astute observation. I think the key difference however is the use of the application. I’ve actually been running it a little over a year. The first few months I relied on the Holly self learning feature which seriously operated the motor within very loose bounds of tolerance, optimizing the engine variations to sensor inputs to a wider range of settings. When I got to an experienced tuner, we discovered the self learning feature does not smooth operating boundaries and the curves, such as timing. Therefore the shift from cruising range AFR and Timing has a sharp climb to the WOT settings. The parameters were correct, but getting there was ugly. With the experienced tuner touching adjustments such as the timing curve went from a stair step motif to a smooth curve, same for AFR. I could go back to the tuner and tell him I want more Horsepower and he could turn up the adjustments to make it happen, knowing I would lose economy. I could ask for more economy and he could turn up the mileage but there would be a corresponding drop in horsepower. This is no different than the tune you get in a new car being optimized for economy and emissions. I have not seen it to be uncommon to pick up 50+ RWHP in a new car tune.

In this case there was a trade off between being able to idle around the park in the heat at a very low speed and matching a C7 Z06 in a high speed third gear pull on the way home. The good news is I do not face annual emissions testing else I would imagine I would need a separate tune, which I have BTW.

Bottom line is your point is spot on...its all about fuel air and spark

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Sounds like another happy Holley customer, sure beats the heck out of fiddling with jets and timing every time you go someplace! Many moons ago we used to go to a big bracket race in Denver, from South Dakota, talk about a steep learning curve on the tune up at that altitude! The EFI units have certainly improved all those old nightmares!

In 1968 when I’d take my 66 GTO to the track we would disconnect and plug the vacuum line and adjust the timing to about 34 degrees. Different conditions we’d adjust up or down and tune the carb as best we could with a screwdriver. The Holly guys with their boxes full of cams, springs, and jets were on the apex of technology, and we were in awe

Originally Posted by wrp

...In this case there was a trade off between being able to idle around the park in the heat at a very low speed and matching a C7 Z06 in a high speed third gear pull on the way home.

C'mon! On the way home it was on the stinkin' trailer so you weren't matching a C7 Z06 unless it was with your tow rig!! But maybe in this case "home" was the local hotel/motel and not the road back to Texas.....

Stopping off for some advice and comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIA1_h9PhrI

Coming home after cruising all day. We put several hundred miles on the car in the Minn/St Paul area, attended a couple of local shows. Would love to drive up to Duluth to see Lake Superior.

https://youtu.be/CmtkGVAawAw

Originally Posted by wrp

Very astute observation.

Bottom line is your point is spot on...its all about fuel air and spark

Well.. actually my point was - even with an all electronic system, it still takes someone with some hardware ( and now software) and equipment plus knowledge to put in the best tune-up, doesn't matter if it's a carb / carbs or EFI. Again to my point, the computerized systems can be awesome, but the base programs, even self learning, leave much to be desired. So we'll still need someone with more knowledge. Just like when you had a carburetor..

Turned some of the drive by footage into better quality photos of the cars. Some might find these shots more enjoyable

http://youtu.be/_Hu-6a7RDE4