Went to and actually drag strip for the first time last night, unfortunately it was the 1/8 and not the 1/4 but whatever.

First run was against my friend in a honda fit.....yea I know but u gotta start somewhere

R/T - .781
60' - 2.529
330 - 6.942
1/8 - 10.551
MPH - 63.42
I was rolled up to the staging light last so I ended up launching low (3k)and bogged off the line. I miss-shifted into 5th (instead of 3rd) and my reaction time was garbage , there was a video (poor quality) it looked like I was waiting for the other guy to to move (instead of the light) haha. But you can make mistakes like that agains sub-par competition.

Second run agains my brother (74' Nova 350ci, bored .040 over, very mild cam, headers, exhaust, Turbo 400 trans, non-posi)

R/T - .652
60' - 2.291
330 - 6.477
1/8 - 9.838
MPH - 73.17
I launched a little higher than I do on the street (4.5k) and had minimal wheel spin but he had me out of the hole, I pulled on him hard at the top of 2nd (so much so that I took it to 8k lol). The track is cheap so they tear the sheets in half, he ran a 10.10 and claimed that I only pulled him because he couldn't powershift into 2nd.... Later that night (against the fit) he ran:
R/T - .102
60' - 2.36
1/8 - 9.72
mph - 75

He swears he'll eat me alive the next time we run, but I'm pretty sure if I improve my R/T (which shouldn't be hard lol) and shave a lil of the 60' I'll beat him again.

My setup:
Stock port S4
Stock IC
S5 Turbo w/ ported wastegate
FD fuel pump
Mazdatrix SS
Gutted stock exhaust
FD wheels w/ 225/50/16 street tires

What do you guys think?

 

I think if you were racing him in the 1/4 the 350 would take you on the big end. However those look the the times I used to run on my 87 sport a couple years back.

 

I'm pretty sure you're right powerwise, (300+ vs <200) but the gear is what will slow him down. I'd like to find out either way.

I know, I need practice if those numbers are comparable to an 87 sport. Tires were damn near bald, but thats no excuse.

 

R/T has nothing to do with your time unless you are dialing in a time. It starts when you cross the laser at the start and stops when you cross the laser at the finish line.

 

Thats good to know, it doesn't look good on the sheet though, thats for sure. I didn't realize it until I was done running but the light is real easy to time if you watch the yellows. I was just staring at the green like an idiot....

 

Bald tires work better on the drag strip. You get a larger contact area..!

try lowering your tires pressure to 21 and see how that works..

 

I lowered it to 24 psi for those runs, I think I'll go lower next time.

Also do I really need to do a burnout? I'm barely breaking traction launching at 4.5k as it , plus it seems like I get crazy wheel hop in the burnout box (sounds like someone's throwing cantaloupes at the bottom of my car) That doesn't seem good for business as far as the rear end and old-*** bushings are concerned...

 

stay outta the burnout box.. Just get in the lane, by driving in the middle between the two waterboxes.

Then do a quick 1 revolution of rear tires to remove rocks and crap.

Launch the car @ 5000.. Pull up, make both yellows light litght up, then inch forward, till the first yellow goes out.. Thats a old trick to help you out..its 100% legal. Drop the clutch when you see the last light turn on, by the time you get moving, it will be green, and you will always get the hit...

Make sure you getting zero rpm drop off line, or just drive it exactly like a stop light race on the street.. its no diffrence..your just racing the clock..not the car next to you..

 

Thanks for the advice, I'm definitely gonna do it your way next time around.

What exactly do you mean by "make sure you getting zero rpm drop off line.." ?

 

In other words find your cars sweet spot..

You want no tire spin..zero..You also do not want the rpms to drop, when you drop the clutch. Little spin is better than rpm drop..do not ever drop rpms below 4500 rpms..try to stay over 5000..if you have the traction.

I got .2 seconds by moving my battery to over the passenger side driveshaft right up agianst the shock tower in the rear.. I got no gain by putting the battery in the bin, where seats go..The battery offset my body weight and allowed higher takeoff rpms with less tire slip..

Once you get this, you will be very please with your low 9 to 8 sec 1/8 mile..

 

Stop telling people garbage. You didn't gain .2 sec because you moved your battery, you gained that by shifter better, or launching better that run.

 

Sorry to say. You are 100% wrong. I have been racing this same engine/car for over 13 years..I know what I did different and what I didn't. Thank you drive thru!

 

nice a set of cheap drag radials will help that 60' thats about what i used to run on my stripped out n/a

 

well, I dynoed the car recently............. 177 measly whp. Albiet in 100* temps w/ old *** spark plugs, but still, not very exciting considering I have exhaust now ...well a cat back at least.

 

Don't worry about HP numbers..its really not important. its good to know sorta.

Track times mean everything, as that is real world..kinda..

What is important is how fast it is...period.. run low 9s or 8s and who cares how much power you have..it doesn't matter. your layin rubber..stay true to the game.

If your 177 WHP beats a 250WHP car or 300WHP. Now thats important.. as you know our street scene is massive down here in Tampa. The 7 main spots around, have at the least 150 cars at each spot. So I hear the same thing all the time.."Whats the HP on that RX7"...

What I am saying is..I see alot of RX7s putting down bigger numbers than I do, and I knock them down almost 100% of the time..its all driver buddy.

 

I hear ya buddy, and as it stands, I haven't lost a "speed contest" yet but I'm not racing EVO's or STi's either... And puttin down numbers like that, I won't be anytime soon. If I figure I've got a chance, I'll run, and let the driver be the deciding factor, but as it stands now there are plenty of cars that can beat me w/ a chimp at the wheel.

 

Just get yourself a 3.5"DP from Racing Beat, and remove that cat. You should net anywhere from 60 to 80 hp more..than right now. Then your right into AWD territory!

 

Wow, didn't know RB made a 3.5" dp! The cat is gutted right now, but replacing it would definitely improve flow. Only problem is, even w/ a ported wg, I still hit boost cut on 5th gear pulls. So I need to get some kind of engine management/injectors before I can do much of anything else.

 

An ems will make a huge difference in power. I dyno'd with a motor that had 2 chipped apex seals on wastegate spring and a stock exhaust at 205whp with just a tune and a ghetto fmic setup. There is power to be made there, you just need to ditch the crappy computer for something more up to date and with some better fuel mapping. The stock computer is so friggin rich most of the time, its sickening.
This was on a megasquirt, which replaces the stock computer altogether.

 

bump

 

get it straight james


74' Nova 350ci block , bored .030 over to 355ci and i have a turbo 350 tranny

and if i had a trans brake so i could actually launch you would see nothing but my over sized crooked chrome bumper for a 1/8th of a mile

 

that nova had open diff and you lost to it? Tsk...

I would have owned that nova with a lower MPH.

 

I've never lost to the Nova . Period.
Later that night, it ran a quicker time, but the rotary is undefeated in head to head competition.

Junito 1: you got your car back together? when will it see it rollin round jax?

 

LOL, well if you get a trans brake I get to start eating away at that 150whp advantage you've got....oh wait, I am. Where's that trans brake?

 

MY car has been running. But since i dont do drag racing nor.. local car meets.. you havent seen me.. plus i dont drive it as much since i have a DD now. 2011 will be a year full of auto-x's with a whole new setup.. From new coilovers to a haltech. From bushing and tie rods to a new custom intercooler setup. Im looking for a set of 17x9 or 17x8 wheels for a new tire setup...

see ya