Drag Race Cars

[Simplysmn]

Hey surf If I remember right u r not in Cali ? I was going to say if you were I know a shop in Escondido that when it comes to turbo stuff he's 1 of the top guy's he's the one that fixed my motor the right way and didn't screw me over Nice bug by the way
if I don't sell mine it's going EFI turbo

[DaveHess]

Hey Val. I already have a lot of respect for you guys. In fact I would call it a healthy respect. I completely understand the Vette spankings you can put on. The pitch rotation with the engine hanging behind the rear tires has got to be near perfect for hard launches. My car is 51/49 weight split front to rear and launches nice. If I apply the same mind set I do to your VW, I'd be worried about the bumper dragging! Is it hard to make the car go straight on a hard launch with the front end being so light?

[surfbeetle]

Val, yes, I am in San Diego County. What shop are you thinking of? Dave, yes with a hard launch the front wheels can come up from time to time. I have dragged the exhaust more than once. When doing a hard launch, the bugs tend to squat down very hard and the front gets light.

A friend of mine had a bug that would rev higher than the alternator could handle, when racing at night, the lights would go out just before he would shift, then the car would squat and the exhaust would spark as it hit the asphalt. A pretty funny sight to see.

[DaveHess]

Doug, Doug, Doug, Doug, Doug.... Don't take this wrong. But it is a little difficult getting away and staying away from the pictures of your car and "crew". Okay, mostly the "crew" . Especially the "crew"....... You know, please don't be offended by this, but when I was growing up in the '70s (at least in my hometown), there were two things that kept us boys busy, Girls and Cars! Glad to see someone still puts the two together! Tell her nice job on the wheels but I think she missed a spot... Get back to us when they are done right.......

[DaveHess]

Originally Posted by surfbeetle

A friend of mine had a bug that would rev higher than the alternator could handle, when racing at night, the lights would go out just before he would shift, then the car would squat and the exhaust would spark as it hit the asphalt. A pretty funny sight to see.

That would be so cool to watch! I love drag racing and I don't care what's doing it. I love watching these 8 year olds running these Juniors. I bought one for my son when he was 8. Won his first race out of the box without a clue what he was doing. Just proves, it's better to be lucky than good. Anyhow, he runner-upped his next two races then told me he didn't want to race anymore. I smiled and told him I understood but it broke my heart. And the bank. That's why my car has sat for the past 5+ years.

[DaveHess]

Doug: I hope I did not offend you or your wife. The pictures to me were reminescent of what being a hotrodder was all about. Fast Cars and beautiful women. They just seem to go together. I apologize if I offended.

[MMeier]

painekiller, do you go to the Nationals at BG in the spring ? Buddy of mine here has a pretty quick V6 powered car that goes every year....... 6's @ 200 +

[Simplysmn]

Hey Surf the shop I am talking about does the dyno stuff for all the fast drag bug's and the fiat that run's with them it's called Shear Speed he has his own Dyno and Bill is a really Kool guy easy to deal with if you want more info just pm me as for launching with wheel's up I haven't gotten to that point yet I am still running a basicly stock trans with super diff I launch it but so far haven't pulled the wheel's that I know of I have a good set/up with me in the car alot more weight is in the back then most vw's {7 ft ) is alot for a little car but it's fun my plan is to have Bill build a turbo efi motor if I end up keeping it but we will see right now I am working on building my second crewcab so that's where my time is going .

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by DaveHess

Doug: I hope I did not offend you or your wife. The pictures to me were reminescent of what being a hotrodder was all about. Fast Cars and beautiful women. They just seem to go together. I apologize if I offended.

Dave no offence taken. she supports my speed habit and with me at the track every weekend and helps me on the car. i couldnt ask for a better wife.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by MMeier

painekiller, do you go to the Nationals at BG in the spring ? Buddy of mine here has a pretty quick V6 powered car that goes every year....... 6's @ 200 +

i havent been there in a couple years but yes i have gone many times. the V6 cars are very impressive.

[RHestand]

painekiller,
Very impressive car, esp. the launch. It makes my heart flutter to see you guys with your big heavy muscle cars launch, with the wheels way in the air like that. Are you running nitrous or all motor? Also, what are your 60' times?
I have two good friends in N. CA with 70 Buicks, pretty much like yours. They have ported Stage one heads and all the other good stuff. The last time I saw them they were running high 10s, on the motor. We raced with, and against each other for several years. It was great fun.
Both my GTO and my El Camino left pretty hard, but nothing like yours (1.6 and 1.5, 60' times, respectively), with much more body twist than yours. I could always tell how hard a launch I got by how loud the clunk was when the A-arms hit the end of their travel. The GTO lifted only the L-front about 6" and the El Cam, L about 12", R about 6".
My Buick buddies never let me live it down, that I stopped racing my GTO, and stooped so low as to start racing a Chevy. I'll have to admit, racing and winning with a non Chevy, was a lot more fun.
Ray

[DaveHess]

Thanks Doug! My wife back in the early 90's went grudgingly but nowadays she takes care of the logistics and I take care of the car and driving. She sets the dial-in. She is not mechanical but she can run the numbers in her head. I turn her loose with my time slip, weather station and a plethora of notes and she does the rest. Not to sound cocky but for a person with no intimate knowledge of the car, she can put a dial-in on the glass with me running all-out and have me come in on the hundreths of a second. She has done it more than once. She has also broke me out before but that comes with the game. I don't like playing games out there whether it be "burning" a guy down or at the stripe. I run her all-out and if there is room, I'll ride the brakes but otherwise I am there to race. So I like the tight dial-ins.

Ray: I hear you on racing a non-Chevy. Of course, it would be nice to walk into the local 7-11 and get a Slurpy and Chevy intake.....

Does anyone know if PAW is still around??? I think they were in California.

[Vettdigger]

Hope this works, I race a 57 Corvette, 355 Cu In small block with a powerglide and 57 Pontiac rear end with 4:88 gears, run in the high 10's

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by RHestand

painekiller,
Very impressive car, esp. the launch. It makes my heart flutter to see you guys with your big heavy muscle cars launch, with the wheels way in the air like that. Are you running nitrous or all motor? Also, what are your 60' times?
I have two good friends in N. CA with 70 Buicks, pretty much like yours. They have ported Stage one heads and all the other good stuff. The last time I saw them they were running high 10s, on the motor. We raced with, and against each other for several years. It was great fun.
Both my GTO and my El Camino left pretty hard, but nothing like yours (1.6 and 1.5, 60' times, respectively), with much more body twist than yours. I could always tell how hard a launch I got by how loud the clunk was when the A-arms hit the end of their travel. The GTO lifted only the L-front about 6" and the El Cam, L about 12", R about 6".
My Buick buddies never let me live it down, that I stopped racing my GTO, and stooped so low as to start racing a Chevy. I'll have to admit, racing and winning with a non Chevy, was a lot more fun.
Ray

Ray its all motor, no power adders, single 4 bbl Demon carb. im going to try a dominator next year and hope to get a tenth or two. 60' times are in the 1.43-1.46 range when i run the throttle stop and when its off the stop they are low 1.40's or high 1.30's depending on the track. mine used to twist pretty bad but i put the HRParts&stuff bar under it and it straightened it out. my Dad and I are usually the only Buicks at the track so its fun to have something different than a camaro,chevelle or mustang. last year at the track my wife was standing by the fence and there was a group of black guys talking and taking bets on the races and when they were betting on me she heard one of them say "that Buick is consistant as f@#k" she told them that was our car and they were impressed.

[DaveHess]

That is a beautiful Vette!