Project Silver Bullet Hits the Dragstrip

[qwik240z]

So I went to the local dragstrip last night. This was their last Friday night of the season and boy was it crowded. I got there around 7pm and had to wait 3 hours to run.

 

I met up with Jody and his super nice, super fast 280Z28. His car has so many chevy parts you aren't sure if its more datsun or more chevy. He is a great guy and I really enjoyed meeting him.

 

I also met up with several other Z car owners that were attending as spectators and didn't have their cars there. Nice to know there are so Many more Z owners around my area. Lots of other Nissan/Datsuns too.

 

I finally got to run around 10 pm and only made one run. I was hoping to run in the high 12's but I had major problems getting the car to hook up. With the skinny 195-60-14 Falken Azenis tires, I was spinning wheels through most of 1st and part of 2nd gear. I had really tried to launch it easy but I guess I got caught up in the moment. I am a beginner at this straight line stuff and in the other lane was a really nice 1970 Plymouth GTX with a 440 in it. Sitting next to that GTX made me think about racing him instead of concentrating on my own launch. I did leave him way behind but I need to work on my reaction time and get some bigger, stickier tires if I want better times. I am sure the car is good for mid 12's but my one run netted the following:

 

 

1/4 mile: 13.1639

1/4 mile Speed: 100.3816

Reaction time: 1.4294

60 ft: 2.1174

330ft:5.7054

1/8th mile:8.6213

 

The GTX ran a 14.8512 so the crowd was surprised to see the Datsun beat the American Muscle car.

 

I really didn't build the car for the 1/4 mile but it was fun to run it and I am sure I will go back again and see if I can get the car in the mid 12's.

[80LS1T]

Well 12's should be easy with a decent 60'. The 1/4 mph is kind of low though. I though most of the LS1 Z's ran up near 110-112mph in the 1/4.

 

Guy

[BRAAP]

Speaking 440 Chryslers…

 

Great to hear that were able to get your car to the strip. Once you get control over that throttle pedal and are able modulate the power just under the wheel spin threshold, your ET should only get lower. At 317 HP, your MPH should be around 110, possibly more. The more you drive it, the more comfortable you’ll get with the car and the better your time slips will get. Good work and that sure is a nice car you have there.

Took my 440 Chrysler powered 280 Z to the strip last night for the first time as well for a shake down run before I sell it. The Edelbrock carb is definitely WAY out of tune, flat spots in the power band all the way down the track. Best run of the night for me was only a 13.58 @ 107.68 MPH. 60ft of 2.05. Tranny is a Torque flight 727 with a manual valve body and as such I need to readjust the shift linkage as it doesn’t get into first every time unless I fiddle with the shifter, (really didn’t want to do that on the line), so I just launched in 2nd every pass. This Big Block 280 should be capable of deep 12’s and 118+ MPH on street tires, just needs Carb tuning and to get the shifter linkage readjusted.

[Corzette]

Thats really weird, I dont understand how you can run a 13.16 at only 100MPH with such a bad 60? Usually hooking up well with a NA engine 100MPH will yield you around 13.6 to 13.9 or so but Ive never seen that low before....too wierd...do you have a time slip? What this suggests is that you got out of the hole and down the 1/8th very fast then fell on your face on the big end,,,,was this the case? 8.6 1/8th is a mid 13 time in the 1/4.

 

Terry

[BRAAP]

Yeah, those numbers are a bit odd. Wonder if he shut down just down short of the traps... hmmm...

[qwik240z]

Here's my timeslip:

 

 

[jakeshoe]

A 8.6 1/8th mile time comes out to a ~13.4 1/4 mile time...

 

So his numbers aren't off that much, and it does look like he let out too soon.

 

My '69 Chevelle would run a 8.25 1/8 in a 12.94 1/4 at 104-105 mph...

 

If he gets it to hook, and runs it all the way through, it would be an easy high 12 car...

[dr_hunt]

When the light turns green, just have someone from the stands come slap you in the face and wake you up would you, 1.429 reaction time?!!! It's either work on that or let grandma drive.

[80LS1T]

I thought reaction time didnt effect ET or MPH? Isnt it more for heads up racing?

 

 

Guy

[Corzette]

Thats right LT!

[Mikelly]

David, I wouldn't sweat it man. You didn't build the car for 1/4 mile stuff... Shake it out, and get your bugs fully worked, and get some sticky tires on the back of that car. With the power to weight of that thing, you'll be in the 12s I'm sure.

 

Mike

[Guest JAMIE T]

Next time you go... For grins, let Jody drive it. He has plenty of experiance and can probably tell you what needs to happan to get it down the track. Fast...

[qwik240z]

When the light turns green, just have someone from the stands come slap you in the face and wake you up would you, 1.429 reaction time?!!! It's either work on that or let grandma drive.

 

 

Ouch! Damn, no slack for the newbie! I realize that the reaction time is a bit slow but in my defense, I had been up since 5AM,drove 100 miles to play in a golf tournament ,played 18 holes of golf in 95 degree weather, drove back home 100 miles, drove 40 miles to the track, stood around for 3 hours waiting for a chance to run, 10PM rolls around and I get to go. I guess my reaction times were a bit slow.

 

It would be great to run at 6AM. I bet the reaction times would be much better.

 

By the way, my grandma is 94 and she still drives.

[Phantom]

David,

 

You're lucky! My first run at the strip was next to a '68 Chevelle with a built 454. He had a .02 second reaction time and ran a 10.8 quarter. He was halfway down the strip before I even reacted! You've got everything you need to easily run mid 12's except tires. That will be you're limiting factor until you get some DR's on the car. I finallly managed my 12.9 on 225/16 street tires but I only benefitted from about 50% of what first gear could have delivered.

Even still - what a rush!

Bill

[jbc3]

The reaction time has nothing to do with any of the times, so it's nothing to worry about. If the car is spinning tires and the tires are bouncing and the driver has to get off the pedal to get it to hook up, there can be a mess as far as the time and speed. Unfortunately David had some issues getting traction and his corrections effected both the time and speed. As far as the slow reaction time..... I don't have a good excuse for him....... The idle starts and increasing rates in first and second sometimes are the trick with the small tire cars.

It was still great to see David out at the track, it was the last Friday night the track will be open.... potentially forever. The track may be sold, so a ton of prople came to run.

My car was running OK, but I still need to tune the motor, I just have not had time... I tried to come out of the hole harder and the tires slipped, and my 60' times went into the 1.7's but I was still in the 11.4's at 120 mph. I let pressure out of the tires, down to 12 lbs and the last run hit it harder on the launch and it did hook up better. Unfortunately the engine is not picking up as much power/speed at the higher RPM's... definately a clue that the engine needs a tune. No bent rear brace pieces, so I feel better about the rear bracket that I repaired from 2 weeks ago

 

Now to agree with Jamie... I on average can get 1/2+ second improvement times on other people's cars, even the first time I drive it. I have actually gotten a few runs with over 1 second improvements from cars that the drivers are not used to drag racing at all..... always my excuse to drive other people's cars

[Phantom]

I know what you mean. I don't know how many times I got distracted and got caught by the rev limiter. It's also a bugger launching on street tires with the torque the LS1 puts down through the T56 & 3.70:1 LSD. I'm sure my original times would have been a lot better also if I had run tire pressures lower than 30 psi!

[DaleMX]

I've never been, but plan on it. I was told to just take it easy and leave on the yellow, I guess that means that waiting for green equals > 1 sec reaction times.

 

I bet it is really hard to concentrate on driving when your placed in that situation though, and you did it at 10PM after sitting for 3 hours. I hope I can do as well.

[qwik240z]

I've never been' date=' but plan on it. I was told to just take it easy and leave on the yellow, I guess that means that waiting for green equals > 1 sec reaction times.

 

I bet it is really hard to concentrate on driving when your placed in that situation though, and you did it at 10PM after sitting for 3 hours. I hope I can do as well.[/quote']

 

I did leave on the green so i guess that does effect the reaction time. Some of you have mentioned that maybe I had shut it down before the end of the traps. That is a possibility. I really wasn't sure where the end was so I might have done that.

 

I do want to go back once I have the tach working and some better tires too.

 

I would like to see it run 12.50 or better. I know it can do it.

[Guest zfan]

I know you can do it, it just takes practice and patience. mid 12's with some drag radials will be a piece of cake. If you can get there early next time and walk the track from the spectator area and see where you need to let off/traps.

 

I leave on the last yellow and usually cut .150's or better, really nice when you go sub .050's. to some thats just ok but for my old slow self its great.

 

 

Mike

[Phantom]

I remember my first run - besides being wasted by the Chevelle I also wasn't sure where the 1/4 mile line was so I held it until I was sure - and going 120 MPH - and then said "Ooh S**T!!!" and nailed the brakes. I was well past the line and well into the slow-down zone. What a rush!