Going down the 1/4 mile for the first time ever Saturday! Advice?

[Cobra912]

Hey everyone! I've waited to go racing for years and years. Sad I know, I'm 30 years old and have owned lots of what I think are nice cars. I'm on my 4th foxbody.

Up to this point I haven't had anything worth while taking so I never bothered. But now my 86 with a 331 is ready to go. I just received a tweecer in the mail but won't have enough time to figure it out before this weekend so it will go untuned. The car runs great though and haven't had any problems.

I was wondering what kinda of advice you can give me as to a first timer. I will be running a street tire because I'm out of cash and this is the last track event. They are 275/60/15. What air pressure should I run?

I have a line lock installed. Do a small burnout with street tires?

How to launch with a 5 speed and street tires? Use the line lock?

Thanks everyone and wish me luck. This car has come together with everyone's help on Stangnet!

 

[LaserSVT]

I am sorry that I cant help but there should be a barrage of different answers soon!
opcorn:

BTW, your engine gives me a chubby. That looks like a very nice power plant

 

[Darkwriter77]

"Go that way ... REALLY fast! If something gets in your way ... TURN!" -- Curtis Armstrong in "Better Off Dead"

I wouldn't mess with the line lock on your first time out. Just get some passes in to get the feel for it.

Since you're using street tires, maybe try launching at about 2,000 RPM and thereafter keep stepping it up (or cutting it back) with each run to see how much RPM you can get away with to get your 60-foot times down. A big chunk of your 1/4-mile time is determined by your launch, so get good at that. Ideally, you want to nail it right when the last yellow light goes, but don't worry about reaction times for right now unless you're actually competing - just don't red-light and focus on getting yourself down the track in a straight line as quick as you can and fugeddabout the dude in the other lane.

Also, don't drop your air pressure too much because your contact patch will actually be REDUCED as the tire cups up in the middle and only makes solid contact toward the outer edges of your contact patch. They're not drag radials, so don't go lowering them to 12psi or something. Try 'em at like 30 psi and see how it works. It's all about experimenting with what works - hard to give a solid rule for all cars, since everyone's is so different.

BTW, that is one friggin' gorgeous ride you've got...

 

[BK_CAULEY]

if its a 5 speed hold at red line put in second gear let it go. if clutch is good. if not good do it in first.

if auto redline in park and slam all the way to first then 1-2 shuffle it. dont hold it in nuetral cause you might roll and trip the light.


seriously i suck at the track so ignore everything i say.

 

[GTOreturns]

Avoid the water and do a quick dry burn just to clean the tires off. I never launch a 5spd w/ street tires. Any dyno #'s??

 

[nick6690]

if your street tires suck like mine then your most likely gonna have to launch at idle.

it takes a couple runs to get the hang of letting off the clutch and getting on the gas at the perfect time.

too soon on the clutch and you bog/stall. too early on the gas you spin like crazy but sometimes bogging is faster than spinning.

dont do too big of a burnout just do it in 2nd and hold the brakes for second or 2.

my first pass was like 17 seconds because i didnt get anywhere in 1st and i destroyed them again in 2nd.

 

[LaserSVT]

Avoid the water and do a quick dry burn just to clean the tires off. I never launch a 5spd w/ street tires. Any dyno #'s??

That is one of the best pieces of advice rite there. If you go through the water you will just splash it on your splash shields and it will drip back on the tire as you stage. Also treaded tires will hold some in the treads so you are just asking for wheel spin. With thoes tires you have you prolly want to run them at 22-24 psi and only heat em up for a 2 second burn, more to just clean them. DAve has a good point too. Dont mess with the loc to you get some track time and learn how she behaves on the strip. Hows the trac loc? And do you have the 8.8?

 

[Cobra912]

Wow guys thanks for compliments I really appreciate it. Show any non-stang person - there like "oh yeah that's interesting" show a stangman a fox motor and he gets excited! awesome!

No dyno numbers. I will fart around with the tweecer all winter as there is nothing else to do all winter here. Then maybe next spring I'll get it on the rollers. It's getting re-painted, it's an old job.

As far as how the car runs..........I took it down a desolate stretch of flat construction highway. Launched it 3000 from a creep, spun a @$##load, then second and finally chirped the tires very briefly goin into third, shifting around 5200. It was awesome but not cool for the track.

I have moroso drag springs and kyb shocks, stock arms and swaybar in the rear. I have eibach 1.5" drops in front, lakewood 70/30, no swaybar in front. Changing eibach's and control arms next year.

If I could get a low 13 I'd be a happy camper first time out!

 

[nick6690]

oh and when youre in the waterbox spin them over a couple times in 1st to get them wet and then pull up out of the waterbox to do the burnout (2nd gear).

dont do your burnout in the waterbox!!!!

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

#1 piece of advice: Pay attention to everyone else. Watch how they do burnouts, watch how they stage, etc. After that, just stay calm and don't get too anxious off the line and FOCUS on the launch and 60 foot more than anything. After that it's all just mash the gas and hang on.

 

[nick6690]

with a bone stock motor i shift at around 5500 so you might want to spin it up a bit more before you shift with your cam.

 

[Cobra912]

Oh and yes I do have a 8.8 with 3.73's. Flaming river manual rack, weld skinny's. The line lock is a Hurst works nice.

LaserSVT you brought up a really goodpoint about the water box, never thought of that.

 

[LaserSVT]

Thanks but it was GTO that reminded me of it with his previous post

 

[Darkwriter77]

I want to make love to your car...

 

[LaserSVT]

I want to make love to your car...

Id rather just screw the crap out of it. Just mean angry sex!

 

[Cobra912]

omg my car was just violated

 

[25thmustang]

didn't read if anyone responded but here are my hints:

First things first, if you havent done so already, go to the track, before you run and look where things are in relation to each other. Check out where the brunout box is, where the beams for the tree are (very important), where the finish line, return road, timeslip booth etc all are. Sounds dumb, but things go MUCH better when your not lost at the track.

Once you have an idea of all this, the fun starts.

When coming up to the burnout box there will most likely be a car at the starting line in front of you waiting to run. DO NOT start a burnout at this time. Make sure you wait for him to leave the line. The burnout box guy(s) should instruct you on when to go. My advice for street radials is to drive up around the water, line the car up in front of it, then back up just short of it. No need for radials to get wet. AFTER the other guy leaves the line and the starter motions you too, I would do a quick second or two spin to get the tires clean. Some street tires want a big burnout, some just need to be wiped off with a quick spin. Also remember the starting line is not far from the burnout box, so after your cleaning of the tires, clutch in and pay attention.

Bring the car up to the beams, and creep in while watching the top bulbs on your side of the tree. I like to courtesy stage, but some people dont care. Get the car staged and get yourself ready to go. Let the lights come down, dont pay attention to reaction time, worry more about getting the car down the track. With your tires I would think a little RPM and clutch slip would be best. Once you get the car going, driving it down the track is easy. Pay attention to traction, shift points etc...

It gets easier and easier the more you do it.

 

[NIKwoaC]

My car has never even been down the track but even I know that you never go through the water box with street tires. Drive around it, do a quick, dry spin to clean the tires, and you're set. Too much burnout on street tires will actually hurt their ability to grab.

Sadly, I've been to the track many times, but for some reason with bad luck, my car is never able to run. Its been so bad I've given up on it until I do 31 spline axles and new wheels/tires. But watch, I'll finally get it to the line and something else will break

I was just thinking about the basics. You'll need to wear pants, not shorts, and you'll need a helmet. Check the track's requirements for other information.

 

[25thmustang]

Do you have sticky tires? I ran for 5-6 years off the rev limiter on stock axles and never broke. Just last year snapped my Ranger axle, but never had problems before.

 

[mavmavv]

if auto redline in park and slam all the way to first then 1-2 shuffle it. dont hold it in nuetral cause you might roll and trip the light.

If you hate your transmission be sure to do this.