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

[GTOreturns]

I'm placing an order tomorrow for some control arms and maybe some Nitto 555 drag radials. Hopefully I will get them by the 27th!

Anyone recommend a tire distributor? I was thinking of discount tire direct ........what do ya think?

Nittos are great for slower cars, 14's , 13's , 12's , 11's

It depends where you are in the 12's, mid to high 12's I "guess" there ok. But anything faster and they won't hold it down. Don't waste your money, get the new M/T's, or BFG, or even the Hoosier Quick Time Pro's (Can't use these in the rain though)

 

[Cobra912]

Well I pretty much built my car with the help and info I received from users like you guys on this site. so based on what you've told me I think I'll wait and buy a set of MT's when the funds allow. I'm gonna see if I can swipe a pair of slicks off someone for the next time. I'll have to get a safety loop installed before then!

What about control arms?

 

[GTOreturns]

Well I pretty much built my car with the help and info I received from users like you guys on this site. so based on what you've told me I think I'll wait and buy a set of MT's when the funds allow. I'm gonna see if I can swipe a pair of slicks off someone for the next time. I'll have to get a safety loop installed before then!

What about control arms?

There all pretty good. But I'll pass on this one because I have stock ones and never dealt with any other.

 

[MY 85 GT]

There all pretty good. But I'll pass on this one because I have stock ones and never dealt with any other.

Im with him...I was told to go with UPR's non adjustables...from the shop i go to...but i did tell him i didnt want to spend tons of money on Upper and Lowers...

 

[RS200]

I watched your car go on Saturday..it was neat to see you race against the blue notchback. Word from the wise, never try to do what they do..if you look inside their car, you won't see much. At all. Keep in mind it has a bone stock '93 motor in it, with blowby. It's even better seeing it run on the street. Great times, though. I thought it sounded supercharged..
I was running the white with blue stripes Neon.

 

[25thmustang]

The DR debate from my POV goes like this...

If you do a lot of street driving and hit the track once or twice a year, Nittos. Some get them hooking hard, some don't. They get a lot of miles on them, and are better than a street radial, but when it comes to DR, not the best traction.

If you hit the track a decent amount and split it with a fair amount of street driving, the BFGs were always a good choice. Somewhat better at the track than the Nitto, but wear faster.

If your looking at low street miles and hitting the track a bunch, MT DRs. They wear fast, but I have seen a few guys dump them at 5500 and bog the car down. Not to mention they are outlawed in a lot of Drag Radial running classes...

My .02.

 

[Cobra912]

I watched your car go on Saturday..it was neat to see you race against the blue notchback. Word from the wise, never try to do what they do..if you look inside their car, you won't see much. At all. Keep in mind it has a bone stock '93 motor in it, with blowby. It's even better seeing it run on the street. Great times, though. I thought it sounded supercharged..
I was running the white with blue stripes Neon.

Hehe. Thanks! It was a fun match up. He got me on the second run with those slicks.

You were running your car then in the sport compact class? Both days? Ar eyou coming out on the 27th? If so stop by and say hi.

I called a distributor in Canada for drag radials. He said that DOT is reviewing it's requiremenst for a street legal tire. Therefore everything is on back order. Most of the big companies like MT are no making anything because if they produce them and can't sell them they will lose big time.

 

[Cobra912]

The DR debate from my POV goes like this...

If you do a lot of street driving and hit the track once or twice a year, Nittos. Some get them hooking hard, some don't. They get a lot of miles on them, and are better than a street radial, but when it comes to DR, not the best traction.

If you hit the track a decent amount and split it with a fair amount of street driving, the BFGs were always a good choice. Somewhat better at the track than the Nitto, but wear faster.

If your looking at low street miles and hitting the track a bunch, MT DRs. They wear fast, but I have seen a few guys dump them at 5500 and bog the car down. Not to mention they are outlawed in a lot of Drag Radial running classes...

My .02.

I'm torn. I don't have money to blow so I want value(mileage). But at the same time I wanna do it right once and achieve the reason I want to buy some.

 

[RS200]

We don't have DOT here..we have Transport Canada, and they are aligning more than ever with the US & DOT standards. I ran a pair of 275/50R15 ET Street Radials (not the slick type) on my crapcan 5.0L when I had it..it wasn't too bad in the rain, and since it actually has some grooves to it, you shouldn't get any flack from law enforcement. The 275/50R15s fit fine in stock wheelwells with turdbines..didn't even have to flip the quadshocks.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Nice times man! Get some M/T's and you'll be lower in the 12's!!

 

[MY 85 GT]

I'm torn. I don't have money to blow so I want value(mileage). But at the same time I wanna do it right once and achieve the reason I want to buy some.

Can you get the Nittos? I say try them...im telling you they hook....they did for me...i said it my other post i ran 1.7's with them spraying a 100 shot off the line...never spun on me...Just heat them up lower the PSI to about 25 to 24 you'll be fine....

 

[25thmustang]

MY 85 GT was yours an auto or stick shift car? Big difference between stalled on a converter than dropping the clutch.

 

[MY 85 GT]

MY 85 GT was yours an auto or stick shift car? Big difference between stalled on a converter than dropping the clutch.

Yes it was an auto but i did have a high stall convertor in it...it was from SLP....But also i was spraying right off the line the Iroc 350 TPI car had 345 ft pounds of torque stock so with the extra 100 hp the torque was way over 400 believe me i couldnt hook on street tires at all...I was going crappy 2.4's 60ft's with the Nittos bam right down to 1.7's....they worked for me...maybe i got lucky...I know on a stick car its going to be harder but its worth a try...i mean they wear great can drive with them all of the time almost like a regular tire...kinda...lol

 

[Cobra912]

We don't have DOT here..we have Transport Canada, and they are aligning more than ever with the US & DOT standards. I ran a pair of 275/50R15 ET Street Radials (not the slick type) on my crapcan 5.0L when I had it..it wasn't too bad in the rain, and since it actually has some grooves to it, you shouldn't get any flack from law enforcement. The 275/50R15s fit fine in stock wheelwells with turdbines..didn't even have to flip the quadshocks.

Yeah I was looking to get a pair of those.........but all they can get is 275/60/15 which is on my car now and I had to pull the quads. They were gonna be like 450 bucks Canadian for two versus a set of nitto 555dr's for 350us. Not sure what i'm gonna do

 

[MY 85 GT]

Yeah I was looking to get a pair of those.........but all they can get is 275/60/15 which is on my car now and I had to pull the quads. They were gonna be like 450 bucks Canadian for two versus a set of nitto 555dr's for 350us. Not sure what i'm gonna do

Try the nitto's....If they dont hook im sure you can sell that pretty fast......but i think you will be surprised how well they work....

 

[Cobra912]

hhhmm I might. in the mean time I'm tryin to line up a pair of slicks. Will I lose power by removing my exhaust from the h-pipe back? I may have clearance issues

 

[anticubicle]

Skipping all posts so I apologize if it's been said but*—

1. Don't over-think the run. In the end, you're out there to have fun so think of it as that.
2. Don't worry about what anyone watching thinks. If you **** up, who cares? Pros do it.

Since you're on street tires, I wouldn't really launch it too hard. Do a quick little burn out just to clean the tires off and that's it, anything else on street tires is wasting your rubber.

 

[Cobra912]

Ok so......update....


Fixed line lock. Had a heck of a time getting a master cylinder for my car. The parts store kept supplying me with incorrect parts.


And.........I now have a pair of slicks my good neighbor lent me. They are 26x9x15 on some centerlines off his fairlane. They are 5 bolt so I had to scam some 10 holes off my buddy. So now I have to go dismount and throw the slicks on these.

Do I drive straight through the water box or still drive around and back into it?

Tomorrow is last race weekend!!

 

[Cobra912]

And how about ditching the exhaust past the H-pipe? I may have clearance issues

 

[25thmustang]

Shouldnt have issues, and backing in the water never hurts, but if you have skinnys out front, you can drive through without worry.