After many a year getting screwed by many a shop, we've finally met the goals...actually exceeded them to what i started trying to put together 3 years ago, a mild mannered pump gas combo that runs 10.50's during the heat of the summer and can stand the riggors of in town and interstate driving. I finally got a chance yesterday to test the new convertor, but weather conditions SUCKED, cold, 25-30mph head winds, it was the tracks debute for a 10.5 class and i watched as they all struggles to hook up and thought to self; self, they cant hook and are running slower than i can on the juice so why not enter that class and see how far you can go and make a quick buck. So saturday was all 1/8mi passes for qualifying and elimins on the juice...which i ran out of the last two passes, so best on juice with the crazy head wind: 1.320 60' and 6.30 1/8mile @ 107mph and that was tripping the beams with the rear tires since i was most of the way through 2nd gear before she touched down again LOL!! but it was a perfect slow and smooth lift off, not real high, just high enough and carried it out a ways. Got a hair up my butt and headed to a track today which sucks for traction but they're were running 1/4mile so i bit my tounge and headed out, first pass off the trailer all motor and first full track with new convertor 1.41 60' 6.59 1/8mi @ 104mph 10.36 1/4mi @ 130mph And, like always that was not to be the fastest pass, my fastest pass came first round of eliminations, i treed the snot of the gal i raced, car was running very consistant so at was completely out of the gas coasting across the finish line figureing i'm waaay safe to not breaking out....her win light came on...WTF???!!!!! I scrubbed of 10mph and STILL ran a 10.37. So back in the trailer i did the incrementals and that pass "would've" been a 10.26 but since i dont have the paper to back it, i'm just azzed out never fricken fails!! So 3 years, alot of moohla later and i surpassed my goal of a 10.50 street car. I'm sure if i removed the exhaust it'd pick up, i'm sure if i removed the subwoofers/box and amps it'd pick up, but for me, that takes away from the street car persona, i want to know my junk will theoretically run on the street what i run on the track...so 10.36 it is!!! I ran out of nitrous yesterday in the 10.5 race or else i would've been all over a nitrous pass today too and gotten that 9.?? pass on pump gas swill too

congrats man, it's finally hauling the mail. Now to get more seat time in mine...

I know it's been a long journey but you had to be happy about the results now. Not to mention all the $$$$$ it took to get there.

Providing you didn't lift until after the 1000' mark, you can easily do a calculated run to know what you would have ran without braking.

From previous full pass runs, take the 1/4 mile time and divide it by the 1000' time. You should come up with a number very close to 1.19. Mine is usually 1.197-1.199. Take that number and multiply it to the 1000' time of a run that you braked right at the very end. That's technically what you "should" have run if you didn't brake.

If your track doesn't provide 1000' times, you're SOL.

Hey Stephen, i just ran the incrementals in the log book based on how much the car picked up at each stage of the track and came up with a 10.26...but regardless, i dont have the paper so it coulda been a 5 second pass and it would'nt count regardless since i cant back it/prove it....but how many times have those of us that race consistantly allways been on the cars best pass and had to hit the brakes....it's a very common occurance everywhere

Oh well, all that matters is i finally got it all working like it shoulda been years ago thanks to MANY great people both locally and out of state whom i dealt with, and without them, i'd still be fighting gremlins i think.

Congrats. After all the trouble you've had with shops its good to see it all work out

AWESOME RUNS! can't wait to see the car run again in person josh. hopefully i'll get off my arse and have my car done for the night of fire

About freakin time man glad things are working out for ya finally.

We're coming down there this weekend to try our luck again Just stinks relearning a combo again, but whatcha gonna do.

Congrats on the times man. Now crack a beer and enjoy!

i'll probably be there with my truck lol. sister has a graduation party but she told me i can ditch for the races. gonna be down friday night?

Yeah, i'll be shutting down the jobsite early so i can rush home and throw everything in the trailer and peel, i want a few hits on the tree with the new combo since Saturday at home i only got the 1 shot N/A and the roll out where i was at sunday is waaaay different than Scott's tracks. Need 3 hits to perfect it and then it's Miller Time

Congrats on the new times. Keep use posted on the progress.

Well, it should'nt get anything but slower as the bad summer air comes in from here on out...it was really ideal conditions down there yesterday, kinda why i'm bitter i did'nt have a full bottle of the spray, oh well. Now i just need some seat time to readjust to everything and get back into the groove, the few races i've hit this year have been pathetic, i feel like a fricken rookie making bonehead mistakes...so after this weekend i have a better feel for the car so now it's game time. Just when you think you've done everything possible to lose and learn from your own lessons, you then start to repeat the course againg LOL!!!!

A person would'nt think picking up 6-7mph out the back would be as noticable as it is, but man, the ole brakes sure get a work out slowing the tank down...nothing scarey, just more pressure more often than i'm used too. Cant wait for the juice pass since i hope to run a mid 9 with it so i imagine 134-136mph...that should be fun, just hope i dont peel the tread off my front street tires at speed, that'd be bad i think

my brakes felt like crap still at the track, tons of pedal effort with not much slowing to show for it. Almost makes me want to go back to power brakes, this strange manual cylinder isn't cutting it, or I did something bonehead and that's why they suck.

You had to have messed something up??? I absolutely love mine and they stop excellent, same everything as factory, just without all the vacuum lines and big azzed booster under da hood. I just think if i intend to keep this bucket and intend on the next phase including a BBC to run bottom 9's on pump gas, it'll be about time to upgrade my entire braking system to larger aftermarket everything and dual calipers out back...which I would'nt mine putting in now anyhow on a lever for stripe driving, just draaag them ever so lightly and move onto the next round, then when i hit the Nozzz button and everything turns into a blurr since i'll be traveling at light speed like the import guys do, i'll know i wont be lacking in brakes

I know what you mean about the brakes. Moving from drum to disc in the rear helped a good bit for me you can still see the brakes get a lot of heat in them from the color of the rotors. As for the dual caliper rears I thought the turbo guys were using them to mainly hold the car at the line.

I'm sure they do, but alot of guys with bad fast stuff double up rear brakes as well and put them on a lever to help with deceleration....kinda hard to put them on the fronts since typically in bad fast cars the front tires are super small, minimal contact patch so any true braking effort coming from up front is a joke.

Good times man, good to see it finally working out! dont forget the first rule of racing ...have FUN!

I remember those days, i remember being able to joke around with the buddies and actually retain what they said because i was there to have fun and enjoy the moment....i remember that class, it was called sportsman/street class. and then once i made the jump up and competition got waay more competative, operation started costing more to run i watched fun go to the way side and turn more into work....just costs to much to not be focused and set on kill when in eliminations, AFTER i'm done i'm fine, but my wife usually does'nt even hang around since i just go to my special place and kinda zone out..there in body but no in mind

When I run a single master cylinder, I put an adjustable prop valve on the front. With the dual master, you can adjust the crossbar to comphensate. Definitely need more rear brakes than front with skinnies & bigs. The dual rear set-ups are mostly comon for turbo guys and for dragsters/altereds/etc that often don't have front brakes.

I understand you on the zoning out thing. I'm usually fine in the pits after between round maintenance(provided there's nothing to fix). But once I get in the car and strap in, forget about even talking to me. There's nobody home to answer.

Congrats on the new time. Cant wait to see what it runs on the N2O.

congrats man, glad things are workin out

Thats is what i am talking about, picking up 26 MPH on the second havf! I would be happy as a kid in the candy store. Congrats man.

It's boils down to how dedicated and how much you really want it, when i look into any new venture i look to see who the best is and how they do it since it expediates my learning curve expodentially. I befriended our multi time track champ and started watching how he does things between rounds, start to finish until the race is done with...where i used to pit with the buddies was chaos, everybody having fun, joking, drama with their car doing this or that, kids running around...just ALOT of commotion. So this guy told me when i wanted to start getting serious, come pit with him...and that's what i did next race. Atmosphere was quite, laid back, just sitting in the trailer making small talk even though we know neither one of us is listening to eachother and what do you know, i went from being a 1-3 round duck to being the guy people did'nt line up next too...just behind me

All my buddies thought i was a dyck for leaving them, but i'm never content with anything and there was no way i could ever get used to NOT going rounds/winning just to hang out...that's what off weekends are for. So in a way i'm envious of them because they're having fun still and i'm kind of a hermit on race day, but it's just something i need to do personally to stay focused and try and get the job done...hard to do that when you have 10 different people flapping their gums about non sense all day Now with the enclosed trailer the wife likes coming out since she can sit in the A/C and read a book since i dont talk much, but before she dreaded coming out because "I ignored her".....when your dropping $3-500/weekend all summer, you damn well better have your game face on IMO, but alot of guys were never good, will never be good, and still find enjoyment in the sport...i'm glad for them, but i could'nt do it, costs too much and i'd slit my wrists after awhile.

If i could aford 3-500$ a week, i would be a happy camper, that is for sure.

$150 entry for the weekend, $50 buy back if necessary, fuel in the car, fuel in the truck, food, beverages for two days, family entry fees for two days...it does not take long at all to have at LEAST $300 in a weekend race, now go out of town which we do quite a bit and there's more gas in towing, hotel costs added to it, and we'll usually try to get into town at least one day to eat at a nice resturant and check out the local quizzine

I see numbers just like any other person who owns a business because i track pennies, i listen to these fools talk at the track about only having this much in this or that...maybe in hard parts, sure, but it's the little stuff that gets ya everytime....but far too many people forget about the $3 here the $12 there, $21 for this to make original $200 part work, etc....so we joke at winter time bench racing session, and have come up with a close formula for modding the car....take the budget/price you THINK it's going to cost to do it- and ADD 30% and that's what you will REALLY have into it....that formula is so true to life it's scarey.

But going back to cost, that is why i have a hard time understanding the folks "just out there to have fun" they must have alot more money than i do since i can find much better ways to invest $3-500 per race weekend than hanging out with my buddies at a racetrack LMAO!!! Hence if i did'nt get as lucky as i get, is'nt no way in heck i'd continue to race, but hey, i guess without those types, round money would'nt be such a good investment then LOL!!!

Well, i like the fact you dont have a pure race car. I dont frown on them, but what fun is it to me to be able to drive a 1/8-1/4 mile at a time? Not much, but that is me. I am on a budget but not as i was.


My problem that bites me in the *** building a motor/swap, all the small things, like you said. Gaskets here and there, bolts here and there. A part you forgot, parts that didt work so you have to spend money on other ones, that is what sets my budget over EVERY tie...wife hates it

I hear you on this one josh, my gf doesn't understand yet, but she will soon. even when i was racing in high school i told my dad i wasn't gonna do it unless i was gonna be the best. My first season racing i was 2nd in points by 1 stinking round, and then the second year i was the champ in my class, won a gamblers race at finals, and runner up'd in the championship race because i forgot to adjust my dial for the 100ish lbs of luggage/tools we didn't take out of the trunk lol. but yeah, as soon as i put on the jacket and the helmet...i just kinda check out too. Even running sportsman i just can't stand to be there and NOT go rounds.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who pits away from all of the craziness. I agree though even though I don't get out as much as I would like, when I pull into the staging lanes I know that it's time to go to that little place in my head and get focused. I don't know how some of the guys do it with wondering around and talking all of the time them strappping in at the last second. Maybe it's just the way some of them work of nervous energy or something.

I know mine goes back to taking forever to get situated in the altered and such. I usually get suited up as soon as I pull into the lanes and get settled into the car and ready to go.

Another one of the quotes written on the wall in my garage," I have learned that a budget is a great place to start; then you suck it up and move on".

Entry fees, tow truck fuel, generator fuel, fluids/filters in the car, spark plugs every few races, $500 is ok for a close race, you'll push $800 pretty easily if you tow on to the next track. That's all provided you don't break anything. Hell, a blower belt is around $150, none-the-less a rod and/or piston. Methanol is considerably cheaper than race gas, but I burn 3-4 gallons per pass in the 1/8, counting the burn-out.

My dad told me a long time ago, "if you want to make a small fortune drag racing, you must start with a big fortune". If you're in it for the money, you won't be in it long. - I just like the track burgers and the smell of race fuel and brunt rubber.

I guess in our world you could say the post above is "Dead on with a zero" We're lucky here i have ample tracks all under a 3 hour worst case scenario drive in any direction so i could and have in the past raced every weekend all summer, but now with the business getting busier every year and us trying to do things around the house, plus family time i've really pulled back from where i was only 3 years ago, and this year with the new addition we're putting on the house and new garage going up, plus being absolutely swamped with work i'm being forced into focusing on local track only and then only a handful of out of town/state events i enjoy going to...i usually try to race one new track a year to mix it up a bit, and like you said, those trips start at a grand and go up from there, and that's with no problems there and back. This year we're going to head over to Scrimner(sp?) in Nebraska, best buddy moved over there a few years ago and i told him to keep me posted when that track has a worth while payout and i'll be over to run with him, but, i guess that tracks payout sucks regardless so it'll just have to be a trip made for commradery vs trying to break even for the weekend Only bright side, he told me there's alot of ducks out there so odds are good he did'nt race for 2 years and went to the semi's with a best light of .058 LMFAO!!!!!

It's definately a state of mind, as sick as it sounds since i am on the road ALOT looking at jobs and such when i know i hae a race weekend, EVERY stoplight that week is a tree, stare at the green and lift the thumb when the red light turns off LOL!!! Lots of laying in bed before falling asleep visualizing the tree, visualizing the stripe and how to handle each situation usually encountered. If i had to go out there cold with no pre run during the week in my head i'd probably be a wreck

Its funny, Im not that good, but people at the track do whatever they can NOT to run me, and were running for a silly trophy lol. They usually try to make me race the fastest car in the class, whom I have yet to run all out without forgetting something (nitrous never works when off lol) or some freak gremlin which i fought most of last season.I run heads up, first to the stripe,which I guess is a big winkey contest lol. This year, 1 goal...WIN
Incidentally, I do Not take the wife or the kid to the track, or any friends..no distactions so i guess i built that defense in lol, most of the time I hang out in or near the car between rounds, just need to fuel after each pass...so i dont forget lol. So yeah, I guess you could say im in the "zone" at the track, but even when I lose and im pissed, someone will compliment the car, usually the guys i already put out lol. Usually its guys that run at different tracks asking how come i can hook like that...I never answer lol

The payout really sucks now since Scribner closed after the 2005 season. The track currently has a bunch of hog sheds on it.

Actually, the payout is probably better for the hog operation than it was for the track.

man that is awesome, I`m so glad your luck has turned, I really felt that you were going to bail about a year ago, soo many guys do it and then start again...really glad you stuck it out, great numbers too for the first times out!! I`m starting 1/8 mile eliminations this weekend for the first time, never worried about the reaction time during all my "testing" but it`s going to come to head now. My learning curve starts now, can`t wait to see that first full no2 pass :-) !!

i need to come down there and run with you guys sometime soon. would be a nice change. i have been asked about the hooking deal also many times. had a guy rolling thru the pits pulling his backhalf nova.... "hey, you gotta 4 link in that thing?"
lol

IHI- glad you got those heads looked at and got everything working right. i also hated to see you wanting to sell the car last year. sucks to see things play out like that. luckily your going to be sticking around for a bit longer.

i too am glad he stuck with it and didn't sell it off, although he could donate that enclosed trailer WHENEVER he wants to me. I'll even be nice enough to pick it up for him

I have all the hooking stuff but the new combo doesn't like to hook, very strange pulling 100 pounds out of the nose and a little less torque out of the motor than my last combo and it doesn't want to pick up the tires or transfer weight just yet.

Spray it...lol

ya this motor will be sold after pinks all out, in fact the trans is already sold to a buddy, then I'll pop in the bigger motor and TH400 with a brake, then i'm sure it'll have no problems getting back where it should be. If not the bottle will make up for it. Just can't see putting a 10 point into a car that I street drive, I will keep the 6 point for quite a while.

u only need an 8

ya 8 point roll cage, which for us non west coasts peeps it's a 10 point I don't want to deal with a halo on a street driven car.

congrats! its about flippin' time!

oh? so what do you east coast boys call a 10 pt cage then?

A "hoagie"

Throw some pinion angle at it. Less power = less hit, you have to make the suspension make up for it.