Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
#2
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
Thousands of dollars, Ten thousand?
#4
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
Yes Sir I wish I had the money to do nothing but drag race!!
#5
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
How long does it have to live? You can buy a 500 dollar junk yard motor and spray the ***** off it for a 10 second pass....once or twice
Dont need much really. Cheap car with LCA's, subframe connectors, 6pt bar to be legal, and sticky tires. You can run 10's on that setup. Dont need much else. Thats assuming all the suspension bushing and shocks/springs are still in working condition but replacing those isnt too much money.
Motor doesnt have to be anything super special with nitrous. Or turbo. You probably gut the thing out since it doesnt need to be street legal. Get down 3000 lbs and it dont take much power to get there. Good L98 with heads/cam and enough stall with a 100 shot will be MORE than enough to get 10's and that setup will live for a good while with a tune and keeping rpm under 6400 or so.
Dont need much really. Cheap car with LCA's, subframe connectors, 6pt bar to be legal, and sticky tires. You can run 10's on that setup. Dont need much else. Thats assuming all the suspension bushing and shocks/springs are still in working condition but replacing those isnt too much money.
Motor doesnt have to be anything super special with nitrous. Or turbo. You probably gut the thing out since it doesnt need to be street legal. Get down 3000 lbs and it dont take much power to get there. Good L98 with heads/cam and enough stall with a 100 shot will be MORE than enough to get 10's and that setup will live for a good while with a tune and keeping rpm under 6400 or so.
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
A good gutted out car making around 600 HP should get you easily into the 10's. Depends if you want low or high 10's. I ran mid to low 11's with a 383 making around 500 HP but was also doing it at altitude.
The faster you go, the HP required to go faster goes up exponentially. A 15 second car with a 150 shot of NOS should become a low to mid 13 second car but a high 11 second car with a 150 shot of NOS may not get into the 10's.
The faster you go, the HP required to go faster goes up exponentially. A 15 second car with a 150 shot of NOS should become a low to mid 13 second car but a high 11 second car with a 150 shot of NOS may not get into the 10's.
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
cheapest buy someones unfinished project.
as said above. You looking for a summer car. Then rebuilt next season. Or build something to hold up for a few years of street driving and a trip down the track once a month?
as said above. You looking for a summer car. Then rebuilt next season. Or build something to hold up for a few years of street driving and a trip down the track once a month?
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
I was just going to mention racingjunk. Buy a roller or if you have the money, a turnkey. For the time and effort you'll spend making a race car, you could buy at least 2 completed cars for the same price. You can even get a real good price on a tube chassis car for less than what it would cost to build a gutted out street car that will still weigh too much. If you do buy a tube chassis car, make sure it has a current chassis certification. At least that way you'll know it should still be in good condition even if you don't run fast enough to need it.
Trouble with buying someone elses car is it will always be someone elses car. If you take a street car and convert it into a race car like I did, I can say my Camaro is my car and not one that I bought from someone else. I also know every nut, bolt and weld on the car from all the changes and modifications I've done over the years. I've also spent a lot of extra money trying something that didn't work and changed to something different.
Trouble with buying someone elses car is it will always be someone elses car. If you take a street car and convert it into a race car like I did, I can say my Camaro is my car and not one that I bought from someone else. I also know every nut, bolt and weld on the car from all the changes and modifications I've done over the years. I've also spent a lot of extra money trying something that didn't work and changed to something different.
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
The dollars spent will depend on you and how you go about it.
But, here's some thoughts:
1. Since you're in Jersey, near lots of fast sea-levelish tracks, you already have a head start on most US citizens
2. At 3200 lbs with driver, it takes only about 450 flywheel hp to go 10's, if you get the other stuff right.
3. Because of #2, I expect you'll spend much more on the rest of the car to "get the other stuff right", than you will on the engine. Plan on getting your 60's down into the 1.4x's to do this. Gearing, a tougher rearend, TC, suspension,
But, here's some thoughts:
1. Since you're in Jersey, near lots of fast sea-levelish tracks, you already have a head start on most US citizens
2. At 3200 lbs with driver, it takes only about 450 flywheel hp to go 10's, if you get the other stuff right.
3. Because of #2, I expect you'll spend much more on the rest of the car to "get the other stuff right", than you will on the engine. Plan on getting your 60's down into the 1.4x's to do this. Gearing, a tougher rearend, TC, suspension,
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
Build something other than a full-bodied car.
You can take a $50 junkyard TBI 305 and make 10-sec passes if the car is light enough.
You can take a $50 junkyard TBI 305 and make 10-sec passes if the car is light enough.
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
Find a broke down Fiero and, drop in a small block. A very easy way is a Northstar with the drivetrain out of a Cadillac. A good set of rubber, no restrictions on the engine with a small shot of nitrous and, to the tens you shall go. 10K will get the job done in almost any car that doesn't weigh to much.
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Car: '86 Bird, 96 ImpalaSS, 98 C1500XCab
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
A one-hit wonder? .........maybe.
A 10-sec car that you can race? ..........no.
And the suggestion about a Foxbody with the 8.8" rear is a good one.
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Car: 1987 Iroc Z28 Camaro
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
They work great for street and strip. Got a friend who just ran a high 9 with that same exact set up. 430whp with a 50 shot of Nitrous. Car hooks like a bastard.
#18
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
I still think a fox body with the 8.8 is the best bet. Strong parts, good aftermarket, light, and pretty cheap. There is a reason you see a ton of them.
I came close to buying a notchback off a local guy, 8.8 rear, no trans/motor, full interior, straight body, good paint, for $800. It would have been a perfect car to start drag racing.
I have seen too many fieros breaking the halfshafts. Dont look too easy to work on either.
S10 might be an option to consider. Light weight, cheap, explorer 8.8 bolts right in (better if narrowed some), decent aftermarket.
I came close to buying a notchback off a local guy, 8.8 rear, no trans/motor, full interior, straight body, good paint, for $800. It would have been a perfect car to start drag racing.
I have seen too many fieros breaking the halfshafts. Dont look too easy to work on either.
S10 might be an option to consider. Light weight, cheap, explorer 8.8 bolts right in (better if narrowed some), decent aftermarket.
#19
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Re: Cheapest Way To Make a 10 sec drag car?
Since this is thirdgen forum, I was thinking fox body would be out the question.
Maybe its just me but I've had great luck with my factory 10 bolts Figure a light weight car with an auto, it wont hurt the rear much. Not like a 3600+ lb factory car trying to launch. 3000-3100 lbs makes it alot easier but still, stalled autos are nice.
I used to spray top of first gear to reduce shock on the rear, and only after a few trys did I get the ***** to spray off the line on full throttle. It worked. 1.41 60 foots on stock 3.42 rear.
With stock rear, just need to leave softer and make more power on top end to get into the 10's.
Maybe its just me but I've had great luck with my factory 10 bolts Figure a light weight car with an auto, it wont hurt the rear much. Not like a 3600+ lb factory car trying to launch. 3000-3100 lbs makes it alot easier but still, stalled autos are nice.
I used to spray top of first gear to reduce shock on the rear, and only after a few trys did I get the ***** to spray off the line on full throttle. It worked. 1.41 60 foots on stock 3.42 rear.
With stock rear, just need to leave softer and make more power on top end to get into the 10's.
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