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Why so slow?

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Old May 7, 2010 | 11:32 PM
  #1  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Why so slow?

I have my car in my sig, and my personal best with this car is a 13.52@105 something. This is with a 2.2 60 ft.

Today i went to the track and ran about 4 or 5 times, and i came out with a best of 14.11 and my best mph was 102.7 granted my best 60 was also 2.37 with all the others in the 2.4 range.

Please tell me this is just because i need a driver mod and has nothing to do with my car.

I dont know why but i have tried everything and i just cant seem to get my car under a 2.3 anymore.

When i rand the 13.5 i had my stock 16 inch wheels and my recent times are with my current ones. If you need complete time slips to diagnose better ill put them up.

What gives?
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Old May 8, 2010 | 12:17 AM
  #2  
RS Chris's Avatar
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From: Pasadena, TX
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Why so slow?

Your sixty foot blows. Period. What do you have for tires and suspension? With that mph you should be low 13s high 12s.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 12:21 AM
  #3  
xpndbl3's Avatar
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From: Orland Park, IL
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: SLOW carbed ls
Transmission: TH400 with brake, 8" PTC converter
Axle/Gears: moser 9" 4.11
Re: Why so slow?

put some slicks on that car and let it eat, then it'll run much faster.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 01:15 AM
  #4  
84firebird383's Avatar
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From: Oshkosh wi
Car: 77 Firebird
Engine: 454
Transmission: th350
Axle/Gears: 4.10
Re: Why so slow?

Originally Posted by BCdawg57
I have my car in my sig, and my personal best with this car is a 13.52@105 something. This is with a 2.2 60 ft.

Today i went to the track and ran about 4 or 5 times, and i came out with a best of 14.11 and my best mph was 102.7 granted my best 60 was also 2.37 with all the others in the 2.4 range.

Please tell me this is just because i need a driver mod and has nothing to do with my car.

I dont know why but i have tried everything and i just cant seem to get my car under a 2.3 anymore.

When i rand the 13.5 i had my stock 16 inch wheels and my recent times are with my current ones. If you need complete time slips to diagnose better ill put them up.

What gives?
Traction seems to be your problem. Get some good sticky tires.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 10:54 AM
  #5  
AlkyIROC's Avatar
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Why so slow?

Sticky tires are required. Just because your street tires have tread doesn't mean they'll hook up. Even with sticky tires, you may not get the best traction. There also needs to be some track prep.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 07:34 PM
  #6  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

My suspension consists of kyb gr2 shocks and struts hotpart lca's and sumitomo htr z3 tires. Stock cars can 60 ft 2.0 and I can't get remotley close to that. I figured my time was a result of my poor traction but I also thought my mph was a tad low for my combo as well.

Some slicks are def in this cars future.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 08:30 PM
  #7  
RS Chris's Avatar
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From: Pasadena, TX
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Why so slow?

Do you have an adjustable torque arm? If not that will help get you hooked up to.
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Old May 8, 2010 | 09:48 PM
  #8  
drperformance's Avatar
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From: Pittsburgh
Car: 1987 firebird
Engine: 1995 lt1 383
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: moser 9" with 3.70
Re: Why so slow?

mount some slicks on 15" rims! Those 18" look good on the street but suck for drag racing.
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Old May 9, 2010 | 09:04 AM
  #9  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

No i have the stock torque arm. Time for some slicks and then probably a new rear.
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Old May 9, 2010 | 01:00 PM
  #10  
83 Crossfire TA's Avatar
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Car: 87TA 87Form 71Mach1 93FleetWB 04Cum
Re: Why so slow?

18's are typically both heavier and don't give as well/are harder to launch. Typically, you'll see 1.5x the difference in your 60' time at the big end of the track, so just your 60' difference should put you back into the high 13's. I've run 1.8's on radials (turned out that the car didn't have enough power to go faster, even dead hooking on drag radials it wouldn't run faster), which would probably put that car in the low 13s @106 or so.

there is still something wrong there since I've run 13.0@107 in my 97 WS6 pretty much stock, heavier car, same engine and none of the mods you have to your LT1. I'm not a big fan of the hot cam setup in LT1's, but what I'm seeing in your sig should be running high to mid 12's in a 4th gen and with some 4.10 gears, sticky tires and a good driver very close to 12flat... (well, that really depends on what "ported heads" means... I'm assuming monkey with a grinder that at least didn't make things worse, really well done heads with the rest of that and well matched/tuned should have that car deep in the 11's)

Last edited by 83 Crossfire TA; May 9, 2010 at 01:05 PM.
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Old May 9, 2010 | 06:32 PM
  #11  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

I'm not sure of the quality of the port job. One of my intake ports stick out almost a quarter of an inch past the gasket so you can guess on the rest. The only thing I can say is the car dynoed 335hp at the wheels. With a good 60 I know I can run a sub 13.5 but I don't know if I'm just a ba shifter or what. Also, ocasionaly I can feel the clutch slip at high rpm, so maybe it is constantly slipping when full throtle? I don't know, the tuner at the dyno said the engine was running normally
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Old May 9, 2010 | 07:26 PM
  #12  
RS Chris's Avatar
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From: Pasadena, TX
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Why so slow?

Well if it slips on stock tires then sticky ones will definately exaggerate the problem. On the plus side a slipping clutch means you won't break any drive train parts.
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Old May 9, 2010 | 07:35 PM
  #13  
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From: NY
Car: 00 SSEi / 94 C4
Engine: 231 / 383
Transmission: 4T65E / ZF 6sp
Axle/Gears: 2.93 / Dana 44 3:45
Re: Why so slow?

you dropped the rear springs.. That's a big no no for racing.. the car will not squat
and low profile tires... that's like running on your RIMS
a race track will require SLICKS ... you will hook up way better on the Street with your setup
your car is setup... for course racing
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Old May 9, 2010 | 08:04 PM
  #14  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

How did I drop the springs?
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Old May 10, 2010 | 09:12 AM
  #15  
88gta3508's Avatar
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From: NY
Car: 00 SSEi / 94 C4
Engine: 231 / 383
Transmission: 4T65E / ZF 6sp
Axle/Gears: 2.93 / Dana 44 3:45
Re: Why so slow?

Looking at your car you have 1.5 - 2.0 drop (lowering) 4 spring kit <> they end up 2.0
I did that when i had my GTA looks great. way to low if i did a u turn my exhaust would scrape the center yellow line in the road ..where the pavement overlaps
and when And when I raced mine at the track I would do 1/8 burn OUTS
awesome if I was doing a BURNOUT SHOW
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Old May 10, 2010 | 10:38 AM
  #16  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

I don't have a lowering kit.
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Old May 10, 2010 | 11:16 AM
  #17  
88gta3508's Avatar
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 581
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From: NY
Car: 00 SSEi / 94 C4
Engine: 231 / 383
Transmission: 4T65E / ZF 6sp
Axle/Gears: 2.93 / Dana 44 3:45
Re: Why so slow?

Ok you still have very low profile tires <>That will not Grab due to almost no side wall
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Old May 10, 2010 | 11:20 AM
  #18  
itsMikey's Avatar
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
Car: 89 GTA/93 S13/91 Si
Engine: 5.7 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: Why so slow?

thats why hes gonna get slicks he already knows hes not getting good traction
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Old May 10, 2010 | 12:25 PM
  #19  
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From: Texas
Car: 1992 Formula Firebird
Engine: 305CID (LB9)
Transmission: World Class T5
Axle/Gears: 10-bolt, 4.10 gears
Re: Why so slow?

In addition to getting different tires you may want to look at upgrading your suspension components. The stamped steel stock stuff blows. Period. Get yourself a panhard bar, new lower control arms and make sure all your bushings and end links for your sway bar are in good shape. If you plan on lowering the car get adjustable stuff so that you can correct your suspension geometry. Or rather retain the correct suspension geometry while lowering the car. I've seen cars with suspension work hook up and get better times than cars that were quite a bit more powerful. There is more to drag racing than raw power and tires.
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Old May 10, 2010 | 01:36 PM
  #20  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

Yeah i have aftermarket lca's and am looking at pickin up a cheap set of 15" rims and a good set of drag radials. Any suggestions on brand or size? I just replaced my rear sway links and bushings. the rest of the bushings are in fair shape.

The best thing to do is get some runs in with good 60ft times and reevaluate my performance. I should probably replace my clutch as well but im not ready to drop 2500 on a new rear....

Also another thing to consider is my shifting...if it helps at all at the 1/8 im doing about 80mph.

thanks for all your input
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Old May 10, 2010 | 01:48 PM
  #21  
RS Chris's Avatar
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From: Pasadena, TX
Car: 1991 RS
Engine: 5.0
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Why so slow?

Do you have LCA relocation brackets?
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Old May 10, 2010 | 02:49 PM
  #22  
BCdawg57's Avatar
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 424
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From: Columbus, OH, USA
Car: '91 Z28, '13 Civic EX-L
Engine: 355 LT1, 1.8 I4
Transmission: T56, 5spd auto
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.42(as long as no breaky)
Re: Why so slow?

no
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