I was reading GM High Tech Performance last night and low and behold on the last page is a reader ride pic of what looks like FLYIN LOWs car (grey 89 GTA). They identified it as an Ontario car.

Anyone else seen this too ?

RP.

 

Nope didnt see it but what does the caption say?

I need to subscribe to that mag... They stopped selling it in chapters and I cant find anywhere else in ottawa to buy it

 

I have it scanned. I was gonna send it to Nate so he could host it but I forgot all about it. They still sell GMHTP at Chapters. That's where I get mine. I have every issue but the first 2. Lately it's turned into LS1/LT1 Illustrated but it's still the best mag going.

 

I get my GMHTP from a guy I work with. Best deal going. He is a 4th gen'r so he gets pretty hot about that mag. LS1 this, LT1 that, yawn... what about TPIs ???

Oh yeah you can get a freebee GMHTP if you buy the latest HotRod Mag. I did it was wrapped in the plastic with HR Mag. Nice surprise. We still get GMHTP at Chapters in Kitchener.

They (GMHTP) have started a buildup on an '89 Formula TPI with shtick and 3.45s that does a 14.6 @ 94.??? with very minor mods. Whats up ? I make more power and I get a 15.10 @ 93.5 ?

adious,
RP.

 

Yes it is Flyinlow 's car

 

Paul I guess they need to feature cars that their sponsors support and thats whats hot now. What chapters has it? I picked up a mag called pontiac enthusiast last weekend at chapters. They have nice fbod and 3rd gen coverage in sep/oct edition. They feature a NIIICE 1LE 89firebird (same body and looks as 91/92) and top 10 magazine done 1/4 fbod times ever. I found it interesting so I will post for the hell of it.
10- 67 firebird 400, 13.99 @ 105, motor trend
9- 89 TTA, 13.90 @ 99.5, motor trend
8(tie)- 00 TA vert. 13.9 @ 102, motor trend
8(tie)- 70 TA, 13.90 102, hot rod
7- 72 TA, 13.90 @ 104.6, car and driver
6- 68 firebird, 13.79 @ 106.38, hot rod
5- 71 TA, 13.7 @ 104, Cars
4- 73 SD 455 TA, 13.54 @ 104.29, hot rod
3- 2000 TA WS6, 13.50 @107.40, motor trend
2- 90 firehawk, 13.20 @ 107, car and driver
1- 97 hurst firebird, 12.99 @ 103.11

 

you dont mean magnum tpi do you? errr maybe magnums 87 not 89. Anyway i like what they are doing with magnum but they dont spare many expenses thats for sure...

 

Nope. Magnum TPI is apparently having some uglies with unexpected glitches (electrical) and will not be in the mag again till winter -- if memory serves.

The new Formula is obviously to plug the hole that Magnum TPI has left. It is an '89 305 TPi with BW rear given it has 3.45s, and a 5 -speed. It's best with minor mods was a 14.6 at 94 (I think, memory again). They are going to do a bunch of 305 friendly bolt ons to see what it will do.

adious,
RP.

 

Sweet. I love when mags do that... Its nice to see mods that most of the people reading the mag can budget.

 

seen it a couple of weeks ago. some one make a post in the big board too.

 

Back in an issue of High-Performance Pontiac featuring an article on last years Trans Am Nats, my friends car and mine were in the inside cover and again in the pictures in the article. It was a pretty cool surprise to open the cover to the index and see that. I should have in blown up and hung on my wall, thats the only time I'll get it in a mag I bet. Oh well, it was still cool. Job well done HPP staff!!!

 

I was recently contacted by a guy named Mark from a publishing company overseas, Voluce or Voloce Publishing, asking me for any pics of my '87 and '82 cars with specifics on each car. Apparently they are a publishing a book on the history of the Firebird from '67-02. I was kinda surprised, but they saw pics of my cars on the TransAM GTA site.
Has anyone else heard of this company?

 

Yup...its my car.

 

Palric..

I read that same article. WTF!!! Your right. I couldn't believe what they were able to get out of that car. On top of that there wasn't any mods and the car had 139 000 miles on it. The only mod was a K&N filter. It ran a 14.8. With the exhaust it ran a 14.6. What's going on here?? You ran a 15.11 and you have stock 230hp with your mods and 79 000kms while an 89 has 215hp.

Something is wierd here definetly. I was told recently that you can get faster times at the Cayuga track than at the St. Thomas track. Something about how much cleaner the track is kept.

I'm begining to think that I know dick about cars and tracks. My car ran a 15.551 with a stock engine and only a ram air and cat back and all I'm told is, by people that are NOT from this board, how slow my car is and that is should have been able to do better.

According to G-tech I have 171 hp to the rear wheels. That was on my second run. On my first run I got 166hp. We'll find out this Saturday just how accurate G-tech really is. We already know that it's 1/4 mile time is accurate.

See you Saturday.

 

Yah I had to wonder I read the article again because this guy's numbers are so surprising. I mean 92zedder has my setup plus headers (SLP at that) and pulled 14.7s What is up ? The mag article says the Frugal Formula did a 14.67 best time on a 305 TPI stick. That motor has to be warmed over somehow and not just cat-back.

My factory specs are 230/300 and I've added about 20hp and 30lbs torque. My engine is making more power than stock or so says my butt-dyno. The best I could get at St. Thomas was 15.11 @ 93.5 and I did almost the exact time on three runs. So this guys car was almost a 1/2 second faster than mine.

My times ARE low I think it was heat and humidity that day plus my shift point was off but I had no dyno numbers to tell me otherwise.

It is possible my HP is down I think my valve springs are finished and my fuel pressure is off. I'll know on dyno day

adious,
RP.

 

Dont under estimate a stick! 700r4s added weight can easily add a tenth or 2 plus the firmer/quicker shifting, add the fact you can do a nice big clutch dump (expecially if your magazine paid for it!) and you got a nice head start. On top of that they probably waited for best possible conditions their track is probably mint and the driver knows how to race... It all adds up. Did they say if they were using race gas or pump? It seems like every now and then I hear about an abnormally quick stock 305 tpi with a stick in the mid to high 14s. To bad you cant track race a car before you buy it

 

How magazine's do those amazing track times....

professional driver, many launches on top of that...

plenum iced for sure b/w runs....

lots of track bite in staging.. that stuff is amazing...

temepratures may be high, but what about the humidity and the elevation? odds are they are fairly good...

tires are really expensive streets usually or slicks...

engine is running in VERY good condition usually... fresh oil, plugs, filter wires etc...

all these factors combined will make for good times.

Palric, with the power in that car of yours with some good traction adjustments and practice, tires being the big ones or lots of track bite you could easily match 92zeddar's times...

 

palric do you think the better times might have something to do with thier elevation. (were they not close to sea level?) also they had the track for the hole day to prep it just the way they wanted. and i doubt they had worn out oul tires on it. they also iced down the intake i bet too. all the things needed to get the best times.

 

Well if Palric would shift into 4th he might get a faster time.. leaving it in 3rd and screaming to 6100rpms... hahahahaha
I think if I was to get some slicks on my car I could shave off some more time down at the track.. I see Nblanchard runs a 14.3 at 95.6 .. I can get the same mile an hour out of my car I just keep getting 2.389 60 foot times... If I could get like a 2.1 60 footer I would be on my way to break some some mid 14's... If I am lucky!!

 

yahyahyahyahyahyah... I have been practicing that shift to 4th... ok 5200rpm shift to 4th !!! Reminder to self DO NOT WIND OUT 3rd WHEN ON TRACK.

I'll have my 3rd gen "heads up display" working by then (A yellow sticky reminder attached to the windshield) it will have a happy face with "4th gear" written on it. Who knows I may break 15s after all ???

adious,
RP.

 

I dunno man I read back in 1992 that the 91s and 92s (305 TPI with the hot setup) made 14.6s and/or 14.7s with pro drivers. But who knows eh ?

If they were at LA County then the times are corrected because it is above see level. I'll read the article again tonight. Better yet I'll send GMHTP an e-mail.

adious,
RP.