First off I'd just like to say hi, this is my first time posting!

I just got my new toy, an '88 T/A GTA, love it

The car is pretty much bone stock.. the previous ower modified the MAF and added an airfoil... thats all I can find. Its a 5.7/700r4 and I have subs in the well.

Anyways... my best run was a 14.95 @ 91.99. Does this seem about right? All of my runs (except first and second - was my first time) were between 14.95-15.1. Im happy, though i thought it had a bit more to it, 14.7's maybe. Car has 70k on it. I shifted roughly at 4700 rpm, any advice?

 

Welcome aboard Matt. Not too bad for a bone stock GTA. We all must start somewhere. 4700 sounds like a good shift point for a TPI. You can even try some different points as well. What are the 60 ft times?

 

Well lets see... *dig through slips* I got there early so I got to make 9 runs before i decided to hang it up.

They are all pretty much 2.2-2.3

 

4700 not far enough speed shift it so it shifts right before it is about to bog down. my 305 i speed shift at 5300 and grabs right at 5500 right before it is going to bog the motor down. It is a solid gain. put a lock up torque converter switch free tenth. adjust the timing another great gain, just make sure you read how to do it first. tighten up your tv cable before you launch. headers worth every bit of fighting to get them in. you gotta pay to play

 

My car really runs out of steam at around 5k rpm. Maybe because its a 5.7 vs a 5.0? Ill have to read up about the TC lockup. Mainly though I was just trying to work on my reaction, my first few times were like 1.1 sec, lol. By the end I was running about .69 reaction.

And oh I know you have to pay to play! Still in high school, taking college classes too and I have been working two jobs to fund the car, really wearing me down.

 

same place working while in school, and going to tear down the entire car and rebuild and replace most anything.

 

Try to get your 60ft down in the 2.0-2.11 range... And let the auto trasmission shift itself. See if it makes a difference

 

I think im going to head down there again next wednesday, they have another test and tune on friday which starts at midnight and goes till everyone leaves but its supposed to rain. I was suprised i didnt need to granny it at all at launch, just to the metal right away didnt even break the tires.

 

You should not launch like that at the drag strip... Hold the brake and the gas at the same time... Bring up your RPM just before your tires wan't to spin. When the third yellow appear remove your foot from the brake pedal and mash the gas from where you were holding it. Should help you have a good launch. I did that with my 305 TPI GTA and normal street tires and got a 2.1 60ft

 

1100- 1500 rpm's to is the best before you break the tires loose.

 

Ill have to try it next time, this time was my first time and I was just trying to get the general jist of it all. My car has a stock converter in it so I didnt figure it could really be revved much at launch.

 

try putting the tire psi down a little too, 20-25psi.
wont make that big of a difference, but will hook-up a little better.
the tires should also hold there shape. but pump the front ones up they need to roll easily.

 

I dont know what tires you are using, but at least try some drag radials. Maybe you can borrow a set?

 

You will probably need to try different shift points and see what works best for your car. 4700 sounds a little low though. Even if it drops off, you have to consider what the power curve is like after it shifts as well.

 

The tires are BF Goodrich Comp T/A's. They have like... no tread left on them, lol. Maybe an eighth of an inch at most. Im going to try to ride them out for the next month till I put the car up and then put some Kumho's or something on it next season.

Ill have to pull up a dyno of a stock L98, i dont remember what the power curve on them looks like. My dad suggested trying a higher shift point of 5k-5.5k but the one time i tried it I forgot to turn off the AC when i came up to the tree so the results were skewed.

Im hoping that by just fixing problems with driver style I could get it to run 14.8-14.9 consistently, is this realistic?

 

Yeah that's realistic. My 88 GTA with a transplanted 350tpi from gm runs 14.9-15.1 consistently. My 60's are anywhere from 2.0-2.2. I'm senior in highschool right now so I understand how the whole pay to play thing is very difficult. If you're on a tight budget and aren't against the idea, you could try nitrous. I run a 100 shot and currently have a best time of 13.8 at 99mph with the DA at 3700-3800 ft, but I know it's got better times in it lol. Good Luck!!

 

I thought about nitrous... but I wonder just how long it would last on this stock motor with 70k miles. What does it cost you to refill that bottle anyways(a 10lb?)

 

My 89 350 vert (little heavier than your car) ran 14.9@93 so you arent far off if you are off. Done a tuneup? Start there. Alignment, tire pressure, etc. Make sure the car is running like it should first.

 

I just recently replaced the rotor, cap, wires, plugs, fuel filter, oil & oil filter, coolant, head gaskets, 180 thermostat, low temp fan switch. So I believe the engine is up to tune, and the front end alignment I think is good, I havent had it brought in but it doesnt pull at all. I have one barely noticable thump thump thump from a slightly warped brake rotor though.

 

It costs me 3 dollars a pound to fill my bottle which amounts to 30 bucks. Unless I go to the track because there it's 2 something per pound. My new motor has roughly 25000ish miles on it give or take 1 or 2 thousands miles. It has a stock bottom end and it's held up great. No problems. The tranny has been beefed up a bit so it can take the beating. The rear end is pretty strong too but it is the cars weak point in the driveline. I'm not to worried about anything breaking though. I mean I use it very responsibly. Just take all the necessary precautions and I think you'll be fine with nitrous.

~Roger

 

I would not worry about the shift points, until you can get the car to consistantly hook. Once you do that, then work on the shift points.

 

DO BOTH HOOK AND PLAY WITH YOUR SHIFT POINTS. LEARN THEM ON THE WAY TO WORK JUST DRIVE THE CAR BY YOURSELF AND GET A FEEL FOR WHEN YOU NEED TO SHIFT BEFORE YOUR TPI DOES ITS BOGGING. THE ENGINE SHOULD TURN TO 5500 AND THEN BOG. IDF IT DOESN'T TURN THAT HIGH SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH IT, HOWEVER IT WILL STILL RUN GOOD ENOUGH TRICKING YOU TO BELIEVE ITS RUNNING FINE.

 

What L98 makes it to 5500 before it bogs? One with a superram on it maybe...... The fun is done by 4700 - 5000 TOPS on almost any stock top L98

 

Yep, my car bogs right about there and my dads '46 ford coupe with a 350 TPI does the same, and both are in fine running condition.

 

By There do you mean 5500 or 4700-5000? If you mean 5500, I've got to figure out what you guys are doing

 

By "There" I meant the RPM range you said, my motor will rev to 5500... but all it is doing is making noise.

 

My S/R 436 is shifted at 5600. Tried 5400, and 5800. 5600 is the sweet spot.