No 12s this past Saturday :(

[Raben]

Well it was my b-day and decided to install an exhaust cut-out adding to my mods and see if I can dip 12s NA. My all time best on street tires before was 13.06 and I was really sure the car would do alot better as A: I was now using BFG Comp TA Drag Radials and B: my shift points were fixed.

First run of the night, and it's my first time back at the track in hmmmm well 8 months hehe.

I pulled a freaking 2.399 on my 60' :( reaction time was .231 (which my R/T all night was in the .2's) and pulled a whopping 14.4 @ 105mph! grrrrr

2nd run, lowered my PSI in the DRs to 20lbs, they were freaking 30lbs, no wonder I had trouble first run. But guess what, forgot TC was on!.

60' 2.09 and pulled a 13.3 @ 104.xx

Ok better but I need to work the 60s.

Next run and the rest that followed were consistant.

RT still in the .2s
60' 1.9x's
13.1 @ 104.xx mph

I just couldn't get my 60' to get any lower than 1.9s but I stayed consistant which is a good thing but damn! I know it's driver as a friend of mine, same year but Z28 (Same thing basically) with basically same mods and he pulled a 12.9 but lower 60' so I know my car can do it but damn!

But other than that I'm actually happy with the car. The shift points are fixed and it's the first time I've raced it since the tuning back in October. The only thing that kind of freaked me was that the car broke traction on every shift. I didn't like that hehehe.

I'm going to head back up there the 16th as they are having V-10 Viper Nationals at Beech Bend that weekend. That Saturday night is regular Saturady fun racing so I'll run her again and just practice more with the DR's. Maybe get a good burn-out and I'll hit that 12 mark.



But funny thing, out of all my runs, only lost one race and that was the first one against a WS6. He pulled a 12.7 to my 14.4 heheheh.

But the other passes I destroyed the other. THe 13.1 I raced a Acura RSX Type s and he pulled a 15.6 My last race was against a 96 Green Mustang GT. Dude was pushing it through the pits and when he did fire her up she rumbled really loud. I was like omg think I'm going to get my butt handed to me by this stang. We get in the lanes, both of us do really nice burn-outs. Then I get staged, light turns, I take off and he never had a chance. He pulled a 15.2 LOL! All bark and no grunt hehehe.

But was a fun weekend and hopefully the next will be even better.

[Frank]

You should definitely be able to cut a better 60' with an auto and BFG DR's... are you heating them up enough? And if traction isn't the problem, then I'd suggest going with a higher stall or lower gears...

[Raben]

that's what I was thinking. I need to burn the hell out of them. I just burned for maybe 5 seconds if even that and then pulled on up. I'm heading back in a couple of weeks. I'll burn them alittle longer as I think I cut it too short.

Either that or get some ET Streets. Wont have as much wheel hop with those, rear won't suffer. But I should have been high 12s easily. From what one of our club members is running, I should be hitting at least a 12.7. DUde has the same mods as myself excelt a 2800 stall compared to my 3500, he has 3.42 gears compared to my 3.73 and he also has mac midlength headers and catted y-pipe and pulled a 12.49 @ 108mph. And he cut a 1.69 on ET Streets.


Hmmmm tires and plenty more practice I guess and I'll have it

[Raben]

Realized the problem and it's basically me and the tires hehe. First time I ran they were at 28psi which I quickly realized was bad. I pulled a 2.399 60' hehe.

The rest of the runs I had it down to 20psi and was able to keep consistant 1.9s on my 60'

A BFG rep mentioned to lower then on down to 13psi and I'll hook like their no tomorrow. I'm going to try about 16psi first and see where that takes me.

[Frank]

That should help too... I heard the auto LS1's are a lot less prone to breaking rears than the M6's

[gyger]

I thought you were into the 12's before weren't you Raben???

Either 13.1 is still pretty quick.

[Raben]

I only had one freak run last year and I actually wasn't the one driving my car, had a friend do it and pulled a 12.89 @ 106.xx It was my car however not me as driver hehe. My personal best is 13.06 @ 105.xx on BF Goodrich KDW Street tires with all my tools, jacks and spare still in the trunk! I pulled a 1.88 on my 60' at that time.

And then, this past weekend I was thinking, ok I surely will dip into the 12s easily. I've unloaded all my crap in the rear to reduce the un-needed weight. Plus I have a set of drag radials so should stick alittle better.


1st run, 2.399 on my 60' and ran a 14.4. I'm cussing the car all the way back to the pits hehe. Recheck the tire pressure and realized the problem then. It was running at 28lbs so I reduced it to 20psi and was ok, calm down lets try again. Everything is fixed, shift points is shifting just fine, no excuses.

I get back in the lanes, line her up. . . . . .and forget that Traction control is on!! But I pulled a 2.04 on the 60' and 13.3 @ 104. I was ok, this is getting better, just need to remember the TC = off and do a better burnout.

I just burn it shortly and when the light pulls down, I feather it out around 1200rpms and once I got moving I gunned it. 13.101 @ 104.xx I was ok, alittle better and getting closer. I just need to get this launch just right apparently.

Next run, I do a fairly good quick burn-out, line her up and was thinking maybe since I have the lower psi and did a good burnout I can really launch. I brake it holding around 1200 - 1500rpms then when the light came down I floored it. Another 2.1xx 60' and a 13.2 @ 104 run.


I need to practice more on my launches. I know the car's potential and can be done but damn, I'm getting irratated because I personally can't get it done hehehehe. I get to the 12s door and start knocking but she doesn't want to let me in for whatever reason.

And Saturday I just had this fear if I did any major burn-outs and did a hard launch on anything lower than 20psi I would snap the rear. But I see now that's not the case. I read on LS1tech I should be fine as I'm putting down power, but not enough to break it. Just lower to 13psi, do one hell of a burnout and just gun the hell out of it.



I'll keep you guys posted. I'm going to reach that 12.5 this year somehow. I am confused but guess it's all in the tires. My buddy ran a 12.7ish with same bolt ons as me except he was running a 2800 stall on factory 3.23 gears compared to me with a 3500 stall and 3.73 gears. Doesn't make sense to me but oh well.

Then later when he added the LT headers he pulled a 12.49!!! All his runs was on mickey thompsons ET Streets, 26x10.5x16.

I may have to switch to that tire once I finish these BFG's out.

[Frank]

Your trap speeds also seem a little low... are you sure your new shift points are actually helping?

[Raben]

Yea I think the traps are about right for an auto. The M6 pulls alittle higher speeds, usually 5+ mph over the Autos. Assuming it's all based on the launch.

I'm not 100% sure if the shift points are fixed in regards to shifting at the right moment or not. It's not bouncing the rev limiter anymore which was really killing me before. But now I don't know. Car dynos 320 at the wheels on a mustang dyno so I know the power is there but still.


All this confuses the hell out of me. I've realized now that a dyno really isn't anything but a tool to see if your mods are helping or crippling your car's performance. The track is the true test on a car's performance and the TA isn't performaning the way I had expected.


The barometer was around 29.4 that night. 100% humidity and temp was 62 degrees. Later that evening it dropped to 55 but I wasn't able to get many runs when the weather turned, place was slammed. I left around 9pm.





I need more $$ and slap on LT Headers plus a heads/cam package and be done with hehehe. And reduce some of the weight on this car. The car weighs around 3750 and myself around 180lbs. Alot of car to push down the track :(

[GrandMasterKhan]

What is the weight distrubition on your TA?

Perhaps with all your junk in the back it had a closer to 50/50 than you do now(w/o junk)... though with that huge v8 ;) your probably more like 60/40...and with your rear end weight reduction you may have thrown that ratio off even more....hence another factor leading to bad launches...:shrug:

[Raben]

that's true and didn't even think of that. The rear is real light, doesn't take much to light them up. And like you said, removeing everything so it's basically back to the stock weight setup, and trying to race it as so, = no traction hehe.


I think the next time I go up there, I'm going to remove the front sway bar. That way when I launch I can get the front to rise just enough to add extra weight on the rear. Maybe that'll help =)

[Raben]

13.06 @ 105.87mph Before the rain hit saturday. I'm knocking on the door. Wished I had gotten another run in. I'm getting the hang of doing a nice burnout. But oh well, always next weekend.

I plan to remove the front sway bar this next time. Get alittle extra weight on the rear when I launch. Probably would help my 60' as I need to get down into the 1.5s to 1.6s.

Practice and stickier tires I guess.