I need to improve my 60' time.

-
i know you don't want to hear this but get a set of 28x9 slicks and you will be in the 12's. stock steel rims are easy to find and cheap.

My black R/T ran 12.0’s with stock 1979 suspension with 3.55 gears. All you need is a set of slicks and your 60’ will improve.
 
Last edited:
I understand the slicks idea, but I really want to stay with drag radials. I love to be able to drive to and from the track. When these are done, I will not get Nittos again. I had Mickey ET Street before and will likely go back to them. But I will consider anything else when the time comes.

Cley
 
And as far as a converter goes, that's probably next year territory. I would like to retain my lock up functionality with the right amount of stall for my combo. That may or may not be possible. I have been told it is, but I have also been told it isn't. I'll start looking soon.

Cley
 
Playing with tire pressure, shock settings, and starting line driving technique can result in substantial improvement..... for zero cost (other than track time, lol).
 
1st thing is get it to not spin.
You can’t really evaluate the potential of the combo if it’s spinning the tires.

Get someone to video some launches at the track.

104mph is a good enough power/weight ratio to be well into the 12’
I understand the slicks idea, but I really want to stay with drag radials. I love to be able to drive to and from the track. When these are done, I will not get Nittos again. I had Mickey ET Street before and will likely go back to them. But I will consider anything else when the time comes.

Cley

CHEATER SLICKS are DOT legal. Run those instead.

EDIT: I forgot to mention even though DOT cheater slicks are street legal, they just have two treads. That's all you need for dry roads but if the roads get wet you'd better be pussyfooting through the tulips or you'll be in the poo poo in a hurry.
 
Last edited:
Pretty sure Turk is referring to bias ET streets, or Hoosier quick time pro. Close enough to real slicks, imo, but double check street legality before purchase.
The reason is say that..... the mickey et street drag radial pro's I have ARE DOT, but also say "not for highway use". So, are they street legal or not? I don't know. (Maybe they are legal on surface streets, just not highways?)
 
Pretty sure Turk is referring to bias ET streets, or Hoosier quick time pro. Close enough to real slicks, imo, but double check street legality before purchase.
The reason is say that..... the mickey et street drag radial pro's I have ARE DOT, but also say "not for highway use". So, are they street legal or not? I don't know. (Maybe they are legal on surface streets, just not highways?)


I already checked. If they say DOT they are legal but the rub comes in about inclement weather driving.

That’s why they put “not for highway use” on them.

They are afraid some dildo will buy them and not think about inclement weather driving. Then they could go out in bad weather and kill themselves and others so that “not for highway use” saves the company’s ***.

I’m not a fan of radials, especially for stick cars.
 
The et street pro's have even less open area than that the two or three groove street slicks. Nobody in his right mind drives with them in bad weather.
But then, we're car fanatics. "In our right minds" is questionable.

Edit : i kinda assumed the not for highway use was a company cya, I just didn't know if it was a legal thing too.
 
The et street pro's have even less open area than that the two or three groove street slicks. Nobody in his right mind drives with them in bad weather.
But then, we're car fanatics. "In our right minds" is questionable.


Truer words have never been spoken.

I drive around one summer with my slicks on. 1981.

I got caught is a LIGHT rain storm. Lasted about 10 minutes.

It was like driving with crazy wheels on the back.

Years later I started using cheater slicks with the thought that 2 grooves is better than no grooves.

I couldn’t tell the difference.

Also, driving slicks on the street makes it hard to get races that are willing to pay.
 
Yep, slicks are a dead giveaway. Now, gotta beware of somebody on drag radials too. But the worst are the sleeper guys that race in "hard tire" classes.

A friend of mine races hard tire. 220 rating, no drag tires of any sort allowed.
His sleeper is a first gen falcon, with a 235 tire..... and a 408"small block windsor, with a Itty bitty blower... and not much bottom end torque.
Solid low 6s eighth, on tires I couldn't run 8s on.
 
Cley:

I’m in the same boat. Some things I have uncovered (& some yet to try):

My last combo liked a little less initial
Run w/o your air filter
Run without the plate or blade on the carb
Make sure your at WOT when the pedal gets to floor
Disconnect your front sway bar
Remove the bumpers from below your upper control arms
Loosen up front shocks
….others already mentioned.

I have a set of QT Hoosier mounted on old aluminum Centerlines and swap out my heavy Cragers at the track. Don’t forget you’ll need a drive shaft loop if you go that way. Even though they are DOT. Tech sees slicks you have a loop!

Have fun
 
I have a 71 Scamp with super stock Springs could not get the Mickey Thompsons to stick until I push the front spring hanger back one half inch which changed the angle of the shackle
This was a game changer for me
 
I forgot about that. My old race car had the top of the shackle mount 1 inch in front of the rear spring eye at race ready height. I.34 sixty foot. This car ran 11.001 like clockwork. Kim
 
I have a 71 Scamp with super stock Springs could not get the Mickey Thompsons to stick until I push the front spring hanger back one half inch which changed the angle of the shackle
This was a game changer for me
I appreciate that! I never thought of that for anything but centering the tire in the wheel well.

Cley
 
Personally, I'd ditch the Nitto's and go M/T ET Streets (Drag radials). That's what I'd do if I were you. I'm cutting lower 1.8's with an open differential (3.23's) and a much smaller tire (235/60R15) drag radials at 28 psi. Oh wait, I run factory stock leafs with traction bars (slappers!)... never mind :D

Agree, Nitto’s are a hard tire, and with cheap shocks you are gonna have a harder time getting it to stick.
I have been 1.33 @3350 on a 275/60 tire with 002/ 003 leafs in the stock location with no clamps.
I like the Hoosier 17317 tire. It works. Throw the snubber in the trash where it belongs
Better tire for starters, then a better shock can’t hurt either.
I have never run more than 18 pounds of air. Once a radial spins, you’re done.
Pinion angle maters too( a bunch) with a S/S spring. Should be 3-5 degrees down. Really gives you some teeth.
 
Aluminum spacer
No opinions number
Competition engineering three-way shocks rear CE shocks front upper control arm bump stops removed Hood alignment bumper installed cpic

Mt Tech rep suggested 16 PSI no lower with Street slicks

17210653044305080500973669163266.jpg


17210659119482806853950700868349.jpg
 
-
Back
Top