My first time out. what next?

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frosty_the_punk

frosty_the_punk

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Back in December I took my 67 valiant to the strip for our local "Mopar Nationals", one of my mates has a very nice 383 duster and we naturally ended up razzing each other about who's going to be faster on the day.

His 383 duster or my 318 valiant. (a nice little underdog story)

The event was getting closer and my it turns out i have a bit of a competitive nature after all because I decided i might up the ante a little and have a bit of light porting done on my cylinder heads... UH OH.

Number 8 bore had a chunk missing from a rust spot that had worn away, you could catch it with your finger nail. Sooo out comes the motor, I tear it down and decide times running tight and get my engine builder to reassemble it for me after he's fitted the sleeve.

I get to chatting with the gentleman who offered to port my heads and he shows me he has a shelf full of second hand mopar SB camshafts and offers one to me for little more than spare change. (by hotrod standards)

So now I have a whopping solid cam with 254/254 duration and a set of lightly ported cylinder heads. I just might catch that 383 after all!

The car all goes back together and I decide my cast exhaust manifolds simply won't do. I've had these second-hand custom made 1-3/4" headers sitting on the shelf for a few years and decide that they only need "a little bit of massaging" to make them fit.

A month later, with about a dozen pieces of tubing that "almost fit just right" left over, it's time to fire that engine up. everything went smoothly. no problems with the cam break in. was music to my ears!

I didn't get to drive it much between first fire up and drag day. It was only little over a week between.

The night before nationals i was up til about 3AM trying to figure out how to "launch" because it had never occured to me that i have no idea how to actually drive these bloody autos properly. truth be told i still don't!:burnout:

So the day finally arrives and i'm up around 6:30am which is unheard of for me. I literally grab everything i might possibly need in case i break something or need to make adjustments. I reckon i had 150kg of tools and spares in the trunk. (obviously took them out before racing)

My first time staging and i somehow manage to get to the line with my wheels turned to the left. embarrassingly it takes a few times for me to get staged properly as the marshall just kept asking me to go forward and backwards and i had no idea i wasn't lined up. LOL :eek:ops:

Anyway I only made a few runs, but decided to quit while i was ahead and my car wasn't broken. I managed to click off a best of 13.96@98mph which i'm satisfied with.

My buddy in the 383 duster managed to best me by about 3 tenths but to me i'll consider it as a personal victory since there was a bit of smack talk about my doors getting blown off by a big block etc. :D

So it's getting to about that time that if i want to make any changes to the car i have a few months to do it before nationals come round again. My current specs are as follows.

1967 VC Valiant Regal
318 +.030"
Dome top forged pistons.
Scat H beam rods
915 J heads, lightly ported.
1-3/4" headers. 30" long. 13" collector
10.2:1 compression.
Cam is ISKY Z35 solid. 254/254 108LSA .525Lift
Recurved distributor. 14 deg @ idle. 34 deg total
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake. 650AVS carb.
904 trans with transgo TF2, converter foot brake stalls to 2000
3.7 LSD with 235 street tire (25 inch tall)
estimated weight with driver 3300lbs.

It's a little less streetable than i'd really like, with an idle vacuum of about 6"

Things i want to change.

6 blade truck fan is a HEAVY SOB, but this thing gets gets hot in an aussie summer.
Electric thermo fans would be more efficient and won't rob horsepower

Home made twin 2" exhaust system was crudely bent to fit with oxy torch (time was running out before the big day)

I think i could definitely get a better time with a ratchet shifter as i found the standard shifter to be highly resistant, if you attempt to change too enthusiastically it will go straight from 1st to neutral!

I was looking at the possibility of getting a fibreglass hood and bumpers. but shipping to AUS makes it a little pricey. I haven't ruled it out.

Long term plans include a super victor intake and megasquirt MPFI.

Best run
60ft - 2.17sec
330ft - 5.88sec
660ft - 8.97sec @ 79.97mph
1000ft - 11.66
ET - 13.96 @ 98mph

Would a higher stall of about 4000rpm be of much advantage next time round?
Any ideas/suggestions or advice appreciated.
 
Cool Story, sounds like your hooked.

Other then the fan, exhaust, shifter etc.... You wont pic up much with them... maybe with the exhaust if its a mess and shifter if your missing gears all the time.... Don't lighten the car... get your combo working first.

Did the car hook or spin off the launch? I think you could do with a slightly higher stall, say 3000. The car will still be very street able. That's a pretty big cam, it might not make power at low RPM, especially with that intake. If you can get the RPM's up faster it will help. What RPM did you shift at and go through the traps at? Small tire and a 3.7 gear but I would think that little motor would want to scream.

I think you should change to a Holley 650. Vacuum secondary's probably be best but a like the double pumper so you don't have to tune when the secondary's come in. I'm assuming you have an Eddy 650... When I first had my car it had an Eddy carb... After the first time at the track I tossed it and put a Holley 600 at that time and the car picked up a bunch. I don't know why anyone used though carbs. Next time walk the pits and look and see how many you see compared to a Holley style. Then go to a car show and do the same thing... almost the opposite result.

That's were I'd start... If your buddies 383 was only a few tenths faster you might get him....
 
Switching to any electric fan will probably pick you up at least a tenth. Ratchet shifter is a great idea, mainly for safety's sake so you don't miss a shift and break something (like hitting reverse). Larger exhaust with free flowing mufflers (like Dynomax ultra flows) would probably be worth some more, depending on how restrictive your current exhaust is. Losing weight is ALWAYS a great way to make your car faster.

The one thing that will probably make the biggest impact is getting a looser converter. That cam is big for a 318 (heck, it has more duration than the cam in my stroker), it needs a GOOD converter (probably 4k stall) and steep gears to work well. Not sure how much faster it will be, but it will be a substantial change in ET. Also, a Holley 650dp or 750dp with a Proform main body would also probably pick you up at least a tenth, but probably more like 3 tenths.
 
I would go to about a 3000 stall. Your 60 ft. times would drop dramatically. Your cam, ported heads, and headers DO NOT like a 2000 stall. You will push deep into the 13's by just swapping the stall (a good one, mind you) to about a 10 inch/3000 stall.
 
Go the VC!!! Brings back memories of me racing my 340 / 4spd VC at the drags back in the mid 90s. Just bought mine back after 6 years of it being it Melbourne minus motor and box and I'm going to build it again.

That cam is huge for a 318, my 340 with mild j heads, block huggers and a 218@50 hydraulic cam ran the same mile per hour back in 1996 so I think there should be a few more mile per hour in your engine combo.

Engine wise I would try a 650 or 750 double pumper and exhaust I think would be good at dual 2 1/2" but I know how much fun a VC is to get decent pipes and exhaust in.
Putting a small flex fan can gain you some horsepower over the big heavy AC fans for the drags, but not real good for summer here in Australia, especially in a VC engine bay.

I agree that you need some steeper gears for the track with a little 318 that really should love to rev with that cam, maybe throw together another BW diff together with 3.9 or 4.11 gears and a mini spool just for the drags?

Converter with 3500 to 4000rpm stall would be a good idea a little less if you regularly street drive it. I was never a fan of big converters but if you get a good one built (TCE or dominator here) and don't have it made really loose they are still surprisingly driveable.

Hemi Performance list fibreglass VC bumpers on their website but haven't asked if they stock them or can still supply them.
 
frosty_the_punk said:
Back in December I took my 67 valiant to the strip for our local "Mopar Nationals", one of my mates has a very nice 383 duster and we naturally ended up razzing each other about who's going to be faster on the day.

His 383 duster or my 318 valiant. (a nice little underdog story)

The event was getting closer and my it turns out i have a bit of a competitive nature after all because I decided i might up the ante a little and have a bit of light porting done on my cylinder heads... UH OH.

Number 8 bore had a chunk missing from a rust spot that had worn away, you could catch it with your finger nail. Sooo out comes the motor, I tear it down and decide times running tight and get my engine builder to reassemble it for me after he's fitted the sleeve.

I get to chatting with the gentleman who offered to port my heads and he shows me he has a shelf full of second hand mopar SB camshafts and offers one to me for little more than spare change. (by hotrod standards)

So now I have a whopping solid cam with 254/254 duration and a set of lightly ported cylinder heads. I just might catch that 383 after all!

The car all goes back together and I decide my cast exhaust manifolds simply won't do. I've had these second-hand custom made 1-3/4" headers sitting on the shelf for a few years and decide that they only need "a little bit of massaging" to make them fit.

A month later, with about a dozen pieces of tubing that "almost fit just right" left over, it's time to fire that engine up. everything went smoothly. no problems with the cam break in. was music to my ears!

I didn't get to drive it much between first fire up and drag day. It was only little over a week between.

The night before nationals i was up til about 3AM trying to figure out how to "launch" because it had never occured to me that i have no idea how to actually drive these bloody autos properly. truth be told i still don't!:burnout:

So the day finally arrives and i'm up around 6:30am which is unheard of for me. I literally grab everything i might possibly need in case i break something or need to make adjustments. I reckon i had 150kg of tools and spares in the trunk. (obviously took them out before racing)

My first time staging and i somehow manage to get to the line with my wheels turned to the left. embarrassingly it takes a few times for me to get staged properly as the marshall just kept asking me to go forward and backwards and i had no idea i wasn't lined up. LOL :eek:ops:

Anyway I only made a few runs, but decided to quit while i was ahead and my car wasn't broken. I managed to click off a best of 13.96@98mph which i'm satisfied with.

My buddy in the 383 duster managed to best me by about 3 tenths but to me i'll consider it as a personal victory since there was a bit of smack talk about my doors getting blown off by a big block etc. :D

So it's getting to about that time that if i want to make any changes to the car i have a few months to do it before nationals come round again. My current specs are as follows.

1967 VC Valiant Regal
318 +.030"
Dome top forged pistons.
Scat H beam rods
915 J heads, lightly ported.
1-3/4" headers. 30" long. 13" collector
10.2:1 compression.
Cam is ISKY Z35 solid. 254/254 108LSA .525Lift
Recurved distributor. 14 deg @ idle. 34 deg total
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake. 650AVS carb.
904 trans with transgo TF2, converter foot brake stalls to 2000
3.7 LSD with 235 street tire (25 inch tall)
estimated weight with driver 3300lbs.

It's a little less streetable than i'd really like, with an idle vacuum of about 6"

Things i want to change.

6 blade truck fan is a HEAVY SOB, but this thing gets gets hot in an aussie summer.
Electric thermo fans would be more efficient and won't rob horsepower

Home made twin 2" exhaust system was crudely bent to fit with oxy torch (time was running out before the big day)

I think i could definitely get a better time with a ratchet shifter as i found the standard shifter to be highly resistant, if you attempt to change too enthusiastically it will go straight from 1st to neutral!

I was looking at the possibility of getting a fibreglass hood and bumpers. but shipping to AUS makes it a little pricey. I haven't ruled it out.

Long term plans include a super victor intake and megasquirt MPFI.

Best run
60ft - 2.17sec
330ft - 5.88sec
660ft - 8.97sec @ 79.97mph
1000ft - 11.66
ET - 13.96 @ 98mph

Would a higher stall of about 4000rpm be of much advantage next time round?
Any ideas/suggestions or advice appreciated.
Click to expand...

Yes on a GOOD stall converter,off the shelf fails everywhere. Not necessarily 4k,off the shelf. A timing curve with more initial would help,possibly more total with a bigger camshaft & heads. That exhaust system, needs help. 2.5 all the way back. Love the quick gig,for the track.. (OPINION J.M.O.).
 
Thanks guys. I am looking into getting a converter built by Dominator here in Australia. will also proceed with cutout plates behind the collectors and then a twin 2.5" system for the street.

If funds permit, I'm going to get a drag rear end put together with 27 inch drag radials.
I'd like to go 4.3 ratio but i 4.11 is the shortest I've heard of. 4.11 with a 27 inch tire would be mathematically the same as the current 3.7 with 25 and a few more rpm over the line wouldn't hurt, though it was fairly spinning from memory. I don't want to do a conversion to a different model diff because that would make swapping diffs 10x more work. It will have to be the same type of housing with different internals.

I'm going to hold off on swapping carburetor and fiberglass hood/bumpers etc until I've at least gotten the new converter and exhaust. thanks for all your help guys!
 
Abodybomber said:
A timing curve with more initial would help,possibly more total with a bigger camshaft & heads. That exhaust system, needs help. 2.5 all the way back. Love the quick gig,for the track.. (OPINION J.M.O.).
Click to expand...

Both of these IMO.

I'd keep turning timing in until it slows down. The increase total will also boost initial which will help bottom end performance, especially with a tight converter. I'd likely have about 24 minimum on that set up for initial.

Exhaust size is hurting is hurting it. Headers could be longer, in the 36" range. That would help low end/mid range tq as well.

The 2.19 60's is a symptom of tight converter and low initial/curve. 2.19 is a mid 15's or worse 60' time. 98 mph should be is mid/low 13's.

With some tuning, converter and launching, it should see 12's with a decent 60' time (1.80 or better).
 
Cheers, I just kept the timing the same as what was setup for optimum with my last cam when it was broken in on the dyno. It was a bit smaller at 227/241 on 108 (and it was hydraulic)

Would it likely be worth getting the distributor curve reset again for more initial with similar total?

With the current curve if i set it all the way at 24 initial I'm going to have 44 total. that sounds like it would be too much. I'll have to call the guy who curved it the first time and see what he recommends.
 
I'd keep dialing timing in until it slows. Once you know that point, you can back out to an initial timing point where the car runs cleaner at idle. Then work the mechanical to hit your total number. Maybe pull 2* out for a safety factor, bad gas, etc.

If you smacked it with 24*, yes, it would likely be an issue with too much total.
 
In my 73 duster 318 long duration cam ,headers, 4 speed, 355 sure grip. 360 heads. I put a dual quad tunnel ram with 2 - 600 cfm's edelbrocks . Dropped 6 tenths! Then slicks- another 6 tenths!
 
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