tom340
Well-Known Member
Well 1st time for me with the Duster on the dragstrip. Had a great experience, last time I really dragraced was back in the mid 1980's. I'll have plenty of questions for the experienced A body racers. I planned to do 3 runs (had an 88 mile drive BOTH directions) so didnt want to push my luck.
Run 1--air was nice and cool. I feathered the car off the line, left at @ 1800 RPM. No real traction problems but bad 60' (2.16) I screwed up at 1000' line, was so far ahead of the Fury that I was already planning on slowing the car down and completely let off the gas with another 320 ft to go. LOL-live and learn. Somehow I managed my best et for the day at 13.89 but only 99 MPH. A friend watching in the stands told my wife "tell him the painted barrier is the END of the 1/4 mi " . So I'm like damn, what if.....
Run 2-- almost a full hour later but still nice cool air. This time I was trying something different. Was able to line up against GeorgeR and his 340 Swinger. I left the line at 3500 RPM, nothing but wheelspin (using BGS 255 60-15 street tires). I got sideways, let off, got strait and mashed it back down. 60' time was dreadfull (2.62) But with the RPMs way up the car pulled really hard all the way. Kept my foot in it almost to Buffalo NY this time, despite all the wheelspin still managed a 14.0 but the MPH went up to 106. Obviously the car has potential at 106 mph. **My brothers advice the day B4 was to "brake stall as much as possible" as he says--and I quote--"theres no way a smallblock like mine will be able to break the tires loose at a dragstrip." end quote. ** So much for that, huh? Street tires suck. Wheelspin was SOOO bad my wife asked in the pits "why did you wait so long to leave the line, what the hell were you doing?? haha, me & George laughed like hell in the pit area.
Run 3-- Getting warm, started to get vapor lock pre-stage. Ughh, was dreading the worst. Lined up, this time I tried launching just over 2200 RPM and again had considerable wheelspin, but not out of control. Car felt really strong going down the track. <<I tried something NEW shfting the auto-trans from 2nd to 3...Hey why not just go strait to neutral?? >> Yep, all tence Im staring at the tach watching the RPM climb all of a sudden Im over 6500 and slowed way down. Yep , probably blew the best run of the day. My 60' was down to 2.13 ET down to 13.9 but lost my MPH down to 99.
Soo, how well do Drag Radials work vs. street tires?? What can I gain here. Also some specs on the car: Only using 3.55:1 (sure grip) No headers, using stock exhaust manifolds from '70 340.. Air cleaner is the factory unit, but how restrictive is it?? I dunno. Carb is only 650 cfm, works well on the street is responsive but car has never been chassis tuned. Used pump gas 93 octane, did not blend with 108. Timing advance only set at 30 deg. Did not play with timing in the pits. Stock 308 heads w/2.02 valves.. Bottom end stroked 375 c.i.
Run 1--air was nice and cool. I feathered the car off the line, left at @ 1800 RPM. No real traction problems but bad 60' (2.16) I screwed up at 1000' line, was so far ahead of the Fury that I was already planning on slowing the car down and completely let off the gas with another 320 ft to go. LOL-live and learn. Somehow I managed my best et for the day at 13.89 but only 99 MPH. A friend watching in the stands told my wife "tell him the painted barrier is the END of the 1/4 mi " . So I'm like damn, what if.....
Run 2-- almost a full hour later but still nice cool air. This time I was trying something different. Was able to line up against GeorgeR and his 340 Swinger. I left the line at 3500 RPM, nothing but wheelspin (using BGS 255 60-15 street tires). I got sideways, let off, got strait and mashed it back down. 60' time was dreadfull (2.62) But with the RPMs way up the car pulled really hard all the way. Kept my foot in it almost to Buffalo NY this time, despite all the wheelspin still managed a 14.0 but the MPH went up to 106. Obviously the car has potential at 106 mph. **My brothers advice the day B4 was to "brake stall as much as possible" as he says--and I quote--"theres no way a smallblock like mine will be able to break the tires loose at a dragstrip." end quote. ** So much for that, huh? Street tires suck. Wheelspin was SOOO bad my wife asked in the pits "why did you wait so long to leave the line, what the hell were you doing?? haha, me & George laughed like hell in the pit area.
Run 3-- Getting warm, started to get vapor lock pre-stage. Ughh, was dreading the worst. Lined up, this time I tried launching just over 2200 RPM and again had considerable wheelspin, but not out of control. Car felt really strong going down the track. <<I tried something NEW shfting the auto-trans from 2nd to 3...Hey why not just go strait to neutral?? >> Yep, all tence Im staring at the tach watching the RPM climb all of a sudden Im over 6500 and slowed way down. Yep , probably blew the best run of the day. My 60' was down to 2.13 ET down to 13.9 but lost my MPH down to 99.
Soo, how well do Drag Radials work vs. street tires?? What can I gain here. Also some specs on the car: Only using 3.55:1 (sure grip) No headers, using stock exhaust manifolds from '70 340.. Air cleaner is the factory unit, but how restrictive is it?? I dunno. Carb is only 650 cfm, works well on the street is responsive but car has never been chassis tuned. Used pump gas 93 octane, did not blend with 108. Timing advance only set at 30 deg. Did not play with timing in the pits. Stock 308 heads w/2.02 valves.. Bottom end stroked 375 c.i.
