Mission Completed-with icing on the cake :-)

On Friday night I took the GT to the strip for the Friday night street races. I had installed the new 26/10x15 ET drags on new 8" wide Magnum 500 wheels--no tubes, but using rim screws. I discovered that although Summit lists the wheels as having 4.5" backspace, they had 4" BS which was the same as my 7" ers. Luckily I had pushed the quarter panels out and rolled the wheel well lip when I painted the car nearly 28 years ago. The tires still fit nicely inside the wheel wells. Decided to leave the spare tire and jack assembly in the trunk and filled up the gas tank for ballast.

My first run was dismal, 12.52@117.52 with a 4500rpm launch. Had a 2.249 light--actually I forgot that the Friday night tree was a modified Pro tree ---Stage, all 3 yellows are simultaneous, and then green.

Next run was a 12.307@ 119.71 with a 4300 rpm start (new MPH high.) The car was still spinning out of the hole so I put in the 4100 chip and dropped the tires to 15lbs--THAT's when I found the car's sweet spot. The 3rd and final qualification run was 11.704@ 119.92mph--Both new records for me. (Last years best was 11.72@116.92 and I had gone 117.12 on a previous run.)

Went into the first round of eliminations against a blown 347. He over estimated his time by 3 tenths and I left off the throttle to prevent breaking out--good thing as I ran a 11.691@106.45 (1.658 60') on a 11.68 dial!!!! Naturally I had a huge grin on my face. The next run was an 11.73@119.68 with a 1.653 60'er--I won that one too. The car started to slow down out of the hole, but irregardless I won 3 more races (one at 120.69mph) and made it to the Street/Stick final. I paired off against a Fox body who had a 12.95 dial time. We went to the line and I drifted slightly rearward. Got into the groove again and just as the yellow lights came on the car drifted forward and thus I red lighted, but still ran the car out to 119.66mph. Although I would have loved to take the trophy for the night, being able to compete in the final was priceless!!!! A truly memorable night! All night I had people come over and tell me how impressive my car left and how good I was speed shifting--they were equally impressed to hear that I was rowing a toploader with a stock appearing shifter. I got to thank N2Omike for his tip about using synthetic lube in the tranny. That thing has shifted like butter since I added it and the new Long style clutch.

The story gets even better! I slept over at the track as today was T&T and the weather was to be excellent. I decide not to mess with the car except to lighten up the Sintered iron clutch a full turn to see how it would work with 1040lbs of static. The warm up run was a 12.27@120.27 (2.164 60'er) with no slippage in 4th gear. I allowed the car to cool and dropped the warmed tires to 15lbs. On the very next run--WHAM!!!! 11.524@121.17 on a 1.612 60'er. Tires in the air 6" and I rode it out. My dimples hit my ears when I read the slip---Finally I have a true mid-11 second street car!!!! Gave the car another hour to cool off and backed the previous run with an even better one--11.521@121.29!!!! This time the wheels stayed on the ground.

Check it out (318hu):



Last years curse has been lifted!!!

Based upon MPH, I gained around 50 flywheel hp with only a .030 overbore (same part # pistons) and by swapping from the modified ProComp 210 heads to the AFR205's. Both motors were fresh at the beginning of the season with the same SFT cam, valve springs, intake, carb, exhaust, tranny, and rear. Same ignition curve and timing. Even used the same old distributor, spark plugs and wires. Same 1011-2 head gaskets. Using the Wallace calculators, 121.29mph is approximately 465 flywheel HP. The funny thing is that I am not running the car nearly as hard as last year so it has even more in it.

I think that I've proven once and for all that a good head, in this case the AFR's, can run circles around a prepped ProComp headed motor. 50hp (minumum 40hp with just the head swap) difference is nothing to sneeze at. Big Joe is absolutely right-on with his claims!

For those who don't know, my original goal (from last year) was for this car to hit 11.5's in drag trim and be easily converted back to a street car with minimum work to go out for joy rides. In my mind, I've fully met this goal--bolt the turbo mufflers to the existing flanges, swap to street tires, and jet the carb primaries down--go for a cruise.

I FINALLY FOUND THE SWEET SPOT, AND IT IS GOOD!!!!

Awesome Dennis!

Your slightly larger tire will take slightly less pressure. You might want to try backing it down to around 13-14psi.

I was amazed the clutch slipped before. You might want to try backing it down some more.

After you get the car consistent, it might be time to up the secondary jetting a couple numbers, and see if the mph improves. If it does, you're making more power. (don't look at et when looking to see if you are making more power. MPH tells you that.)

Once the launch is figured out at all, the 60fts should easily be WELL into the 1.5's. I think you've got a very low 11 second car once you get things ironed out at all.

If you think the car puts your dimples in your ears now... put a small nitrous system on it, and then your hands will really be shaky after a run! EASY mid 10's.

Good Luck!

Congrats-as hard as you've been working you truly deserve the pay off.And I'd bet the farm it keeps getting faster!

Damn, Congrats Dennis. That car of yours is really running well. 121mph is moving on out. Again Congrats. You got to try indexing the plugs to see if that works. Easy HP

Very Nice!!

Hey thats great news Dennis glad to hear it..Your mph is definetly getting up there..Once you get bored with 11.50s you'll have to install that cage and hit the 10's...

THANKS TO ALL!!!!!

Getting to where I am is extra sweet because I really had to take some knocks to get there.

Mike, I was just as surprised as others that the clutch slipped previously. Maybe because I wasn't speed shifting whatsoever that afternoon I didn't get the clutch facing hot enough to grip in the upper gears? It certainly grips well now and seems less violent than the Centerforce and Spec stuff. Just had to give er' hell for it to respond. Less violence will mean less breakage and I can deal with that (even though I've not broken anything yet.)

Do these clutches become inconsistent during the day, especially if a hot lap with only a short cool down is required? It seems that I start blowing the tires off at the line more as the day goes on (no matter whether the track is getting hotter or cooler.) On Friday it was 11pm and nearing 50 degrees when the tires started to blow. On Saturday, it was mid-afternoon with the temps rising to mid-70's. I will need to try the clutch at 920lbs again in the future (which should be this Friday.)

Although it would be really cool to do a nitrous run just to see how much more it would pick up on the last half of the track (28+mph typical gain now,) I also need to think safety.

Naturally I want to go faster. I am getting comfortable driving the car again and am even starting to watch the scoreboard some as I am running down the track. I am just not sure if I truly want to run this old car much faster as it is not the most stable vehicle, particularly when accelerating hard. It is still controllable and not scary, but it does like to do some weaving, primarily if there is a wind. Last year it had its good days and its bad days and more rear tire air pressure didn't always cure it. I've heard this from others too and have to wonder if this is a good holding point (at least for a while.)

Perhaps a different front tire would make all the difference and I am about ready to ditch these old wide bias plys for something skinnier.

Originally Posted by frdnut

Hey thats great news Dennis glad to hear it..Your mph is definetly getting up there..Once you get bored with 11.50s you'll have to install that cage and hit the 10's...

I am really starting to reconsider a cage. . . . . . . Never in a million years thought I would break 120mph in the quarter and all of a sudden I am there. Plus, I would love to have next winter's projects include a nice streetable roller cam from you-know-who and a cage would certainly be a must have. I'm certainly starting to get some good #'s from the little SFT that he ground for me.

This year I really need to become more consistent so I can become a major force at the Friday night street races that I frequent (Organized bracket racing with a stick only class.) Should be a little easier now that I will be spending less time trying to go faster and can truly concentrate on the 60'er to see if I can find the magical combination for my stick car.

Anxious to hear how you make out this year, Frdnut. It sounds like you are starting to make some progress toward getting your car back together, hopefully leak free (like mine currently is.) I want to see you get out there this year and blow some tires away too!!!!

Spali, you just need to get back and run that Cougar for all its worth.

We really need to get more experiences related here in the drag racing forum as we can all learn what works and what doesn't with our older classic Fords.

Way to go,Dennis. You've got that car haulin'. Good to hear you met your goals on only the 2nd outing with the new combo.Making it to the final round was cool also.

The front end alignment might need a little work to help make the car more stable going down the track. New front tires will help also. Didn't know that bias ply tires were used by anybody other than the resto crowd.

I'm off to a rare Sunday T&T with the Morris today. Hoping it goes straight and I'm not the usual first round runner up in the bracket.

As much positive caster as possible will make the car more stable. I've got around +3.5º in mine right now, and it feels solid. You can only go so far with the original shim adjustment, but some of those adjustable, pivoted strut rods for the front allow for more (and easier) adjustment. (I don't have any as of yet)

As for the cage. Until you reach the 9 second zone, all that is required is a roll bar. Mine is a 6pt, and it's not all that intrusive. Back seat access is limited, especially if you've changed out the stock seats, but if you take your time, it's not that bad. I used bent rear bars that follow the roof line and go down the speaker holes in the rear deck.

Some of you guys might not care for my direct, no-BS aproach on the techincal forum, but I still think it would be great if the world was a little smaller (and gas was a lot cheaper) so we could have a FM get-together at a track sometime.

Good Luck!