My first 12 second run in 40 years
02-14-2007, 06:44 PM
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My first 12 second run in 40 years You can pretty much buy a 12 second car off a showroom floor. LS2 GTOs are certainly capable of it as are C5/C6 Corvette Coupes, SRT8s, and 03/04 Cobras. My 2004 GTO has the LS1 and with the weight at 3800 + lbs and a Dana IRS those cars are tempramental to drive and launch adding the driver dimension to the equation. Only a very few people have even approached the 12 second range with them without modifications.
The key element in the 2004 GTO is the driver skill though. And it has taken nearly 2 years of driving and launching on drag strips with a wide variety of track conditions to finally get the car consistently running the way I want it to. I have as many modifications and as much money spent on the suspension as I do the motor. And every modification to rwhp has been accompanied by a modification to the drivetrain and suspension to help get that investment to the ground.
The motor has Stage III heads, 238/242 608/610 113 cam, FAST 90 intake with a 90 mm Throttle Body, HP Tuners custom tune, and a 160 degree thermostat, along with the standard aftermarket CAI. The engine work was done by HPE in Houston with the initial tuning done by Chuck. 21st Century Muscle Car in Dallas has done most of my recent tuning until I switched to Quality Motorsports to help me get the HP Tuner setup worked out so I can control the tune myself in the future.
The exhaust system includes Kook's 1 7/8 inch headers, Thunder Mountain Hi-Flo Cats, and a custom 3 inch exhaust by Kinney's Mufflers in Bedford. The system includes a Magna Flow X-Pipe and Magna Flow Turbo Mufflers. Kinney's also added three bolt header flanges and 05 GTO tips to convert my car from the single exit exhaust of the 04 to the dual exit of the 05 GTO.
The drive train has a Textralia Clutch installed by Texas Drivetrain who also installed the Difftechnics 3.91 gears and rebuilt my T56 Transmission. I added a Difftechnics single piece 1000 hp driveshaft to replace the OEM GTO driveshaft which was two piece and had rubber connectors that led to wheel hop. The rear differential has a reinforced Harrop Cover which allows a 4 point mount versus the three point mount on the original car. For safety I added a BMR Driveshaft Loop. The transmission has a GMM Ripshifter in lieu of the OEM shifter.
The suspension is reinforced with BMR subframe connectors, SLP 19mm swaybar, Neophrene bushings, Koni adjustable rear shocks, and BMR Drag Bags. The car is stopped with Baer Aftermarket Rotors and C5 Ceramic pads.
I am still using the stock 17" wheels with NITTO 274 by 40 by 17 DRs and 235 by 35 by 17 tires on the front.
I believe I could have been in the 12s with just headers, a tune, and Drag Radials.
Last Saturday, 10 February we went to the Test n Tune at Ennis. First run was a 12.56 @ 97 MPH. I missed fourth gear in the excitment of my 2nd pass down a 1/4 mile drag strip in the last 40 years. The 2nd run was a 12.66 @ 113. The third run was 12.403 @115.18. I'm pretty stoked, the car has a lot more in it.
The timeslips are listed below. We got video of the first two runs and the third will be coming soon.
This is the Round 1 video.
This is the Round 2 video.
This is the Round 3 video.
The key element in the 2004 GTO is the driver skill though. And it has taken nearly 2 years of driving and launching on drag strips with a wide variety of track conditions to finally get the car consistently running the way I want it to. I have as many modifications and as much money spent on the suspension as I do the motor. And every modification to rwhp has been accompanied by a modification to the drivetrain and suspension to help get that investment to the ground.
The motor has Stage III heads, 238/242 608/610 113 cam, FAST 90 intake with a 90 mm Throttle Body, HP Tuners custom tune, and a 160 degree thermostat, along with the standard aftermarket CAI. The engine work was done by HPE in Houston with the initial tuning done by Chuck. 21st Century Muscle Car in Dallas has done most of my recent tuning until I switched to Quality Motorsports to help me get the HP Tuner setup worked out so I can control the tune myself in the future.
The exhaust system includes Kook's 1 7/8 inch headers, Thunder Mountain Hi-Flo Cats, and a custom 3 inch exhaust by Kinney's Mufflers in Bedford. The system includes a Magna Flow X-Pipe and Magna Flow Turbo Mufflers. Kinney's also added three bolt header flanges and 05 GTO tips to convert my car from the single exit exhaust of the 04 to the dual exit of the 05 GTO.
The drive train has a Textralia Clutch installed by Texas Drivetrain who also installed the Difftechnics 3.91 gears and rebuilt my T56 Transmission. I added a Difftechnics single piece 1000 hp driveshaft to replace the OEM GTO driveshaft which was two piece and had rubber connectors that led to wheel hop. The rear differential has a reinforced Harrop Cover which allows a 4 point mount versus the three point mount on the original car. For safety I added a BMR Driveshaft Loop. The transmission has a GMM Ripshifter in lieu of the OEM shifter.
The suspension is reinforced with BMR subframe connectors, SLP 19mm swaybar, Neophrene bushings, Koni adjustable rear shocks, and BMR Drag Bags. The car is stopped with Baer Aftermarket Rotors and C5 Ceramic pads.
I am still using the stock 17" wheels with NITTO 274 by 40 by 17 DRs and 235 by 35 by 17 tires on the front.
I believe I could have been in the 12s with just headers, a tune, and Drag Radials.
Last Saturday, 10 February we went to the Test n Tune at Ennis. First run was a 12.56 @ 97 MPH. I missed fourth gear in the excitment of my 2nd pass down a 1/4 mile drag strip in the last 40 years. The 2nd run was a 12.66 @ 113. The third run was 12.403 @115.18. I'm pretty stoked, the car has a lot more in it.
The timeslips are listed below. We got video of the first two runs and the third will be coming soon.
This is the Round 1 video.
This is the Round 2 video.
This is the Round 3 video.
Last edited by wrp; 02-16-2007 at 12:02 AM.
02-14-2007, 11:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom the roofer
Congrats on the 12 second passes. Hope you don't mind I added you to the 12 second club. 
02-14-2007, 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted by waterbug1999
Hell yea, better late then never!!! Now, add a 100 shot and hit the 11's!! I am sure it wont take another 40 years to do that!! lol Good Luck!
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Good luck with 11's.
02-15-2007, 11:34 AM
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nice times WRP, if you could have duplicated the 60' on your first run and didnt miss any gears that would have been a low 12 second pass! though these cars are quite hard to get off the line so i know how you feel. keep at it you have the MPH to hit 11's and good luck
Thanks 
02-16-2007, 12:06 AM
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On describing the car, its a little lengthy so I constructed a flash presentation with pictures. All in all easier on the eyes and more fun. The navigation controls are the arrows in the lower right hand corner of each slide as you face it. You will have to click the arrow twice on the first slide to get it going. You can right click on the slide and zoom in or out on the pictures. You can also use the hand tool to slide them around and look at different parts. You can chose show all to recenter the picture and slide in the frame. I'd appreciate any feedback. Enjoy....
Click here to watch 2004-GTO-Building-Ethyl
Click here to watch 2004-GTO-Building-Ethyl
