Seeking advice for building a Street/Strip project within a few guidelines...
07-26-2010, 09:10 AM
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Seeking advice for building a Street/Strip project within a few guidelines... I've been mostly lurking for some time now. Wanted to get some advice from a few of you regarding an upcoming project of mine.
My name is Denver but all my racing/car buddies call me Roach. Like many of you I have had a life long love for all sorts of motorsports. I take a particular interest in cars that I happen to own. I currently own an SVT F150 Lightning that sees 572rwhp and 610 or torque at the wheels. Not bad for a tow rig.
Well here is the good news. My upcoming project is a 90% track/10% street machine and because it's simply a hobby there is no critical rush on the project.
Some of you may have already read on a previous post of mine about this. The purpose of this post is to see about specific suggestions from those of you with extensive knowledge in a couple of different areas.
My cousin has given me an 85 Monte Carlo SS that has a 350 crate motor swapped into it at no cost to me. Aside from the 350 swap the car remains stock. I'm not sure if it is equipt with the posi rear end or not. As I understand some of the 85's came with posi and others didn't. I simply have to go pick it up from out of state and bring it home. Here's a little history about the car. My cousin recieved the car as a gift from his son. His son aquired the car via a trade. The 350 was swapped into the car prior to his boy aquiring it. Cousins boy actually helped to drop the motor into the car. When they were putting the intake onto the motor somebody dropped a bolt into the intake so the motor hasn't even been started yet. I've gone a hundred different directions in my mind as to what sort of project I'd like to make of this opportunity. The one that is really interesting me is to make it into a killer street/strip car. I have 3 other vehicles so it certainly won't be needed for daily driving purposes. I'm thinking 90% of the cars purpose will be track duty and maybe 10% road duty/ terrorizing mustangs on the streets around town.
Now since the car is already equipt with a 350 crate engine already in place then that is the path that I'm taking so far as the power plant goes. I figure on saving money by keeping the stock bottom end of the motor in place and simply making as much power as I can with the stock bottom, a set of lopey aftermarket cams, heads(either aftermarket of send off the stockers for a stage 3 port and polish, maybe a victor Jr. intake, Longtube headers and high flow exhaust possibly to include some cutouts. I'll be installing a suspension that's sole purpose will be for that of an all out 1/4 mile run. I'm thinking 15 inch wheels and some sticky tires out back with some skinnies up front. The only street duties for the car will be simple cruising late Friday Saturday nights and trips to and from the track so street manners really aren't of a huge concern to me.
Let's hear it from you 1/4 mile guys.
What is the best suspension set up and tire/wheel combo for the track?
Which specific brand of gears and which size? 373's,390's, 411's? Higher yet?
Let's hear it from you exhaust guys
Which Longtubes, which mufflers?
Finally let's hear from you engine builders
Which intake? Which carb? Which cam shafts, Which aftermarket heads or should I send the heads out to a shop and let them have at it?
Roach
My name is Denver but all my racing/car buddies call me Roach. Like many of you I have had a life long love for all sorts of motorsports. I take a particular interest in cars that I happen to own. I currently own an SVT F150 Lightning that sees 572rwhp and 610 or torque at the wheels. Not bad for a tow rig.
Well here is the good news. My upcoming project is a 90% track/10% street machine and because it's simply a hobby there is no critical rush on the project.
Some of you may have already read on a previous post of mine about this. The purpose of this post is to see about specific suggestions from those of you with extensive knowledge in a couple of different areas.
My cousin has given me an 85 Monte Carlo SS that has a 350 crate motor swapped into it at no cost to me. Aside from the 350 swap the car remains stock. I'm not sure if it is equipt with the posi rear end or not. As I understand some of the 85's came with posi and others didn't. I simply have to go pick it up from out of state and bring it home. Here's a little history about the car. My cousin recieved the car as a gift from his son. His son aquired the car via a trade. The 350 was swapped into the car prior to his boy aquiring it. Cousins boy actually helped to drop the motor into the car. When they were putting the intake onto the motor somebody dropped a bolt into the intake so the motor hasn't even been started yet. I've gone a hundred different directions in my mind as to what sort of project I'd like to make of this opportunity. The one that is really interesting me is to make it into a killer street/strip car. I have 3 other vehicles so it certainly won't be needed for daily driving purposes. I'm thinking 90% of the cars purpose will be track duty and maybe 10% road duty/ terrorizing mustangs on the streets around town.
Now since the car is already equipt with a 350 crate engine already in place then that is the path that I'm taking so far as the power plant goes. I figure on saving money by keeping the stock bottom end of the motor in place and simply making as much power as I can with the stock bottom, a set of lopey aftermarket cams, heads(either aftermarket of send off the stockers for a stage 3 port and polish, maybe a victor Jr. intake, Longtube headers and high flow exhaust possibly to include some cutouts. I'll be installing a suspension that's sole purpose will be for that of an all out 1/4 mile run. I'm thinking 15 inch wheels and some sticky tires out back with some skinnies up front. The only street duties for the car will be simple cruising late Friday Saturday nights and trips to and from the track so street manners really aren't of a huge concern to me.
Let's hear it from you 1/4 mile guys.
What is the best suspension set up and tire/wheel combo for the track?
Which specific brand of gears and which size? 373's,390's, 411's? Higher yet?
Let's hear it from you exhaust guys
Which Longtubes, which mufflers?
Finally let's hear from you engine builders
Which intake? Which carb? Which cam shafts, Which aftermarket heads or should I send the heads out to a shop and let them have at it?
Roach
07-26-2010, 11:24 PM
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Welcome to Tech
There might be some good advice for you in some of the engine tech sections here, but many on here are LS enthusiasts and as such they may not have as much advice for you as you require.
Also, maybe post this in the LT and SBC section of this forum and see what hits you get.
It sounds like a great project, good luck with it.
In fact, if it interests you either now or later, many do LS conversions on that chassis with great success. Something to keep in mind.
Enjoy Tech.
--Glenn
There might be some good advice for you in some of the engine tech sections here, but many on here are LS enthusiasts and as such they may not have as much advice for you as you require.
Also, maybe post this in the LT and SBC section of this forum and see what hits you get.
It sounds like a great project, good luck with it.
In fact, if it interests you either now or later, many do LS conversions on that chassis with great success. Something to keep in mind.
Enjoy Tech.
--Glenn