Anybody Ever Race A Grand National?
08-19-2008, 12:04 PM
#1
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Anybody Ever Race A Grand National? ANYBODY ON THE BOARD EVER RACE A GRAND NATIONAL OR A T-TYPE. I HAVE A 2001 WS6 STOCK AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT MODS IT WILL TAKE (ON THE STREET) TO BEAT A MODDED GN? ANY STORIES BEATING OR LOOSING TO A GN?
08-19-2008, 12:13 PM
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There have been two recorded cases on this site of people racing Grand Nationals. You're going to need at least 4 maybe even 6 turbochargers and 2 supercharges just to keep pace. Though there are stories out there they may be hard to find seeing as the participants we're interned at secret government concentration camps following their races.
Ok. I had my fun. Get some mods, go to the track, get more mods, go to the track, rinse, repeat.
Ok. I had my fun. Get some mods, go to the track, get more mods, go to the track, rinse, repeat.
08-19-2008, 12:26 PM
#5
GNs respond VERY well to mods...so it depends on what "modded" means. I have a buddy with a very mild modded GN (its mostly a show car as well) and I can pull him hard from a stop or a dig...but it wouldn't take much at all to change that. Remember in the late 80s cars were just flat out slow....so a somewhat fast car (a stock GN) seemed like a rocket. BUT like I said those cars are modders dreams and if its had any major work done to it will smoke a LS1 car.
08-19-2008, 05:21 PM
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I have raced a GN stock for stock and took him pretty easily.
But like the others have said ii doesn't take a lot of $$ to make a GN fast.
Turbo Regal's can hit bottom 12's with very little money spent.
But like the others have said ii doesn't take a lot of $$ to make a GN fast.
Turbo Regal's can hit bottom 12's with very little money spent.
08-19-2008, 06:49 PM
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There are three flavors of GN's/T-Tpyes
Do not recall the years but the "earlier 80s". They are not intercooled and can be had without issue.
"Later 80s, which was 86-87 and possibly 85. The difference is the intercooler. Should be a fairly even race stock for stock
Then you have the rare GNX. Stock for stock will take the LS1 FBody from a dig without issue.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1985-1...tional-gnx.htm
Do not recall the years but the "earlier 80s". They are not intercooled and can be had without issue.
"Later 80s, which was 86-87 and possibly 85. The difference is the intercooler. Should be a fairly even race stock for stock
Then you have the rare GNX. Stock for stock will take the LS1 FBody from a dig without issue.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1985-1...tional-gnx.htm
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08-20-2008, 07:28 AM
#8
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I just bought a 1987 Grand National. I now have both the 01 WS6 with 11k miles and now the 87 GN with 35k miles. The GN is modded with a bigger turbo, injectors, cold air intake, fuel pump, converter, and it is alcohol injected. The reason I started the thread was to see what I need to do to the WS6 to keep up. My next project is to get the WS6 modded but tastefully. I do not want a full race car but you all get the drift.. I was thinking of a stall converter for the WS6 to start with and then move to exhasust. Am I on the right track? If so what stall and what cat back should I go with?
08-20-2008, 07:35 AM
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I highly recommend a yank 3600 stall converter, works well and feels normal on the street with a good tune, shaved a half second of my buds car. There a many sets of headers and Y-pipes to choose from, any Long tube set will help wonders over the manifolds.
08-20-2008, 07:52 AM
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I raced a T-Type with my firebird in the 1/4 mile while I was there. Took him up to the 1/8 mile, then the *** kicking began once he finally found traction. And even when I was in the lead, he wasn't far behind.
08-20-2008, 08:03 AM
#11
My point exactly...just looking I am guessing your car is a 87 Formula with a LG4 305/700R4? I bet it barely brakes into the 14s 1/4mile? Those were the kinds of cars the GN was compared to back when it was out...so obviously it was extreamly fast in comparison.
08-20-2008, 11:50 AM
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The best thing about the Turbo Regals is that there's really no way to tell how fast one is...
A 14 second Turbo Buick, looks and runs just like a 12 second Turbo Buick...
A 14 second Turbo Buick, looks and runs just like a 12 second Turbo Buick...
08-20-2008, 10:19 PM
#15
Stock 86 and 87 GNs were rated at 235HP/335TQ.
Stock times were:
1985 Buick Regal Grand National 7.5 15.7
1986 Buick Regal Grand National 4.9 13.9
1987 Buick Regal GNX 4.7 13.5
Again, extreamly fast for the time, but stock for stock a LS1 F-body should take it easily.
Again we are talking stock cars....modded is a whole different story. I love GNs and would trade my Firehawk for one in a second, but don't make them out to be more than they were.
Stock times were:
1985 Buick Regal Grand National 7.5 15.7
1986 Buick Regal Grand National 4.9 13.9
1987 Buick Regal GNX 4.7 13.5
Again, extreamly fast for the time, but stock for stock a LS1 F-body should take it easily.
Again we are talking stock cars....modded is a whole different story. I love GNs and would trade my Firehawk for one in a second, but don't make them out to be more than they were.
08-21-2008, 12:06 AM
#16
I have a GN if anyone wants to try there luck.
Set up a LS-1 like a GN, (Intercooled turbo with alky injection) it would not be hard to beat at all, otherwise you will need lots of nitrous.
Set up a LS-1 like a GN, (Intercooled turbo with alky injection) it would not be hard to beat at all, otherwise you will need lots of nitrous.
08-21-2008, 06:10 AM
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Actually, sorry, but you're pretty far off. It's a L98 350 bore/stroke with the 700r4 (built), 1800 stall converter, 3.23 posi, and the KDW's. I still have traction issues. The other guy was just a high-9's GNX with a T67 or T88 (can't remember which) and nitrous. The combination of MUCH larger turbo and nitrous made it far from a fair race.
08-21-2008, 06:47 AM
#19
Actually, sorry, but you're pretty far off. It's a L98 350 bore/stroke with the 700r4 (built), 1800 stall converter, 3.23 posi, and the KDW's. I still have traction issues. The other guy was just a high-9's GNX with a T67 or T88 (can't remember which) and nitrous. The combination of MUCH larger turbo and nitrous made it far from a fair race.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...t=#post9869101
I got a 1987 Pontiac Formula Firebird, quick little car (automatic 700r4, 3.23 highway gear, forged pistons and stroked to 383) and it has a holley 700cfm 4bbl, holley electric fuel pump, edelbrock intake and a mild cam. I got it tuned up pretty good now (she had a winter tune, so she was spitting fuel out the exhaust) and I was wondering what kind of times you think I should be running in the 1/4 mile. I figured low 14's to high 13's if I could get traction (at Lapeer ... doubtful with street tires).
thx.
btw - pics and vids will be posted as soon as I get them.
thx.
btw - pics and vids will be posted as soon as I get them.
As for your GN race...the guy runs 9s and you run 14.50s? (These are your own words now!) But you "Took him up to the 1/8 mile"???? Traction issues or not thats not even feasable.
08-21-2008, 08:18 AM
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We all know that the difference of a 1/2 sec is about 5 car lengths. 4.5 sec's would equal about 22.5 car lengths in the 1/4 mile. please do not talk about a race between a 14 sec car and a 9,10,11, or even a 12 sec car. My opinion though! The 87 Formula needs a posi, and some sticky's. I would never even waist my gas at the track with that combo. i concluded that My WS6 needs heads and a cam with a good stall. even with this combo it will be a tight run against the GN. I have seen some GN's put together well with all the right stuff and run poorly. These car's are very finicky and the tune must be dead on! I estimate my GN to run high to mid 11's but must wait untill Morosso's track is open due to the re-build of the track.
Any good racer knows that suspension helps win races, so I need to invest in this area also. If the GN builds boost and shoots out of the hole I will have a hard time running it down. Can anybody post a video of an F body running a GN?