My vega conversion vs. 5.0
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From: Plattsburgh NY
My vega conversion vs. 5.0 I have a buddy that is gung ho ford and he has an 88 or 89 LX Stang, well i know he has a supercharger for it and a few other things, well iv been talking to local people and trying to hint around to things that im "doing to my car" to try to get it back to him(he doesnt know about this), because around here its hush hush lol, i want to make sure i will be able to beat him with my vega. i recently ran 12.54@116 with 3.73's burning out in first and 2nd(because of racing just after rain) but i think he plans on doing alot more to his car.
i know my car is fast but the biggest bang for the buck was a ls1 nitrous kit to spray 100 shot. its the only thing i can really afford right now but is there any chance that he might be able to beat me? i know this isnt directly related to conversions....but it somewhat is??
we have a decent track here (almost sea level) so cars trap well his last mustang was a 5-speed 93 gt(not lightened at all w/stereo system) with s/c, headers, exhaust and he ran 12.77@111 with everything else stock and i think this one he is doing more to it. its also lighter.
tell me i have nothing to worry about
i know my car is fast but the biggest bang for the buck was a ls1 nitrous kit to spray 100 shot. its the only thing i can really afford right now but is there any chance that he might be able to beat me? i know this isnt directly related to conversions....but it somewhat is??
we have a decent track here (almost sea level) so cars trap well his last mustang was a 5-speed 93 gt(not lightened at all w/stereo system) with s/c, headers, exhaust and he ran 12.77@111 with everything else stock and i think this one he is doing more to it. its also lighter.
tell me i have nothing to worry about
Last edited by TPIMarow6.6; Oct 19, 2006 at 06:16 PM.
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Originally Posted by TPIMarow6.6
we have a decent track here (almost sea level) so cars trap well his last mustang was a 5-speed 93 gt(not lightened at all w/stereo system) with s/c, headers, exhaust and he ran 12.77@111 with everything else stock and i think this one he is doing more to it. its also lighter.
tell me i have nothing to worry about
tell me i have nothing to worry about
WHAT THAT CAR CANNOT BE STOCK! 5.0'S DO NOT RUN THAT HARD.
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i think he was running a powerdyne supercharger at 7psi?, headers, offroad x-pipe and 2.5'' catback. stock 3.27 gears, bald nitto 555R's(1.9-2.0 60ft). he is an excellent driver as well.
Get your car to hook. You'll beat him if you don't spin. You ran that time spinning through first and second. You have a lot left in there. If you spray it you'll spin more and lose. I ran my Monza with a 98 LS1 0-60 on my G-tech and got 4.8 seconds and that was spinning in first and getting in/out of the throttle. I have 3.73's and a turbo 350/3000 stall. Try to fit some 235/60-15 drag radials on there and box the upper/lower control arms in the rear. good luck
Bill
Bill
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Originally Posted by Monza355
Get your car to hook. You'll beat him if you don't spin. You ran that time spinning through first and second. You have a lot left in there. If you spray it you'll spin more and lose. I ran my Monza with a 98 LS1 0-60 on my G-tech and got 4.8 seconds and that was spinning in first and getting in/out of the throttle. I have 3.73's and a turbo 350/3000 stall. Try to fit some 235/60-15 drag radials on there and box the upper/lower control arms in the rear. good luck
Bill
Bill
when i had the 3.08's in it, i raced an 04 cobra with intake catback and shifter i raced him from a 50mph roll and stayed side by side with him till the top of 3rd(almost 120) and i pulled a fender on him. and that car trapped 117. that was before the gear change. i just need to get my traction out of the way.
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TPIMarrow6.6 - i have a bit of experience with suspension tuning H-bodied cars maybe this will help: 1)strap the motor down to eliminate engine movement
2) use your drag shocks in the front at 80-20
3) use front monza V8 springs (in case you're not already!)
4) use a coil spring clamp (from any parts store) and clamp 2 coils from the left front together
5) disconnect the front sway bar
6) in the rear, use the V6 springs and the Monza Spyder rear sway bar
7) use the 50/50 shocks, or a good "used set" of rear shocks
8) use a rubber coil spring spacer to expand the Right rear spring (i think i ended up using 2 spacers there) or just use the one air bag starting at 5-8 psi and go up/down from there - make sure there is 0psi in the other one.
9) run 45 - 50 psi in the front tires and experiment with staggered or same pressures for the rear. i used a 235-60 -15 blem tire - drag cars need more rear sidewall than what your using.
Launch technique - Well, what can be said - Don't Spin, walk it out and drive the car. try a 2nd gear launch if you just spin in 1st no matter what. you can't tune the suspension by spinning, you have to find the traction limit without going past it, look at your 60 ft times to determine what works, but the above set up is a good baseline. i have run 1.72 60 ft and 4.9 0-60 times with it - NOT using "drag radials" or other 'R' compound tires. just 235-60 Blems from the local tire guy on 15 x 7's, but gradually working up to the tires traction limit with careful suspension tuning and an even more careful right foot!
hope this helps.
2) use your drag shocks in the front at 80-20
3) use front monza V8 springs (in case you're not already!)
4) use a coil spring clamp (from any parts store) and clamp 2 coils from the left front together
5) disconnect the front sway bar
6) in the rear, use the V6 springs and the Monza Spyder rear sway bar
7) use the 50/50 shocks, or a good "used set" of rear shocks
8) use a rubber coil spring spacer to expand the Right rear spring (i think i ended up using 2 spacers there) or just use the one air bag starting at 5-8 psi and go up/down from there - make sure there is 0psi in the other one.
9) run 45 - 50 psi in the front tires and experiment with staggered or same pressures for the rear. i used a 235-60 -15 blem tire - drag cars need more rear sidewall than what your using.
Launch technique - Well, what can be said - Don't Spin, walk it out and drive the car. try a 2nd gear launch if you just spin in 1st no matter what. you can't tune the suspension by spinning, you have to find the traction limit without going past it, look at your 60 ft times to determine what works, but the above set up is a good baseline. i have run 1.72 60 ft and 4.9 0-60 times with it - NOT using "drag radials" or other 'R' compound tires. just 235-60 Blems from the local tire guy on 15 x 7's, but gradually working up to the tires traction limit with careful suspension tuning and an even more careful right foot!
hope this helps.
Last edited by I8AV8; Oct 21, 2006 at 06:37 PM.
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3) use front monza V8 springs (in case you're not already!)4) use a coil spring clamp (from any parts store) and clamp 2 coils from the left front together
You need to be specific on the Monza front springs (CS5576 V8 w/AC) are way too stiff! They are .625" coils with an installed height of 9". They are 384.5 lbs/inch at a free height of 13.69. You need to get the Monza front springs (CS5626 V8 w/o AC). These are a .590" coil with an installed height of 9" but they are 309.0 lbs/inch at a free height of 14.72" What ever you do do not clamp the coils together. You need the front end to extend on the launch! Everything else is bang on.
Drive the car like you stole it and you'll get the times you want. Definitely get more side wall to help you out. the small side wall on the 275/40-17 are killing your times. You'd be faster with 235/60-15's or 275/50-15's. Also, since your using the stock Vega four link, get adjustable uppers with a relocation bracket to raise the mount on the rearend. This will help you plant the rear.
Good luck!
Bill
Last edited by Monza355; Oct 21, 2006 at 09:33 PM.
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Well i just want to say, that i know my way around cars as well as driving them....only reason why i was spinning so much at the track was due to the rain that was on it 1/2 hr before and it washed all the track prep off and there was no grip, and i SHOULD buy a line lock, trying to hold the brake and do a burn out without power brakes isnt the most fun thing to do. i have cut 1.97 60ft with an all stock 95 6-speed z-28 1.98 and 1.99 60ft in an all stock GTO besides exhaust. and those are on stock tires.
i was trying to get used to the car and i was feathering it through 1st and still spun and easing it in 2nd i spun about half way through untill it caught. i also didnt get a good burnout so it all adds up to not getting a good 60ft. on the h-body forum i saw rustorbustor i beleive was getting 1.48-1.53 60ft with drag bags and stock style kyb shocks. 12 bolt and 8'' slicks. i should get some steelies and run some 8'' slicks but right now money is a little tight but i was love to see this thing take off the line.
the thing is, im not going all out drag racing, this is more my street/show car but i love racing. so i like to get my best times in "street trim" i will probably get a cutout and slicks and then go for some better times but that will be next year. i think with what i have planned ill be running deep into the 11's. not meaning the suspension parts alone.
i was trying to get used to the car and i was feathering it through 1st and still spun and easing it in 2nd i spun about half way through untill it caught. i also didnt get a good burnout so it all adds up to not getting a good 60ft. on the h-body forum i saw rustorbustor i beleive was getting 1.48-1.53 60ft with drag bags and stock style kyb shocks. 12 bolt and 8'' slicks. i should get some steelies and run some 8'' slicks but right now money is a little tight but i was love to see this thing take off the line.
the thing is, im not going all out drag racing, this is more my street/show car but i love racing. so i like to get my best times in "street trim" i will probably get a cutout and slicks and then go for some better times but that will be next year. i think with what i have planned ill be running deep into the 11's. not meaning the suspension parts alone.
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Originally Posted by Monza355
I've been running H-bodies for years and have to disagree with these two!
You need to be specific on the Monza front springs (CS5576 V8 w/AC) are way too stiff! They are .625" coils with an installed height of 9". They are 384.5 lbs/inch at a free height of 13.69. You need to get the Monza front springs (CS5626 V8 w/o AC). These are a .590" coil with an installed height of 9" but they are 309.0 lbs/inch at a free height of 14.72" What ever you do do not clamp the coils together. You need the front end to extend on the launch! Everything else is bang on.
Drive the car like you stole it and you'll get the times you want. Definitely get more side wall to help you out. the small side wall on the 275/40-17 are killing your times. You'd be faster with 235/60-15's or 275/50-15's. Also, since your using the stock Vega four link, get adjustable uppers with a relocation bracket to raise the mount on the rearend. This will help you plant the rear.
Good luck!
Bill
You need to be specific on the Monza front springs (CS5576 V8 w/AC) are way too stiff! They are .625" coils with an installed height of 9". They are 384.5 lbs/inch at a free height of 13.69. You need to get the Monza front springs (CS5626 V8 w/o AC). These are a .590" coil with an installed height of 9" but they are 309.0 lbs/inch at a free height of 14.72" What ever you do do not clamp the coils together. You need the front end to extend on the launch! Everything else is bang on.
Drive the car like you stole it and you'll get the times you want. Definitely get more side wall to help you out. the small side wall on the 275/40-17 are killing your times. You'd be faster with 235/60-15's or 275/50-15's. Also, since your using the stock Vega four link, get adjustable uppers with a relocation bracket to raise the mount on the rearend. This will help you plant the rear.
Good luck!
Bill
i want to run the car one more time before the racing season here is over(the 27th) in my mind i would really like to pull the wheels on the vega...but that can wait till next year. Teching In
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Originally Posted by Monza355
I've been running H-bodies for years and have to disagree with these two!
You need to be specific on the Monza front springs (CS5576 V8 w/AC) are way too stiff! They are .625" coils with an installed height of 9". They are 384.5 lbs/inch at a free height of 13.69. You need to get the Monza front springs (CS5626 V8 w/o AC). These are a .590" coil with an installed height of 9" but they are 309.0 lbs/inch at a free height of 14.72" What ever you do do not clamp the coils together. You need the front end to extend on the launch! Everything else is bang on.
Bill
You need to be specific on the Monza front springs (CS5576 V8 w/AC) are way too stiff! They are .625" coils with an installed height of 9". They are 384.5 lbs/inch at a free height of 13.69. You need to get the Monza front springs (CS5626 V8 w/o AC). These are a .590" coil with an installed height of 9" but they are 309.0 lbs/inch at a free height of 14.72" What ever you do do not clamp the coils together. You need the front end to extend on the launch! Everything else is bang on.
Bill
