A3/A4 transmission failures in 4th gens, where parts come up through the floor are admittedly rare right folks? I think a lot of the NHRA rules are too stringent for mid 11 second cars. Fact of the matter is that the rules cater to the old junkers that folks take to the track. Those are the cars that are more likely to roll or lose a rear wheel or something.

 

yeah I guess I've never seen a tranny come apart and injur anyone in an fbody... I wouldn't put my money saying it couldnt happen though. Like the other guys said, error on the side of safety.

 

Actually a TH400 is more likely to come apart with a Trans brake then any thing If it blows the sprag it over runs the drom to over 10,000 rpm and BOOM!

As far as how much of a pick up over a season? My car sat for three years and went from 12.3s to 11.4s out of the gate to almost in the nines in one season So Yeah I have alot of upgrading to do

 

TH400s are why trans blankets came to be, several ways of overunning the direct drum when there is no intermediate band..

While trans explosions are somewhat rare these days anything is possible, you will still see an occasional 727 torqueflite or TH400 explode, especially when people start lightening 20 year old stock parts.

You know just because a car is 'legal' doesnt mean its either safe or it will keep the driver from getting hurt in only a minor crash. A safe driver with common sense is a much better thing to have then a 25.5 cage in a 12 second car. If you asked 90% of the people that crashed what happened is the most common thing is 'it didnt feel right, I should have let out of it.' Personally I think too much safety stuff gets some people a little overconfident, just like buying a bulletproof vest and then going out to look for a gunfight either may not save your life if you do something dumb. Best thing in the world is to keep being scared shitless of that car everytime you point it down the track because you will never know what will happen even if you have done it 10,000 times..

 

Well Building transmissions on a daily basis I see a few Last one was a 904

 

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Licensed & car certed to 6.00, so I have to have every item a door car can.
Trust me, we love & hate the rules as much or more than the next guy.
But like it's been said many times before, some are just getting out of hand.
Nets do not go bad in 2 years, if it starts to fray or rip, than you should replace it before the time expires anyway. If u don't, then tech should do something. Same with belts. The diaper rule is excellent and long overdue, as much for safety and saving time. I agree with most of the rules, but the damn net rule just ticks me off.

I also agree about lame tech & hard *** tech. The crap hole track in NW Indiana has let some of the biggest piece of crap, death traps run u ever saw. The guys with big blocks, N2O and no cages running single digits don't help either. I also started out slow and as I got faster was too stupid & cheap to do it safely, did I mention I had a BBC, N2O and ran 9's with no cage. I learned, trust me, I learned. I've been on fire, I've been sideways, I've cut a front tire in the lites.

Listen to Dave, and me for that matter, it's cheap insurance. Don't have to look very far this week, ask John Medlen, that car had every safety feature and now he's burying a son. Stuff happens, and it only has to happen to u once. Bitch all u want, trust me I do, but in the end, be safe, have fun and hopefully everyone makes it home at the end of the W/E.

.

 

This is the winner right here! We all agree the rules may be a tad overdoing it at times, but remember why the rules are there: TO SAVE YOU!

I didn't like the idea initially of putting a 5-point bar in my uncut Nova, but after seeing some of the accidents I'm glad I'm using that instead of nothing and a simple lap belt.

PSJ, just remember PLENTY of late-models break/crash with people not familiar with the power or how to handle it. Ever seen a wheel come off a 4th gen that swapped tires after driving out when they didn't tighten the lugs enough, or a 10-bolt break?

It's not just the "old junkers" that break or crash.

Just my $.02, but the phrase "If you want to play you have to pay" applies to more than just making the power. It also means paying to race safely.
Derek

 

this is why we have new rules: LOL

 

For those that think people are over confident with more safety equipment, they are right and wrong...just like ABS and air bags. The naive become overconfident, the smart become more aware.

Like a lot of us, I, too, have had my share of fast street cars with no cage, etc. If I was to build my Firebird over, since I knew in the back of my mind, it would keep getting faster, I would have gone straight for a 8.50-9.99 certification.

I don't ever, and have not ever, for this car, desired to go faster than a high-8 or low-9 because for me, the extra cash outlay to do it safely and doing it N/A, is not worth it. Not that nitrous or forced induction is bad (I've had some very fast turbo Regals over the years), but I want to keep my Firebird N/A and Gen 3 / Gen 4 based. It would be a lot cheaper to keep going faster and faster N/A non-LSx based, but that's not for me.

Not that this is right for everyone, but I'd spend my money on safety, chassis, then drivetrain. I'd rather have a good leaving safe quick car, per se, than a crazy fast, handful-of-a-car with marginalized or no proper safety equipment. It's not as sexy looking as a true outlaw car on the track or street, sideways at 150 or whatever, but...

Safe racing and travels. Dave


PS: A good example...out at the local 1/8th-mile track last Sunday, in the lanes, a guy running 5.50's on a 300-shot came buy talking to me. Nice guy, but he was surprised how expensive (or cheap if you think about it the other way) my HANS device was. Yet he was talking about the $8000 extra he sunk into the motor over the winter to go from low 6's to mid-5's in the 1/8th.

He only had a 6-point cage, non-legal helmet, just a cheap fire jacket, old seat belts, etc...in NO way legal for his times. A few minutes later, right in front of me (other lane), BOOM! No wreck, as he blew up on the launch, but some good engine carnage. He was a real nice guy, but I'm just using this to make the point that it could have been real ugly if it had nuked on the big end.

 

I wasnt advocating NOT using the proper safety gear or common sense taking its place, many tmes things just arent in your control. All I was saying is some people tend to take more chances if they think the car or themselves are indestructable which is a HUGE mistake.

I'm with you on the low 9/high 8 second thing. Honestly I'm about as fast as I feel comfortable in this car and I have been doing a lot more 1/8 mile racing lately. 1/4 mile is just watching the tach and speedo climb for 3 seconds anyways and hoping the engine doesnt let go at 6900-7000rpm in high gear. Other cars I would feel safe doing 200 in the 1/4 but this car I do not, its main appeal is it looks stock but runs very well. Sure it would be nice to run 8.70s with it but spending 25K to do it over 9 teens just isnt in the cards for me, easier to do a tube chassied BBC car if ET was my primary goal..

Take a look at this and see what can happen even in a car with a cage 'only' going through the traps at 125mph. There are some 'before' pics floating around of the car and it was no junk.

http://www.outlawracing.com/MESSAGEF...c/Default.aspx

Its pretty depressing but just goes to show anything can happen when something goes wrong. You just never know so its best to put the odds in your favor and make sure the car is safe and up to date.

 

kp - Absolutely know you weren't per the above. I should have gone racing tonight, but I prepaid for a poker tournament to save money, only to lose my *** just now. Should've gone racing tonight instead...would have more fun for less money.

On 1/8th-mile racing, the more I do it, the more I like it. Only, 1/4-mile is fun, too, so I hate to go up in gear anymore (4.11's...may go 4.30's and still stay with 28" tires). Take care. Dave

PS: Just looked at your link, kp, on that Mustang's crash...my local track, Redline Raceway, has similiar metal barriers. All is disturbing.

 

I run my same 3.70s, 5.70s in the 1/8 and 9-teens in the 1/4 with the same gear. I may pick up a little in the 1/8 if I gear up but then it may get hard to hook - 1.25 60s are pushing it on 10.5x28s already..

I should have went racing today also, absolutely perfect weather but I thought for some odd reason it would be OK to eat a 4 alarm spicy wendy's chicken sandwich at 11am and then go pick up my trailer. Not the best idea I had this week thats for sure

 

^^ yea that was a bad crash. i had met the guy a few times a while back when the speed shop he worked at was still open. i got some inside info that he was doing around 110mph in the 1/8th. its hard to tell from the pics but the cage was still intact for the most part. the seat & harness was bolted to the floor and not the cage. i was told that the harness was still buckled. very sad wreck for sure

this proves that the rules are for our safety, not them just being a PITA.

 

There is just many things that went wrong on so many levels with that whole crash, really tragic.

 

If I buy the 10.00 rule book off the site

Will it cover the details for us small guys?

 

yea i know what you mean. it just was his time.