WARNING: This is going to be a LONG post, but I'm psyched, so deal with it, haha.

Well, yesterday was my second time with the Z28 at the track (and therefore my second time with a manual car at the track). The first time was about a month ago and I had street tires, so it was very bad.

To start my car was making 405 rwhp and weighed 3460 last time I went. I couldn't hook at all, even in second a lot of the time, and was missing shifts like crazy, so all I could muster was a most pathetic 13.2 with a trap speed of 111 (I know, close to stock times, but I had never driven a standard at the track before and with those street tires, it was a recipe for disaster ). Anyways, I decided that it was time to bulletproof the drivetrain to the best of my abilities (abilities = finances) since I was afraid to put drag radials on and destroy the rear end, so I made the big purchase. Moser 12-bolt w/ 4.11, 3.5" aluminum driveshaft, and an adjustable BMR torque arm. Just had it finished at Eastside Performance Thursday afternoon (cutting it a little closer than I would have liked...).

I went back to the track on the rental day yesterday with brand new Nittos and without really any numbers in mind, but with a goal of learning in steps how to drive the freakin car (since I knew that on rental days you can get in like 15-20 runs pretty easily, so if there was a time to practice and learn, this was it). I wanted to be able to launch it well consistently and stop missing shifts (although my car is a little funky with shifts, especially in third for some reason where it likes to hesitate halfway through the shift, which was my culprit most of the time).

I started off the day with a crappy 13.09 @ 111 and was like, "GREAT, here we go....". After six runs, the best I came up with was a 12.89 @ 111. These runs included many missed shifts and crappy bogged launches, with a best 60' of 1.9. On my seventh run, I perked up a bit with a 60' of 1.841, launching pretty well with no real bogging. I went through the traps at 110.6, but trapped a 12.768. Nothing amazing, but at least I was finally seeing some improvement.

I let the car sit for a while to give it a big rest and let it cool down, then went back out to work on my launches. I ran it twice, similar result the first time and on the second run, which I was really psyched about as it felt like a great run, the computer screwed up and decided to not give me a time . Needless to say, I was pissed and took another break.

When I came back, I said to myself "Screw you car. You are going into gear whether you like it or not and I'm going to launch you like I should be, regardless of how much you hate me." The funny part: I actually said this to myself as I was climbing in to head for the lanes . It must have worked, because for my last SIX runs, I didn't miss one shift and ran a 1.8 sixty foot every time except for the last one. I also had three 12.6 runs and two 12.5 runs.

My final run, against my dad in his '68 GTO, no less, was my best run of the day (and ever), as I had really figured out in those last six runs how to launch consistently and how to shift pretty well. The results are below:

1.781 60' (best)
12.45819 1/4 Mile (best)
111.86 1/4 MPH (best all day was a 112.95 and had multiple 112s)

Since I had previously run a best trap speed of 112.95 in those last six runs, the car obviously has a 113 in it on a day like yesterday now that I can drive it. By the way, yesterday was about 90+ degrees and very humid, and no one seemed to be happy with how they were running, so I can't wait to get to the track on a cold day and see how much I can improve.

The BIG part of that trap speed being a little low I think has to do with the following. I was making 405 rwhp and weighed 3460 lbs last time I went. I weighed the car yesterday after the 12-bolt, driveshaft, and torque arm install, and it weighs 3530 lbs!!! I gained 70 pounds with that swap !!! ALSO, I am obviously making a bit less power to the wheels now that I have the beefy driveshaft and 12-bolt in there (I'm guessing in the 390 range, but will verify soon at the dyno), so that is costing me higher trap speeds.

For someone who couldn't drive at all when he arrived yesterday, and losing that power and gaining all of that weight, I was very happy with how I improved over the course of the day, especially with that 60'. I achieved my goal of learning how to launch and shift without missing, so it was a great day for me.

 

Glad you had a good time.

The weather was downright terrible. I seem to always have bad luck with the spring rentals, last year was the same but it started pouring at noon, and we got shut down. Anyone get a DA for this year?

I made 4 passes, first on the motor I went 12.0@115, which I was pretty happy with being down 3 tenths (but 4+mph) considering the air, and carrying a little more weight, plus having a few changes to the tune to make it more nitrous friendly, probably costing me a few N/A hp. 2nd pass I tried spraying the 100 shot for the first time (with a 1st gear lockout) and things were going great until I went for 4th, and the engine rev'd...either I missed a gear, but more likely I think the clutch slipped. I did go 7.3 in the 1/8th. 3rd pass I went 12.2@118 but seemed like I was fighting the clutch again, as I couldn't grab the gears very quickly, was getting some resistance. 4th run I said F it and sprayed in first, but left the line gently with the clutch problems in mind, so I only had a 1.8 60' - other 3 runs I had 1.5-1.6. But I was able to grab the gears and came away with an 11.9@120. Then I pretty much threw in the towel figuring it wasn't going to go any quicker with that air and without the clutch working as well as it should. I'll have to bleed it a bit and make a few short nitrous shifts and see if it works ok on the street.

Of course something had to break too...At the start of the day, I couldn't adjust one of my QA1 12-ways, **** would just spin and it wouldn't click. Tried tightening the allen bolt, but didn't help much, so I left it as is. Well when I was swapping back the tires, I noticed the wheelwell had a coating of oil on it, as did the lower A-Arm. Great, need to buy a new shock. At least it was the only thing that broke...I'll take it.

 

the Qa1s can be rebuilt ya just need to send them in, the DA was 2300 from what i was told..YIKES

 

2300 almost doesn't seem that bad for how it felt. LVD for a little while was putting the DAs on the slip. I have some from last year's rental and they were 2900-3200 that day, which was cooler than yesterday. Don't know why they stopped doing that.

Chef, you were there? I don't remember seeing your car? I saw JL's, Eastside Gary's, Stephs, and a couple others from the board.

Oh and that Hyundai was pretty badass, lol.

 

My car was there, and it pulled the wheels
Garys car wasnt there that was Daves SS (InteneSS)

 

Can someone explain to me exactly what DA is? I know it is density altitude, but how is it calculated and how does it relate to performance? Thanks!

 

I was just looking through the videos I shot Friday, I have a clip of one of your 12.6 runs but I must have missed the 12.45. Nice times. At least you came away happy with your results. Some people were less than thrilled with their times.

 

Good runs!

I saw a video of a black TA running high 12's at like 110mph with a passenger. I thought they don't let you have a passenger when your car runs that fast? What were the mods on that car?

 

I looked up the weather history, and it said it was only 89 degrees, but the track's thermometer said it was 96, the one in my truck at 3 pm said it was 101... I did the calc's based off the weather history's baro pressure and dew point at 2 pm, and the track's 96 degree temp and the DA I came up with was 3200 or something like that.

That's bad air!

 

Yeah, I've got it on video. My mom and girlfriend video taped a lot of races that day. We've got about 40+ minutes of races from Friday.

Some people definitely weren't happy, but it was really hot and it seemed like a lot of people were having traction issues. I think I can improve my times and MPH quite a bit if I can get there on a cool day, but we'll see!

 

PREVIOUS POST WAS ME. Forgot to log my brother out, haha.

 

I saw that passenger with the car running 12s, too??? I would also like to know what was done to it and how well it ran that day as it was running pretty much similar times to me most of the day from what I saw. Does anyone on here know who that was?

 

Well there were 2 black T/As there. I had the non-ram air car and ran solo, the other was lilstephls1, I saw her make a pass or 2 with her boyfriend driving while she was riding shotgun. Saw her make a few nice solo passes after that in the ~12.4 range, she's definitely getting there.

 

Aha. How did you do yesterday? I saw your car (probably have a video or two of it), but didn't know who you were. And do you happen to know what the other TA had done to it?

 

you guys goin on wednesday the 30th? thats usually the only days i can get to LVD. i went last wednesday and for musclepalooza yesterday. damn..im only runnin 13.70s..i got to step it up. my cars stock except for the 3" cutout. i gotta get a tune on this thing.!

 

That was my car. My boyfriend wanted to take it for a drive (he never drove a RWD car at the track) so I let him drive with me in it. He didnt do too bad seeing he shifted at 5800 RPM and let off towards the end a little because he wasn't used to the sway from the ET streets. Also, I took my dad for a small drive down too so he can see how it feels when he starts drag racing his car. They are very careless of track days when it comes to that stuff, just have to make sure they have a helmet on.

 

In my sig, but basically bolt ons, AFRs and a mild cam, and full weight down to the spare tire. I am still learning how to drive the car, but have finally learned how to launch it pretty good. It went a best of 12.4@107 (let off at the end) with a 1.7 60' that day after maybe 8 passes? I am not I made like 20 passes that day, lol. Maybe whoever has the videos got the run of my shifting from 3rd to 2nd? that was scarey! I guess that is what I get for only driving the car once for like 10 minutes all year before going to the track. I am going to hit the track again when it is a little cooler out and hopefully I can run a 12.0ish since my best so far is a 12.42 with a 1.9 60'. Now that I am cutting 1.7's pretty good now towards the end of the track day 12.0s are not that far away.

 

What cam are you running and what kind of power are you making? I too ran a 12.4 that day with a 1.7 60'. What was your best trap? Sounds like our cars are running very similarly. Hopefully I can get out there on a cool day and drop my times quite a bit now that I know how to launch the car and I've stopped missing shifts.

 

I recalculated the DA with the temp of the track thermometer and the weather history, which I suspect teh dew point was probably lower then what the actualtrack was... blah blah anyways it came up at 3200.... go back to even the same track on a day when it's like 300, like it is in october and you will go probably a 1/4 second faster just from the weather change with no other improvment.

 

its a 233/233 .595/.595 (TSP Torquer-older version) and it made 423 without the 12 bolt I believe. I'd have to check the graph. I believe it trapped either a 112 or 113 on Friday with the ETs, but it has trapped 116 or 117 with the Nittos.