VINCE

iTrader: (1)

Why is it a SC'd car is the fastest LS1? The car raceweight is 3692lbs. I would have thought a turbo LS1 would hold this record..

Nickn20

what does having a turbo have to do with being the fastest?

Big Mike

iTrader: (4)

I think the main ingredients in Ronnie's setup is the C5-R block and heads, that combined w/ the SC is a potent setup. The faster drag cars in the world run SC's, right. Top Fuel...

Cheatin' Chad

iTrader: (3)

A top fuel blower consumes over 800hp to turn at max RPM.If the supercharger were to be replaced with a turbo set-up they would at least gain most of that power back. I don't know if it would make them quicker but they would have more power.

I can understand the first posters comment. Turbocharging is more efficient than a belt driven supercharger. I too would have assumed a turbo car would be the quickest FI LS1 on the planet.

427

iTrader: (3)

Its just a matter of time. If someone builds a car to the rulebook with no other reason than to be the fastest I think you would see a LT1 powered car with a turbo kickin-but.
Kurt

VINCE

iTrader: (1)

Thank You. In this very forum many Turbo guys have talked potential FI guys out of superchargers because of the more efficient turbo setup, but I would have thought Ronnie Duke would have chose the same route and made more horsepower... Therefore go quicker/faster in the 1/4th????? I am not trying to start a flame, but why did Duke choose a supercharger instead of the more efficient turbo?

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

In general turbo cars are faster all things being equal in some racing classes.

But superchargers are the road well travelled.

Crunch

He probably has had experience with supercharged small-blocks already, like many, many chevy/pontiac motorheads.
Also, assuming he started building that car say, 3-4 years ago, there weren't that many proven turbo kits available, in terms of reliability, available parts, technical support, etc, etc.
If he were to start building that car all over again today, he would probably choose Rob Raymer's kit, but then again, Rob may not even be selling that kit anymore - which goes back to my point.
Vortech and ATI ain't going anywhere soon, and they've been around for a while. And like PSJ just said, there is a large LS1 supercharger knowledge base already.

VINCE

iTrader: (1)

I agree. Ronnie is shooting for 7's this year..

Reckless

iTrader: (9)

Just remember, Ronnie's car was built by Kurt (427), and driven by Kurt. So 7's? I have my doubts. Take that as a challenge Ronnie

DERTY

Supercharged cars are the norm in organized racing. Not until recently did turbochargers become reasonably acceptable. NMRA Sees them almost exclusively now in certain classes. NSCA only allows them in the big dog classes and on V6's in lower classes. And recently with Mike Moran just dessimating the ET chart with his twin turbo setup there are plenty of people that are threatening to pack up their stuff if he even shows up to the track.

Now as for our sort of racing, it's a little different. We don't have many classes that we can run in in an organized race. For the bigger cars we'd be up against 4-linked chassis that easily put down 8.20 passes all day long.

I don't think we have to wait very long to see some interesting turbo results. Mike Brown's setup is definitely looking good. Rick C5's hopefully is coming along. And besides Harlan being Harlan, his car is coming along as well. That and the numerous posts I see about Speed Inc's shop car, the numerous TT 427's that people are looking at and the other post with the 91mm Garrett in it, I believe that we will see a lot of turbo results this year.

Big Rick

iTrader: (1)

Sorry for taking so long guys. Everything is done now, just needs to be put together. I held off a year and ran the nitrous motor cause I knew it would be expensive to switch to turbo. I just didn't expect to spend about 3 times of what I waited a year for. But soon, very soon. Also there is a turbo Top Fuel dragster, its outlawed

Mike 01WS6

Because he has the most money dumped into his ride than anyone else on this board. It takes more than peanuts to go fast...there is lots of money involved.

mongse

iTrader: (2)

I'm sure the F-1R charger (which is bigger than anything I've ever seen on an LTx/LSx/C5R and the whole C5R thing have A LOT to do with the numbers. It should be able to hit 8s in reverse.

z98

Put that drivetrain in a stripped hardtop, he'd have 7's.

But having 1000 hp + cd player and still driven on the street makes my parts hurt.

I want one. Chicks dig convertibles, right?

buschman

As always, the proof is in the pudding. That being said I too am sort of curious why Kurt and Ronnie made some of the decisions they did on the car. Maybe they will chime in and tell us about the planning stages of that car.

Mike

p.s. An outlawed top fuel dragster? Give me a break. If it could run the times, I'm sure people would pay to see it.

z98

They have been restricting top fuelers for years. It's about safety more than spectators, or so they say.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

yup i agree with the top fueler. NHRA (as well as nearly all the organized races) have been trying to slow down the cars. the new goodyear tire in NHRA shows that right away.

back to Ronnies car. i think what people forget is it takes a LOOOONG time to put a combo like his together. it isnt like you send it to a shop and they wrench on it and boom, it is done and ready to run mid 8s. lol. everything must be custom designed and tested.

427

iTrader: (3)

Mike,
Ronnie brought the car to us from a shop in Colorado with the blower already on a 383 ci gen 3. He asked us to "make it go nines", we did that our first time out after completly rebuilding the car. It was overweight because it was a convertible but he loved that car.
He then said "make it go eights". That was when the C5R engine came to life.
Now he is going to lighten that car to try and go sevens, it is very possible with that engine.
I guess the answer is: Ronnie made all the choices of speeds and parts to be used, we just made the car work.
Ronnie has opened his own shop now so Wheel to Wheel Powertrain is no longer working on his cars.
Kurt

buschman

Kurt, how did you keep the torque from completely twisting that car apart? Hypothetically, if Ronnie had come to you with just a checkbook and no other prerequisits. He said I want an F-Body that goes 7s. What would you have built him? You have full rain over car choice(ie formy, Z, T/A, hardtop, vert, whatever), FI route, engine disp (let's keep it a gen 3 motor though), fuel management, etc.

Mike