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Looking good!
Get rid of that factory plastic P/S pulley and get a billet piece from Turn One.
The plastic units crack and come loose, plus the Turn One piece looks really good.
Looking good!
Get rid of that factory plastic P/S pulley and get a billet piece from Turn One.
The plastic units crack and come loose, plus the Turn One piece looks really good.
Already in the plans, lol. It looks extra crappy now that I've redone so much of the engine bay.
I did that on purpose, I knew I'd eventually want more power and standing up the radiator (even though it wasn't required for the kit) was in the plans from the start.
Oh, I'll build a full on race car ( still street driven ) eventually, but for now I want some of those creature comforts, lol. My Firebird is going to feel primitive enough after all the bells and whistles my SS has!
On the test hit #1, I basically blew the tires off through 1st and 2nd gear. Oops! This thing is constantly on the edge of losing traction, it's so damn fun!
So, I took it to the track a few weeks back to see what kind of MPH it would pull in the quarter. Wasn't going for ET because A) I'm on crappy regular street tires, B) I have nothing set up to build boost on the line, and C) I'm still only street tuned and it's far from optimized. I ran 4 passes launching off idle with miserable 60's... 2.24-2.42. I missed a shift once, hit a boost safety mid run once, and hit a boost safety a little past the 1000' marker once. On the one run I was able to stay under power all the way to the end, I hit 127.80 MPH. That was a 2.42 60' run, lol. Ran a 12.46. On that pass, I was running 112MPH at the 1000' mark. On the run where I hit the boost safety a little past the 1000' marker, I was running 115 and some change at the 1000'. That should have been at least 131MPH in the 1/4. My 60' that pass was only marginally better, a 2.36. Think I ran a 12.38 there. Once I'm able to launch this thing with some boost after a dyno tune ( and good tires and suspension work ), it's going to be pretty nuts.
Last edited by LS1Formulation; Oct 22, 2024 at 01:18 PM.
So, I took it to the track a few weeks back to see what kind of MPH it would pull in the quarter. Wasn't going for ET because A) I'm on crappy regular street tires, B) I have nothing set up to build boost on the line, and C) I'm still only street tuned and it's far from optimized. I ran 4 passes launching off idle with miserable 60's... 2.24-2.42. I missed a shift once, hit a boost safety mid run once, and hit a boost safety a little past the 1000' marker once. On the one run I was able to stay under power all the way to the end, I hit 127.80 MPH. That was a 2.42 60' run, lol. Ran a 12.46. On that pass, I was running 112MPH at the 1000' mark. On the run where I hit the boost safety a little past the 1000' marker, I was running 115 and some change at the 1000'. That should have been at least 131MPH in the 1/4. My 60' that pass was only marginally better, a 2.36. Think I ran a 12.38 there. Once I'm able to launch this thing with some boost after a dyno tune ( and good tires and suspension work ), it's going to be pretty nuts.
MT ET Street R's in 275/50/15 and a two-step leave will be a game changer.
This thing really needs an anti-roll bar and some double adjustable struts/shocks. I've never been able to get better than a 1.82 60' time out of it, and that was N/A. The axle really wants to twist when I launch, which makes the tires spin. Even after I installed a spool. I was running those M/Ts back then as well. I think the struts/shocks are needed because if it does transfer weight, it immediately settles in front which also unloads the rear tires.
This thing really needs an anti-roll bar and some double adjustable struts/shocks. I've never been able to get better than a 1.82 60' time out of it, and that was N/A. The axle really wants to twist when I launch, which makes the tires spin. Even after I installed a spool. I was running those M/Ts back then as well. I think the struts/shocks are needed because if it does transfer weight, it immediately settles in front which also unloads the rear tires.
I'm running the Viking Warrior double adjustable shocks on my current car and they seem to work very well.
Made plenty of hits on the street and at 14-15lbs. it weight transfers really well, lifts the nose and keeps it there and the rear stays really planted throughout the run.
This is with Nitto NT555 drag radials at about 20 or so psi, so I could even lower the pressure a bit more for more traction.
Anti-roll bar just depends on how wild you want to get, TRZ makes a really badass one, I'm going with MWC as they have a nice bolt on piece since I have their Fab 9 rear end, but they have ones that will work with the S60 I think too.
What size wheels and tires? I am presently running 18's with 285s in back, but I'm going to sell them and swap on some 17's with 17X11s in the rear and do either a 315/35 or 305/45. I'm leaning toward the 305/45 due to it being taller, so I'll have some sidewall. I really don't want to go back to a 15" "big and little" set up on the car. I think if I install a clutch tamer and spring for the traction control upgrade on my Terminator X, I should be able to click off some good 60's after I get the launch dialed in. I was looking at Vikings, so that's probably what I'll go with. I also have checked out the MWC anti-roll bar, looks like a quality piece. My S60 doesn't have any sway bar perches welded on, though. I'll have to figure that out. I was considering the BMR Extreme bar as well. Decisions, decisions.
What size wheels and tires? I am presently running 18's with 285s in back, but I'm going to sell them and swap on some 17's with 17X11s in the rear and do either a 315/35 or 305/45. I'm leaning toward the 305/45 due to it being taller, so I'll have some sidewall. I really don't want to go back to a 15" "big and little" set up on the car. I think if I install a clutch tamer and spring for the traction control upgrade on my Terminator X, I should be able to click off some good 60's after I get the launch dialed in. I was looking at Vikings, so that's probably what I'll go with. I also have checked out the MWC anti-roll bar, looks like a quality piece. My S60 doesn't have any sway bar perches welded on, though. I'll have to figure that out. I was considering the BMR Extreme bar as well. Decisions, decisions.
They are Jeg's five spoke wheels with 275/60/15's.
I'd just pick up a pair of 15's for the strip and keep your 18's for the street.
I had 17x11's on my last car with 315/35's Nitto NT05's, they were great for handling but would get very greasy with too much burnout so I wouldn't recommend those.
The traction control would probably help, I'd just be concerned it would slow the car down because its pulling power constantly because traction is so limited.
Nitto, M/T and Hoosier all have drag radial options in 18" which would be good for the street but wear out quickly if you street drive a lot, that's why I had separate wheels for the strip.
Cold weather has arrived in Michigan, so it's time for winter mods. One thing that became apparent very quickly with my engine is the front accessory drive was lacking belt support between the balancer and the top mounted alternator. Spinning 7500 RPM had the belt whipping so badly that it left witness marks in the paint on my thermostat housing, and on one occasion, pitched the belt and tore it in half lengthwise. Not to mention, looking at datalogs showed erratic voltage readings from the alternator at high RPM. I needed an idler pulley, but I couldn't figure out anything that would work. That is, until I found a small company that made the perfect product for what I needed. ( PM me if you'd like the name, I don't post non-sponsor info. ) It's a bracket with idler pulley that bolts right to the front of the water pump. Can't test the efficacy yet, but judging by the additional belt wrap on both the balancer and alternator pulley, it should fix all of my issues:
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