Post by jehrbear on Mar 10, 2010 11:42:50 GMT -6
Hey all,
New to the sport, but I've been a spectator for many years, and a couple years back decided to trade my perfectly good Mustang toy for a rusty beater with the hopes of slowly building it into a respectable 1/4 mile beast. Even though all this activity coincided with my 40th birthday 2 years back, it has nothing to do with a midlife crisis no matter what my wife says
Since I didn't ever have the heart to cut up the stang (really nice driver 88 5.0 convert), I replaced it with something i had no history with so I could really create a "hot rod" with no guilt of tearing up a great car. I had a few offers to trade for mid to late 80s Trans Ams with stock 350 crate swaps or a stock 305, a really killer 50 ford with a flathead, and I probably should have taken one of those "high and easy roads" as parts are cheap and plentiful, but then I heard this mild cam Cleveland with headers fire up just once, and as they say, the rest is history:
So now I'm trying to make a 4000 pound rust bucket run like the wind with some skilz and a pocket change budget, but a passion to have fun and make it happen. With a blown carb, and a lot of cobwebs, I was able to limp the car to a 15 second ET during one of the Midnight Madness runs. This was a much improved run from the first night which gave me an embarassing 19 second slip which ended our night pushing the car on the trailer after one pass due to a fuel pump failure (and a new dent in the fender as I "missed" loading it on the "too small" trailer. Big fun.
If I get this beast to run a 12.999, I've got a bottle of Single Barrel up on the shelf we'll crack open in celebration.
Since last year I have gotten a new much improved carb, and I've got the parts for a shifter,
Carb is installed and somewhat street tested, and I've got the parts for a shifter (free B&M prostick from racer buddy, just needed to swap the cable and the gate from a glide to a 3speed, not a bad deal).
Still looking for the right answer on gearing, just know i need to do something. The stock 9" pegleg has 2:75 gears, racer buddy has a spool to donate, just need to pick the gearing, and "get around to it". Still needing recommendations for gearing (any opinions?
Specs are 25" tire currently, C4 auto, 2v Clev with v4 conversion, Edelbrock intake and a 600 holley dp, headers, flowmasters, 2.5" exhaust. Not exactly sure on ponies yet, guessing (hoping for)300 plus, but due to the carb, I think my MPH at the stripe will be much improved with the carb as i was barely shifting 3d and pulling really hard still, but best so far is 90mph. One of my crew is telling me 4:56 but I"m scared i'll be way above the powerband, and I really don't want to stress this engine much above 6k until I open her up myself, and would like to put that off until the bodywork is done. Feel free to chime in, always looking for that experienced constructive critisism (I pull my Ford with a Chevy truck, and my first car was a Dodge so no Ford haters please....and ironically, my tow vehicle is faster than my race car...but we're working on that)
Hopefully with the experience and wisdom of others, along with a couple racer friends who have passed along some trick parts and installation assistance we'll get there.
Wow, this was long winded, can you tell i'm bored at work today
New to the sport, but I've been a spectator for many years, and a couple years back decided to trade my perfectly good Mustang toy for a rusty beater with the hopes of slowly building it into a respectable 1/4 mile beast. Even though all this activity coincided with my 40th birthday 2 years back, it has nothing to do with a midlife crisis no matter what my wife says
Since I didn't ever have the heart to cut up the stang (really nice driver 88 5.0 convert), I replaced it with something i had no history with so I could really create a "hot rod" with no guilt of tearing up a great car. I had a few offers to trade for mid to late 80s Trans Ams with stock 350 crate swaps or a stock 305, a really killer 50 ford with a flathead, and I probably should have taken one of those "high and easy roads" as parts are cheap and plentiful, but then I heard this mild cam Cleveland with headers fire up just once, and as they say, the rest is history:
So now I'm trying to make a 4000 pound rust bucket run like the wind with some skilz and a pocket change budget, but a passion to have fun and make it happen. With a blown carb, and a lot of cobwebs, I was able to limp the car to a 15 second ET during one of the Midnight Madness runs. This was a much improved run from the first night which gave me an embarassing 19 second slip which ended our night pushing the car on the trailer after one pass due to a fuel pump failure (and a new dent in the fender as I "missed" loading it on the "too small" trailer. Big fun.
If I get this beast to run a 12.999, I've got a bottle of Single Barrel up on the shelf we'll crack open in celebration.
Since last year I have gotten a new much improved carb, and I've got the parts for a shifter,
Carb is installed and somewhat street tested, and I've got the parts for a shifter (free B&M prostick from racer buddy, just needed to swap the cable and the gate from a glide to a 3speed, not a bad deal).
Still looking for the right answer on gearing, just know i need to do something. The stock 9" pegleg has 2:75 gears, racer buddy has a spool to donate, just need to pick the gearing, and "get around to it". Still needing recommendations for gearing (any opinions?
Specs are 25" tire currently, C4 auto, 2v Clev with v4 conversion, Edelbrock intake and a 600 holley dp, headers, flowmasters, 2.5" exhaust. Not exactly sure on ponies yet, guessing (hoping for)300 plus, but due to the carb, I think my MPH at the stripe will be much improved with the carb as i was barely shifting 3d and pulling really hard still, but best so far is 90mph. One of my crew is telling me 4:56 but I"m scared i'll be way above the powerband, and I really don't want to stress this engine much above 6k until I open her up myself, and would like to put that off until the bodywork is done. Feel free to chime in, always looking for that experienced constructive critisism (I pull my Ford with a Chevy truck, and my first car was a Dodge so no Ford haters please....and ironically, my tow vehicle is faster than my race car...but we're working on that)
Hopefully with the experience and wisdom of others, along with a couple racer friends who have passed along some trick parts and installation assistance we'll get there.
Wow, this was long winded, can you tell i'm bored at work today