New Best in 100 Degree Heat!

[67Satty]

I drove my '67 Satellite out to the Antique Drags at Barona Dragstrip yesterday and got a new best in spite of the horrible weather. It got up to about 100 degress and my new best of 8.12 in the 1/8th was right after the lunch break when the air temp and track temp was the hottest of the day. Previous best was 8.25.

It was 100 degrees and someone said they measured the track temperature at 144 degrees!

I only got in six runs because I had to let my car cool down for so long between runs. I found that my slicks liked a little more pressure, I had been running 14.5 psi and went up to 15.5 psi and it seemed to like it.

Everyone I talked to said they were running anywhere from 2/10s to 5/10s slower than they usually do because of the conditions. I picked up from the last time because I installed some cutouts and ran uncorked this time and the car seemed to really like it.

I feel like this thing might have a high 7 in the 1/8th in it in good air and with some more driving practice. I'm pretty happy since it is a pretty stock motor with unported, stock-sized valve 452s in a full interior, all-metal street car.

The best part is the car made the 100 mile round trip in the 100 degree heat raced all day and got me back home again without a hiccup.

 

[RustyRatRod]

That's great. Congrats. That's like what....12.40s in the 1320?

 

[67Satty]

I think it's like 12.60s to 12.80s depending on whose conversion you use.

 

[Budnicks]

8.12 in the 1/8 mile, over a tenth improvement Congrats, on a 100* day with poor track conditions... I see high 7.90's in the 1/8 mile, very soon in your near future, especially on cooler track conditions & better air density/Altitude conditions.... Was most of that ET made up in the 1st 60-120 ft ??, did you do any carburetor changes ??, maybe you were too lean to begin with, or maybe you just needed more wheel speed from the launch, higher tire pressure less bog, get into the power-band a little quicker, not know the car or the whole story or seeing video, best guess anyway... Head porting in the near future, sounds like a great idea, make a bunch more "usable" low end power, with the same combo.... Happy Moparing

 

[67Satty]

Thanks, I plan on going back in the middle of December when the air temp should be more like 68 degrees or so.

I don't think the gain came from the 60 foot. My previous best 60 foot was a 1.77 and yesterday I was doing 1.77s until I added a pound of air, then did a 1.75.

I added a pound after checking out the track photographer's booth and seeing a picture of my car launching. The poor sidewalls looked like they were wrinkled about flat.

Some of the gain is also from learning where to shift, what RPM to launch from - this being only my third time out with the car and just getting back into it after a 26 year hiatus! I think this car would beat my '72 Challenger that would run 12.80s back then and that was one of my goals.

 

[383man]

Congrats on the new best. Ron

 

[67Satty]

Thanks Ron! I know low 8s in the 1/8th probably doesn't seem like much to a lot of people but I've owned this old thing since the mid 1990s and that the car is even moving under it's own power again is kinda a big thing to me considered everthing it and me have been through together over the years!

 

[383man]

Low 8's in the 1/8 can be very fast for a certain combo. To me it all depends on the combo. I mean a stock 440 is not going to run 7.0's in the 1/8 or 8.0's in the 1/8. If your car runs good for what you have in it thats all that matters. And there is always someone faster anyway. Ron

 

[alleyoopmgv]

Nice, Congrats!

 

[67Satty]

Low 8's in the 1/8 can be very fast for a certain combo. To me it all depends on the combo. I mean a stock 440 is not going to run 7.0's in the 1/8 or 8.0's in the 1/8. If your car runs good for what you have in it thats all that matters. And there is always someone faster anyway. Ron

I'm pretty happy so far but now I'm obsessed with getting a 7.90-something out of it! Hopefully this winter when it cools down and there's better air.

But yeah, I think there's more on the table. I need to learn how to tune it. The carb is just a 850 DP that I bought off an eBay seller who refurbs Holleys who had good feedback. Bolted it on, set the idle and that's it. It seemed to work good so I left it be. Haven't experimented with timing much yet either.

I'd also look to go to a steeper gear. With the 3.91s I'm shifting into third right before the stripe. I'm thinking of going up in diameter of my slicks to get more footprint (I'm at 27" diameter now), then going up to a 4.10 or maybe even a 4.30 gear.

Once I learn how to tune it, I need to learn how to drive it, what it likes best for launch RPM, shift points, etc...It's fun though, I wish I could go every weekend!

 

[Budnicks]

If you planning on a taller wider tire & mainly 1/8 mile drag-strip use, I say go with the 4.30:1 or even 4.56:1 or 4.88:1 gear if you want to optimize the 1/8 mile ET's, it can still be street driven with the 4.30:1, not real RPM cruiser friendly on the freeways thou, the steeper gears are near impossible on the freeways... But the taller 29" maybe 30" if narrow enough to not rub on the inside of the wheel-tubs, taller tire will cut the 4.30:1 or steeper gear back down some too, the steeper the gears & bigger the tires, the more converter stall speed, smaller diameter, you should have also, to optimize the performance... Have Fun that's what it's all about, go Haul *** & lets see some 7's in the near future... Happy Moparing

 

[67Satty]

I've got a Dynamic 9.5" that is supposed to flash to 4200 in my car so I think I should be good there. My 3.91s are a cheap Craiglist third member find that are howling so I'm going to have to put new gears in anyway. I think I will switch to at least a 4.10 if not a 4.30 and then also switch to a 28-29" tall slick at the same time.

Do you guys think I am leaving anything on the table by using my dual plane Performer RPM intake? I could get myself a used Torker II, M1, or Holley Strip Dominator and sell my Performer RPM to offset the cost. I'll do it if it will gain me something. Every little bit helps, especially if it's something cheap and easy like an intake swap.

 

[Budnicks]

9.5" w/4200 rpm stall speed is probably ok, the steeper the gear ratio, the less effective the stall speed generally is... I would go with the 4.30:1... Maybe a few HP left on the table, not a gigantic difference, the open Single Plane styles of manifolds are better for higher RPM's, than the Eddy Dual Plane RPM, Proper Carburetor tuning w/an adequate fuel supply & Proper Ignition &/or Timing are just as important.... Lighter wheels & tires lighter drive-shaft, lighter car period, fiberglass replacing steel panels, like hood, trunk & bumpers & aluminum replacing cast iron or steel, where ever possible, Power to Weight Ratio means everything, lighter the overall car, faster it will be, probably the easiest way to go faster, with the exact same engine/tune/gears/tires/suspension, maybe move the battery to the trunk {if you already haven't} & install a cut-off isolation switch, gives you much better weight transfer, added weight over the rear tires, taking weight off the front, added to the rear, is like double the weight transfer, moved from front to past the rear axle & cleans up the engine bay nicely, too boot, cheap easy change, you could go to an electric water pump, electric fan, wired thru a Relay, also an aluminum "reduced diameter" crank pulley, for the alternator, to free up a little more HP, quicker revving, less parasitic drag/rotating mass too, like you said, "every little bit helps"...

 

[383man]

I'm pretty happy so far but now I'm obsessed with getting a 7.90-something out of it! Hopefully this winter when it cools down and there's better air.

But yeah, I think there's more on the table. I need to learn how to tune it. The carb is just a 850 DP that I bought off an eBay seller who refurbs Holleys who had good feedback. Bolted it on, set the idle and that's it. It seemed to work good so I left it be. Haven't experimented with timing much yet either.

I'd also look to go to a steeper gear. With the 3.91s I'm shifting into third right before the stripe. I'm thinking of going up in diameter of my slicks to get more footprint (I'm at 27" diameter now), then going up to a 4.10 or maybe even a 4.30 gear.

Once I learn how to tune it, I need to learn how to drive it, what it likes best for launch RPM, shift points, etc...It's fun though, I wish I could go every weekend!

Wanting to go faster !! Thats called hot rod fever in my book as its never fast enough and we all always look to go faster. Have fun and good luck. Ron