looking for track advice....

[2tons0fun]

Im getting ready to try and make it to RSD but I have a couple of questions. First, I will give you a baseline:

-1966 dodge charger, 3050lbs, gutted/holesawed/no power anything anywhere

-448, 12.5:1. port/polished iron heads, big valves, holley M1 w/ Dominator, etc. .590 lift mech cam

-18 spline a833 4-speed/hurst super comp with a yard stick

-8.75 rear w/ 4.30 and a locker

I have no idea how much power this motor makes or how fast this car is (measured in seconds, not farm fields, mile markers, etc). As stated above, I would like to attend RSD on the 18th but am worried that I will not pass tech. To drive all the way there and get a boot in my ass would be a big waste of cam2 and a bummer. I have incorporated the followig saftey devices:

1) driveshaft loop
2) 1/4" steel plate where I *think* the clutch would come through the floor
3) Aluminum barrier between pass. compartment and trunk mounted fuel cell
4) 5-point saftey harnesses

The car hooks pretty good on VHT with BFG drags and goes straight, so it seems safe to me. Am I missing anything? I would hope this combo would go into the 11's....

Thanks mucho,

jd

mopower to ya!

[FURO RACECRAFT]

Is the battery in the trunk? If so need a cutoff switch located at rear of car an labeled on/off.

You may need to have 3" studs in the rear with open ended lugnuts?????????

I would contact GLD just to make sure you are within spec an save yourself alot of time.

Contact Tuff as he would be able to possibly help you as you not knowing what the car will run.

If needed I might have some of the things you are looking for so contact me as needed.

Later,
D Con

[nos2go]

I think under 11.99 is where alot more safety stuff comes in, if they ask say it runs 12's just to get pass tech. easy things to check...coolant overflow tank, no clamps on the tranny lines, double carb springs, battery tie down( if its in the trunk its suppose to have a mount right to the frame, not sure it they get that picky), no missing lug nuts, if you have anything in the trunk I think you need a fire barrier

[2tons0fun]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I will have to add some 3" studs and a cutoff switch. I knew there was someting I forgot to do last winter. By chance, does anybody know if it is ok to mount the shutoff switch from a bracket hanging from the rear bumper? There really isnt a good place to cut a hole on the ass end of an early charger.

On another note, Dcon, have you had any trouble with MP ECU's? I seem to have one that cuts out sometimes even though it has 12.5+ volts and (2) good grounds....its really starting to piss me off.

Thanks again,

jd

mopower to ya!

[Sparrow]

Iv'e never run a 4spd. in one of these cars but I'm a little familiar with some of the combination your talking about. If your heads have the work done your talking about you need at least 2 inch headers to make them effective. The 430 gear is an ideal automatic gear. 488 would probably be better for you. If your running stock rods I would'nt be shifting on a continious basis past 6000 rpm. The 590 cam will want to go higher but the rods won't like it for long. I'd be leery of a stock bellhousing and stock wheel studs. I highly doubt that you will be able to get it to hook any better than a 1.800 60 ft. The car will probably run mid to low 12s at a high mph, somewhere around 115. I never had any problem to 7000rpm with a chrome box. You possibly could be under carbuerated. I ran a 1050 dominator. The safety rules are there for your protection and you'll need them with a 4spd. If this is an occasional thing for you take it easy and build up a low et. as you get more comfortable with how your equipment is taking the punishment. You have a lot of engine with minimal parts to back it up.

[FURO RACECRAFT]

I f I was you I would just put in a MSD 6al an be done with it. If you plan on keeping the four speed you may end up needing a scatter shield anI beieve Lakewood makes one any other help let me know or contact me at furoracewiring@chater.net

[FURO RACECRAFT]

Oh I have some some 29.5X10.5X15 SLICKS WITH ABOUT 6 PASSES on them if anyone is interested

[Sparrow]

DCon those would be great for this guys application. He's already geared to high and the 29.5 would be a benefit. The price you had was low enough to try them. I don't believe the 8 3/4 will survive it, but if there stock wheel studs they should let loose first. More importantly I question whether the driver will come out unscathed.

[FURO RACECRAFT]

Thats what I was thinking. I went thru a few 8 3/4 in my truck with this size tire. They would last about 30 nitrous passes an blow out, but this was at 4000 lbs.

[Sparrow]

Yeah but you were hitting it with an automatic. He'll be hittin with a 4spd. If it hooks Somethings got to go. You know I haven't heard frame connectors mentioned either.

[FURO RACECRAFT]

Yeah very good point Sparrow

[Kevin Garceau]

8 3/4.... 4 speed..... heavy car wont last very long if it hooks. It will last even less if it is spinning and hopping. Take it out put a 60 in and be done. I have a 60 spool and gears new this season if your interested.

[FURO RACECRAFT]

Yeah thats whats in my Challenger now a 60

[2tons0fun]

Thanks so far for the input guys. Let me address some concerns:

-I have 3" wheel studs on the rear, but not on the front.
-The frame is tied and I am planning on installing a cage in the future
-I am running stock springs (from 1966) with home-made caltracs (they work awesome)
-Batt in trunk secured by (4) 3/8" bolts
-Double carb springs
-collant overflow tank

Throughout this buildup I have tried to be saftey oriented.

Things I need to do (from what everyone is saying):

Scattershield (300+)
Dana 60 (1200+)
More rear gear (above)
smaller cam (300+)
shutoff switch (30ish)
sticky tires ???

I guess these (or lack of) items will keep me off of the track until next year. I am going to start at the front of the car and change out the cam for something a little more practical. I was thinking maybe a .557 MP or even a crane/comp roller as I already have roller rockers that I paid big coin for. I will get the scattershield after xmas and the shutoff switch is on order. I think I am going to try to run the 742 case rear for a while until I can afford the dana. Do we think it would be smarter to sell the 742 8.75 before it buys the farm to purchase the dana? As far as the slicks, is there *any* DOT legal tire that will do the job?

And last, but no least, do I run a 5.13 or a 4.88? I had really good launches with an a833 OD unit with the 4.30's out back. I think it was due to the 3.09 first gear. With the 2.66 it does seem like it could use more gear but the closer ratio's help keep the r's up and the car moving (tough to do with the .590 MP grind).

All in all I just wanted a really fast street legal car. The guys that helped me build the "street" motor are a little on the radical side; like I said all I wanted was a quick mopar for the street. The way it sounds to me is that I have too much motor for the car and need to upgrade the rear end and many other small items as well. Perhaps I should look for a roller drag car to swap the motor into and throw the rebuilt 383 thats laying in the shed.....

damn man, what a bummer.... I really wanted to go to RSD!

Thanks again for the replies! Id rather be safe than sorry.

jd

[67Mike]

Im sure they will let you run at RSD the way your car is now...........but the shut-off switch is important. They seem pertty layed back on tech at RSD.
Ask Tuff if you would be OK

[1SLO5.0]

You should be fine. They will probably just tell you to have it up to spec next time you come to the track.

As far as a dot legal tire goes, Mickey Thompson ET streets are compareable to slicks. Same construction but they have grooves cut for dot approval. Some run a little harder compound than slicks and others run the same compound as slicks. Either compound will hook way better than drag radials. I am an authorized Mickey Thompson dealer too...........HINT HINT! One thing to keep in mind with ET Streets is they measure different from slicks. Slicks measure height by tread width and ET streets measure height by section width. This doesn't affect performance in anyway, it is just something to keep in mind when choosing a tire. If you run a 26x10 slick has 10 inches of tread width. A 26x10.5 ET street has 8.5 inches of tread width. Decon and Kevin Garceau will be able to help you with any Mopar questions you have. If the 2 of them can't make your Mopar fast......nobody can! Ask them anything you want and they will surely help you out the best they can.

[Chuck]

"Decon and Kevin Garceau will be able to help you with any Mopar questions you have. If the 2 of them can't make your Mopar fast......nobody can! Ask them anything you want and they will surely help you out the best they can."

Dont forget about the old, sorry Sparrow, wise owl Sparrow. He had a pretty nice mopar back when.

[1SLO5.0]

Yep, my mistake. Sparrow too!

[Sparrow]

You should be able to make some passes the way you are. Just ease into the runs. Don't try for the best ET the car will ever do the first runs. You'll know when things are getting on the edge. Back when mopar built these cars nobody knew all this stuff but mopar engineers did'nt put 83/4s with 4spds. either. Make up your mind if you want a race car or a fast crusier. I think you have a really fun street car. I would'nt race on the street. It's to dangerous and costly to anyone concerned. At the track even if you run low 11s most racers aren't going to be impressed unless you could run the number 5 times in a row. You can spend a lot of money and still not achieve what your looking for. Streetability and impressive times on a reliable basis. Go easy and have fun with your setup. You'll know in time which way your going to go with it. You can go broke in the meantime tho trying to make it do both.

[2tons0fun]

Would it be ok to back brace the 8.75"? I just got done going through the rear end last year and hate to undo what I done, if you will.

thx,

jd

[bbnova]

I was at the RSD early in the year as far as safely stuff in your car I will telll you what they let me get away with.

First 87 regal with a big block chevy on two stages of NOS no roll bar ,just factory belts. Car ran in the low 10s at 141 spin the et streets much of the way down the track. I am not saying what I did was right and there were other cars there in the same shape.