Stage: 2 Lane Highway. Stoplight with 1/2 mile interval. Speed limit, 55mph.
Left Lane: Plymouth Barracuda. 340 Stickers. Observation, loud, cammed, old bias ply drag radials.
Right Lane: 1987 Mustang GT. 5spd, Hatch. Stock save for z spec T-5 (bad for launch), 2.5" hi flow BBK cats, 2.5" cat back, K&N panel. Just filled up.
Prediction: Old muscle car about to get a thorough *** whoopin.
I've observed 3 types of these muscle car guys. #1 Has been burned badly by 5.0 already, doesn't really want to go. #2 Has whooped 5.0, just waiting to tear a new one up. #3 Never raced a 5.0, expects to kill it because his engines big, and his buddy with a Civic beat one.
I picked this guy to be in category #3, he was eager to go. Now this is about 1/2 mile from the cop shop, so I'm scanning all over the place, lol. He's revvin and smiling.
Light turns green, he takes off quick, quicker than me, I'm hard on it.
He's pullin me and by the time he begins to shift to 2nd, things are lookin pretty grim 1/2 deficit, and he was pulling. I pick up 5ft on his shift staying hard into the GT till the tach climbs, powershift 2nd. I pick up another 3ft. Now I'm only back by a fender or so, gaining ever so slowly. He has to hit 3rd, now we're even. I tach it up, powershift 3rd and pull ahead. I definately had the momentum after that, taking him by a fender to about 85mph.
As he catches up, no look over for a good 10sec, he's smiling no more. Hehe. Then he looks over, I give the thumbs up, he earned it if that bastard was near stock! He gave me the thumbs up back, appearently a cool guy who's let the loss go. He drops in behind me and begins to turn right, I slow way down, take the right turn figuring he's wanting to talk. I hit the right signal, pulling into the Holiday, the fuzz turning the corner, looking a little menacing, but 'Cuda guy goes straight. I was figuring he was looking to avoid a little heat, but he was really just trying to make it to GWill Liquors next lot over hehe.
I followed over there, had to know what he had.
Pulled up, store was just closing and we chatted. He asked what I had and I said "Stock 5.0", to which he replied "No fuckin WAY!" I had to pop the hood, he was just in disbelief.
He popped his hood, and there sits a 340 that's just perfect looking. 10.5:1 compression on the big MOPAR heads, high rise dual plane, .511/292 cam, Edelbrock 750 4 bbl with mechanicals, balanced, blueprinted, headers with wrap, aluminum radiator. Said he was running 110oct. He had full exhaust, Hemi tranny, CF/DF clutch, 3.73's in the back and bias ply drag radials. He wanted higher rpms, can he couldn't figure out why he couldn't get there, it was a hydrualic cam, and I told him that's why I figured he might be hitting a wall at 6500rpms.
Anyway, I beat him, mostly because of driving, but I think my car had a little edge on him too.
Cool guy, hopefully I don't get beat next time!