1/4 Mile!

[Nixon1]

This was my first time EVER at the dragstrip. Unfortunately, I only got two runs. Someone had an accident or something..I'm GUESSING it covered the track in some kind of fluid, because my 2nd run, the car felt squirrely halfway down the track... It was over 2 hours between my runs..what's that tell ya!

The mods to my car are in my signature, and I was running on brand new Cooper Cobra ZHP 01 street tires...pony rims..backs were 245 50 16. Springs and shocks are both stiff as hell, so there's very poor weight transfer.

So those taken into account, my timeslips are attached..

How'd I do??
What have YOU done?

[302 LX Eric]

By the looks of your competition, it looks like you did real well!

What was the guy next to you racing with, a lawn tractor? He went 19.21 @ 71 mph - blistering to say the least.

Seriously, you did alright. Right about where I was when I started (you probably did even a little better than I did). My first run, I went on the first yellow and spun the heck out of the tires... I think I ran a 15 something. hehehehe

Nice job.
E

[Nixon1]

Thanks man..and it was a Honda if I remember right. Bone stock by the looks of it! Funny part is, both races, look at the car #..it's the same guy! But his reaction time went WAY crappy on the 2nd race, and so did his ET and trap speed. I think it was a different driver the 2nd time...I don't see how he could've gone down so badly otherwise. Surprisingly, I didn't spin too bad! About 1/2 to 1 second of spin before it gripped solid.

[dustang90]

To be honest with you man, according to your mods you have done, you should have been in the upper 13's or real low 14's. I had an 89 LX 5.0 Convertible and with just cold air induction, Off-road H-pipe and MAC mufflers I ran a 14.6 @ 95 mph, everything else was bone stock. And my rear end was a 7.5inch and only one tire would spin no matter what I did. So I think you need to try again and manually shifting the auto. Here is a trick. Do your little burn out, not too much. and at the light hold the brake and bring your car up to a fast idle. About 1100 to 1250 rpm. Keep it in 1, when you launch and want to hit the next gear shift it to drive and then bring it right back to 1 again, that will hold it in 2nd gear, don't worry it won't bring it back to 1st gear, then shift it to drive and that will keep it in 3rd gear. Now with your 4.10 gears you might need to shift to over drive, that is up to you. But you should do much better, it will take some practice but you will get it and you will be amazed how much it improves your times

[NotchJohnson]

Originally posted by dustang90
To be honest with you man, according to your mods you have done, you should have been in the upper 13's or real low 14's. I had an 89 LX 5.0 Convertible and with just cold air induction, Off-road H-pipe and MAC mufflers I ran a 14.6 @ 95 mph, everything else was bone stock. And my rear end was a 7.5inch and only one tire would spin no matter what I did. So I think you need to try again and manually shifting the auto. Here is a trick. Do your little burn out, not too much. and at the light hold the brake and bring your car up to a fast idle. About 1100 to 1250 rpm. Keep it in 1, when you launch and want to hit the next gear shift it to drive and then bring it right back to 1 again, that will hold it in 2nd gear, don't worry it won't bring it back to 1st gear, then shift it to drive and that will keep it in 3rd gear. Now with your 4.10 gears you might need to shift to over drive, that is up to you. But you should do much better, it will take some practice but you will get it and you will be amazed how much it improves your times

That would be the aod shuffle and if replacing the tranny isnt on your list any time soon - i wouldnt make a habit of doing it. Also, his car isnt much more modded than yours, and his cobra intake alone will not get him into the 13's. I say good job on the 14.5, thats not too bad for your first time at the track.

[Nixon1]

The rear end is next on my list, then the tranny. I can't afford the tranny at the moment, but when I do do it, I'm gonna get a TransGo shift kit in it, possibly get a thicker overdrive band but probably not, and get a manual valvebody and ratchet-style shifter assembly to top it off. With the 4.10 gears, by the time I cross the 1/4 mile like, I'm pushing very deep yellow on the tach in 3rd gear. Maybe 5800... But I can't engage overdrive obviously without letting off the pedal big time, and that would probably drop me a few mph at the end of the track because you can't hit overdrive at full pedal, even though the thing was barely pulling in those upper rpms in 3rd...it definitely needed another gear.

I'm going to downgrade the rear to 3.73 next and see what happens. My big problem though is the street tires. I feel I could've gotten a much better 60' than 2.188.

I didn't manually shift the tranny because
a)I'm afraid to blow this thing...let's just say it isn't acting brand new...
b)It FLIES through gears with the 4.10's, especially first, so I was afraid to try to manually control the first to second shift and be too distracted by the attempt for traction, etc. to shift it decent.
c)The car seems to do an ok job on its own...it hits just into the yellow on the tach before it hits 2nd gear every time, and 2nd to 3rd doesn't seem too early like most people complain about.

[HiFlow5 0]

I have to say, I think your times are very good for your mods! I wouldn't down grade to 3.73's if I were you. I have 3.73's in my auto and wish I went with 4.10's. If you want to lower you finish line rpms, go with a lightly taller tire that has better grip then your street tires.

I have a stock rebuilt AOD done about 40k miles ago. The only thing it has done to it is a stall converter and a rachet shifter, still waiting on the shift kit. I manually shift the tranny at the track and even around town, and have never had a problem with it. I'm not saying it's the best thing to do, but it has worked out fine for me. Also you say your trans shifts at the yellow? Isn't that around 4800 rpms? The main reason for manually shifting is to get the motor into the higher rpms that the stock shift points won't allow for in all gears.

As for your 60ft times, don't expect to see them improve too much with the stock AOD. The stock converter is way too tight for any type of performance, and makes the car feel like a dog off the line. This is what is killing you 60ft times.

[Rev]

Originally posted by NotchJohnson
[B]That would be the aod shuffle and if replacing the tranny isnt on your list any time soon - i wouldnt make a habit of doing it. B]

Not trying to argue too much with Notch, but I've been doing the "shuffle" since the 50's, and that's the only way to hold a stock Ford auto tranny in the gears long enough for maximum performance. All you're doing is manually determinining the shift points. I did it way back when, and I still do it now when racing.

Rev

[Nixon1]

Well what I dont like is how it winds through the 4.10's so damn quick. Like I said, when I cross the 1/4 mile line, the tach is almost pushing red, and I know it would pull a little harder earlier in the powerband. And I dont like it doing a steady 5800 or so before I can ease off. 1st to 2nd gear, at full pedal, shifts more like 5200-5400 rpms or so if I remember correctly..

I think when I get this tranny done..(when it gets rebuilt it's getting the works by the way..TransGo shift kit, manual valvebody, ratchet shifter, POSSIBLY different first and second gear, but I think I'll leave em alone...), but I'm thinking of adding a stall converter to that list....would 3000 rpms be too radical for a daily driver with almost all city time? I say 3000 because right around 3000 is where it seems to begin to really put you back in the seat.

[HiFlow5 0]

Originally posted by Nixon1
Well what I dont like is how it winds through the 4.10's so damn quick. Like I said, when I cross the 1/4 mile line, the tach is almost pushing red, and I know it would pull a little harder earlier in the powerband. And I dont like it doing a steady 5800 or so before I can ease off.

Running a taller tire will help you out there. If it were me, would think about getting a spare set of rims with some drag radials or something simular with a taller sidewall, for use just at the track.

[Nixon1]

The tire height really makes THAT big of a difference? I didnt think it would...

Well I quit my job last night, so I'm looking for another one...if the money starts rolling in again...well...maybe I can find a set of totally CHEAPASS rims that I can mount some slicks on. What size would you guys recommend? 16 x what?

[JaxTheDJ]

Those times are right on the money for the mods you have and stock heads,,you already did the intake,forget all the other mods and do the heads,those stockers will not hold up to high RPM racing,a little port work and some stiffer springs and watch your times drop. The heads are the heart of the motor... good luck

[silver_pilate]

I've heard the story from both sides in regards to the AOD shuffle. Just to be on the safe side, I only used it when racing (seems like a long time ago....).

A little advice about your AOD build-up: the absolute best mod (IMO) you can do for an AOD car is to get a looser torque converter. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 2800-3000 rpm stall speed will make your vehicle much more fun to drive. And a good lock-up converter won't cost you gas on the highway (although in town, you will lose a couple of mpg). PI makes a nice one, and Lentech does as well. Pricey ($600-$700), but worth it.

As far as the remainder...a manual capable valve body will be a great addition to your package. Also makes it much more fun to drive. I'd HIGHLY recommend a Lentech Street Terminator valve body. It changes the shift patter from 1, 2/3, OD...to...1, 2, 3/electronic OD. You simply flip a toggle switch for overdrive. They fully calibrate their valve bodies to your specifications so that you won't need the Transgo shift kit. I have mine set up for mostly street and some track use (level three, I think...can't remember), and under WOT it shifts like God kicked it in the rear bumper from 1-2. 2-3 is more pleasant, but still quick and firm. During normal conditions, it shifts with excellent manners and won't knock your fillings out while just cruising. Also, the valve body is set up so that it shifts when you tell it to. No more guess work as to when your stock AOD is going to decide to shift gears. And it maintains fully automatic function if you leave it in the 3rd/electronic OD position. An absolute joy around town and at the track. Plus, you can retain the stock shifter if you like for a stock/sleeper look.

My 3.73's have sufficed for now, but I could use a looser converter myself (my tight 2800 isn't cutting the mustard with my power band).

Anyway, like I said, the best mod I did was a converter followed closely by the Lentech valve body.

If you can't afford to do them both at the same time, consider the converter first since that requires dropping the tranny to install. The valve body can be done from underneath and only requires removing the pan and old valve body and routing the wire for the OD switch. Pretty straight forward and can be done with tools most everyone has and a little mechanical inclination. (if you like, I can give some suggestions if you decide to do the valve body)

Good luck and give a hollar if you've got any questions.

--nathan

Originally posted by Nixon1
Well what I dont like is how it winds through the 4.10's so damn quick. Like I said, when I cross the 1/4 mile line, the tach is almost pushing red, and I know it would pull a little harder earlier in the powerband. And I dont like it doing a steady 5800 or so before I can ease off. 1st to 2nd gear, at full pedal, shifts more like 5200-5400 rpms or so if I remember correctly..

I think when I get this tranny done..(when it gets rebuilt it's getting the works by the way..TransGo shift kit, manual valvebody, ratchet shifter, POSSIBLY different first and second gear, but I think I'll leave em alone...), but I'm thinking of adding a stall converter to that list....would 3000 rpms be too radical for a daily driver with almost all city time? I say 3000 because right around 3000 is where it seems to begin to really put you back in the seat.

I'd go with a 2500rpm converter. 3000 may be a bit too high for a street driven stang.

[silver_pilate]

I'd say 2800 is ideal for a fairly stock stang to best balance performance and economy (actual stall speed varies with different engines anyway). The stock is 1500 rpm.

My car could definately use a 3000 rpm converter. Fuel economy already sucks, so I could use it for getting off the line. I'd switch over to a lock-up, though, to save me some on the highway.

--nathan

[Nixon1]

Jax....I thought the goal was mushier springs, for added weight transfer? Or is that only for the front? I've had several recommend 4 cyl. Mustang junkyard springs as a cheap fix. My current spring and shock combo is stiff as hell all the way around. Combined with bad suspension bind (new bushings though! Figure that one out!) and body roll so bad I'd swear it's going to roll like a Jeep, YET the shocks are so stiff that you feel every tiny crevice and pebble in the road...it's...well frankly...a pain in the *** and thoroughly un-pleasureable to drive!

silver...I thought you had to buy the shift kit and have the valves manipulated and such....so you're saying the valvebody will eliminate the need for a shift kit? How?? I'm just curious...any way to save a few bucks is better..and I really like the idea of the Overdrive switch as opposed to having it on the shifter. Don't know why...it just suits my fancy. I like switches. I could wire it into my non-functional nitrous arming switch. Gotta love the red flipcovers.

And the converter is definitely on my list...I just don't really list it as a transmission thing as I really should..I consider it a separate item...like a driveshaft or rear end. In its own category. But that's definitely on my list. I'd go either 2500 or 2800, depending on how crazy I was feeling the day I bought it. Unfortunately, this stuff is getting done quite a ways down the road. Need to get my financial stuff stable again....I'm teetering on debt right now. Thank god for quarter rolls and spare change.

[silver_pilate]

I completely understand. I know all about living on a budget and prioritizing mods.

You are correct. A shift kit does alter the pressures and valve timing in the stock valve body. They work pretty good, too. I used to have a Transgo shift kit.

However, if you buy a full valve body from Lentech (I can't speak for other companies, as I've not dealt with them), they fully calibrate their valve bodies for you. It's basically like they install a shift kit for you, except on a little more comprehensive and higher quality level. You can specifiy just how firm you want your shifts as they have different levels of performance. So no, you don't have to install a seperate shift kit for a Lentech valve body. It's already done for you.

The overdrive switch is great. I got a nice low profile black switch with a red "armed" light (light is on when the OD delete is activated). It mounted nicely right to the lower left of the shifter cover plate. I can give you some advice about routing and connections if you decide to do it.

--nathan