[MidNiteBlu 5.0]

Originally posted by jim_howard_pdx
I have been wrenching engines since I was 15 years old. I have wrenched on 4 cars that ran late 8's and early 9's.

Do you know what it takes to run 11 second quarter miles? Do you understand the concept of vehicle weight, parasitic power loss from the transmission, drive shaft, and rear end. Do you understand pinion angles, weight transfer, and hook up.

An 11 second car requires that EVERY engine part be properly matched, every reciprocating engine part must be properly machined, balanced, and blue printed. An oil scrapper or windage tray is nearly MANDATORY. Low friction bearings, rings, and valve train are nearly MANDATORY.

Look, I have guys coming to me with 13 and 14 second cars saying how much will it cost to modify the car to run 11's.

Do you know what it takes? Probably 12 months of chassis and drive train modifications, 4-6 thousand dollars of machining and parts, plus access to some knowledgeable engine tuners who know every little trick to help it happen.

Yes you can bolt in 500 to 800 hp in a STOCK car and probably run an 11 second time. But the clutch will fail, or the auto or manual transmission will fail, or the driveshaft will become a big heavy pretzel, or the rear end will get real noisy or stop operating at all.

I have built 426 Hemi strokers, 429 strokers, 428 strokers, 351 windsor and clevelands, 302's and 289's, and even chevy engines.

Right now I can tell you that almost any track will make you put in a 4 point roll bar, electric cut off switch, wear a helmet, use 5 point restraints, and run a driveshaft loop, chain the engine or run solid motor mounts, and have automatic cut off for the electric fuel pump. SO WHAT IS STOCK ABOUT RUNNING AN 11 Second ET.

And where do you get off saying minor head work, minor mods..... It takes 475 hp or above to even hit an 11 second quarter mile in a 2900 lb car with slicks. A 302 makes around 275 to 315 hp stock. So adding 160 hp takes some SERIOUS modifications, and some serious safety equipment.

Want to run 11 seconds stock. Buy a Turbo Porsche. I think they go for about 140,000.00 dollars. Maybe a new Shelby but they go for 150,000 with the ultra cool aluminum 427. Maybe a Viper but they go for 65,000 and up. A super charged Steeda or Saleen with 5.4 liter engines will set you back 48-55k. They will get you 11's or close to it. GET THE PICTURE!!!! Are any of these cars really STOCK at all? I don't think so.....

So my buddy is running a 1990 Civic Hatchback. He got a Japanese R model 1.8 liter engine from an Integra, runs the ultra steep 5 speed transmission with a good clutch, posi unit, headers, special intake, a nice cold air intake, and a chip set. Everything all together cost him less than 6,000 dollars. He corners at over 1.G on the skid pad. He quarters in 12.4 seconds without nitrous or blowers, and he gets over 28 miles per gallon driving too and from the track.

Show me any 302 that will match that performance? Show me any 351 or 4.6 or 5.4 liter car?

We need to go to FORD and demand a platform and a solid engine program to get into this type of performance.

With a vortec blower and nitrous assist my buddies Integra motor would be easily in the 11's and 10's would require only a couple of thousand in chassis modifications to get the front wheel drive to hold the power and the full cage for running 10's at a strip. When I drive his car and shift at 10,000 RPM the thrill is addictive. The only Ford engine I ever worked on that could do this was a FORD SOHC 427 running over 650 HP. We were running cams designed for 9,000 + RPM. That car ran 9.2's in a Factory Ford racing Fairlane. A 351 stroked to 427 in a modern chassis can run solid 8 second quarters today. A 3.6 liter Honda engine will be doing this next year.

This has got to stop. FORD must put some money and time into high rev, low displacement race engines. I am getting sick of the rice rockets looking over and even thinking they can take my Mustang. But until I have a 3.8 Liter engine capable of 600 HP and 10,000 RPM I will just be wondering if I can stay up with them.

Ok some of the stuff you mention is ok but some of this is complete BS. About that civic I dont give a **** if its faster than my car and revs to 10,000 rpm (wow i dont care) he is still driving a CIVIC. Yes that little economy car that really was never intended to be fast. plus look around you what is the ratio of actual motorswap fast civics to all the slow *** ones that are out there.

I think you need to just calm down and stop going off on how you seem to know more than anyone else here. especially when you are pretty new to the board.