Landracing Forum
Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: revolutionary on July 22, 2007, 06:20:47 PM
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So there I was, sitting in my friend's Chevy powered 240z about 30 seconds away from getting hooked on Land Speed Racing and I had no idea what to expect. When my rookie run was over I figured I had to get started on a new project.
I picked up a 96 Firebird with a hurt 3800, immaculate interior and straight body for a grand and got started. I stripped out the interior and had Steele Fabrication (Gene Steele) install a 10 point cage. The interior took a little finnagling to get back in but it all fit and is now a full interior car again - ready for some street duty as well.
I am rebuilding the 3800 for now (thought it had spun a rod bearing but it was a dropped valve). Did a fair amount of porting on the heads and I have a cam coming from Comp. A hefty dose of nitrous should at least let me have a little fun while saving up for enough power to get in the 200 club. I think I should at least be able to hit a couple of small records and get comfy with the track for now. Slow and steady wins the race I hear..
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Cage and interior is back in.
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That Z was cool.The bird will make a great car.Are you going to make it out with it this year.
terry
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I'm trying to make it to Sep and Oct at Maxton. I'll be going to Bonneville to watch for a few days though.
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We call this 'trying to go fast with junk'. A fairly basic freshen up on the 3800, open up the ring gaps to about .026, drop in some big custom Manley valves, a Comp hyd roller with their generic beehive springs, cometic head gaskets and a 200 shot of nitrous. If all goes well we might put the engine together the 18th and back in the car soon after. That will at least get us to the Sept and Oct Maxton meets to work on the chassis and aero some.
Been putting a lot of thought into next year's engine. Don't think I can afford a big turbo setup like I want anytime soon so I think I'm going to venture sideways. I've got this really nice Windsor based 427 short block sitting here that I built as 'bunch o nitrous' motor and I don't have any Ford heads but after doing some really close inspection I do believe with just a minor water passage touch-up I can install some LS1 heads on there and build an intake. If the initial setup works with some stock LS1 heads then maybe I'll pick up a set of the L92 heads for the final build. Well over 300cfm out of the box for $700 a pair...pretty sure I'd piss off both the GM and Ford camps with that combination. Somebody's got to try this crazy shit.
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Getting back on track now. Thank God. We did make it to Maxton in Oct but in a different car. Now I cna focus on getting the Firebird back together.
Last weekend I put together the short block and it looks like I can get it in the car and back running this weekend. I'll try to update some pix.
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The car is up and running on it's own accord now. Always a good start. I ran into a small issue with the valvetrain. Using a stock set of pushrods and stock rockers with a Comp cam I didn't forsee an issue with pushrod length but alas, that is what I got. The non-adjustable rockers torqued down and I ran in the engine but after about 20 minutes it started missing pretty bad. Turns out that one of the new springs broke. The cam was on a slightly larger base circle and with the non-adjustable rockers torqued down, the lifters would pump up enough to put the springs in coil bind and it broke the spring. New pushrods, new spring, problem solved.
Registered and insured the car and I've been driving it around town. Kind of goofy when you're driving a car with a 10 point cage and 5 point harness with a weazing 6 banger in it! It's basically ready for the spring Maxton event. Just need metal valve stem caps!
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When you're driving around town -- you've got your harness all buckled up, right? Bill Murphy says he has his harness fastened when he's driving the "Rustang" around -- in case he's involved in a crash there won't be all of those heavy buckles flapping and flying! Be careful. . .
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Rev
You should talk to Dave MacDonald if your up at speedweek this year. He has very good insight about the car your running. I think it would be a good idea for you to talk to him about the aero on the car. We have had a similar Firebird spin and flip due to some aero problems. :-o
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rev, I can't wait to check this one out at Maxton this spring...!
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When I take the Studebaker out for a test spin on the road, I use the lap belt only, I had a guy come down from Iowa (dieselgeek) and ride without a lapbelt (not smart on our part). When he came back last summer and we ran it on an airport runway, he wore the lapbelt. We also went to the turtle races with the fastest turtle there, he only lost one race because of spectator interferance.
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I've been trying to find some info on the IROC bodies they used on these cars. From what I understand the guy who did the work on them ended up with a completely non stock body that was lower and longer than stock. I have agood metal fab friend who says he can build a rear spoiler and front end to match the IROC cars. He's built a complete alum cobra body that was perfect so I assume he can handle it.
Running round town I just use the lap belt but this weekend I did some extended testing on a 'controlled length' of highway and used the shoulder belts as well. It gets right up to 120 but as soon as it drops into OD it quits acceletating. Not enough power to push the 2.73 gears... So in will go a 4.11 and that should get me to 140 at 6000 - 1mph above the record in gas and fuel. If I can't do it in gas (and I doubt I can) I think I can at least hit with a little juice and get there.
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Also BIG THANKS to Neil Doty for sending me a bunch of metal valve stem caps!
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............ It gets right up to 120 but as soon as it drops into OD it quits acceletating. ...............
Exactly the reason I try to discourge someone from using GM's overdrive for LSR. The 30% drop in rpm going into 4th is just exactly what you don't need. My truck does the same thing. I'll gear down the road with the 4L80E I'm putting in to run LSR in 3rd only.
............ It gets right up to 120 but as soon as it drops into OD it quits acceletating. Not enough power to push the 2.73 gears... So in will go a 4.11 and that should get me to 140 at 6000 - 1mph above the record in gas and fuel. If I can't do it in gas (and I doubt I can) I think I can at least hit with a little juice and get there.
If you can run to 6000 why can't you just stay in 3rd?? According to my spreadsheet even with 24 inch tires with 2.73 gears 6000 is 157 mph and with 28 inch tires 6000 is 183 mph.
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/bvillecar/bville-spreadsheet-index.html#Four%20Speed%20Car
c ya,
Sum
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Totally valid points. The only reason I chose to go the way of the gear is to accelerate quicker for some local drag racing.
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Nice looking cage. Would you mind telling me who built and installed the cage and how to contact them?
I am in Winston Salem, NC
Thanks
Charles
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I had it built by a local chassis builder - Gene Steele. He did a really nice job on the bends and welds - especially considering he was going through Chemo at the time. Tough old buzzard. Phone number is 615-754-9444. Tell him Daryl sent you. He'll charge extra for sure!
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Been a while since any updates.
We did get the car to the Top Speed Challenge last April and after the rain stopped on Sundayh we got our one run in....and popped a head gasket. I pulled the 3800 and gave it to the junk man.
Swapped the K member to a v8 version and I have an LT1 with 'slight' modifications getting ready for this April. Also the car is at another friend's shop having him install a Winters quick change with truck arms. A little more than a bolt in application. But it is going well and I should get some new pix up shortly.
Don't know if I'll get any records but my goal is to top Sonny as the fastest LTx car out there in NC.
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Got the rear end all set up finally. I couldn't be happier with the work done by Bobby Riddle at Custom Fit (615-294-5951). We've got it jacked up pretty high in the pix - much easier to get on/off my lame trailer.
Ride height is adjustable with lowering blocks or different springs making it easy to change. Now I gotta get to work on a fuel cell...
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend001.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend002.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend003.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend004.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend005.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend006.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend007.jpg)
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/chwdhw/rearend008.jpg)
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Looks like Howe Racing late model truck arm stuff ...
Joe
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Good day my name is Eric Barnes in the Army located at Fort Rucker AL right now.. Sir i would like to start building my 1973 nova for some land speed fun. But i am new .. I am starting from the ground up.. Thank you for your time. Eric
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Eric -- welcome to the Forum, and also to Land Speed Racing. We'd be happy to have you visit us all at Maxton this year. The first event is 5-6 April (I think those are the dates -- it's the first weekend of the month). Come by, wander among the racers and the vehicles and in the pits and down at the start line -- and you'll be well-hooked by the fun we have.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
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The first event is 5-6 April (I think those are the dates -- it's the first weekend of the month).
We look forward to seeing you soon.
close.. its the 4th & 5th :-D
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Looks like Howe Racing late model truck arm stuff ...
Joe
Kinda-sorta. Generic 52 inch truck arms a friend picked up from some team in NC. The rear end was from an IROC car. Strange coilovers. Everything else was built by Bobby.