Mr Nick

Hoping to make it to Test n Tune at Rt66 in Joliet on Friday, I enjoy the "guess the ET" posts, so here we go...

1969 Cutlass
350 with Edelbrock heads, 360hp 365ft/lbs at rear tires
5-speed manual trans, 3.90 gears
Street "Pro-Touring" suspension
18 wheels/tires (285/40 GY Eagle Supercars in the back)
All steel body and bumpers, no HVAC, and other minor weight reduction.

Here is the kicker... I've never ran a manual trans at the track. I've beat on this car a bit on the street, and owned an 05 GTO 6-speed as my daily driver for a while, but never had it on the track.

I'm hoping for at least low 13's on my first time out. If I get a 13.0 I'll be very happy. After I learn how to launch & shift consistantly, the car should go high 12's. However, it's a street car and I have no plans to tune the suspension for the drag strip. Just going for fun and see what it will do in the same set up I drive it with.

Mr Nick

Closest ET (to the hundredth) gets a Starbucks gift card with about $5 left on it.

kjr442

The GTO is great on the street, but a lot of wheel hop at the strip. I love your car.

Mr Nick

Exactly why I never brought it to the track. With all the wheel hop I didn't want to risk breaking it, and it was my daily driver. Also didn't want to spend the coin on the needed suspension, rear cradle, and G-Force anti-wheel hop axles to fix it.

Thanks for the compliment!

TripDeuces

360hp at the wheels will put you deep into the 12's if not 11's. My old ride had an estimated 320 hp at the wheels and did mid 12's

442Classic

Nick I'll say 13.47 at 102 with a 2.05 sixty foot.

Regards,
Lance

pogo69

14.20

DoubleV

That was my guess too but I'll be generous and go with 14 flat. Traction and lack of experience with a manual in a racing situation will be the limiting factors.

bccan

442Classic stole my guess! I'll slow et to 13.6, up mph to 105, getting off the line is gonna be tough, 2.0 - 2.2 sixties. Drag radials would be your friend! They would knock .3-.4 off your sixty & probably get you to 13 or a little quicker as long as you can row that stick.

Nice combo on you car, gotta be a fun driver.

OldSoldier

13.8 is my guess. That might be slow but who knows with a manual?

oldsmobiledave

You do not mention your vehicle weight or your track altitude so I had to make a guess at that.


Factoring in your experience, the rear tires & the trans I will say that you will run 14.2 @ 101 mph.


Short tracks will be the killer & likely not better than 2.1 sec.


Good luck & have fun.

442Classic

If we are talking qtr mile, it will pull HARD in 3rd and roll the rear tires if the track is dusty up top. Be prepared for 4th gear at the 1000 ft mark and don't even worry about using the clutch...just pull it.

pogo69

Pick another 14.2 is taken

oldsmobiledave

14.1 then @ 101

costpenn

14.35.

pogo69

thats better...because when it comes in at 14.20 and he signs over the pink slip as i thought i read, i dont want to share the car

dmullin

I say 13.4 best pass. You never said which trans? high 12s with a sticky tire

BlackGold

Most of your passes will be higher, but I'm predicting a best of 14.97.

And I know I can't say this without it sounding like an insult, but your ET will be more a function of your skill at lauching than the car's horsepower or weight. The same would be true of an automatic.

Mr Nick

Guesses are a bit higher than I'd hope, but I'm fully aware the biggest variable is my lack of skill racing a manual trans. At the very least my MPH well help judge how fast the car "should" go with a skilled driver.

1/4 mile track, 600ft elevation

The transmission itself is a Keisler RS600, which is based on the Borg Warner T45.

Drag radials will be next year, when I pull the carpet and install a drive shaft safety loop.

Bunser

13.95 @ 101. Good luck and don't break anything.

Mr Nick

Well, not as quick is I'd hoped. However, the MPH suggests the ET could be better with a better launch (driver) and sticky tires.

Best of 13.86 @ 101.9mph Bunser wins!

The time slips below are in order:
Pass 1: no launch just dump the clutch and go. Almost killed it.
Pass 2: 3,000 RPM lunch, spun all of 1st and into 2nd.
Pass 3: 2,000 RPM hooked/bogged and went clean
Pass 4, 5 & 6: around 2,500 RPM launch, hooked but had wheel hop
Pass 7: Bogged off the line and missed 3rd gear

oldsmobiledave

Glad to see you had fun & did not break anything.


I guessed 14.1 @ 101 mph. On your third pass you went 14.148 @ 101.6.
So I was in the ball park. Glad you went faster.


Work on your launch & put a sticky tire on the car. You will go 13.5 next time out.

junior supercar

Nick, thats not bad at all your first time out. Seat time on launching a stick car is the key and from your runs, you started figuring out the sweet spot. Forget the sticky tires, work on launching the car. A better 60' will result in a better ET. I've pulled 2.0 60' on that track with my 4sp Poncho and the repro polyglas (I just don't run at Rt66 because in 4 hours of TnT you get 2 runs in and thats no fun). Granted I've been running the car for a few years, but my 60s were pretty much exactly what you did my first time out when I bought the car with street radials. Practice for this fall when we head out to US41, that track hooks even better than 66.
(Btw, you don't need to remove the carpet for a loop. say no to drilling holes in the car)

DoubleV

I would've expected a higher mph with 360 RWHP. Either way at least you had fun. Many who start a 'guess my et' threads never follow it up with any runs so glad you let us know what you ran.

z11375ss

The car looked and ran really great. I was there. Nick, you should post the vids.

Mr Nick

Two videos courtesy of Jim (z11375ss)

Took out the TBSS, not so lucky against the brand new ZL1...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxhzptwwd2...725_183641.mp4

https://www.dropbox.com/s/59wdz7xzl3...725_180231.mp4

z11375ss

Nick I forgot this pic of you and Tom in the staging lanes. Here you go.

Mr Nick

Nice shot, thanks Jim.

Guy is selling that ZL1, just sayin'...

z11375ss

Why is he selling it? Because he's bored with it. I had an 03 Cobra. Fast as hell but all you could do was wax it. Boring!