[BigRed]

I have a few questions about building a drag car out of my 84. First should I go with the 15/1 rack or the normal one? Also what are some of the good setups out there? Sorry to make that so broad of a question but I want to build a good drag car that I can continue making faster as I go without breaking everything in the process.


Thanks,
BR

[Aerocoupe]

Install a manual rack and delete the brake booster if it is going to be a dedicated track car.

Darren

[1SLO85]

Originally Posted by Aerocoupe

Install a manual rack and delete the brake booster if it is going to be a dedicated track car.

Darren

+1 and get a good brake set up like Aerospace.

[BigRed]

Ok that is the set up I will go with but which rack should I get. Apparently there are 2. One is 15/1 ratio and the other is just the normal ratio. I am not sure which one would be best for track use.

[95 GTS]

wanna make a good drag car?

put a manual rack, Find a salvaged ls1 with harness. Buy an AJE k member with chevy motor mounts. get a 4l60E with your ls1.

I dont know what your means are or initial budget, but Toss a 3500-4k yank stall converter in there. Do full exhaust and a tune. You will already have a consistant 11 second car on drag radials. From here you can put a bottle on it for 10s, or do heads cam and fast intake and make mid 400s through the auto at the wheels. That is going to scoot in a 2700 pound car, which is what you should have.

I say a stock ls1 is a good start for the car. You can make it faster and faster from there. The stock rear will also survive A LONG time with the auto in front of it.

[thesource]

Why even bother with a 4L60E ? Go with a turbo 400 and spray the crap out of it .

[95 GTS]

i vote yes

I figured you could get a cheap 4l60e attached to an ls1 though. I lige driving drag cars to the track and jack n the box....

[Aerocoupe]

Stroker 351W, Power Glide with a Neil Chance converter, and a fogger 300 shot would have the potential to deliver consistant high 8's. Why would you ever consider a Bowtie in a Ford? Have seen people try it only to get their shit handed to them by the Blue Oval.

Seriously though, what are you trying to accomplish with this car? What is your goal so that we can help you start to work towards that goal and not replace stuff as you go. You may want to be bracket racing and not trying to run 10.5 Outlaw or visa versa. If you give us an idea of what you are wanting the car to do then these guys can definitely help you NOT make the mistakes we have in the past which means spending stupid money. Been there and done that...I would hate to know what all my go backs and redos cost me.

Darren

[95 GTS]

hmm... why would i want an all aluminum motor with a composite intake? hmmm

one that is capable of over 470 rwhp N/A and 7k rpm on the stock shortblock.

thats about the most vague high 8 combo I have ever seen suggested.

[thesource]

I'm a huge Windsor fan but you cannot argue that an LSX based engine can make good power for dirt cheap (up to a point) . Once you start stroking them and buying heads , the Windsor engine runs pretty close to an LSX in price and power .

[BigRed]

Well I can go either way. I have a K member in it that was put in it so a LS1 could go in. I also have a 351 block in the shop if I want to go that way. Right now I am wanting to get it on the track soon and be able to pull good 11's or better. This will be my first drag car so I cant tell you alot about where I am going with it because I dont know. Really what I am looking for is a good starting point that will allow the car to grow with me. I can probably get a LS1 engine for it without much trouble or I can stroke the 351 to a 409 and go from there. Of course money is a issue but I dont want to go with something so cheap I have to start all over when I want more, I would rather take more time and get good stuff that wont brake and will be able to be built on. I really wish I could say more to give you a better idea but again I am not a vet at the strip and im not sure where I will go with it. I do know that one day I will be like everyone else im sure and not be happy till I am ripping down the track fast enough for the car to shake apart

[Aerocoupe]

The combo was vague only to prove a point. Without setting a goal or knowing what class you want to be in building a car is like walking into a black hole.

Darren

[BigRed]

I can tell you this if it helps. If I go with the 351 setup I will stroke it to a 409. Put Airflow research or trick-flow heads on it, a victor jr intake, a solid roller cam (still figuring out which cam to go with so advice here would be appreciated), a holly 850 double-pumper or a 850 demon, with a 3500-4000 stall. That is about where my money is after taking out enough to tub the car and get a built transmission etc. Also I'm not looking to race for a bunch of money or anything I want to have fun at the track and see how fast I can go (anyway that is the idea right now).

[95 GTS]

I'll stand by the lsx swap. They make dirty combos. also, the lighter the car is, the quicker it will be with every addition of power and the easier it will be on parts. You wont need a tub to go 11s. You would only need a 10.5 tire to go 10s easily with an NA stock displacement ls1.

for example... your run of the mill stalled heads cam f body on prostars will knock down low 11s at 122-124. Thats with a 4 speed 4l60e. pump gas, stock bottom end.

Put that in a 400 pound lighter car and you have got yourself a sick ride.

Its a good starting point even with a bone stock ls1 because it will still do 11s and it will give yo a more dfined path to slowly build on. you can add a cam and pick up 40-50 rwhp in 6 months, then you can add heads.... later you can add a FAST intake. Its not like the windsor stroker where you need the right parts in the beginning or else you will have a choked off mismatch.

This is an unbiased opinion. I would have loved to have a 396 with some CNCd trick flows back in the day.

[BigRed]

Ok I will look into the LS1 engine today and see what I can do about getting one and go from there.

[95 GTS]

you will have to get in with some ls1 shops and you can get a deal. i.e someone pulling their whole setup for something else or a known wrecked car.

I think my roomate got an 01 vette crate motor with computer harness and all accessories for 2500
I know a guy here in austin who has a swap in his 86 I can possibly get you his email for random questions

[BigRed]

I found one out of a wrecked vet for 100.00 but im still checking on the condition. Trying to do all my research right now but im thinking if the engine is good I will buy it and drop it in so I can put the car on the track now. Then I will build the 351 I already have bore and stroke it and all and go all the way with it. Then I can put the 351 in it and build the LS1 up more. That way if 1 breaks I have a backup till I can fix it. Plus I can give more info to others on which setup ends up putting out more on the track. But that all depends on if this LS1 is a good engine or if I can find another for a good deal.

[smlopez383]

i have done the big inch windsor stroker thing with a gllide 5200 stall and it was fun.will i ever build another ford stroker?? probably not.... the lsx based motor are everywhere and with a cam change and a carbed intake you can achieve every bit of 400rwhp. thats going to be my next route in my luv pickup..i had a stock ratio rack on my car and to be honest i wouldnt waste time or concerns about steering. brakes,rear and front suspension.i didnt have the 1500 lightwieght brake kit on mine due to the wieghtloss to cost ratio wasnt there for me.. you would get more for the money if you put lexan windows and a cowl hood..

[95 GTS]

if you do get a vette crate motor, know that the vette TB is drive by wire and you will need the correct hardware for a cable driven setup. i.e. the computer and tb form an f body.but thats not a bad deal anyways

[racer99]

Cost vs fun=
Bore the 351 .030,stock crank and rods,
aluminum heads,10.5 forged pistons,
decent camshaft,intake,750 Holley,150 shot
Good C4 or Glide with 9 or 10 inch conv, 3.73s
in the 8.8,10x26 slicks,drive the crap out of it.