I took my GS stage1 4-speed out to test and tune Friday. As much as I love cars and going fast, I have hardly ever been racing. Last time I had this car out, the shift linkage was acting up-probably due to my own technique pulling on the lever before the shift which put the linkage in a bind. No good runs that day (a couple years ago). This led to changing the shifter, transmission, getting the driveshaft balanced and new pilot bushing, putting in the big block clutch linkage. So Friday was the first time out with all the new stuff. Here are the times 1. .806 reaction, 14.482 @ 100.08mph 2. .568 reaction, 14.075 @ 99.65 clutch slippage in 2nd The GS has pertronics and rebuilt carb, stock cast iron intake and exhaust. Engine was R & R'd( whatever that means, it was on the invoice) in 1988. Does this look right for a stock set up? Or am I down on power? Going back today for the Nostalgia Drags @ Edgwater here in Cincinnnati.
racing gs stage 1 4 speed ted, r&r on an invoice usually means remove and replace. with the trap speeds your pulling it sounds like you should be in the 13s. were you running slicks? what year is your stage 1? does your car have ac? the ac stage 1s came with a different rear end ratio than the non-ac cars. except for electric fuel pump and hei i also run stock. going to morocco next weekend for the midwest buick challenge.
gs stage 1 thats a great looking gs! are those drag radials? if you can try and run the car with 26 inch tall slicks. you will improve your e.t.
Nice car What are your 60' times? Getting off the line with Stage 1 torque and a four speed is tough. If you work at it you should be able to get your short (60 foot) times down close to 2.0 seconds. Every tenth you take off the 60' will save about 2 tenths on the quarter. Your mile per hour shows that you have pretty good power. The old magazine tests had some Stage cars that ran out at about 105 mph, which would mean about 50 hp more than your car is showing now. But those were probably "tweaked" to look as good as possible to the magazine reading public. I don't think you have a problem with power. I think that if you worked on driving technique and tuning you could probably be in the mid 13's and maybe pick up some mph too.
More time slips For Sunday, beautiful day for racing, the local track had a car show and drags, 3 times to test then bracket racing. Fastest mph for me was only 99.00. eliminated 1st round by one of those mid 80's 4-door full size pontiacs with a loud engine(no idea what it was) but this guy bracket races every weekend, cut a .571 light to my .652. MOV .0591, I guess I can't expect to win the first time out, it was close though. At least I drove mine to the track, the POS Pontiac was a trailermobile, he only ran 14.081(14.03 dial in) I ran 14.229 @ 98.21mph, dialed in 14.2 I'm hooked:laugh:
gs stage 1 ive never liked bracket racing and never will. it makes no sense to me to do your burnout, try and get a great launch and then have to tap the brakes so you wont break out. i have more fun cutting a good light, a good 60 ft. time, even if i lose the race to a faster car, than spotting a slug 3 seconds.
Believe me, thats all I was trying to do-cut a good light, launch and go as fast as I could! Too busy with the other pedals to worry about brakes:grin: Let the trailermeisters do that bs. Best 60' on the last run too-2.159-not bad for the TA radials.
Edgewater Hi Ted, Sounds like you had a good time and that is what counts. Those guys that go every week love people like you and I that show up now and then. I was on my way to Edgewater with my '73 Stage 1 when I encountered a major traffic jamb on 275 and turned around for the house. :ball: The weather was perfect. I'd love to hook up sometime. Have you considered a Sunday race at Tri-State? I work Fri and Sat evenings normally so Edgewater is out for me most of the time.
Rowing a four gear down the quarter.......................is there anything better????? Don't be to hard on the Pontiac crapmobile. I might have a four door LeSabre like that to someday. It'll probably be trailered even if its slow cause registering, insuring, and inspecting a fourth car would be to expensive. Keep shifting!!!!!!!!!!! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:
John, my GS is totally stock as far as I can tell. Only upgrade is the rebuilt distributor with Pertronix. (Ignition man may argue that its no upgrade-that was beforeI knew about his hei). Still have the cast iron intake and exhaust manifolds. T/A 2.5" exhaust, Ultraflow Welded long case mufflers. Brian, PM me anytime you are going to Tri State, that would be cool to hook up out there. Dan, thats my wounded pride talkin'! dang .06 margin of victory for that guy. Really I wanted to just improve my own starting line technique with the 4-speed. Cannot wait to get the Wagon fixed. That may be even more fun!
Back at the track For test and tune, met Brian Albrecht there with his 73 GS, my dad brought his 87 Turbo T-Type. Brian made like 6 runs before we got there, then we lined up the 73 with my 70. Cool! Final pass for me was 13.666 @ 101.8 mph Dad got in the 13's with the T-Type-he was very pleased.(he is 71, this is the first time he has seen a light tree-I think last time he raced at a track they were waving flags at the start...) Brian was running the best at 13.4 and 103++mph. Great day for it too, nice cool air and for once the track was in OK shape to hook up. I'm happier with the car now, again its very original, street tires (14") only upgrade is the pertronix distributor. I kept the air cleaner on and everything. Time to put it away for a while and work on Riviera exhaust and Wildcat frame painting and assembly.
Great day @ Edgewater Hi Ted, It was great to meet you and your Dad at the track. I just now got the pictures developed from that day. Your father was an interesting guy. I love how he is still flying his own airplane and has had his pilot's license since 1958. I am sure glad he came and raced with us. Your car is a real treat too! I really like it being so stock and still spinning 14" wheels. Hope you don't mind me sharing this picture with the board.:grin:
Re: Back at the track As Ted mentioned the air was perfect for racing. I started in the high 13's when I got there. By the time Ted arrived I had run a best of 13.4. My first pass after that was with him and I ran a 13.18. A short while later it was backed up with an identical 13.18. While I was tickled about the times it made me greedy for a 12 second pass. The big drop in my E.T.'s can be directly attributed to dropping my Hoosier radials tire pressures down to 26 from 34. The car hooked much better then. Here is a couple of Flint's finest side by side:
That was a fine day for sure, good to remember the sunny days with the first snow on the ground now! I was just looking at the time slips for that day- my best was after Brian left -13.666 @ 101.8 mph. Not bad for those 14" BFG TA radials! Wish I had a pic of the 2 Buicks lined up @ the starting line...
