Author Topic: Back on track at last  (Read 3680 times)

Offline Dunc the Funk

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  • Your Best Time: 7.50 @ 178 mph 1/4 mile
  • Your Engine: Big block Chevy, 517ci, 8/71 blower, methanol
  • Your Track: Santa Pod, UK
  • Your Vehicle: 23 T altered "Thundergod"
  • General Location: Yorkshire, England
Back on track at last
« on: June 24, 2021, 12:03:44 PM »
At the end of 2019 we'd had enough of our MSD 10+ not playing ball at start-up. So we fitted a 7AL just to test, it seemed to work. At the end of May 2021 we got back to the track at last. With the motor freshened up by me, some new 6' long wheelie bars also by me, ladder bars dropped a hole & a better wing I was hoping the car would work better. It took me a whole weekend to get the tune leaned enough to burn ok with the 7AL, people were literally telling me it couldn't be done. However the driver said it was much more under control now so I persevered. We ended the weekend with a new PB (just) 7.94 @ 177. Two weeks later we're back to the track with some more jets & pills from Good Vibrations, got the hat/port split better & we ran 7.778 @ 175mph! Well pleased with that. Next job - ditch the coilovers, make the rear solid mounted & lower.

Offline Paul New

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Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2021, 05:56:41 PM »
Great job on getting your new PB!

Offline THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER

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  • Your Best Time: 8.28@168 door; 9.00@147 6-cyl alt; 8.53@160 RED
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Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2021, 06:54:27 PM »
I think I would be tempted to just replace the coil over shocks with rigid tubular struts with a length to your liking. That way you can see if solid works better without welding or bolting the axle to the chassis. You may find that suspension works better than none back there and it will be easy to revert back to coil overs this way.

Offline Dunc the Funk

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  • Your Best Time: 7.50 @ 178 mph 1/4 mile
  • Your Engine: Big block Chevy, 517ci, 8/71 blower, methanol
  • Your Track: Santa Pod, UK
  • Your Vehicle: 23 T altered "Thundergod"
  • General Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2021, 01:32:02 PM »
Rigid tubular struts is the conclusion we have come to also. Des the driver is coming over tomorrow so we can start work on fabricating some.

Offline Finnish Fireball

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  • Your Best Time: 4.69 / 147 mph 1/8 mile
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Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2021, 10:21:09 PM »
Congrats of the new PB! Are you racing Dragstalgia? So excited to watch the livestream, such an great event.
I'm fast. I can make five mistakes while others think.

Offline Dunc the Funk

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  • Your Best Time: 7.50 @ 178 mph 1/4 mile
  • Your Engine: Big block Chevy, 517ci, 8/71 blower, methanol
  • Your Track: Santa Pod, UK
  • Your Vehicle: 23 T altered "Thundergod"
  • General Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2021, 03:47:08 PM »
Hiya, yes we are running Dragstalgia. We've got the motor tuned fairly well considering we're only running an MSD 7AL. Taking 150 or 175 litres of methanol for the 3 days. Luckily I've found a cheap supplier nearby. Suspension is done now & we're really lookin forward to it. 8)

Offline Finnish Fireball

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Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2021, 08:07:46 PM »
Great, then we will follow your race on Santa Pod TV youtube, their streams are top notch and Dragstalgia is the best nostalgia event in Europe
https://www.youtube.com/c/SantaPodTV/featured
I'm fast. I can make five mistakes while others think.

Offline Dunc the Funk

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  • Your Best Time: 7.50 @ 178 mph 1/4 mile
  • Your Engine: Big block Chevy, 517ci, 8/71 blower, methanol
  • Your Track: Santa Pod, UK
  • Your Vehicle: 23 T altered "Thundergod"
  • General Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2021, 01:44:07 PM »
Dragstalgia report:
First meeting with solid mounted rear end. Disappointed to find that because there were so many entries overall, our class had only 2 runs Saturday & 2 Sunday.
Friday RWYB only got one pass in, steady checkout that still clocked 8.2 @ 150.
Saturday I leaned out the tune a bit more with some new jets & pills from Good Vibrations.
This really worked, we ran 60' in 1.118, 1/8 in 4.84 @ 145 & 1/4 in 7.585 @ 173 Very pleased as last pb was 7.77. Coverage here at 4:20 in (13:56 on clock).
Tune good, plating just taken off ground straps on most cylinders, couple still rich. I leaned them out a bit.
Next run had some shake as the driver really stamped on it but slowed at the top end, we think this was due to the throttle pedal position. Neil Townson in the other lane sadly lost the body on his beautiful 'Northern Spirit' altered. (8:32 or 18:10 on clock).
Sunday we had the pedal adjusted better, slightly less wing angle & ran 60' in 1.115, 1/8 in 4.83, 1/4 in 7.572 @ 178. Coverage here at 3:52 (13:29 on clock).
Really pleased with that! Good crowd in the stands applauded as we drove past, what a feeling! Des said he forgot to pull the chute before the finish & hit a bump under braking causing the car to bounce badly. We couldn't see anything wrong with it but on the last pass it turned right in front of the guy in the other lane. That was one scary moment but he was quite far behind & got off the throttle to avoid collision. (at 7:02 or 16:39 on clock).
Body & panels off now, going to check for bent/cracked parts.

Offline Finnish Fireball

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Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2021, 01:47:38 AM »
Congrats of the new PB!!! Stream quality was very nice all weekend. Do you know what happened to Frantic backing up to that garage, what caused it? Also I just found out that "The Villain" FED is no more, they can't save it after it scrubbed the wall. What a waste it was such a beautiful and fast dragster.
I'm fast. I can make five mistakes while others think.

Offline Dunc the Funk

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  • Posts: 71
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  • Your Best Time: 7.50 @ 178 mph 1/4 mile
  • Your Engine: Big block Chevy, 517ci, 8/71 blower, methanol
  • Your Track: Santa Pod, UK
  • Your Vehicle: 23 T altered "Thundergod"
  • General Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: Back on track at last
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2021, 02:32:19 PM »
Thanks. I don't know what happened with Frantic, I was in the stands at the time, heard an engine rev higher than you expect from the end of the staging lanes, looked over & saw it shoot diagonally through the garage roller shutter door & then seem to stop abruptly inside. I think it was going forward but it was more or less a blur to me. Sad to hear about the Villain, I regret I never saw it run from the stands, only seen it on video I think. I didn't see the incident, we were queuing behind the stand when it happened. Poor Des was strapped in for maybe an hour due to that & a nostalgia F/C oiling the track I think?