Alright you hotrods...

[Wreckless Warren]

If you ever plan on running slicks I would suggest looking at the welds on the rear axle and frame where the upper control arm mounts.  More weld area is needed on the axle and possibly some reinforcement and more welding at the frame point.  This is a known point of failure when going for big power and traction. ww

[Hemi Joel]

Using lots of cubic inches cures a lot of the drawbacks that are common on small, high horsepower motors. A big crank smooths out the lumpy idle, builds more manifold vacuum, makes more low end and mid range grunt; all stuff you want in a street/strip motor. Stroker cranks are cheap nowdays...

You don't need slicks to hook, my GTX runs 10.80 on the G70 14 bias plys right out of the Coker catalog. Just work on weight transfer and control: loosen up the suspension, 90/10's on the front, adjustibles on the rear, lighten the front end as much as possible, put the battery in the trunk. Preload weight on the right rear with an air bag or a taller spring, then level the car out with a taller spring in the left front.  Eliminate wheel hop by putting steel or aluminum bushings in the front holes of the rear control arms and new rubber or poly in the back, stiffen the control arms by boxing them. THere is a lot you can do that is cheap and easy to help traction without removing your street tires.

[plovett]

That's the coolest thing I've seen in quite awhile.   I bet it blows some minds.  Looking at the air under the tire and then looking at the size and type of rear tires makes me do a double take.      I'm starting to do some of the things you mentioned to get a "hook", but I obviously have a ways to go. 

What pressure do those bias-ply G70's hook up best at?   Cool car!

paulie

[e philpott]

what a beauty Joel !! .....

[kevin]

thank you Joel.you have just given out a wealth of information. saved a lot of question.thank you again.
Kevin.

[65er]

Nice Joel, that GTX is most impressive, what a beauty!  I wont be doing stuff like the 90/10 shocks or battery in the trunk since I only have the one car and it needs to retain a decent level of comfort and safety too.    I was a Mopar fan before I was a Ford fan by the way.  Just sayin...

Also thanks WW for bringing up the rearend/frame welds.  If you hadn't mentioned it, those things would probably have occurred to me right after something expensive happened.

[Hemi Joel]

Thanks! 

I usually run about 28 -  30 PSI, but some guys run a lot less or a lot more.

[65er]

I just had to bump this thread for that pic of Hemi Joels street-tire wheelie!

  It's also kind of fun looking back to see where I was a year ago. I've got the TKO in and the rearend upgraded with the 31 spline true track and Daytona pinion support.   I have all the stuff to put the battery in the trunk but just haven't done that job yet.  Also have been working with Blair on a beefy stroker motor.  So far I own a crank, rods and 3X2 intake manifold with some probably junk carbs so got quite a ways to go there.  Will be a copy of one Blair built recently for John Norris that made 517 hp at 5000 rpm and 595 ft/lb at 3800.  Will certainly have some suspension work ahead of me, haha.

[Drew Pojedinec]

that'll be an awesome engine.  Can't wait to see you get bored of it and start a thread called "700hp, is it enough on the street?"


good luck

[jayb]

The answer to that question is a resounding NO! 

[65er]

that'll be an awesome engine.  Can't wait to see you get bored of it and start a thread called "700hp, is it enough on the street?"


good luck

Hahah!  No, I'm sure this one will do the job.  Actually I've been enjoying my car quite a bit lately even with the 390.  Best guess on my current combo says the new engine represents an increase of about 170 ft/lb and 140 horsepower. That's kind of a big deal!  The stroker is also under cammed for good street manners.  Just swapping in a bigger stick would be good for another 50-60 peak HP but I really don't think I'll ever open the engine up after Blair gets done with it.

[cjshaker]

I just wanted to throw a couple of thoughts out there for you to ponder....

If you start going to poly or aluminum bushings, be prepared for the harsher ride. You will start to feel and hear every bump and divot in the roads. Some guys this doesn't bother, but to some people who like to drive their cars on a more regular basis and take some trips in it, it can get annoying or less "relaxing" and enjoyable.

Also consider fuel mileage. 500+hp is a blast, there is no doubt about it, but when you have to fill up the tank twice as often, you will probably not want to drive it as often. $40-$50 minimum out of your pocket on every drive you take adds up quick if you like to drive it a lot. If you won the lottery or make over $100k a year, this may not be an issue 

Once you get to the 500hp and above range, pretty much every part of the drivetrain needs to be addressed. Driveshafts, U-joints, rear diffs, axles etc. Not addressing those things will cause issues eventually....usually when you least want it  to happen.

I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just keep your mind in the real world and realize that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (I've heard this said before....somewhere)

My solution is to have multiple vehicles. One for every purpose. I find this works rather well 

[65er]

I'm with you cjshaker.  Never fear, you aren't talking me out of anything and I appreciate your input.

Check it out - 

Being my only car, I put a lot of thought into the things I do to it.  So I think about all kind of stuff and ask a lot of questions and solicit opinions quite often as well, and I appreciate all the info and insights you guys care to share.  It's obviously not the most practical car around, but it does meet my needs for transportation, recreation and it fist my budget well since my only car payment is in the parts I buy. And the gas I suppose. I spend about $60 a week on gas I guess, not too bad for what I get out of it I think. 

The driveline is done - new driveshaft, new 1330 U-joints, new 31 spline axles, new true track diff, new 3.89 gears, new Daytona pinion support and don't forget the new TKO 600 tranny 

Haven't done any suspension mods yet but I'm aware of the harsh bushing thing.  One of the guys I work with drives a 2006 mustang running 12.60's and he's done all that and from time to time he mentions thinking about putting the rubber bushings back in to quiet his ride.  Will be worse in mine as it's already loud inside.  I really need to do a sound dampening program on mine at some point and then the suspension noises will be a little less of an issue.  It's definitely something I'm aware of at the moment.

Fuel economy of course is always a concern of mine since this is my only car.  If I didn't live fairly close to work it would be a really big deal.  However I don't expect the new engine to be hugely thirsty compared to what I have now.  Mostly due to poor tuning on my current setup probably, but it drives with no bogs, stalls, surges etc so I don't fool with it.  Highway MPG from similar combos Blair has done have actually been significantly better than what I'm getting now although I would expect in town they may not be.  Currently I'm averaging about 11 MPG per tank as long as I don't do anything particularly fun...

As for second car, not really a good option for me.  For one, I don't want to have a really nice car to enjoy and then NOT enjoy it most of the time.  And besides, I live in an apartment.  I like apartment life.  Never have to screw with the lawn or house maintenance stuff, if something breaks I just tell the folks at the office and it gets fixed fast and free etc.  However I am at my car quota with two per address (My son has a little pickup truck) so an additional vehicle would have to be parked on the street.  Of course that situation is subject to change as one of the other apartment bennies is being able to move pretty much whenever I want 

From where I sit, it's all good and getting even better!

[cjshaker]

Just so you know, Wade, it's me...Doug 

[65er]

It's right there in your sig too and I missed it! What a dumbass! Funny thing is when I was addressing you as cjshaker I was thinking "I wish I knew who it is..." hahaha!