Racer please read/help

Bmfhp

Founding Member
Sep 2, 2000
575
0
16
Florida
Hey all,

Ok this is my main question with 03 5sp GT... Am I making progress with respect to the HP level? I have a no name fenderwell CAI. I put on 1/2" aluminum Spacers for the TB and upper plenum. I smooth out a stock upper plenum and smoothed out the air flow from the stock TB to the intake by grinding away material. I used the gaskets as a template to make sure I didn't take away to much material. I have a diablo predator with the 93 octane tune on the computer. I also switched from goodyear tires to Fuzion tires of the stock size.

Stock
Results 14.60/96.94 avg across 20 runs stock (not correcting for weather)
14.35/98.92 avg correcting for the weather

Mods
Results 14.25/97.67 avg across 20 runs
14.07/99.08 avg corrected for the weather

Ok, now the ET is lower but the MPH has not really changed. :shrug: My 60's with the stock "Good"year tires was 2.301 on the same twenty runs. With the Fuzions, I dropped to 2.181. Almost all my 60's are 2.teens now with the Fuzions.

So, what gives? :bang: I figured the car would be running better. The clutch on the car is on the way out. It grabs kinda low to the floor. Could this be hurting the power i am putting down to the ground? I know the car is not that slow. I raced a guy at the track that had a '01 GT 5sp, CAI and Drag radials. He got me out of the hole but I drove around him on the end so... Anyone with ideas? Thanks.
 
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Looks to me like you are just getting better at driving the car. Your hp #'s probably haven't gone up much since your trap speeds are with .5-1 mph of each other. I've actually ran quicker with alot slower trap speeds.
 
That is what I'm noticing. I keep track of my shift points (aprox. w/in 100-200 rpm). I have also noticed that I can run virtually the same times/speed going through the traps in 3rd or when i shift into 4th... anyone else notice that?
 
The key to any drag race is in the first 60 ft. If that gets better you will always run better unless you miss a shift. After 60 your pretty much along for the ride. Your 60's dropped, that's where you picked up your time. Get some DR's and watch them drop more. Honestly, none of the mods you have done have really given you any substantial HP gain. The best thing for you to add is gears, that will wake the car up out of the hole. 3.73's or 4.10's will do nicely.
 
I agree its all about the 60 foot times, last weekend I went from 2.0 to 1.8. and my trap speeds went from 111.11 to 110.90. So less time in the 60 foot means less time for going from 60ft to 1/4 which means lower trap speeds. So it all about the 60 foot times. Get yourself gear and exhaust.
 
I'd try for somoe more serious mods


Aftermarket plenum
70mm TB
mid-pipe and ct-back
LT's optional
cams
custom tune for everything after

that should give you 270-280 rwHP.
 
The best thing for you to add is gears, that will wake the car up out of the hole. 3.73's or 4.10's will do nicely.


when choosing gears is it recommended to avoid 5th gear and go thru the traps at the end of 4th? I have the t-45.

my best 1/4 mile time was 13.40 at 106MPH and I was JUST shifting in to 4th when entering the traps. So i was thinking along the lines of 3.90's, aswell as improving my launch.




not trying to hijack a thread, just couldn't get the answer I was looking for in another thread. and this seems to be a more appropriate topic for my question.
 
Better traction and 60' usually equal a lower trap speed but better ETs unless you've addded more power, which non of your mods have given you. I've noticed this with my friends cars and mine from when I went from stock tires to Nitto DRs then to MT DRs.
 
you should put in a set of 3.90's and some really good wide tires out back (KDW2's, Nitto555R, etc). unless you get longtubes most of the bolt-ons listed wont net you much gains, the 4.6L doesnt flow enough air for airflow mods to make much of a difference like they do for the larger motors (IE LS1's) where airflow is the key. however modulars respond well to boost.

i recommend doing gears+traction, and then some suspension goodies to make the car a bit more stiff, and saving up for boost or if you want to stay n/a, a good head/cam combo (IE VT StageII) and maybe nitrous.