Taking a 21yr old car to the track for a baseline.....

I'm not much of a dragracer anymore (I prefer to spend my time circulating road courses), but I want to get a number to compare future modifications and improvements. This will be the first time I will pilot my bone-stock '86 GT down the 1/4 mile. Do you guys have any suggestions of shift points (the car hates to rev past 5Krpm) and launch rpm's (my first pass will be off idle)? In addition, because the car is 21 years old, are there any suggestions on what to watch for for possible damage or breakage? Currently, the motor-mounts show some wear and there is a whine from my rear differential (very likely the pinion bearing). I'm not too concerned if something does happen, but it is always good to know what to look for.

Mike
 
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looks like you know exactly what your gettin yourself in for. i wouldnt shift past 5k, and as far as launching go off idle on your first run and see where you stand. On street tires forget launching past 2k unless your a savvy clutch rider. Good luck and post your results. I know i wanna see where a bone stock 86 gt stands :nice:
 
I appreciate the response and thank you for the suggestions, unfortunately I am just reading them this morning. :)

The car did well at the track, no breaks, no leaks, and no problems.

I found that launching the GT is a greater challenge than orginally anticipated. With no prior attempts, my experience in this car was greatly lacking. When you factor in my 60 ft times, it seems there is room for improvement. My best results were achieved by launching the car off idle and shifting at an un-inspiring 4,700 rpms. At the end of the 1/4 mile, the car was in the top of third gear, so only two shifts were necessary (does the car come with 3.08 or 2.73 stock?).

At the very least, I have my baseline to compare future modifications and improvements.

Here are the results (day started at 79 degrees and by my third run it was 94);

First pass (launched at 2k rpm = massive wheel spin through first gear :D):
60 ft. 2.585,
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Second pass: (off idle)
60 ft. 2.496
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Third pass: (off idle)
60 ft. 2.382
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Mike
 
Get those 60' times down and you'll see the 14's.......I had very simular experiances my first few times out, you just have to get a feel for the car and how to get it moving with out spinning the tires!

Congrats.....Nothing broke!
 
looks like you know exactly what your gettin yourself in for. i wouldnt shift past 5k, and as far as launching go off idle on your first run and see where you stand. On street tires forget launching past 2k unless your a savvy clutch rider. Good luck and post your results. I know i wanna see where a bone stock 86 gt stands :nice:

best in the 86 gt of my dads was a 14.1.....
 
Highly doubtful....honestly i've never seen a stock '86 break into the 14s...mostly 15.0's to 15.20s.

I'd launch at 2k and ride the clutch a little so the tires don't immediately break loose, then shift at about 4900-5k.
 
That isn't bad at all!! Like mentioned, better tires, or just a little practice and the 60ft time could be 1.9-2.0 and it should hit 14.9-15.2 Impressive especially since you can't run past 5K. What is the redline?? :shrug: I can shift my 91 5.0 right at 5,900 and it pulls great.
 
^^^^^
I will practice a bit more and hope that the next trip to the strip will net better 60 ft. times, which should also help with 1/4 mile et.

My tach reaches to 5,800 rpm in the yellow, but it won't go there. On my first pass I tried to make the car rev to 5K rpm in each gear, but it took too long and I decided to shift earlier for my next passes, which worked better for times. Maybe my tachometer is inaccurate?

Mike