100% stock... 1/4

[JLNeon]

OK, Before I tell you my 1/4 mile time... you have to keep in mind...

The car is 100% stock 89 SC
I have been driving a stick for 2 weeks
These are all season tires

My ver first run was my best run of the 4 total runs I made...

Launched at 1500, dropped the clutch and bogged... shifted perfect (but slow) :)

16.72@84.5mph

I was hoping for lower 16's, but I need to practice my launches.

Start the criticising.

[SC UL8R1990]

considering you used to drive a neon this is quite the big difference.

16's are kinda slow for an sc, but like you stated you just started driving manual. Just give it another shot when your used to these clunky 5 speeds. You should see mid-high 15's in stock trim.

-walter

[supercharged95]

Good job for taking your car to the track to see what you are working with. Now that you know how fast your car is you can begin making the modifications to up the power.
Don't be discouraged that you didn't run the times that you should have....there are several conditions which could've hindered your ability to get the most out of your car and I have a few questions before I can give advice:

1. What were your 60' times?
2. What rpm were you shifting at?
3. What shifting technique were you using; power shifting, speed shifting, or just shifting normally?
4. What condition is your car in- have you given it a tune up recently(fuel filter, air filter, plugs, wires, etc) or could it use some tlc?


I've seen my friends knock lots off of their times(up to .8) by changing their shift points and shift technique. Also if your car is out of tune that could make a huge difference as well.

[JLNeon]

60' times were around 2.8 sec

I don't really know the name for how I was shifting, like I said I am a no0b. I shifted at redline (5k i think). Then every gear I shifted at redline and then pushed the clutch in very quick and floored it and let the clutch out very quick and continued to floor it until redline.

Hope that helps describe it.

Thanks for your help!!!

Time for an exhaust.

[supercharged95]

Alright JL i see one of your problems, your 60' time is not quite up to par. You definately need to work getting off the line. When I get home I'll see what my stock 60' times were(with an auto) but I want to say that it was aound the 2.3-2.4 area. If you can improve your 60' you'll be down to where you should be( rule of thumb is that for each .1 you take off of your 60' = .2 off in your overal 1/4).
Also Try using different shifting techniques. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the terms "power shifting" or "speed shifting" but research them. Basically they are different ways of keeping your car in it's power band when shifting gears. When I had my mustang I would power shift 2nd gear then speedshift 3rd and 4th and trust me, it makes a difference. Another thing to check into is a short-throw shifter. I've never driven a 5spd sc but in my stang the short-throw was a night and day difference over stock.
Another thing that might help would be to give your car a tune up. I have seen noticeable gains from older cars that haven't had a tune up; then changing the fuel filter, plugs, wires, air filter, etc. and run much better times.
Good luck

[JLNeon]

Wow dude, thanks for the tips, I'll keep those in mind!!!

As far as a tune up I've only flushed all the fluids, need to replace some things like you said, I'll get to that this week.

Thanks again.
Kyle

[supercharged95]

no problem man, just doing my part with helping another sc'er out- btw my 60ft times were right in the 2.408-2.580 range and my 1/8th mile times varried from 10.326-10.770(this is right after I bought my car and it was in need of some tlc). I see you are from Omaha, we'll have to get together sometime and raise some hell.

[JLNeon]

Sounds like a plan, we're actually having a "NE Thundercats" meet in Lincoln on the 12th I think it is.

[supercharged95]

I'll have to see what I can swing at work and I'll do my best to make it over

[SilverCoupe]

Originally posted by JLNeon
OK, Before I tell you my 1/4 mile time... you have to keep in mind...

The car is 100% stock 89 SC
I have been driving a stick for 2 weeks
These are all season tires

My ver first run was my best run of the 4 total runs I made...

Launched at 1500, dropped the clutch and bogged... shifted perfect (but slow) :)

16.72@84.5mph

I was hoping for lower 16's, but I need to practice my launches.

Start the criticising.

Definitely, work on the launch. The first time I ever took my 89 5-speed to the track when it was stock, I ran a 16.8, a 16.5, a 16.4, and a 16.2. With the 16.2 I had a 2.3 60' time on CRAPPY all season tires. With a removed air silencer and 10" K&N filter the best I've managed is a 2.27 60' with a 15.977 1/4 mile. Not bad, especially for being at 5280 feet above sea level here in Denver.

The key to getting a good launch in these IRS cars is to not just drop all the power on the driveline at once. If you tach the car too high and drop it, you're going to get some bone-jarring wheel-hop. My best launches have a tiny bit of wheel-hop and a little spin. I usually set the tach at right around 2700 and then let the clutch out as and quickly as possible without side-stepping it or straight out dumping it.

Also, another thing to remember is that these cars are no high-revving neons. If you've ever looked a dyno sheet of a stock or lightly modified SC, you'll notice they have ***** for horsepower up high and they fall off badly after 5000 rpm. My best times come from sorta short-shifting. 1st to 2nd I shift at 5100 rpm, 2nd to 3rd I shift at 5200 rpm... and I'm not fast enough to shift to 4th yet in the quarter and I don't have gears so I'm not worried about that one quite yet. :D

Good luck with your 89 though.

[SuperCop]

wow, even more great tips, I'll try that launching teqnique next time I race.

Thanks!!!

BTW... this is my new name

[bigwilly89sc]

i know im a little late to this one but heres my experience with drag racing a bone stock supercoupe.

****** R/T 1.070
60' 2.363
330 6.507
1/8 9.935
MPH 71.63
1000 12.889
1/4 15.363
MPH 91.21

BEST MPH was a 92.1 later with a slightly slower time, although the rest of the info was very close. mind you, this car is totally bone stock, 90,000miles on it 1989 SC 5-speed. what i did was try not to drop the clutch at all, intead get the car rolling a couple feet then floor it, kinda slipping this clutch at first. i couldnt drop the clutch at all. if the rpms were too low the car would bog out, if the rpms were too high it would spin like a bat out of hell. i dropped my tire pressure to around 20lbs. ran on 245s.
shift points were the same, around 5200rpms every time, winding out 3rd gear entering the traps. while shifting shifted as fast as i could without taking my foot off the gas very much, only a bit to keep the car from OVER revving. and i mean, a TINY bit. i must say, a 15.3 is pretty good compared to some times ive seen. i was at the track (norwalk raceway park, Norwalk, Ohio) and there was a beautiful 89-92 SC there, flawless black paint, awesome sounding exaust (DEFINITLY NOT STOCK) and it was definitely a 5-speed. this damn thing was running mid 16s all night, got a 16flat once and a 17.70!!! ONCE TOO!!!! i dont know what the hell was going on but i wanted to kill the guy and i was ashamed of him as a fellow SC owner, looking down upon him with every pitiful launch!!! HAHAHA...... i didnt take my car that night so i couldnt even show him how to race an SC DAMNIT!!!!!!

well theres my (legal) drag racing story.

many many illegal ones too but... thats a whole other thread!!!