Scott Long
05-08-2004, 12:16 PM
Went to US-131 Motorsports Park (Martin, MI) It's between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. About 20 miles north of I-94 interchange. Cost was $15 to race. I took my titanium silver 1990 SC auto, the one I did the head gasket job on. Mods are here! (http://sccoa.com/member/index.php?uniquename=long3) I would have been happy with 14.6-14.7 at 92-93 mph.
Well you wanna talk about me being irately pissed off? I get there and pay my fees, get my tech card. I pull into the pits and pop my hood, I know I don't have a battery hold down so I was talking to a guy with a big truck tool box and he gave me a bungee cord to use to secure my battery thru tech. I drive to the tech spot and get in line. As I pull up I didn't have a pen, and the lady was really snotty about finally letting me use her pen. Not my fault the one in my car was all dried out. So she starts going over my car and she says something about the battery, and my trunk not being able to open. I told her that I bought the car wrecked and thats why the trunk is primer gray because I bought it used and threw it on one day but the latch didn't line up so I had to wire it shut from the inside until I get around to lowering the latch down and redrilling the mount holes. She made a big deal about how they would kick me out if I run a fast time like I'm hiding a bottle. I told her mid 14's and she says well if we suspect it you're out of here. Then she tells me to get a real hold down for the battery but the bungee cord will work for now (after making a big deal about it. The battery is between the fender, the wheel well, the intercooler, and the radiator support. Plus the hood is on top of it, where the hell is it gonna go?) Well I start popping off the center caps so she can look and when she gets around to the last wheel, passenger front, she looks down and says "I can't let you race like this" and I asked her "what's the problem now lady?" She pointed out that I only had 4 lugs holding on the wheel and that the empty stud was all stripped and worn. Well when I did the brakes last summer all 5 were there and were fine. I got new tires and the place I took it too I'm sure used and impact because later I went to loosen them and had to put my foot on my 2 ft. breaker bar to get all 19 others to break free. So I'm assuming they stripped it out, and then just sent me on my way w/o it. Thats why you don't use a friggen impact wrench to put on your lugs. Start them finger tight a few turns to insure the threads are lined up (they OBVIOUSLY didn't), and then either use a torque stick on an impact (only allows a certain setting usually 100 lbs.) or use a damn torque wrench. So now I have to go to the parts store and buy a stud and nut, and a universal battery hold down. I have never had to change a stud on the SC. I know the concept, tap it out, tap the new one in. But how the heck do you get the hubs off in the front? Hopefully its like a FWD car minus the axle shaft.
So basically I was out the $15 to race since there was no way in hell I was gonna pass tech last night. I am very pissed at M&W Tire in benton harbor, they just lost a customer plus whoever else I can warn to steer clear of them.
There were a bunch of turbo ricers there. 2 12 second Eclipse's, a bunch of SRT-4 Neons (best ran 14.2@98mph) slowest ran a 14.98@93mph but I know he couldn't drive. There was a Grand National GNX clone there (nice clone job too cuz I looked it over and I talked to the guy and he was surprised I knew even what it was and that I new it was a clone) it was running 12.40's with the stock turbo. Only upgrades were a chip, boost control, exhaust, and larger IC, and 110 octane plus hoosier slicks. He said on 117 octane it should break into the 11's but he doesn't want to put a cage in it.
There was an Impala SS running exhaust dumps, sounded SWEET, he ran a 13.30@104 I think it was. There was a kid I talked to w/ a primer black 85 Turbo Coupe, he took out the 5-speed and put in a C4 w/ a 2200 stall, 4.56 gears, 3" exhaust, and a home made $8 boost control valve. He said he needed more stall like 3000 since he couldn't build much boost on the line but when it spooled he ran like a 14.4x with it. He said that he is hoping for 13.8x with the new stall on street tires.
They had a radio station there sponsoring the "103.1 Street Drags" and they did classes by make. The guy who won in the Ford class had a fox body stang that ran a 14.91@91mph. I think he got a trophy. No one else would challenge him. I would have. It was gonna be brackets but he got a free run. I think he got a trophy. I think I could have beat him in e.t. and brackets. I would have loved to bring home a trophy.
There was an old 80's Monte SS, blue, that had twin turbo's, nitrous, probably a built small block, had a big aluminum fin on the rear and chutes. He sounded mean in the water box and then as he shot up to the line he backfired LOUD and flames shot out then the car was silent. Then you hear him blow off the nitrous pressure and his buddies pushed him back to the pits. Never saw it run, hope he didn't fry his motor.
It started raining, then they dried the track, then right as they pulled up the first set of guys to run, it started down pouring so everyone left.
I really wanted to get to run my car. I don't know when the next friday I'll be able to get up there and now that its getting hotter my times are only gonna get worse. I need to get some numbers for this thing. Haven't ran it since the head gaskets and exhaust and tires. Last time many years back I ran a 15.6 with it but I had so much wheel spin I pulled like a 2.6 60' and had to back off it and then get back on the gas. I wanted 14.80's back then. So we'll have to wait and see how this 90 AOD can perform.
I was the only SC in attendance.
Well you wanna talk about me being irately pissed off? I get there and pay my fees, get my tech card. I pull into the pits and pop my hood, I know I don't have a battery hold down so I was talking to a guy with a big truck tool box and he gave me a bungee cord to use to secure my battery thru tech. I drive to the tech spot and get in line. As I pull up I didn't have a pen, and the lady was really snotty about finally letting me use her pen. Not my fault the one in my car was all dried out. So she starts going over my car and she says something about the battery, and my trunk not being able to open. I told her that I bought the car wrecked and thats why the trunk is primer gray because I bought it used and threw it on one day but the latch didn't line up so I had to wire it shut from the inside until I get around to lowering the latch down and redrilling the mount holes. She made a big deal about how they would kick me out if I run a fast time like I'm hiding a bottle. I told her mid 14's and she says well if we suspect it you're out of here. Then she tells me to get a real hold down for the battery but the bungee cord will work for now (after making a big deal about it. The battery is between the fender, the wheel well, the intercooler, and the radiator support. Plus the hood is on top of it, where the hell is it gonna go?) Well I start popping off the center caps so she can look and when she gets around to the last wheel, passenger front, she looks down and says "I can't let you race like this" and I asked her "what's the problem now lady?" She pointed out that I only had 4 lugs holding on the wheel and that the empty stud was all stripped and worn. Well when I did the brakes last summer all 5 were there and were fine. I got new tires and the place I took it too I'm sure used and impact because later I went to loosen them and had to put my foot on my 2 ft. breaker bar to get all 19 others to break free. So I'm assuming they stripped it out, and then just sent me on my way w/o it. Thats why you don't use a friggen impact wrench to put on your lugs. Start them finger tight a few turns to insure the threads are lined up (they OBVIOUSLY didn't), and then either use a torque stick on an impact (only allows a certain setting usually 100 lbs.) or use a damn torque wrench. So now I have to go to the parts store and buy a stud and nut, and a universal battery hold down. I have never had to change a stud on the SC. I know the concept, tap it out, tap the new one in. But how the heck do you get the hubs off in the front? Hopefully its like a FWD car minus the axle shaft.
So basically I was out the $15 to race since there was no way in hell I was gonna pass tech last night. I am very pissed at M&W Tire in benton harbor, they just lost a customer plus whoever else I can warn to steer clear of them.
There were a bunch of turbo ricers there. 2 12 second Eclipse's, a bunch of SRT-4 Neons (best ran 14.2@98mph) slowest ran a 14.98@93mph but I know he couldn't drive. There was a Grand National GNX clone there (nice clone job too cuz I looked it over and I talked to the guy and he was surprised I knew even what it was and that I new it was a clone) it was running 12.40's with the stock turbo. Only upgrades were a chip, boost control, exhaust, and larger IC, and 110 octane plus hoosier slicks. He said on 117 octane it should break into the 11's but he doesn't want to put a cage in it.
There was an Impala SS running exhaust dumps, sounded SWEET, he ran a 13.30@104 I think it was. There was a kid I talked to w/ a primer black 85 Turbo Coupe, he took out the 5-speed and put in a C4 w/ a 2200 stall, 4.56 gears, 3" exhaust, and a home made $8 boost control valve. He said he needed more stall like 3000 since he couldn't build much boost on the line but when it spooled he ran like a 14.4x with it. He said that he is hoping for 13.8x with the new stall on street tires.
They had a radio station there sponsoring the "103.1 Street Drags" and they did classes by make. The guy who won in the Ford class had a fox body stang that ran a 14.91@91mph. I think he got a trophy. No one else would challenge him. I would have. It was gonna be brackets but he got a free run. I think he got a trophy. I think I could have beat him in e.t. and brackets. I would have loved to bring home a trophy.
There was an old 80's Monte SS, blue, that had twin turbo's, nitrous, probably a built small block, had a big aluminum fin on the rear and chutes. He sounded mean in the water box and then as he shot up to the line he backfired LOUD and flames shot out then the car was silent. Then you hear him blow off the nitrous pressure and his buddies pushed him back to the pits. Never saw it run, hope he didn't fry his motor.
It started raining, then they dried the track, then right as they pulled up the first set of guys to run, it started down pouring so everyone left.
I really wanted to get to run my car. I don't know when the next friday I'll be able to get up there and now that its getting hotter my times are only gonna get worse. I need to get some numbers for this thing. Haven't ran it since the head gaskets and exhaust and tires. Last time many years back I ran a 15.6 with it but I had so much wheel spin I pulled like a 2.6 60' and had to back off it and then get back on the gas. I wanted 14.80's back then. So we'll have to wait and see how this 90 AOD can perform.
I was the only SC in attendance.