21 replies to this topic

[tpivette]

I have a 1997 Regal GS. Bought waaay back in 2010 and haven't really done anything to it in the 9 years I owned it. Added a Ebay 3" catless downpipe when the stocker went bad (cat converter). Car has ran a best of 14.1 at 97mph with the downpipe installed (and airbox removed) in good air (-500 DA).

 

Fast forward to the present day... have a young kid at work who has a mid 70s Dodge pickup truck with a smog era 440 motor dropped in and 3-speed auto trans. Car has minor boltons and has run a best of 14.0 at 98mph. We are very close in performance. However...

 

Sitting in my garage I have the following parts accumulated:

 

- ported and jet-hot coated stock manifolds

- modular pulley system with 3.8/3.6/3.4 sizes

- B&M trans cooler

- DHP 1.0 ECM (for '97)

- A/C delete pulley with necessary belts

 

What would you guys think I could turn assuming no knock with the following parts installed? I have access to either 100 octane unleaded, or could splash a few gallons of E85 into the tank mixing with 93 octane. All the regular maintenance has been done, and the Regal is at 100%.

 

Think this is enough to beat him?

 

[Fast86GN]

I would think so, with the tune, pulley and good fuel u should take him easy. Unless he has more than a smog 440. You have a big advantage weight wise. Put Dr's on the front if you can.

Edited by Fast86GN, 01 February 2019 - 01:01 AM.

[tpivette]

I would think so, with the tune, pulley and good fuel u should take him easy. Unless he has more than a smog 440. You have a big advantage weight wise. Put Dr's on the front if you can.

 

 

Won't have DRs, so it's street tires vs street tires.

 

I would hope so, and would think I should beat him... would love to put a cocky kid in his place and make him learn his "whip" isn't the fastest out there.

 

Wish the temps out here on the east coast will hold up so I can get some work done in my garage.

 

Will post the results when they occur...

[Fast86GN]

Show em the vid on here of my son's black GS, whooping the Impala SS tell em that is what he has to look forward to. LoL

[tpivette]

He told me today he wanted to run the cars at Cecil County Dragway on opening weekend (March 1st and 2nd), to which I agreed. 3 more weeks...

[Fast86GN]

Get em boy and take vid please

[tpivette]

Slight update... haven't had any time to work on the Buick as work has literally been throwing OT at us and I haven't been able to turn it down. However, this weekend there will be a lull, and I should get a little time to start working on the GS.

 

The kid with the Dodge truck went down to Cecil a few weeks ago, and on his first pass his hood latch failed and came open halfway through the run! He has a set of hood pins on order. Hopefully I will have some parts swapped on the Buick by the time he gets the pins and installs them.

Edited by tpivette, 05 May 2019 - 11:23 PM.

[fastnysix]

Is there anyone local tuner that can tune the car for you?  It's been said many times before but, proceed with caution when dropping pulley sizes.  I can't achieve zero knock on my stock pulley car, with 93 octane.  I would not recommend attempting an e85 blend.  You can throw in some 100 for added safety margin but any blend of e85 would require a retune.  

[Fast86GN]

Yep without a tune the E85 is not going to help you. Find some unleaded 100 or 104 to kill the knock.

 

I don't think I have ever had a stock SC3800 not have some detonation on 93 pump. My current DD I have changed to E85 and retuned just to be KR free. 

[tpivette]

It's been a couple months... haven't had a chance to do anything to the Buick as I've been saving all my extra cash towards a new house construction. Settlement is in Dec. However, the kid in the Dodge pickup ran his truck this past Friday night at Cecil County Dragway.

 

In +600ft DA he ran 13.70 at 97.x mph. I didn't get to see his slip so I don't know what the 60ft was. This is really getting me motivated to start wrenching on my Regal. I have all the fluids/filters/parts to go faster than that, I just haven't had the time or drive to pull it into the garage and get the ball rolling.

 

However, this has now changed a bit since he ran that time. I just have to do some minor maintenance on the wife's SHO and my daily driver Saab 9-3, then the work on the Buick will begin. I have 3 months until the track closes. Updates soon to follow...

 

EDIT: I drove the GS around the block a few times today. Car felt responsive and really good despite it sitting for the last 2 years. It absolutely sucks that I have to finish up a few things with the Saab 9-3 before I can start turning wrenches on the Buick. Priorities...

Edited by tpivette, 14 October 2019 - 01:17 AM.

[VerzGTP]

Cool starry bra

[tpivette]

Reviving this...

 

I just brought my GS back to life. Gonna try and do maintenance and throw in a few mods I've been squirreling away in the next few weeks to run the kid in the Dodge when Cecil County Dragway opens the first weekend in March. Going to be hard with all the OT my job has been throwing at me recently. Would love to see his face when his big block Mopar gets beat by a little V6.

 

He has done gears, added a posi, and fitted an MSD ignition to the pickup since the last time he ran it. Going to be a tough race to win...

[ejguillot]

You may want to look into more upgrades before taking him on.  The gears and posi would make a substantial difference in his launch.

[Fast86GN]

Better be on sticky tires for sure to have a chance

[tpivette]

Just found out he only went from 3.23s to 3.55s... not too much of a jump. He will also be on street tires.

 

Also, went through my parts accumulation in the garage recently and am updating my list with the following:

 

- ZZP 3" downpipes with race cat

- ported and jet-hot coated stock manifolds and crossover pipe

- Walker intermediate pipe and muffler (basically stock replacements)

- ZZP modular pulley system with 3.8/3.6/3.4 inch pullies

- fenderwell intake with K&N filter

- DHP 1.0 PCM

- B&M trans cooler

- Racetronix fuel pump with Hotwire kit

- 104 plugs

- A/C delete

 

All fluids and filters will be fresh, and the blower oil and couplers will be new. Car always sees Sunoco 93 octane. Can splash a few gallons of Sunoco 100 unleaded, as there is a pump right around the corner from the drag strip. Sticky tires are not an option, as the wife was kind of livid about me even putting this kind of work and money into the car (I had all the parts previously). I will be racing in negative DA at a well prepped track. Crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.

[Fast86GN]

At least drop air pressure to around 25 psi and only do a light burnout

[ejguillot]

Negative DA and well prepped track will not be a factor - you benefit, so does he. 

 

Tell your wile at least you haven't spent $$$$ on parts for a project car like me...

 

Spend a few $ on the 100 octane, the 3.4 pulley with all those mods may work.  After that, hope he doesn't drive well that day!

[tpivette]

Thats true... I was just listing the track conditions for those trying to guess MY performance with the mods that are on the car.

Work has been throwing so much OT at my group lately, that I havent had much time to work on or race the car. This weekend I hope to get the catted downpipe installed (to replace my non-catted one), and do some fluid and filter servicing. Had to miss opening weekend at Cecil County Dragway this Fri/Sat cause of work... but so did the kid in the Dodge. Maybe next weekend we will have some time to go down.

You think running a 50/50 mix of 93 and 100 octane (basically 97 octane) will be enough to run the 3.4 pulley for a few passes? Or should I just use straight 100?

[Fast86GN]

Why take any chances run the 100 unlead

[tpivette]

Well, COVID happened, and all the dragstrips shut down late winter/early spring of this year. So no one has any new times so far. However, the weather is improving now that it's Oct, and the racetracks are still open. I've been working on the Buick lately, and will be showing up at Cecil to do some baseline runs soon. I know for a fact that the Dodge owner has done nothing to the truck since he ran the 13.7 back in Nov of last year.

 

Let's see what my old 97' Buick can do...

Edited by tpivette, 03 October 2020 - 05:00 PM.