sactown

I go out to the track a lot, unless you want to run some monster size tires, trust me you need to slip the clutch some off the line, I know it sucks, but unless you can find the sweet spot, you have no other choice, fanning the gas pedal, in my experence won't help much because as soon as you mash it the tires will spin. With DR's I slip the clutch some and I don't spin too much on the line and not at all in 2nd.

exx1976

You know, I had a REALLY scathing retort all typed in here, custom meant JUST for you, but I decided at the last moment to redact it. You're a n00b, so I'll cut you some slack. Pay attention. My car IS NOT TRACK LEGAL. It never WILL be track legal. Why? Anything better than 13.49 in the 1/4 and you need a cage. I'm not going to do that to my beautiful show car, I think it would detract from the look. This inability to be track-legal is what has caused me to have very little seat-time racing. But just for your peace of mind, don't worry. Unless a tractor or a combine pulled out from the corn-fields we were racing between, there wasn't going to be a problem. (For the record, tractors and combines are both taller than corn, so we would've seen them).


Now, on to the useful information..

Street tires, I mentioned that in my original post. 285/30/20 555's. I plan to go to a 305/35/20 555R when I wax these 555's. That tire is like 28.58" tall.. I might need to step up to 3.73's then, though, since the factory height is 27.24".. It's going to reduce my gear ratio to a 3.38 (I have 3.55's now). Moving to 3.73's would give me an effective ratio of 3.55 again (3.555, actually, but who's counting). I suppose it doesn't help that my current tire is only 26.93", so that makes my gears a little shorter..

The problem with finding different rims, at least for the front, is that I am HELLBENT on getting the 15" 6-piston Saleen setup. It looks BADASS! That, and I just really, REALLY need brakes..

So.. I'm thinking I want the Steeda Watts Link (I still like my twisties), and.. What for LCAs/UCA? Anyone have any recommendations? I'm still ALL stock on suspension.. I also need a one-piece driveshaft still, if anyone has any recommendations there..

moosestang

You don't have aftermarket control arms? i'd get those first before changing the tires. If you try to run drag radials everday on the street, you'll eventually regret it. They just don't displace water like a normal street tire.

The control arms will plant the tires into the ground. They will still spin, but it's a different kind of spin

Riptide

What amazes me is that with just 300HP the stock GT still has problems getting traction in first. My car is basically stock except for the intake/tune and last night my rear end broke loose on me in first and I was already rolling when I stomped on it. Wow. These cars really need tires, the stock street tires just don't cut it.

dirtydeedsinc

LCAs are going to depend on how serious you plan on racing and how much noise you can live with. Also do you plan to lower the car? If you're going to lower it, get adjustable ones. If not, spherical ends are better but have more noise. Poly are better than stock. You can also get a combo of poly on one end and rods on the other. UCA is going to be pretty much the same. If you're lowered or plan to be, get the relo brackets also.

M&H has been making drag tires for quite a while. That's what I plan on getting when I get 2 more rims, just for the track. If you don't get in the rain, DR will work but remember they will wear out faster.

I haven't got one yet but I haven't heard a bad thing about a Spydershaft. Actually I've tried to buy 3 used ones and each time it fell through. Get a DS loop while you're at it too.

I was also curious what track you were going to where 13.49 or quicker required a cage? I may be wrong (it happens rarely) but you'd have to be quicker than that to require a cage. I thought a cage on a vert wasn't required until 12.99? I didn't pay attention to that though as I have a hard top. I know some tracks that aren't NHRA so they don't really look at those rules.

exx1976

Moose - with all due respect, and trust me, I feel for what happened to you, I haven't even had the top up on the car since I brought it home from the body shop. It REALLY does NOT see any rain. I am aware of the perils, there are others on here that had the same unfortunate set of circumstances befall them that you had. And yes, no aftermarket LCAs yet, hence my questions..

Dirtydeedsinc - As I said, I don't plan on SERIOUSLY racing, since I can't pass tech, I just want better traction for those occassional street encounters. The only 1/4 mile track around here is http://www.nyirp.com/and they follow NHRA rules. 13.49 for a vert and 11.49 for a coupe. Either way, I would certainly expect to be in the 12's with the #'s I make, so even at your #'s I wouldn't pass. Also, if you have a non-OEM blower on the car, you require a fire jacket. Also, they have decided that motorcycle helmets no longer meet spec, so you need a full-on race helmet if you're under... 15 I think? Might be 14. Either way, I'm WELL under that, I'm sure. M&H are what Moose had with the rain incident, so be careful with those.

Spydershaft uses an adapter, right? I was hoping for a DS that comes with a new pinion plange so an adapter isn't required. Yes, I definitely plan a driveshaft loop.

ski

Totally agree that the S197's stock tires do not providemuchtraction. However, there may be something else that's making your traction problem even worse in your neck of the woods during this time of the year.....low ambient temperatures in the 40's(and possibly dippinginto the 30's).
Temps that lowcause the tires and the road surface to cool, both of which greatly reduces traction.
It also causes theair's density to increase, whichallows the engine's ECM to increase the amount of fuel that's injected into the engine per unit time, and thus increases the engine's torque output.
Finally, itdecreases the engine's tendency todetonate, which allows theECM to add more timing, and further increases the engine's torque output.
It happens every year with mine as soon as the tempssink down into the 40's. Butthe tractionimprovesas soon asthe temps go back up into the 60's and higher.

zkiller

Funny you say that because when I show my car I get more compliments on my custom rollbar than on anything I have done to my car. I have had dozens of people ask about it at shows and several thought it was a factory installed rollbar.

Most importantly, a rollbar will save your life - alightbar will probably contribute to your injuries.
Iwas in a roll-over ina 1966 GTO at 120 MPH in 1980. I have 4 titanium rods,16 titanium screws and two titanium cages in my spine along with several years of painful spinal surgeries just to be able to walk again. So I knowI will put a rollbar or cage in any car I race at the track.

Also the Spydershaft does not come with an adapter. It comes with a new pinion flange. I prefer the adapter so I went with aPowerhouse driveshaft.

exx1976

Z - youre rollbar DOES look good, I'm in no way trying to take anything away from anyone that has a caged 'vert. You sent me a lot of pics of different angles of it a while back when I was considering doing that. And yes, I know that a "lightbar" won't do anything in event of a rollover, they are cosmetic items only.

The issue I have with caging the car is how to put a cage in and still maintain the speedster covers I have. If there's someone out there creative enough to be able to accomplish that, then Iwould consider caging the car. It's just thatthe caris more for show than for track duty (especially due to my tech issue), so I don't want to do anything to detract from that show-quality look I've created. The speedster cover is a big part of that. Especially the > $1000 I have in just that one part, including paint and install and everything else.

06VistaBlueGT

With your power, suspension mods are a must. At the very least, LCA's (poly/spherical if you're not going to track race it). A UCA is a good idea too. I'd probably get relo brackets as well. I run M&H's at the track and they are a very good tire butI would stay away from them on the street. I know you're not going to drive it in the rain but those tires are just plain sticky. They are like the pet hair brush of the road. They will pick up anything they come in contact with, especially after a quick burnout then they will release everything they picked up as they cool, I cringe every time I hear I a rock hit the back of the car. I've never run them but i understand that the Nitto DR's are a much better tire for road use than the M&H's or Mickey's.

Hope this helps.