Not Mach 1 related but I thought I'd entertain my homies. I was standing beside the burnout box. Trust me, the video doesn't do it justice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34FWliq2e8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvM34UXt-jM

 

Well youre right it doesnt really pertain to Machs but its still pretty crazy cool. But it brings up a question I have. First, how many of you guys have automatics too? Second, whats the best way to run an automatic on the strip? Run it like a manual (like Im used to racing)? Turn off the overdrive or leave it on? etc.?

 

TURN OFF O/D I have a stick but I have read if you get a hand held programmer you can set the shift points. So all you would have to do is hold on to the steering wheel.

 

Holy Hell, I know that guy messed up his pants! That was sick to say the least.

Mike, I just sold my automatic Mach this past June. I ran it a few times. I pulled a 1.98 60' by just rolling into the throttle quickly, almost stabbing it. I didn't try to stall it with the brake or anything, just got off the brake with my left foot and hit the throttle with my right. I found that timing your foot movement was crucial. You don't want to be on the brake and gas at the same time with street radials. You'll spin that way when you release the brake most of the time. I had stock gears and Nitto street tires. My only mods on that car was a catted X and a drop in filter, everything else was stock. It ran a 13.3 at 106. Definitely turn the O/D OFF. You can burn up your transmission going into OD at full throttle, plus if it goes into OD on the track, it will devastate your ET.

 

Awesome!!! Thank you guys. You answered all of the questions I had asked and then some I would have gotten to in my next post. Im really wanting to hit the strip to see what my car can do in stock trim before I start in on the mods. Obviously I play on the streets attempting to get a good feel for what is best but being so used to a manual my first instinct is to think shifting is best. Guess not in an auto huh? Well the programmer sounds like an obvious choice and one I had wanted to go with when I first bought the car. BUT I dont want to waste the money if I have to do a dyno tune after simple mods (which is the impression Ive gotten from reading these forums). Or do engine programmers even touch the shift points? Maybe I should just figure out a 6-speed conversion..?.. *dreaming* Thanks again guys!

 

Honestly if i have the chance to get a mach for the strip it will be an auto. don't buy into the cast crank myth...it will hold a 6500-6800 rpm shift and wont hurt. stya with the auto...

 

+1, the automatics Mach engines can spin 6800-7k RPM just fine. Its the transmission that doesn't care for it too much. It gets hot after a few passes at the stock 5800 rpm, so 6800 rpm shifts would be tough on it. Mine spun or chirped second gear under WOT at the stock 5800, so anymore than that on street tires may start to hurt your ET. Definitely don't up the shift pressure imo. They shift very hard stock. Imo, if you accidentely went into OD at 6800 rpm, or at say 25% firmer shifts, or both, that could be catastrophic if it happened a few times. Bumping the RPM limit up will help bring up the trap speed, but I'm not sure if its worth some of the negative effects. If you get a better trans cooler, good tires, and make sure you never go into OD under WOT, then it it should be fairly safe to bump up the rev limit/shift points as long as you don't make more than 3 passes or so before letting the trans cool back down.

 

a cooler should help that...heat is the killer of car parts, so minimize the heat and your safe...if worse comes to worse build it cheap.

 

Leave it in OD and enjoy the ride you lucky duck. Every comparo I've ever read in my entire life comparing the 2 methods resulted in letting the car shift itself being faster. 2nd/3rd shift isn't till about 2/3 (no pun intended, lol) of the way down the track so you'll be letting off the gas well before OD. That's actually the case even with 4.10 gears. Coasting in OD in the shutdown area is so much less wear on the engine and so much easier on the drivetrain. As previously stated, the cast crank is no problem at higher rpms, but I would leave the shift points alone and step them up in small incraments only after you are very familiar with the car's characteristics on the track.

I see you're fairly new on here. Welcome from MD and sweet Mach!

 

I was cutting 2.0/2.1 60" times in my auto GT on street tires by doing pretty much what Stone said. Just hold it at the line with your brake and time the hell out of your launch. Otherwise you'll just spin--and I'm sure even worse with the extra power in the Machs.