I took my 2003 GT (Automatic) to the track again a few weeks ago. It was just their midnight mayhem so the track prep wasn't anything to write home about.

Mods:
75mm Accufab TB and Plenum
4.10 gears
O/R BBK mid pipe
SLP LM1 catback
Bama tune
v6 16" rims all around, with 255/50 MT ET Street Radials on the rear @ about 19-20 psi

Density Altitude: 3600 feet
Relative Density 89.9%

I had 8 runs for the night but these are my best 3 for the night(best to worst)

60' - 2.195
330' - 6.138
1/8 - 9.35 MPH - 76.52
1000' - 12.132
1/4 - 14.494 MPH - 95.44

60' - 2.256
330' - 6.188
1/8 - 9.394 MPH - 76.6
1000' - 12.171
1/4 - 14.527 MPH - 95.74

60' - 2.175
330' - 6.146
1/8 - 9.389 MPH - 75.8
1000' - 12.197
1/4 - 14.579 MPH - 94.69

The best run the car has ever seen is a 14.368 @ 95.54 (2.12 60') using an old, bald set of Nitto 555Rs a friend let me use for a few passes.

This was my first time using the new MT tires. I tried launching the car both by flashing the converter and by power breaking it. When I would power break, the rear tires would start to spin at just about 2k RPM. Maybe I wasn't putting enough heat into them to make them really sticky?

When I would flash the converter it would spin for a little bit off the line but hook pretty quickly there after and pulled nice and hard. Usually my 1-2 shift will spin my street tires, but it just planted the MTs.

Any suggestions on ways to improve or cheapish mods that might get me to my goal of 13.9?

I say cheapish mods because my goal for the car is to put a Vortech with a FMIC on it running 9-11 lbs, but if possible i'd like to hit 13.9 NA, even if its a 13.9999. So the cheap part only applies if it doesn't fit in with the Vortech build, like UDPs. When I do the Vortech i'm also going to get a new converter for it(somewhere around 3400-3600 stall), how much would getting the converter now help me? or would it hurt me?

 

That sixty is puzzling considering your on drag radials. I'd say heat them up more. And stall the car right up to the point where the wheels want to spin or start pulling you forward. Advance your timing as much as you can. Try around 14 degrees. You'll know when to stop advancing because the car will start to ping. Rip out as much weight as you can. (Jack, spare, seats, etc) Your about 3/10ths off your goal. This might be enough to get you there.

 

I would recommend lowering the PSI in your radials a bit. You should be able to cut much faster 60fts with a set of radials. Try 17 PSI and see if that helps, it you're still spinning lower it down a couple more PSI!

Don't launch to hard, try like 2k or 2,500 and see how that works. Overall those aren't bad times, get that 60ft time down and you'll definitely be pretty close to your goal!

-Dan

 

How much do you think getting a shift kit and like a 3600 stall converter would effect my times? Is that too much stall for the power my car is making?

Or would I be better off getting some aftermarket adjustable suspension?

 

Pump up your front tires, air down some in the rear. Just don't go super low I find my radials cause me to bog off the line if I air down too far

 

bump any more opinions?

How much would a new converter contribute? Is getting say a 3600 stall on a mostly stock engine alright?

 

Get that 60ft down to a 1.9 or better and some good air and the car will be in the mid 13s EASY. A stall will definitely help cut ET when you have traction but it doesn't look like a stall will make things better for you at this point. How much are you heating the tires?

If this helps any..when I was bone stock I ran close to 500 passes in different conditions...
@ 3200 DA I ran 13.4 @ 104mph 2.16 60ft (most of the day hitting 13.5-13.6 @ 103-104)
@ 127 DA I ran 13.1 @ 108mph 2.19 60ft (running 13.1 - 13.2 @ 107-108)

Just the DA alone is going to slow you down a lot... What's the elevation where you are? I might be giving you too much hope if you are already at 3000ft. lol

 

I was heating them just until you could see they were starting to haze. Should I be getting them hot enough for smoke to be pouring off?

I go to LVMS, so track elevation is about 1961 ft

So you don't think a 3600 stall is too much for a stock engine? Would I need to get anything tuned if I got a higher stall?

 

less rear tire pressure

burnout at 55-60 MPH for 4-5 seconds at that MPH

Yes a converter will help a lot

 

I had ET Street Radials on my 99 and they needed heat. If you're spinning on launch that's definitely the culprit.

id imagine a stall and shift kit (and a new elevation) will get you knocking on the door to 12's...albeit the back door...