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I raced my basically stock L76 powered 63 swc last spring for the first time. 225 70 radials 370 rear and 2.64 low t-10.
ran 13.90s at 105 mph but the launch was horrible with a 2.2 60 ft.My good runs all involved a bog and then brutal wheelhop as the 327 neared second gear.
I got hooked and hopped up the 327 this fall to over 450 hp at the flywheel.
weighed in at 3094lbs loaded with me in it after aluminum heads.
I added 90/10 shocks on the front and Qa 1 rears with the stiff rear spring and level axle shafts at ride height.
I've been playing on the street and as I adjust the rear shocks to get rid of hop the overall traction is suffering horribly. the hop went away a little under the mid setting on the shocks but the car is a nightmare all the way through first. I adjusted the shocks one click at a time and the spinning got worse along with each click.
I assume keeping the irs alive will be a compromise so I'm considering unhooking the front sway bar and adding ballast to the rear.
Thanks for any thoughts
Mike Bruns
Welcome to the Corvette Forum, Mike. You were turning a very decent time even before the mods you've made. What times are you getting now? Are you still running the 225-70's? What air pressure?
Post up some pics of your 63. Before I relocated to Prescott AZ, I used to live 40 minutes from Sears Point, now officially called Sonoma Raceway in California. Even though my times didn't set any records, it sure was a blast to take the 66 Coupe out there and run it.
Mike T - Prescott AZ
Well...you went the right way on suspension mods....but the added HP is going to make it really tough on those little tires. Getting rid of wheelhop is crucial to not hurting stuff...so make that a priority.
You're down to clutch management...meaning RPM, foot work..or a different clutch.
What RPM are you launching at? You'll need to "walk" it out with those tires.
It may take some "squat" dialed back in to keep them planted and use the shocks to control it.
Or a set of stickier drag radials would make all the difference in the world.
I know this is not what you were asking, and I normally try to refrain from giving unsolicited advice on Internet forums but here goes: if you plan on doing more than the occasional trip to the race track, and plan on bracket racing regularly do yourself a favor and buy a dedicated bracket car. I love Corvettes and I love racing, but trust me when I tell you if you make any kind of serious power and actually get it to hook you will break stuff and these cars are expensive to fix and it's a shame to butcher them. Pick up some Camaro, Malibu or S10 pick up and make that your race car. It will probably be much cheaper and less headaches in the long run.
Yeah but it sure is cool to have stuff no one else does and actually race it! JIM
I definitely understand that, but if the OP is genuinely bitten by the drag race bug, he WILL get to a point where he will understand what I'm saying!
As a matter of fact, when I sold my 10-second Camaro to buy my first dragster, the guy who bought it also had a C3 and he remarked that the money he was paying for my car wasn't much more than the amount it cost to fix his Vettes rear and trans since he started racing it!
My racecar is a 3000hp promod c5 so I'm familiar with going off the deep end.
The 63 has been in my family a long time and provided almost zero enjoyment until my 8 yr old urged me to race it.
I've been away from grass roots racing for so long it's really been a fun reality check. The looks on people's faces are as fun as making a pass.
I've caught more crap from racing friends than the vette die hards.
With a promod and three kids I don't have much time to race or repair the 63. Broken stuff is no fun so I'm trying to be smart with the weak tire and a finesse attitude on the tuneup. Lol.
Well...you went the right way on suspension mods....but the added HP is going to make it really tough on those little tires. Getting rid of wheelhop is crucial to not hurting stuff...so make that a priority.
You're down to clutch management...meaning RPM, foot work..or a different clutch.
What RPM are you launching at? You'll need to "walk" it out with those tires.
It may take some "squat" dialed back in to keep them planted and use the shocks to control it.
Or a set of stickier drag radials would make all the difference in the world.
JIM
Jim I'm launching at 2500 rpm. I have a hillbilly slipper clutch I'm experimenting with...Google it...it shows promise but the car is not planting the tire initially like it should. With stock shocks I walked it out and it took full power in first and ripped right until a 7000 rpm power shift when it shook hard. With the stiff shock valving I think I'm going to have to get aggressive to make it initially stick the tire.
The slipper eliminates the bog so even if it's slow at least the rear will live.
Yeah...I've seen the "hillbilly" slipper. From what I've seen it can work. You "might" have to lighten the rear spring and use the shocks to control it some. How stout is the rear spring? With slicks I don't think you can get it heavy enough...but 15 year old Douglas's....hmmmnn..might be tough.
You might look into the McCreary/American Racer roundy rounder tires. First...they are a good looking "square shoulder" bias ply tire with a 000 tread wear rating. I ran them on my old 10 sec Camaro and my 12 sec 5.0 Mustang way back when and they did great. Last a long time on the street..the Mustang was my commuter (80 miles per day) and even drove from TX to NY on them with no issues. They are cheap, look right and hook pretty decent without breaking stuff.I just saw them at the PRI show they are still available in quite a few sizes.
You might want to reach out to Ron Higgins, here on the Forum.
Ron is from Brick NJ and has a 66 coupe that he's been drag racing in the Englishtown Corvette Challenge Series for years. His car is very strong, and yet is still using the stock IRS.
He uses is own name on the Forum, so a member search for Ron Higgins should turn up his contact information. He doesn't post to often in the C2 Section, but he's been a regular in the Forum Drag Racing section.
Yeah...I've seen the "hillbilly" slipper. From what I've seen it can work. You "might" have to lighten the rear spring and use the shocks to control it some. How stout is the rear spring? With slicks I don't think you can get it heavy enough...but 15 year old Douglas's....hmmmnn..might be tough.
You might look into the McCreary/American Racer roundy rounder tires. First...they are a good looking "square shoulder" bias ply tire with a 000 tread wear rating. I ran them on my old 10 sec Camaro and my 12 sec 5.0 Mustang way back when and they did great. Last a long time on the street..the Mustang was my commuter (80 miles per day) and even drove from TX to NY on them with no issues. They are cheap, look right and hook pretty decent without breaking stuff.I just saw them at the PRI show they are still available in quite a few sizes.
JIM
I have the 7 leaf spring not sure on the rate. I only have one inch until the Rear shocks bottom out and the shafts will be climbing uphill if it squats which scares me.
I just got a later camber bar bracket to correct the contact patch.
Had to lol on those mcrearys. First non radial I ever ran. I'll keep it in mind. The Mickey drag radials are close to promod money for 25% of the rubber!
Maybe I wasn't clear when I used the term "racing". The stock appearing stuff like Donny Brass does is probably the only legit racing where a stockish mid year car makes sense.
I'm all about producing a time slip, not bracket racing.
I'm a mechanic for a living and the mechanical challenge has always been what interests me.Call it a chip on my shoulder but when people say it can't be done I get more interested.
All my racing friends laughed when I started tearing into the the 327 last fall but it will wipe the smile off their faces now.
The chassis is the same scenario. Nobody thinks the irs will work because they were unreliable back in the old days with dump truck clutches and caveman tune ups.
Yes there are limitations but not near as many as a front wheel drive import that will dominate 90% of the c2 vettes on the road.
These cars were built to perform not sit under car covers.
My 63 got a 43 year vacation from the drag strip and it will get another one when it produces a 12 second time slip.
Having a dedicated race car is fun, I run mine all the time, but I still enjoy taking the other cars to the track on fun days and seeing what they will do. I haven't had my 66 to the track in years. Maybe it's time.
Maybe I wasn't clear when I used the term "racing". The stock appearing stuff like Donny Brass does is probably the only legit racing where a stockish mid year car makes sense.
I'm all about producing a time slip, not bracket racing.
I'm a mechanic for a living and the mechanical challenge has always been what interests me.Call it a chip on my shoulder but when people say it can't be done I get more interested.
All my racing friends laughed when I started tearing into the the 327 last fall but it will wipe the smile off their faces now.
The chassis is the same scenario. Nobody thinks the irs will work because they were unreliable back in the old days with dump truck clutches and caveman tune ups.
Yes there are limitations but not near as many as a front wheel drive import that will dominate 90% of the c2 vettes on the road.
These cars were built to perform not sit under car covers.
My 63 got a 43 year vacation from the drag strip and it will get another one when it produces a 12 second time slip.
Mine makes 414 RWHP and lots of torque, has a 5 speed, gets great gas mileage, is easy and FUN to drive, has a theoretical top speed over 200 MPH (I've only had the intestinal fortitude to take it to 150, and it got there FAST).
At the track, my poor shifting skills combined with failure to hook with 215/70R-15 street tires limits performance severely, yet my best time so far is 12.73 and fastest trap speed is 113.54.
On the highway, it's FUN to blow off Z06 C5's and stay up with Z06 C6s.
Last edited by 65tripleblack; 12-24-2015 at 09:55 AM.
12-20-2015, 12:20 PM
Drag racing c2
, and it got there FAST).