I saw someone recently say that they went to the track today, if anyone cares [I think it was BkBroiler], so I'll say the same thing, except I didn't go as fast as him.

1974 LS4, stock except for Hooker side pipes, MSD distributor/6al and TTII wheels. Stock cast iron intake and Q jet, M20 trans and 3.55 rear.

I made three passes at Island Dragway in NJ:

#1 13.447 @ 104.37
#2 13.543 @ 103.96 [bounced off rev limiter in 3rd]
#3 13.499@ 104.74






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70XE...ature=youtu.be

Needless to say, I am utterly shocked at the numbers that this car turned in, and I know someone is going to say that the motor can't be stock. As I have only owned the car since 2010, and have never even popped off a valve cover, I can't verify that the cam is the original, but based on the overall neglected appearance of the engine bay with exhaust manifolds when I bought it, I can't imagine that this motor is anything but stock.

Oh yeah, and the video is a great angle because thats what happens when you wedge a camera, an EZ pass, and Eric Clapton's Greatest Hits, between the seat and the roof, and hold it with duct tape.

 

Those are great times! I wish I had a track nearby, I'd love to see what a relatively stock L68 motor could pull with decent tires!

 

Tough to say.

I'm curious at what RPM you are shifting.

It may be apples and oranges, but I attempted to do a "side by side" comparison between your video and my video of my car doing a 100 MPH pull and it seems as though you're going through the gears quicker than me even though I'm running a 3.70 gear. I'm running my car out to 5,800 RPM.

It is interesting because I just completed what I would term a monster build. Small block, that is. I'm putting out somewhere in the 425 range, I would figure. I still have some tuning to do. But it is interesting to see the comparison between the two cars if your car is only putting out the factory-stated 275 hp.

I guess I'd be pretty darn surprised if that was a stock engine. It sounds good and it sure as hell runs good.

Congrats. I'm still quite a ways off from getting my car on a track.

 

Thanks guys.

Keith, as this is the first time Ive ever peddled a 4 speed down the track, it was tough to keep an eye on everything going on. I know on the last pass observed 4500 rpms crossing the stripe. In general I was shifting 4500-4800 or so. My rev limiter was a 5400 chip, and yeah I hit it on one run.

When Im shifting, the motor is pretty much falling off on power.

 

I appreciate you sharing. That speaks volumes about both your car and mine.

For yours, if it stops breathing at 5,000, then I guess that would be an argument for a somewhat stock arrangement. If it is stock-ish, that would speak volumes for how incredibly under-rated the engines of the day were.

For mine, she's still pulling like a freight train at 5,800. The power hasn't trailed off AT ALL. I shift simply because I don't really have an overwhelming reason to push it any harder. It's fast enough.

So if I'm pulling that much deeper, it makes sense that you're shifting shorter. It takes a long time to burn off another 1,000 RPM in each gear.

Honestly, I'm using information like this to see where I would stand in the 1/4 mile. I WILL take mine to the track someday. Based on little comparisons like this, I'm somewhat confident I won't completely embarass myself!

Awesome sounding car. Good show.

 

Keith, again thanks!
Always a pleasure to share and kick ideas around. One can't help but to wonder how their car stacks up against other cars. The first thing we all probably look at are the stock 1/4 mile findings from magazines from back in the day. Then after that its our peers. Then after that, sometimes you just gotta find out for sure. Word of advice...go in early spring or late fall, and shallow stage [barely set off the bottom bulb on the tree].


Hopefully within the next day or so, I'll have the outside view videos to show.

 

Hello to you . New to site and just read your times . I took my 75 to the track for first time about 4 weeks ago . I have rebuilt 350 not sure on HP still have stock 3.08 gears . First pass was a 14.17 next 14.24 and 14.26 all in the 97 mph range . I am now thinking if I go to the 3.55 gears I should improve times .

 

I would expect a pretty good gain from a gear swap like that. Should put you right in the 13's.

 

Car seems to run great and sounds great too!

Not a drag racing guru by any means, but I guess I am not surprised by your times for a few reasons:

Feature Base Engine RPO ZQ3 RPO LS4 RPO L82
Type V-8, Overhead valve
Block Cast Iron
Displacement 350 cid 454 cid 350 cid
Bore & Stroke 4.00 x 3.48" 4.251 x 4.00" 4.00 x 3.48"
Compression Ratio 9.0:1 8.25:1 9.0:1
Brake Horsepower 195 @ 4400 270 @ 4400 250 @ 5200
Torque 275 lb-ft @ 2800 380 lb-ft @ 2800 285 lb-ft @ 4000
Main Bearing

1. That engine has pretty good torque (380 ftlbs @2,800 RPM) and you smartly were utilizing the relatively low revving nature of the motor, shifting @ 4,500-4,800 RPM.

2. I know everyone says that side pipes are restrictive but I would think that you are getting some boost over the stock exhaust with restrictive mufflers

3. Everyone compares the 72+ years NET motor ratings to the the 71 and older Gross motor ratings and they are NOT the same. Converting your Net rating to Gross rating gives you somewhere in the vicinity of 320-325 Gross HP and 450 Gross torque @ a very low RPM-that is a lot of torque.

Great job!

 

Great times and you were very consistent! For your reaction time, I couldn't quite read the slip, but it was .0xx something, which is really, really good. Enjoyed the video too. Wanted to go to the strip last weekend too, but I'm redoing the engine build in n y '74.

 

Island Dragway has got to be a long drive from Bellmore NY - that's Long Island, right? I was there (Island Dragway) last Sunday.
Very respectable numbers, particularly for the first time to the track with that car, congratulations.
At 104+ mph you could get close or into the 12s with a better launch, but that might require some drag radials.
Anyway, nice going. Watch out, it becomes addictive.

 

Great to see you out playing with it. That thing is running strong!

It's certainly possible. Way back when, a buddy had a '71 454 C-3 low compression stocker. With a 4 speed and 3.08's...and the only changes being an LS-6 cam, Tarantula intake and 850 Holley...it ran 12.60-12.80's through stock iron manifolds and 60 series bias plys.

JIM

 

I am shocked too! I needed headers and Lars-carb tuning to get my 68 (L36 390 hp 427) to a best et of around 13.6 at 105 or 106 mph. First few times at the dragstrip for me were 14.xx at 101 mph. Sumthin on that 74 is not quite showroom stock 74 bigblock, but it looks like a lot of fun. Nice video, and good driving. I am much slower between the gears. Did you get a chance to weigh your car?

 

That's really strong! Best I got out of my '71 LS-5 when it was stock (M20, 3.08) was a 14.0 @101.

 

thanks for sharing, strong running car

 

Damn good numbers for a stock smog era 454...with a stick tranny no less.. Definitely something to be proud of if it really is stock... You go probably go 12.90s with that 104 mph trap if you could really launch it and get the 60' in the 1.6s. (And not sling rear end parts everywhere).

 

Thank you to everyone that replied. Yes, Island Dragway is a drive, and I drove it, i.e. no trailer etc. Its been 10 years since Ive gone racing, and although Im familiar with that addiction, I was happy enough to make it there and run the first pass, let alone two more, and make it back home!

I took one look at the mph and thought the same thing...a tire and launch would put this car in the 12's. Im fine with it right where it is!

Also, do believe that the motor is actually stock. When I bought it, it appeared very neglected under the hood, and aside from a pertronix ignition and disconnected smog goodies that were left in place [egr, tcs switch etc], there is nothing about this car that gives me the impression that someone had taken any effort to try to make some power, let alone maintain its appearance under the hood.

What I do think is obvious is this... the stock ignition timing and curve, in addition to restrictive exhaust are the real stumbling blocks on these cars. Although hooker side pipes my not be optimum power makers when compared to tuned headers, they must breathe way better than a stock manifold and stock exhaust.

I was going to do a cam swap this winter, but now I think Im just going to make under the hood a little more pretty and leave well enough alone. Maybe swap a manifold to ditch the erg.

Again, thanks guys. Lots of this boards Heavy Hitters came out to comment, and it means a lot to me!

 

Very nice-great times. That .006 light ain't too shabby either buddy. You SURE you haven't been sneaking in seat time without telling us??

 

I enjoyed watching the video.Big blocks seem like they are loafing where small blocks seem angry.Dialing in the ignition curve and a better intake are good ideas as well as headers(probably do more good than anything else on a BB).Once you start where do you stop?LOL

 

Its hard to see in the pic, but its actually .036 [.536], second run was .050 [.550], and third run was .094 [.594]. I really think the last time I raced any car may have been as long ago as 2002 or 2003.

This car isn't the fastest Ive ever owned or raced, but I sure am happy with it now.

96 LT1, it has an MSD distributor with the red bushing and light springs. 38 total, all in by probably about 2500. Without changing any other parts, this is as fast as the car will go on radials.