how to start out with new car

[olds48]

Okay,most of ya'll know that I just finished the backhalf on my car.Ya'll also know that my car is not real fast,high 6's in the 1/8.But to be honest,I am a little concerned about just taking a car that I have basically never driven and blasting down the track.Any suggestions on what to do when I first go back?Anything I need to check before I go,or keep an eye on when I do go?Any help appreciated.I have been known to overlook the most simplest of things before.Thanks Eric

[rabiddawg]

I think a few test runs are in order
part throttle -mid throttle etc.

[slowmotion]

I agree with rabiddawg. Just go easy a few passes. Give everything a check over when you get back to the pits. Look for things that may have came loose or moved.
I'm in the same boat you are. I'm going from a 14 sec street car to a 9 sec (hopefully) altered.

[itsabird]

just drive down the track the first pass, then check to make sure everything stayed togeather, make a few launch,s. repeat the second part, then drop the mall on,er :D

[lilrebal]

my Car is a 1971 ford pinto its DIRT CAR WE BOUGHT OFF OF DINK 21 WE WOULD LIKE TO SALE IT OR TRADE IT
ITS A ROLLER

[insane4fbodys]

I know! Call Mythbusters to come and set it up for remote control useage. Then they can try it at full throttle for you on the first pass, :lol: . J/K If it can driven on the street any, drive it around the block, or as far as you can legally, if it's not to far at first. Bring it back and check everything as everyone has said for loose bolts, broken welds, binding, scraping and so forth. If everything is good you might try a decent burnout and launch, check again. My first time with a tubbed car, even though I knew it was well tested, scared the crap out of me. Theres a lot of new noises, such as the small amount of slack in the heim ends, centering bar and so forth. You could make a turn in it and hear the backend move to the new position. Even though nothing was that loud, I could hear all the new noises and it unnerved me. Now then I still hear a few noises from my current ride, but know it's normal and can concentrate on motor noises. I can't hear my wife ask for me to get her a pop, but can hear a rocker arm thats out of clearance by a few thousanths at 3000 RPM, LOL Good Luck and have fun with it.

[olds48]

I can't hear my wife ask for me to get her a pop, but can hear a rocker arm thats out of clearance by a few thousanths at 3000 RPM, LOL Good Luck and have fun with it.

Ain't that the truth!!Funny how that works :lol: Thanks guys.Little bit nervous and I don't know why.Confident in my work,just seems like I got the jitters.Maybe I'm not nervous atall.Maybe I'm just excited :D :D

[Tod74]

First run I made in my car I just let her have it and then hoped for the best...pretty stupid considering it has "MANUAL DRUM BRAKES FRONT AND REAR"...I remember thinking near the finish line "Oh shit...I hope the brakes work.. " :shock:

[olds48]

Hey bubba,manual drums front and back here,too.MAN BRAKES if you ask me!!!

[ImBack]

Double check your heim bolts and lug nuts then let er eat LOL

[Tod74]

Hey bubba,manual drums front and back here,too.MAN BRAKES if you ask me!!!

Yeah mine stop good...but I had N E V E R driven my car anywhere except on and off trailer and to the staging lanes...what was I thinking? good thing they worked. :lol:

[dcarr511]

I say go for it .. full pass from the start ... as long as you trust your work.

When I backhalved my car the 1st pass was in the 6.80's @ 102.xx, got it down to 6.69 @ 103.xx best. Same thing when I swapped out the 357 SBC for a 511 BBC and also changed over to R & P steering at the same time ... balls out on the first pass

Neighbors Dragsters we built from scratch, 1st one ever for either of us and it went 5.14 on its very first pass w/ a 496 and it went as fast as 7.40's 1/4. It also won 2500 $ on its first night out

2nd car we built went in the 7.10's on motor only on the first pass and best a pass of 6.68 @ 202.xx on 2 systems and won Best Engineered car at a Milan Mich. IHRA Divisional race. And got the R/U position at an IHRA Nat Event in Grand Bend.

Do you trust your work or not ?

Have you previously gone as fast as you expect the car to run ?

[Tod74]

I say go for it .. full pass from the start ... as long as you trust your work.

When I backhalved my car the 1st pass was in the 6.80's @ 102.xx, got it down to 6.69 @ 103.xx best. Same thing when I swapped out the 357 SBC for a 511 BBC and also changed over to R & P steering at the same time ... balls out on the first pass

Neighbors Dragsters we built from scratch, 1st one ever for either of us and it went 5.14 on its very first pass w/ a 496 and it went as fast as 7.40's 1/4. It also won 2500 $ on its first night out

2nd car we built went in the 7.10's on motor only on the first pass and best a pass of 6.68 @ 202.xx on 2 systems and won Best Engineered car at a Milan Mich. IHRA Divisional race. And got the R/U position at an IHRA Nat Event in Grand Bend.

Do you trust your work or not ?

Have you previously gone as fast as you expect the car to run ?

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff253/Tod74/index.jpg

[olds48]

Hey Dcarr.I trust my work as far as welding and strength.My concern was the car not going straight.Never fooled with ladder bars before.I actually expect the car to slow down.Got such a big tire under it now.33 x 16 compared to the 28 x 9 I used to run.Don't know how bad that's gonna hurt me.People used to look at me funny when I was running 6.90s at 99 mph.Bone stock 1948 suspensoin,original bushings.Kingpins are good but 1/4 turn of slack in steering wheel makes for the occasoinal "pucker".and running the ORIGINAL single pot master cylinder.Finally blew the rear seal on the m/c and upgraded to a wilwood.Haven't had a good pedal since.It's fun the fly with junk :lol: