We get a lot of questions on what these cars should run, if my time was good, how to launch or get the best times, yada yada yada, so i figured I'de make a beginners guide to running the best possible time in stock or basic-mod Cobras. Your first drag-strip experience should be exciting and enjoyable, and not a let-down. You'll feel a lot better going home with a glovebox full of 13 second slips than 14 or 15 second slips, that's for sure. Everything I list is either free or extremely cheap. Use these tips and hit the gears, and you WILL run 13's stock(ish) if the car is in good running shape. Guys with 94-95 Cobras, you can also expect better times than you would normally get, but maybe not 13's, and certain specifics will be different. I'm not a pro at all, just a weekend warrior, but I've figured out how to make these cars run good stock(ish)on street-tires. Much of this does not apply to more heavily modded Cobras or cars on drag-radials/slicks, but some is general. Read on, take notes.
"Getting the motor in peak running-condition"
Before you make the drive up to the strip, you should always have the car in good running shape. This means no misfires, smoke, etc.
1.) Check your sparkplugs. It only takes a few minutes and is very worth it. Got platinum plugs? Toss them in the trash and buy some cheap copper Autolites or NGK plugs and gap them at .056 (stockish motors).
If the existing plugs are black, deteriorated, or in just general bad shape, get the above mentioned plugs. All 8 will cost you $15-$20 and the car will run better.
2.) When's the last time you changed that fuel-filter? Don't know? Chances are it is time for a new one. They should be changed every
5K-10K miles. I've seen a lot of cars dyno way low because of clogged fuel-filters. Head up to the parts store and get one, it should be $10 or less. If you have a '98, you'll need the clip-removal tool to get the fuel-lines loose, which is also cheap. Remember to bleed the pressure in the fuel-lines before doing this. Refer to a search on this forum or a manual for a step-by-step.
3.) I am a firm believer in a product called Seafoam and its mysterious healing abilities. I have converted many 96-98 Cobra owners to followers as well...testify brothers!:rolling: This product basically cleans your entire airflow tract in an effort to decrease oil/carbon buildup and increase horsepower. We also like to think it helps to clean the IMRC plates, which get gummed up pretty often. Read my write-up in the "Common Issues" sticky for a detailed step-by-step. Don't worry, this isn't work, it's fun. Lots of smoke.
4.) Next, put your car in 1st gear with the motor OFF and pull up on the clutch pedal until you hear a "click". The clutch has just been adjusted to the proper setting. Enough said.
5.) Lastly, top off all fluids in your car. Mostly, we're talking coolant and OIL (thanks quadcammer, duh), but while you're in there, check out the brake fluid and power-steering fluid too. Make sure the engine isn't hot when you unscrew the coolant reservoir cap.
6.) This is also a good time for an oil/filter change if you're close.
"Getting the rest of the car ready for the track"
1.) Less wieght equals faster acceleration, so here's a free tenth. Pop the trunk and remove the spare-tire and jack. If you're feeling especially adventurous, remove the back seat and even the passenger seat. It's not hard, just do a search and you'll find out how to do it. Also, remove any random stuff in your car: I.E.-laptops, old laundry, bowling balls, dead hookers, ya know, whatever. A good rule of thumb is that every ~115 lbs of dead-weight removed is a tenth off in the quarter. In this case, a tenth for every dead hooker removed from your trunk. Let's read on, eh?
2.) Front swaybar removal. Ok, this one is a biggy. Not only does it have dead-wieght (that's right class, the torso of a dead hookers-worth), but that wieght is on the frontend. Frontend weight is especially bad, since you want your frontend to come up, thus planting the rear tires. The large benefit of this though, is that it "unloads" the front suspension, allowing for better wieght transfer. I won't get into specifics, so just do it, it'll help. Be aware it won't handle as well with the swaybar removed. You'll live though, put it back on when you get home. This can be worth a tenth in itself and it's so simple!
3.) Get a medium-sized cooler, and pick up 3 bags of ice and a large towel on the way to the track. You'll need it later.
"I'm at the track, let's run this mother!"
Not yet cowboy. There's still a couple things you'll need to do to get ready to run, and run successfully...and don't run your A/C after you're at the track for the record! First of all, get teched in. Always do this before anything else, and if you have centercaps (the kind that snap on over the lugs), pop them off and toss them in the trunk. Now, cruise back into the pits since you've got a number and whatnot. Now for the stuff that you wanna hear.
1.) Whenever the car isn't being driven, the hood should be up and the engine should be off. Heat is that enemy, let it out. You'll often see me cruising through the staging lanes with my head out the window and the hood open. I'll even push my car if the line is slow enough.
2.) Your tires. Let's assume you have street tires here. Now, ordinarily you'll have 30-35 psi in them for driving. I like to drop the street tires to around 23-26 psi. This won't make them wrinkle like a slick by any means, but it will do 2 things. One, it will make them just a little softer so they'll hook a tad better, they're pretty damn stiff with full pressure. Don't go any lower than what I stated, there's nothing to be gained. You probably won't notice it, but every little bit helps and hooking "less bad" is better than hooking bad. Secondly, it creates a buffer for more pressure when heat builds in the tires. On a street-tire, you don't do a burnout, but you can still see a couple PSI rise when they get warm blasting down the track. Don't get cocky and think 10 PSI is gonna make them hook, it's not safe and it won't work. Regardless, street tires aren't going to gain much from this, I just used to do it because of pressure building due to heat. Bring a guage, that's an easy option, and check them between runs.
3.) Between runs, put a bag of ice on the intake manifold for 20 minutes or so (told you this would come in handy) and cool the intake. Check your local track rules concerning this. I like to take the long towel and make a "donut" around the outside edge of the intake-hat as to absorb any drips. There's nothing worse than having to back away from the starting line due to water/fluid dripping, and you'll piss off the folks behind you, so use your good judgement on this. It helps more than you think. I've seen guys gain a tenth doing this, sometimes more on high-HP blower cars. Feel how hot that plenum is after a run? Do you want your cool dense air getting superheating in that oven? Me neither.
"It's time, young grasshopper"
Get in line, remember what I said about heat, it's the enemy! I role my windows down and turn on the heat full-blast to help dissipate some heat from the cooling system. Don't have the car running anymore than you need to. Sometimes, I'll punch it a little, then turn off the motor in neutral and coast if it's a long empty staging lane. Pay attention to speed limits in the pits/lanes!
1.) Ok, you're at the front of the line. Wait until the guy in the goofy shirt and earmuffs signals you to pull up.
2.) Drive AROUND the waterbox. You're not gonna make your street tires sticky, just greasy and hot, so save it for when you're trying to impress those hot underaged girls at the movie theater.
3.) Once you're past the waterbox, and the track technician says it's ok, do a QUICK dry-pavement spin to dust the tires off and expell anything that you may have driven over/through. A little squeel will suffice.
4.) Here's where most people mess up, and it's SO easy. When you're lining up at the line the first couple times, ASK the track tech where the "groove" is. He'll be happy to point it out and may even wash your windshield if he thinks you're cute. The "groove" as we call it, is an area of the track where (in layman's terms) the most traction is. The most rubber has built up here, and it'll hook the best, so line up straight in it.
5.) If you're not familiar with drag-race procedure, you want to slowly roll up to the line and trip the FIRST small bulb...that's "pre-stage". Then, barely inch forward and trip the second small bulb. You are now staged. When the guy in the other lane's bulbs are both lit, the tree will fall VERY soon after.
Exception: If your local track practices courtesy staging, it is as follows...
You pre-stage then let him pre-stage, Then you stage and let him stage.
If he pre-stages first then you pre-stage and then he stages then you stage.
A lot of full time racers get a little irritated if you don't do this. (courtesy of Stampede)
6.) As soon as you are staged, and the other guy is staged or close, raise the RPM's to 1500-ish. You'll mess with the launch RPM a little, to get it perfect, but that comes on later runs and is based on the previous run. When the "tree falls" you'll want to leave when you SEE the 2nd yellow bulb light-up. Don't dump the clutch. You'll either kill it, or spin the tires. "Draw" the clutch out at a medium pace, but don't "shock" the tires, then floor it. This is called "slipping" the clutch, or clutch-modulation. It's the rate at which you are feeding power to the tires. Remember, smooth is fast on street tires. If it spins in first bad, try only going 80% throttle in first on the next run. If it bogs, give it a little more RPM on the launch, a LITTLE. I've cut 1.9 60-ft times on stock 245's this way, and 1.8's on 275 streeties. Here' the kicker though, your reaction time (time between "green" and when you trip the beams), has no bearing on your time and only on whether you "beat" the guy in the other lane heads-up. I usually try to get a good "light" just for fun and so i can beat the guy in the other lane heads-up, but if you are simply trying to run good times, take a few seconds to get ready if you need. You can sit there for a few full seconds if you want, and still run the same time. Take your time at first, then work on having fun with the tree. (Thanks quadcammer for that last bit)
7.) Hit those gears! Kick that clutch to the floor and slam it in gear. You don't need to powershift (stay floored while shifting), just speed-shift it to the best of your abilities, but remember, a slow shift is faster than a missed shift. You'll get better at this with time.
Now go pick up your first 13 second timeslip!
If you have anything to add, feel free to tell me and I'll edit it into my post, I may have missed a couple little things, but I tried to keep it a simple recipe. I hope this helps some folks, it took me 2 hours to write!
Have fun and be safe out there!
Cheers,
Kyle Wolfe:beer:
I would like a moderator to "sticky" this as to help other, newer members.
Disclaimer: RippinSVT does not recommend having dead hookers in your car, nor does he accept responsibility for any fines, jail time, beatings, or criminal arrests involving or having anything to do with said hookers, dead or alive, yada-yada-yada, etc, etc, and so-forth and so-on.
"Getting the motor in peak running-condition"
Before you make the drive up to the strip, you should always have the car in good running shape. This means no misfires, smoke, etc.
1.) Check your sparkplugs. It only takes a few minutes and is very worth it. Got platinum plugs? Toss them in the trash and buy some cheap copper Autolites or NGK plugs and gap them at .056 (stockish motors).
If the existing plugs are black, deteriorated, or in just general bad shape, get the above mentioned plugs. All 8 will cost you $15-$20 and the car will run better.
2.) When's the last time you changed that fuel-filter? Don't know? Chances are it is time for a new one. They should be changed every
5K-10K miles. I've seen a lot of cars dyno way low because of clogged fuel-filters. Head up to the parts store and get one, it should be $10 or less. If you have a '98, you'll need the clip-removal tool to get the fuel-lines loose, which is also cheap. Remember to bleed the pressure in the fuel-lines before doing this. Refer to a search on this forum or a manual for a step-by-step.
3.) I am a firm believer in a product called Seafoam and its mysterious healing abilities. I have converted many 96-98 Cobra owners to followers as well...testify brothers!:rolling: This product basically cleans your entire airflow tract in an effort to decrease oil/carbon buildup and increase horsepower. We also like to think it helps to clean the IMRC plates, which get gummed up pretty often. Read my write-up in the "Common Issues" sticky for a detailed step-by-step. Don't worry, this isn't work, it's fun. Lots of smoke.
4.) Next, put your car in 1st gear with the motor OFF and pull up on the clutch pedal until you hear a "click". The clutch has just been adjusted to the proper setting. Enough said.
5.) Lastly, top off all fluids in your car. Mostly, we're talking coolant and OIL (thanks quadcammer, duh), but while you're in there, check out the brake fluid and power-steering fluid too. Make sure the engine isn't hot when you unscrew the coolant reservoir cap.
6.) This is also a good time for an oil/filter change if you're close.
"Getting the rest of the car ready for the track"
1.) Less wieght equals faster acceleration, so here's a free tenth. Pop the trunk and remove the spare-tire and jack. If you're feeling especially adventurous, remove the back seat and even the passenger seat. It's not hard, just do a search and you'll find out how to do it. Also, remove any random stuff in your car: I.E.-laptops, old laundry, bowling balls, dead hookers, ya know, whatever. A good rule of thumb is that every ~115 lbs of dead-weight removed is a tenth off in the quarter. In this case, a tenth for every dead hooker removed from your trunk. Let's read on, eh?
2.) Front swaybar removal. Ok, this one is a biggy. Not only does it have dead-wieght (that's right class, the torso of a dead hookers-worth), but that wieght is on the frontend. Frontend weight is especially bad, since you want your frontend to come up, thus planting the rear tires. The large benefit of this though, is that it "unloads" the front suspension, allowing for better wieght transfer. I won't get into specifics, so just do it, it'll help. Be aware it won't handle as well with the swaybar removed. You'll live though, put it back on when you get home. This can be worth a tenth in itself and it's so simple!
3.) Get a medium-sized cooler, and pick up 3 bags of ice and a large towel on the way to the track. You'll need it later.
"I'm at the track, let's run this mother!"
Not yet cowboy. There's still a couple things you'll need to do to get ready to run, and run successfully...and don't run your A/C after you're at the track for the record! First of all, get teched in. Always do this before anything else, and if you have centercaps (the kind that snap on over the lugs), pop them off and toss them in the trunk. Now, cruise back into the pits since you've got a number and whatnot. Now for the stuff that you wanna hear.
1.) Whenever the car isn't being driven, the hood should be up and the engine should be off. Heat is that enemy, let it out. You'll often see me cruising through the staging lanes with my head out the window and the hood open. I'll even push my car if the line is slow enough.
2.) Your tires. Let's assume you have street tires here. Now, ordinarily you'll have 30-35 psi in them for driving. I like to drop the street tires to around 23-26 psi. This won't make them wrinkle like a slick by any means, but it will do 2 things. One, it will make them just a little softer so they'll hook a tad better, they're pretty damn stiff with full pressure. Don't go any lower than what I stated, there's nothing to be gained. You probably won't notice it, but every little bit helps and hooking "less bad" is better than hooking bad. Secondly, it creates a buffer for more pressure when heat builds in the tires. On a street-tire, you don't do a burnout, but you can still see a couple PSI rise when they get warm blasting down the track. Don't get cocky and think 10 PSI is gonna make them hook, it's not safe and it won't work. Regardless, street tires aren't going to gain much from this, I just used to do it because of pressure building due to heat. Bring a guage, that's an easy option, and check them between runs.
3.) Between runs, put a bag of ice on the intake manifold for 20 minutes or so (told you this would come in handy) and cool the intake. Check your local track rules concerning this. I like to take the long towel and make a "donut" around the outside edge of the intake-hat as to absorb any drips. There's nothing worse than having to back away from the starting line due to water/fluid dripping, and you'll piss off the folks behind you, so use your good judgement on this. It helps more than you think. I've seen guys gain a tenth doing this, sometimes more on high-HP blower cars. Feel how hot that plenum is after a run? Do you want your cool dense air getting superheating in that oven? Me neither.
"It's time, young grasshopper"
Get in line, remember what I said about heat, it's the enemy! I role my windows down and turn on the heat full-blast to help dissipate some heat from the cooling system. Don't have the car running anymore than you need to. Sometimes, I'll punch it a little, then turn off the motor in neutral and coast if it's a long empty staging lane. Pay attention to speed limits in the pits/lanes!
1.) Ok, you're at the front of the line. Wait until the guy in the goofy shirt and earmuffs signals you to pull up.
2.) Drive AROUND the waterbox. You're not gonna make your street tires sticky, just greasy and hot, so save it for when you're trying to impress those hot underaged girls at the movie theater.
3.) Once you're past the waterbox, and the track technician says it's ok, do a QUICK dry-pavement spin to dust the tires off and expell anything that you may have driven over/through. A little squeel will suffice.
4.) Here's where most people mess up, and it's SO easy. When you're lining up at the line the first couple times, ASK the track tech where the "groove" is. He'll be happy to point it out and may even wash your windshield if he thinks you're cute. The "groove" as we call it, is an area of the track where (in layman's terms) the most traction is. The most rubber has built up here, and it'll hook the best, so line up straight in it.
5.) If you're not familiar with drag-race procedure, you want to slowly roll up to the line and trip the FIRST small bulb...that's "pre-stage". Then, barely inch forward and trip the second small bulb. You are now staged. When the guy in the other lane's bulbs are both lit, the tree will fall VERY soon after.
Exception: If your local track practices courtesy staging, it is as follows...
You pre-stage then let him pre-stage, Then you stage and let him stage.
If he pre-stages first then you pre-stage and then he stages then you stage.
A lot of full time racers get a little irritated if you don't do this. (courtesy of Stampede)
6.) As soon as you are staged, and the other guy is staged or close, raise the RPM's to 1500-ish. You'll mess with the launch RPM a little, to get it perfect, but that comes on later runs and is based on the previous run. When the "tree falls" you'll want to leave when you SEE the 2nd yellow bulb light-up. Don't dump the clutch. You'll either kill it, or spin the tires. "Draw" the clutch out at a medium pace, but don't "shock" the tires, then floor it. This is called "slipping" the clutch, or clutch-modulation. It's the rate at which you are feeding power to the tires. Remember, smooth is fast on street tires. If it spins in first bad, try only going 80% throttle in first on the next run. If it bogs, give it a little more RPM on the launch, a LITTLE. I've cut 1.9 60-ft times on stock 245's this way, and 1.8's on 275 streeties. Here' the kicker though, your reaction time (time between "green" and when you trip the beams), has no bearing on your time and only on whether you "beat" the guy in the other lane heads-up. I usually try to get a good "light" just for fun and so i can beat the guy in the other lane heads-up, but if you are simply trying to run good times, take a few seconds to get ready if you need. You can sit there for a few full seconds if you want, and still run the same time. Take your time at first, then work on having fun with the tree. (Thanks quadcammer for that last bit)
7.) Hit those gears! Kick that clutch to the floor and slam it in gear. You don't need to powershift (stay floored while shifting), just speed-shift it to the best of your abilities, but remember, a slow shift is faster than a missed shift. You'll get better at this with time.
Now go pick up your first 13 second timeslip!
If you have anything to add, feel free to tell me and I'll edit it into my post, I may have missed a couple little things, but I tried to keep it a simple recipe. I hope this helps some folks, it took me 2 hours to write!
Have fun and be safe out there!
Cheers,
Kyle Wolfe:beer:
I would like a moderator to "sticky" this as to help other, newer members.
Disclaimer: RippinSVT does not recommend having dead hookers in your car, nor does he accept responsibility for any fines, jail time, beatings, or criminal arrests involving or having anything to do with said hookers, dead or alive, yada-yada-yada, etc, etc, and so-forth and so-on.
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