Launching trouble...can't get under 7sec 0-60

[cmm3]

Ok, noob question, what is the best launch strategy for an all original Terminator? This is my first stick in 20 years, and it feel completely different from my 84 5-speed GT, and of course different from my more recent 03 auto Mach1. I know they are supposed to be able to do 0-60 in almost 5 seconds, but I can't seem to get below 7 sec on my best launch and I'm sure it is my fault for not knowing how to get the most out of it.

My car is completely original except for the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp 2 A/S Plus tires. I know, not exactly performance tires, but it is what I have.

Should I be launching at high rpms and accepting a bit of spin, or launch with minimal spin? At what rpm should I shift to 2nd, 3rd, etc...6k, 6.5k, higher rpms? I know every car is different, but there have to be some kind of best practices I could build from.

 

[robvas]

Slip the ever living **** out of the clutch so you don't spin the tires much

 

[13COBRA]

1st gear, 5k dump, and scream out the window "hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I come!"

 

[01yellercobra]

Tires. Tires. Tires. You're never going to get any kind of launch with those street tires. Plus chances are the times are from ringers.

Oh, and tires.

 

[gimmie11s]

Fckin Fast shift knob is required to get sub 7 sec 0-60.

 

[tt335ci03cobra]

Plenty of torque, roll out at 2250rpm steady get to full throttle in 1st after it settles down and don’t roll through any wheel hop if it starts hopping, about the launch.

Shift around 52mph. A little above 50mph is 6500rpm in 1st on a stock car iirc. 2nd gear is very long and you you want to drop into second as high up as you can.

You can slightly short shift the 3-4 shift as it’ll be heat sinking by 100mph. Iirc I would short shift into 4th gear at roughly 100mph to keep the blower a little cooler when I was mostly stock.

Best I got was a [email protected] basically stock (355whp) at 4600ft with iirc a 3.25” pulley, tune and bolt on catback/cai. Because of the altitude that’s basically a stock car just a hair softer.

60ft was roughly 2.0 or 2.1 on iirc sumatumo something’s 275/40/17 factory sized. Not a drag radial.

With practice, a smaller pulley and drag radials, a 4.10 rear gear, and “456whp” corrected, I think I ran a best of 12.9@112 up here stock blower. Similar launch technique because the drag radials hooked better but the car had more power and the 4.10’s were faster revving/ snappier.

I think an expert with a 4500rpm slip could do better than I ever did on the stock blower. Now that I’m turbo, I’ll do some pretty aggressive clutch slips at higher rpm but I’m not flat foot for most any of 1st gear, it’s complicated to explain but I didn’t know how to do what I do now then. I was 17 then and had little to no manual dexterity in my feet or the mechanical empathy/knowledge of what’s going on in the drivetrain back then.

It would blow them off trying anything aggressive.

 

[01yellercobra]

Fckin Fast shift knob is required to get sub 7 sec 0-60.

That's my secret ingredient.

 

[P49Y-CY]

i had a hard time learning to launch this car when i first bought it because i was used to lighter, less powerful cars with solid axles. it took me a long time to get used to it.

but eventually i found the best combo to be VERY LIGHT THROTTLE while quickly slipping the clutch and then hammering it depending on the tires. too much rpm down low and it would just wheel hop or smoke the tires.

using this technique i was able to get down to consistent 1.9x 60 foots on street tires and 1.6x's on drag radials. have fun!