Track testing.

[Cliff Ruggles]

Weather permitting we are headed to the track tonight to do some testing.  We have installed a new engine into our daily driven 1973 Pontiac Ventura, and have only made a few runs with it.  The weather has been perfect this week for drag racing, cool evening temperatures and low humidity.  Hopefully we can make some good runs and see how well the new engine is working?.....Cliff

[Cliff Ruggles]

The track testing went well.  We were only able to make 4 runs before the track went away and there was zero traction available.

Right off the trailer the Ventura went 11.41, 11.40 and 11.39.  I installed some smaller secondary metering rods and it slowed to 11.44.  All 60' times were 1.61-1.62, 7.20's in the 1/8th mile at 96mph, and all 1/4 mile runs were 119-120mph.

The 5th and final run was like starting out on wet grass, spinning all the way thru 1st gear for a 1.84 60', and 11.64 @ 120mph.  It started to drizzle/rain, so we trailered up and went home.

The weather wasn't all that great, and our good friend Ray Klem ran 2 tenths slower than he did at Norwalk back in August.  We ran low 11.40's at the same event, so I would estimate that we did improve a bit, since we ran at least as good as we did at Norwalk, which is a much faster track.

It will be our last outing at Dragway 42, at least until they repair the track on the top end.  From the 1/8th mile to the finish line was like driving across a plowed field!  Ray thought his tires were flat spotted it shook so hard!......Cliff

[Cliff Ruggles]

I was asked by email to post the vehicle spec's, here goes.

1973 Pontiac Ventura, race weight with driver 3740lbs.

Engine, 1969 Pontiac 428, 4 bolt mains, stock bolts, 1974 Pontiac 455 crankshaft 4.21" stroke, Pacific Performance light weight "I" beam 4340 rods, JE light weight pistons/pins, assembly balanced.  Stock Melling oil pump and stock SA Gear timing set, wide link plate design, Milodon baffled 6qt oil pan. 

Heads are Kauffman Racing Equipment aluminum "D" ports, set up by Dave at Super Duty Performance, ported to 290cfm, 74cc chambers, compression ratio 10.99 to 1.

Dave also supplied the camshaft, his "old faithful" grind, 236/245/112, with 1.65 rockers about .630" lift.  ICL 109.5 degrees.  We are running Crower solid roller lifters on this cam at .006" clearance, it is a custom hydraulic roller grind from Comp Cams.

Stock RPM intake, port matched, 1977 Pontiac Quadrajet carburetor, recalibrated for the application.  The distributor is a stock HEI with the advance welded up with a positive stop, stock weights, springs and center plate, stock vacuum advance adding 12 degrees of timing at cruise via ported vacuum.

Headers are from Hedman, for the 67-69 Firebirds, 3" exhaust system with "H" pipe into custom built 3" mufflers and 3" tailpipes.

TH400 transmission, prepared here with maximum friction capacity in each drum, 34 element sprag, Transgo shift kit.  Continental 10" tight converter, stalls at apprx 3400rpm's.  GM 10 bolt with 3.42 US Ring/Pinion gears, Eaton posi carrier, Mosier axles, forged 3350 yokes and 3350 solid U joints.

We didn't dyno the engine, best estimates would be apprx 560-580hp and at least 600 ft lbs torque.

The engine manages 89 octane fuel without problems, and idles with 13.5" of vacuum at 750 rpm's, not lopey at all, just a hint of "attitude" in the exhaust note.

Fuel milage (if it matters) is about 11-13mpg's.  The car is daily driven, and raced on Mickey Thompson 275/50/15 drag radials mounted on stock 7" Pontiac Ralley wheels.