Cutlass Drag Car 85 442

[SoFloG]

Awesome! It really doesn't take much to get a car together and go to your local track and have fun! The Racing community is filled with very good people that will help out, offer advice and get you having a great time! Gbody cars are plentiful and make great racecars! I am working on an El Camino as well for next season ( This Cutlass has been treating me well, so I hate to sideline it for another car. Who knows, maybe i will just buile the EC for a street car, and keep racing the Olds) Good Luck!

Unfortunately they closed our local track(original Moroso) almost 2 years ago, and one of the last times I went I blew the trans in my cutlass otw and never got to run it. I applaud your commitment to racing as I never was able to get involved past test n tune nites. The community is trying to get a vote passed for the county to allow a new motorsports complex less than 10 minutes from my house. Fingers crossed

 

[John Wm. Zick]

End of Season recap: Went to NHRA Northeast Division Finals at Numidia Raceway, was running dead nuts consistent 8.55 in the 1/8 and missed a shift/ shifted too late, and I think I over revved the engine, went 8.59 and lost...the car was hurt. Could not Launch after that, just stumble and die, lot of misfiring and other maladies. went out in the First round of Race of Champions, and went out in the first round of NHRA Competition ( A Black Cutlass won out and is the Sportsman class winner for Northeast Division, and runner up for the National Finals held in Vegas last week) On to Southern Bracket finals, and a rebuilt carb , which, helped, but the car still is unpredictable. made a crappy 8.66 pass and then with an 8.60 on the window, went a perfect 8.5000

Winter is coming, so a teardown and refresh are in the works ( OR maybe steal the 6.0LS from the El Camino project....

We are so sorry to hear bout yer car. Sounds like a serious overrev to me. Hopefully a refresh will take care of "business!" Best regards, Jack & Oleta.

 

[John Wm. Zick]

Unfortunately they closed our local track(original Moroso) almost 2 years ago, and one of the last times I went I blew the trans in my cutlass otw and never got to run it. I applaud your commitment to racing as I never was able to get involved past test n tune nites. The community is trying to get a vote passed for the county to allow a new motorsports complex less than 10 minutes from my house. Fingers crossed

Hope so .....

 

[Kratos]

Long Winter Over, Spring is here. Pulled the Engine and sent it to a highly recommended machine shop for a Refresh/ Upgrade
I now a a 355 with 10.5-1 compression, new pistons, valves, cam, rockers, starter, oil pan and pump, and fuel pump. Installed and running. Just a few minor things to do, adjust timing, check fluids, check all fasteners and put in fresh fuel.. Testing this weekend, and racing season starts next weekend. I have a title to defend!

 

[bracketchev1221]

Did you ever find anything wrong in the motor after the late shift?

 

[Kratos]

Did you ever find anything wrong in the motor after the late shift?

No, Nothing catastrophic. we rebuilt the Carburetor, and put in new Plugs. the car would run 8.4* one run and 8.7* or worse, the next run, spitting , coughing etc. I found some slop in the Distributor cap on my last run of the season...it coughed and puked off the line to a 9.something, and I went through the plugs, noticed the cap feeling sloppy, went up for another round and ran an 8.40 and I was lifting. Pretty sure the Ignition system was the culprit, but I don't know how the Cap got "sloppy". We also found the ca was losing a lobe, but that wouldn't be a fluctuation (IMO) but a decline in power that never bounced back.

 

[bracketchev1221]

Well thats good. As long as you went through the motor, you would have found a worn chain or cam gear allowing timing to change. Maybe check the end play in the distributor, so the gear can't ride up and down the cam gear gear. I hated having intermittent issues that you never knew WHEN they were going to pop up. I had a bad carburetor that would slow down every second round and then worse in third round. I chased it for a year. Borrowed a carburetor and went 4 rounds never slowing down. Bought a new CFM technologies carb and never had the issue again.

 

[Kratos]

Really pleased with the new engine! Test and tune day was running 8.20 with ease. At the end of the day, we swapped my carburetor back on, that was the supposed culprit. Pappy looked it over really good and we documented the jets etc. Came back on 4/21 with the carb on and new wheels/ tires/ Brand new 255/60/15 ET Streets (27" tall) and laid down 8.07 and 8.06 passes with ease. RT were on point too! Round one I went.012 on the tree, won the race and had the bye going into round two! HOWEVER, the car all but died crossing the finish line. Lost all power. stone cold dead/ No restart. Found a broken wire in the harness, but it was too late to make the call, and ended my day. Got home, pulled the underhood harness and fixed the garbage "twist and tape" with new soldered wires and heat shrink ( fun fact, I only ever held one ASE Cert... Automotive electrical). Ready to go this weekend. Pappy is pretty sure we can get er into the 7's with a jet change.

 

[bracketchev1221]

Really pleased with the new engine! Test and tune day was running 8.20 with ease. At the end of the day, we swapped my carburetor back on, that was the supposed culprit. Pappy looked it over really good and we documented the jets etc. Came back on 4/21 with the carb on and new wheels/ tires/ Brand new 255/60/15 ET Streets (27" tall) and laid down 8.07 and 8.06 passes with ease. RT were on point too! Round one I went.012 on the tree, won the race and had the bye going into round two! HOWEVER, the car all but died crossing the finish line. Lost all power. stone cold dead/ No restart. Found a broken wire in the harness, but it was too late to make the call, and ended my day. Got home, pulled the underhood harness and fixed the garbage "twist and tape" with new soldered wires and heat shrink ( fun fact, I only ever held one ASE Cert... Automotive electrical). Ready to go this weekend. Pappy is pretty sure we can get er into the 7's with a jet change.

Glad to see it’s starting to come together. Are you deep staging for your class? That alone could make enough to get the 7 you’re looking for.

 

[Kratos]

Glad to see it’s starting to come together. Are you deep staging for your class? That alone could make enough to get the 7 you’re looking for.

Never tried to deep stage. I know that I can hit 7’s at Mason Dixon dragway. I always run quicker there. Better air/altitude. I suppose.