really noob q about drag racing

[Dezaman]

so ive finally got my au falcon and it wasnt quite the speed i was expecting, not that i need speed, im still deciding on whether i want to spend anymore money to make it faster or just keep it till i can buy a ba, but i definetely want to have a car that will go rather fast, so ive been at a few drags and its pretty cool, i know a mate who races his old h commo at them and it seems like a lot of fun, me being a ford man and soon to have a new high paying job i thought it could be a bit of fun to join them, im a huge fan of the xc falcon ever since my dad had one and there magnificent cars, he always told me the strait six could lift the front two tyres of the ground of he floored it hard enough (i know his lying cause my au cant do that and its heaps faster) but to make a car that can compete how hard would it be, i mean just say i buy an old xc falcon from ebay for 500, jam a 351 windsor/cleavland into it, give it a 6 grand supercharger and replace the trans/dif and all the other parts to accomidate for the v8 engine, other then a good set of mags and the obvious performance upgrades like new tyres and cat back exhaust system is there some huge thing that my car wont have that other drag cars will, like my mates holden isnt street legal and that xc i just told u about is street legal, i think im missing some huge thing here..., oh and also with the 351 windsors whats this "boring' dont they come stock as 351 windsors rather then being a slower engine and them making it a 351??? cheers for any help, Deza

[The Monty]

In DYO racing, your six cylinder AU can compete and win. Its all about consistency, and driver skill.
I run mine down the quater, hey its only for 15 odd seconds, but god it feels good. Even if I was running 20's, it would still feel good, I just love getting on the track and running into the sunset as fast as I can.

[Poorboy_racer]

Over here in WA (unless Im mistaken) your car has to be street legal with muffler and catch tank unless you want to run it as a specific drag car. In which case you will need a tech inspection, 6 point approved cage and need to get an andra licence. You can however stick a nos bottle and slicks on a street car and hook it up at the drags for a street meet. ($5000 fine for getting caught with one hooked up on the street) so long as you dont run under a 10 second pass you dont need a cage or Andra licence.

[Dezaman]

alrighty, i understand about the normal racing rules like taking my car to a 15 second race at the drags (even though id scrap my au and start working on a ba, sorry to sound like an au sell out BUT MY AU IS REALLY SLOW AND IM STILL CUT ABOUT BEING WHUPPED BY A CAMRY) but my mate has those roll cages in his commo and well, how would i make my xc an 8 second car, or even a 10 second car, i mean if an xr8 falcon cant get to 12 seconds how on earth is an old hj or xc gunna reach below 10 seconds even with a supercharger, am i missing some heaps god like important component?

[schnoods]

Get a budget and then you'll be able to see how fast you can go.

To get a heavy XC to run a 8 sec pass, you'd need around at least 800hp (and the rest). Its not a Easy task if you are limited, especially if you are running in a competitive class.

I'd be looking into Super Street classes 11.00- 12.99sec and getting going from there. Getting a car set up with legal cage, harness and all the trimmings will set you back around 20k. Then from there going up a class is a matter of meeting requirements and being competitive. And that all costs money.

[TruBlu351]

Originally Posted by Poorboy_racer

Over here in WA (unless Im mistaken) your car has to be street legal with muffler and catch tank unless you want to run it as a specific drag car. In which case you will need a tech inspection, 6 point approved cage and need to get an andra licence. You can however stick a nos bottle and slicks on a street car and hook it up at the drags for a street meet. ($5000 fine for getting caught with one hooked up on the street) so long as you dont run under a 10 second pass you dont need a cage or Andra licence.

I ran in the 11's last year in Perth and they made me get an ANDRA licence and harness setup.....I hadn't heard of other guys over east having to do that. I mind the harness setup anyway though...fair bit safer than a std seat belt.

[xw383]

Tailshaft loop is always a safe bet when starting out racing. Harnesses are required when you reach 12.00 secs or faster and 110 mph or quicker. You will need an andra s/street licence once you go quicker than 12.00secs. Just looked at 2007/8 rule book.

[FLUB378]

800hp for an XC to run 8's? I wish. My XB is full weight, ladder bars, 29.5x10.5x15 tyres, C$ with 5000 convertor, 4.3 gears on 35 spline axles, has 606 aspirated at the engine and with a 175 shot ran 10.11. Sorry to be a spoil sport but you will probably need about 1000 RWHP to run an 8. And thats after you spend as much on set ups and suspension as you did on the motor. BTW 606hp aspirated in a 3500 pound XB ran 10.95 @ 122MPH

[FLUB378]

The thing you are missing is set ups and experience. Start slow, listen and learn and don't try to rotate the earth on your first pass. I have seen many people turn up with a million dollar car, limited idea of what to do, no idea of the maintenance required and after 6 months they disappear never to be seen again. Remember, start slowly