building a drag car, possibly a ute?

[4VCLEVO]

I am looking at getting a little bit more serious with drag racing and building a car. I am looking at leaf sprung falcons, xa to xd.
Are utes as good as sedans on the track?
Do they suffer from traction issues?
Current car is a full street xa running 7.7 sec at 90mph 1/8 mile.

[jd dad]

If you are going for a strip only car I would decide first how serious you want it to be. XD would prob be the lightest model but if you are serious a lightweight like a Capri would be more bang for your buck. Ute with decent slicks shouldn't be too bad traction wise depending on how much hp you throw at it

[GTP owner]

The utes are hard to find that are free from tinworm, and they are weak around the area behind the door/pillar - rust weakens it and a decent hit of horsepower will start to open it up.
Traction is a matter of horsepower and hook up. They can all be made to hook up well, but then if you throw more power at them, they will turn the tyres. It depends on the times you want to run, and how much weight you rip out of it.

[4VCLEVO]

Id like to eventually run in the 10's on the 1/4, but that could be a while off yet. Id like to stay with a falcon, i'm not overly interested in smaller ford dispute there obvious weight savings.
I'd like to keep it leaf sprung, however, if that's a bad choice I may concider a coil sprung car such as eb or ef.
It will be a race only car.

[Psi-Pop]

E series are heavy buggers, What sort of engine combo are you looking at? Ill assume, clevo at this point?

[4VCLEVO]

Originally Posted by Psi-Pop

E series are heavy buggers, What sort of engine combo are you looking at? Ill assume, clevo at this point?

I'll be using what I already have, 500hp clevo, c4 and 9 inch. I can build on that combo over time.

[Psi-Pop]

E series are cheap and you don't have to worry about chopping them up because they aren't worth anything.

500hp in a E series will get you a 11.00 possible lower if you can get more weight out which should be easier if a dedicated drag car.

XD ute would be awesome, at least there is some off the shelf parts for getting the thing to launch.

[4VCLEVO]

Originally Posted by Psi-Pop

E series are heavy buggers, What sort of engine combo are you looking at? Ill assume, clevo at this point?

I'll be using what I already have, 500hp clevo, c4 and 9 inch. I can build on that combo over time.

[GTP owner]

The leaf springs can be made to hook up really well with a good slick and some caltracs bars (or similar). If you get the measurements correct, the sedan will swallow a 275 wide tyres easily, which will be wide enough to get a high 10.
I would choose the sedan, and spend some time looking at others at the drags who run the times you want to run. Copy their set-up to avoid making the mistakes they have

[4VCLEVO]

I'm currently using 28x10.5 full slicks with front runners, so I'll make them fit. My father in law has a XD fairmont that he will give me, so if leafs are the go then I'll probably do the 500km round trip and pick it up.

Here is the current setup in action just last weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhJAqnZPngM&feature=plcp

[prasac]

agree with the sedan being a better easier choice. know alot of guys that run X-series Falcons with great success and you can get them as light as 3000lbs, if not lighter. 500hp in a 3100lb car setup well should see you easily running low-mid 10's @ 127mph+

[JAYBA]

http://www.fordmusclecars.com.au/vie...p?ItemID=10688

may save you some $$ and trouble

[xw351]

Hi ,
From experience I would go with an xe sedan. No mods to engine combo and the rear end hooks up great. A little expensive to mod a 9 inch housing to suit but worth it in my opinion. Go with a 29x9 Hoosier slick and you will 60 in the 1.40's. happy to chat about my combos.

Cheers

[Rural 351]

Stick with a Ute if that's what you want other wise you will never be happy with what you build, My XY did mid 11s with a budjet 351 and weighed over 1600kgs with me in it and had no traction aids just 90/10s,
Ive got a pretty clean XC ute that i'm just about to build with a budget clevo and i'm sure I will get 11s with it, 10s would be easy with a 4 inch stroke

[ronotron]

There is a prtty neat XF ute running up here in sydney, 378 cleveland 9 in, running high 9's... Sponsored by Mothers and someone else, Nulon i think... Maybe you can check out their setup?

[pottery beige]

i passed on this a while back.. no room..





i wish i didnt... went cheap cheap..

[ash68]

leaf springs and caltracs work well if set up correctly i run 1.5 sixty foot times in a manual ba xr8 ute with a 10 inch slick and its very consistent.

[ronotron]

bttt..

[debacle-racing]

Buy my ute. Just spent a heap on it. New rear end, new turbo, new dart block, new chi heads etc etc etc....

[debacle-racing]

https://www.facebook.com/justin.royl...52123820828799

[debacle-racing]

Or this one is for sale also...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ford-xd-f...8b7591e&_uhb=1