I’ve seen occasionally someone puts up their projects and I thought I'd let you guys in on my winter project and my plans for next season's racing effort.

I'm honestly tired of breaking my 92 by chasing regular 10 second time slips.... The car has more than enough HP to do it but the 6spd and my insistence to keep it streetable and on DOT radial tires just breaks too much driveline stuff. This silly stuff totally keeps the car from performing up to it's potential. The past 2yrs of playing around has re-lit the fire in me for drag racing.... I’m at a cross roads of what to do. I'm more than happy with keeping the 92 a street car, it’s a clean car with low miles and I love to drive it. I just can’t bring myself to cut it up more than it has been.

So I bought a "project" 1984 Corvette from a customer of my dads who is getting out of racing. A 100% totally dedicated drag car.

We have already made some test hits - The car is fast and it's been reliable for the former owner over the past 2 years, never breaking anything.

General specs on car as it sits:
1984 Body - Full stock interior w/exception of Kirkley race seats. 6pt MS roll bar that I will have to update to SFI 25.5 year after next.
Engine - Pump gas 23* 427 SBC. Will also get updated next year.
Trans - Rossler TH350 w/PTC 4500 converter.
Rear - D44 IRS - Undecided on what to do here....

Pic of car as it sits.




This year I have to do some fuel system upgrades. It's adequate for current Normally Aspirated combo but I feel like I should go ahead and get it ready for what I have planned…

What I have planned:
I have a 2 year plan to be back to full time heads up class racing.
This season is going to be some bracket racing to get 100% familiar with the car and put my driving skills back where they need to be.... I haven't raced full time for almost 10yrs...

I also plan to try and qualify for a select few Ultra Street 275 Radial class races which is becoming a very fledgling heads up class around here.

I'm going to put together next years engine combination little by little and squirrel away the nessecary $$$ (about $7000-$8000) to update the chassis to SFI 25.5 spec.
This time next year (Dec 2013) the car will be at the chassis shop getting finished for it's 25.5 update. In 2014 we will be ready to run it full time on the Maryland/Virginia Ultra Street 275 circuit as well as the 2 special events in south GA called Ultimate Street 275.

Heads Up drag racing is one of the toughest deals to compete in and I am looking forward to it. I would like to go all in this season but it's not in the cards this year... Just buying the car and handling the minor updates for this upcoming limited schedule and full time bracket racing has been quite an undertaking.

So that’s the plan. This season starts up in Feb-March time frame and I’ll be posting up some video’s and stuff once we get to racing.
Will

Wow I'm jealous What are the plans for the motor? Just a freshening up?

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Thanks... I just happened to have $$$ at the right time and this car kinda fell in my lap.

This 427 SBC engine was orginally not set up for NO2. When we orginally built it, this was a top car in the Ga based class - on motor.... But with 2yrs of no updates, the car has become outdated/surpassed.

Compared to what people are running these days, This 427 is very mild... Dart Little M block 4.125 bore X 4 stroke. 11.1 compression, Dart 230 Pro 1's (unported), Mech roller cam 270ish@.050 .670ish lift.... 4150 based QFT Q-Series 950 carb. 603HP on motor + 250 from the plate. I'll be changing from the Dart intake manifold to the Edelbrock Super Victor II which will be worth about 25HP.

We just freshened it up last season and he only made 10-15 passes last year.... We have put like 10 more passes on it this winter testing....

This season (2013), I'm gonna change the intake manifold, already have my old NO2 plate kit on it (thinking of buying a new one) and that is it - Going racing in Feb. I have thought about changin the ring package but honestly the pistons just aren't up to a big doses of the spray, so there's really no point. I also thought about some head work but there's no reason to spend $$$ when I need to be saving it for next years assault....

The 2014 plan is a totally new engine.... Something along the line of our 23* X275 engine combinations but with a cam more suited for the single plate NO2 kit that we are required to run in Ultra/Ultimate Street (we run multi stage foggers in X275).... I'm sorry but I can't give out specifics on those engine combinations. I can tell you there is a short deck engine 412 cubic inches with Dart 23* heads and a more powerful 437 cubic inch tall deck engine with All Pro 23* heads... We have also been considering a totally new Normally Aspriated engine combination.

We really need to see how competitive the car is this year (and gauge how the class is progressing) before I decide which way to go, as there are different weight requirements for the different engines. If your interested the rules are here:

http://www.cecilcountydragway.com/pdf ... tlawstreetcarshootout.pdf

Will

That's bitchin' Will.

I used to go to Cecil County a lot but I won't tell you what the date was the last time I was there.

I changed my mind about running a daily driver on the track when I was a teenager, blew it on the Hagerstown strip.

It's great you're going to end up going "heads up" , being old school, I've never liked bracket (just me).

Are you going to trailer the car to the track?

bad to the bone...

Can't wait to see this thing mature!!

oh, with the A3, the D44 should live for a while, but as your power goes up, the need for a 4 link will become apparent... consider a D60, it's the new Ford 9" and is much more available.

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Thanks Bill-

Cecil County, MIR, Capitol and 75-80 all run an Ultra Street 275 radial class under the "John Sears" rules.

Some of local VA 1/8th miles (Old D and Summerduck) are saying that if they can get the cars every week they will as well....

John Sears has done a hell of a job promoting these 275 radial classes on the east coast and it's getting popular all over the country. There are a number of west coast X275, 275 and Ultra Street cars these days... NMCA, NMRA and ORSCA all have 275 classes, so there are a ton of places to race for good money and national reconization.

They promote this stuff as a "cheap way" to get into heads up racing but if you look at my car (easily cost $15K to duplicate) and all the stuff I have planned for 2014 (easily another $15-20K) you can see building a top car is not cheap at all.... Despite this being a bad time to make such a substaintial investment in a hobby - I'm excited to be back in the drivers seat and get out there.
Will

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Thanks Andy-

This car is already faster than anyone would believe a D44 can live at for any length of time.... For the past 2yrs it has been cutting 1.40 60fts and mid 6's in the 1/8th with no drama and no broken parts... All stock 1984 outer stub axles, wheel brgs and halfshafts. Lots of people (myself included) have broken stuff going slower...

So far it feels like it' leaving "softer" on the bottle than N/A but the 60's and ET are much better.... With an extra 250hp on tap that should be a no brainer....

I'm really not concerned about the D44 IRS this year. The car just dosen't seem violent enough on the launch to hurt anything.

As far as the suspension upgrade for 2014 - I petitioned for some rule "considerations" for Corvette suspension systems and got them!

There is a "Leaf Spring" rule orginally meant for Nova's and Camaros where they can deduct 100lbs if they still run stock style suspension..... Since the Corvette has traverse Leafs I got this rule applied to us... and we can convert to a straight axle with "any type of suspension" (4 link or ladder bar) and still keep the 100lb weight break as long as we keep the leaf spring..... Lots of Sotck Eliminators have this set up so it's a known good suspension.

The newer Strange D60's are definatly an option but most guys are running the fabricated sheetmetal 9"... Really it comes down to what the Chassis builder is comfortable building.
Will

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Been to all of them except MIR.

Nothing's cheap, The roadrace wantabe's that buy a Miata thinl it will be cheap until they find out a front running "spec' motor is $8k.

I am looking forward to following that engine build when it comes around.