Spent the day at Carlsbad Raceway with Dink today. It was the first time drag racing for both of us. We both realized that we don't know caca about launching our cars. Lessons learned:

1. When the light turned green, the C32 was slow to get traction. Granted, most of the other cars had slicks on their drive wheels and we did not. However, even the cars that were running street tires seemed to jump alot better on the takeoff (G35, SRT-4s, Mustangs, Camaros). This meant that even plebian cars would get the jump on the C32 at the green light. I got beat (3 car lengths) by a freeging 1989 Honda Civic, for god sakes (granted, it was built, stripped, and running NOS, but it was still a 15-year-old Honda Civic!) Is there something retarded about the C32 differential? It just does not seem to get the power to the ground.

2. The C32 and/or Carlsbad Speedway seem to have particularly bad traction. No matter how gently we tried our C32 takeoff, it was as if you were on ice. We each did about 6 runs. The best 60ft time we could get was 2.5 secs. The pattern was: P.O.S. car jumps the C32 by about 4 lengths at the start. C32 (depending on the HP of the other car) starts playing catch-up at about 50 MPH, and wins or loses based on the 50-100 MPH race. Why can't the C32 compete in the 0-50? (please don't point out the obvious "sheety driver" factor!)

The best quarter was with my (evosported) car: 13.8 seconds. My Stage I car ran consistent 108 MPH trap speeds. We obviously had our hopes high reading about low 13 second quarters on the C32 forum.

Anyways: Some kills: Stock 2004 S2000 (some 15 car lengths, by Vomit); 2003 Rustang GT (Same, by Vomit); Nitrous Jetta (some 10 carlengths, by Dink); Supercharged Pontiac GTP "something" (10 carlengths, by Dink); "Big Exhaust, Heavily Modded (but no NOS) Acura Integra (5 carlengths, by Vomit).

To quote the words of our fine governor: "We'll be back." Probably return in a couple of weeks. Anyone interested, contact Dink or Vomit.

Until then, tell us how to get the dam'd things hooked up off the line!

 

You guys definitely are not getting traction. Are you staying out of the water? Are you brake torquing? Read the comments under "DRAG STRIP LAUNCH TECHNIQUE". Might be useful.

 

my father was not really able to get the power down with the c36 at sears point either...

 

I had a problem at the track with traction once. YOu have to stay out of the water box, then brake and feather in the gas until it starts to push the front forward. With my car, I'm running 19 inch nittos, on burn out, it slips then it starts pushing really strong, I could feel the tires heat up and grab. I can not find any of my tiem slips, but I run stock(other than wheels) at around 13.6 every time . The one time I did not burn out, I slipped almost almost to the 1/8 mile. Good luck

 

Vomit,

With Evo Stage I upgrade (pulley+ecu), you'll need some drag radials to hook up better.
I had harder time hooking up at Carlsbad compared to California Speedway (Fontana) on street tires.
The best time i got at Carlsbad was 13.4 (Street Tires).
http://www.pbase.com/yogo/carlsbad_raceway_3292003
At Fontana, i got 13.3 (Street Tires).
http://www.pbase.com/yogo/california_speedway3
After putting on some Nitto drags, I got the time down to 12.9
http://www.pbase.com/yogo/carlsbad_raceway_9202003

peter

 

13.8???? With Evo???
I did 13.7 on my first time ever doing 1/4 mile runs (at IRP)!!! STOCK!!! 80+ F!!!!
Did you tried using lower psi on the rear wheels?
JMC

 

Guys are cars have torque converters from hell. Probally a 1000 rpm stall or less. The only way to launch them is to brake stall. Press the gas pedal down until the tires are about to spin, release the break and ease into the throttle. That is good for a 1.9 to 2.0 60'.

I love my C32 but my C5 with a 3800 stall with a 2.5 multiplier launches my vette to 1.60 60's. The only way a C32 could pull that off is with a bigger stall converter.

I have run the C32 at the 1/8th mile track.

60=1.96
1/8 = 8.66
mph = 83.49

Best so far but I am pretty consistant.

Every .1 off your 60' will result in -.178 in your 1/4 mile time.

To bad I am not in CA, I would love to run you guys in my C32.

 

what size tires are you guys running on?? stock 17s?? if you are... thats probably the reason why you can't launch the car fast. 17s just don't provide enough contact area. i'd suggest for some 18s, and go for 265 in the rear. you'll find your self lauching alot easier.

 

Thanks for the abuse, kind folks! (You know that, if the situation were reversed, I would do the same, and probably worse, to you!)

Seriously, we kind of went about the whole process in a pretty casual manner. My car: Stock 17" Rossos with stock tire pressure; no "Rosso smoking" before staging. Everything about my approach to the whole process sucked: reaction time; 60 foot times; 1/4 mile times. I always thought that the 1/4 was "idiot proof," but then I tried it and found that it was not. About the only thing that I was pleased with were my trap speeds at the end of the 1/4 (108 plus on all 6 runs), especially considering that I spent the first 100 feet of the strip looking for traction. I think that with some slicks I could easily break 110 mph in the quarter.

Dink's car has 19" Neros on it (265, I think), and he had just as much trouble hooking up. I really think that 60% of the problem was a slick track, 30% of the problem was seated behind the wheel, and 10% of the problem was mechanical.

 

Vomit no "Rosso smoking" before staging I really think that 60% of the problem was a slick track, 30% of the problem was seated behind the wheel, and 10% of the problem was mechanical.
Cold tires=no traction, cold track=no traction, wet track=no traction!!!! I suggest that next time you go to the track early and get in some runs before the slick cars get water everywhere. But on second thought, if you are not going to heat up your Rossos, don't even bother to go! What 10% mechanical problem are you referring to? I have personally seen a C32 on OE tires and wheels do 1.86 second 60' times (my401) but he smoked the tires well before staging.

 

I hate to tell you this but if you hook at the starting line, IE 1.8 60' your mph on the top end will go down but your ET will really go down. Spinning off the line ussually helps trap speed as you are at a better rpm than if you hook off the line but kills ET.

Get some BFG Drag radials. They are more than enough for the C32. They hook almost as good as ET streets at the track with less side wall.

 

The 10% mechanical factor is the fact that 245 Rossos are far from the ideal tire for the 1/4. I also think that the C32 has some traction issues generally. I don't know if it is the torque converter, or the differential itself, but my rear tires light up from a stop (on or off of the track) with anything but the lightest of touches.

We had a great time farting around at the Raceway, even if our times sucked. We just made some decisions not to take certain steps, which steps probably would have improved our times at the expense of tread life on the rear tires. To say that we "shouldn't go" ignores the 'fun factor' and is kind of nonsensical.

The answer (for me, at least) is a pair of slicks. Then I can let it all out without raping my daily driver's tires.

 

It is the lock up torque converter. My tires start spinning at 1300 rpm when power braking. I need to know who makes the converter and what size it is. I may try to find another converter that stalls at 2400-3000. The C32 will be looser around town which I think would be a good thing. Less neck snap at light throtle!

 

Hey CSCollis:

Seriously, MPH at the end of the quarter will go down if my 60' time improves?? This seems to be a strange concept but, then again, we live in a strange world. I assume that there is a limit to this concept. . . For example, if I am only going 40 MPH a third of the way down the run because I had no traction, my speed at the end of the 1/4 is not going to be very high. True?

I really think that a large part of the problem is simply too much power for the tires. I can't floor it any more in first gear without smoking the rears. Does this mean, in the 1/4 mile, that I am supposed to only give my car 1/2 or 2/3 throttle until it shifts into 2nd? Even in 2nd, my tires light up about half the time under full throttle.

I hadn't read your post about the BFG drag radials when I did my last reply. Are these the ones that you can actually drive to the track? I thought I remembered reading something about those somewhere.

Anyways, I will definitely check into them.

 

Yes, you can drive them to the track. I drove on mine 250 miles each way to race in the vette. You can drive them every day providing there is no chance of rain. They are DOT slicks and do not like the ran.

I have a second set of rims and the BFGs for my vette. They get me 1.60 60's where street tires I a lucky to break 2.0. That will cure your spinning problem. I have over 400 rwtq at 3800 rpms and they stick like glue.

Check at discount tire. Tires.com they have the best prices.

 

the best 60ft i have got with both nitto's and pilot sports is 1.9, but a hundreths better with the drags. anyhow change some things you should get better times ..now ya know why i still haven't got odps since i hit 12.9 stock with just nitto's

 

BFG drag radials dont come in a size to fit the c32

 

Which drag radials fit the beast?

 

The only ones that fit are the Nitto's. 245/45/17 . In my opinion due to the fact that the C32 is a auto matic with a low stall, Drag radials are a waiste of money. I ran the same times on street tires (conti sport contact 2) that I ran on the nittos's. Getting good times all depend on you tequnique. You cant just stomp the gas when the light turns green!!!!! obviously your going to spin. Every track is different, You have to feel everyone out.

Vomit, I am in OC, Im down to meet up with you at Carlsbad as soon as I get my car back.

 

Tis true - try looking at it this way: from your results you were hitting 108 traps while running high 13's. Now, if you'd hooked better off the line - say a 2.0 sixty (a reasonable expectation on normal street tires - with practice ), then you'd have been looking at a low, low 13 ET. But since you now had less time (say almost a second less for this example), you'd have had less time to build your speed. Therefore your trap speed would have decreased slightly, but running a faster ET.

Sorry, I can't help you on specifics of launching a 32 - never even been in one *L*, but I've spent wayyyyyy too much time over the years at the local track *L* and the best general advice I can give you at this point is as others have pointed out - get some drag radials! They'll be the cheapest way to a lower ET you'll ever find. I went from 2.0-2.1 short times on Eagle F1 to 1.7's on Nitto DR's - used 'em as my every day tire too. That's the nice thing about DR's over pure slicks - they make for a good all round tire. Just use common sense in the wet! Just air them down for track use and SMOKE the ever livin' **** out of 'em before pulling to the line. Nitto's LOVE to be heated GOOD for best results.

 

3000 rpm stall speed for the torque converter is pretty tall...not gonna be very streetable....


smoking regular street tires may lead to the rubber balling up on the tread...not exactly giving u traction... it's usually better not to smoke too much....

 

N.M.M. Send me over your email and I will let you know when we are heading back up there for another shot at it.

 

3000 stall is small. I use in my vette a 3800 stall with a str of 2.5 and shift extentions of 4700-5000. Car drives around town like a champ and I have not lost a street race from a stop except to the C32 because I spun to 70 miles per hour and passed her at 90.

I would love a 2200 stall in the C32. I like the looser feel. Much smoother excellerating and hits harder when you launch.

I will check with evosport about a stall converter.

 

If you want it to hit harder at launch then just add a Pulley set-up for more boost, rather than going inside the tranny for a torque converter. Besides the C32 TC is electronically locked, if you change it you will need new software.

With a pulley setup the car will vaporize the rear tires by just pushing on the gas pedal from idle. Can't imagine a higher stall speed will make any difference on street tires.

 

Have you ever taken a ride in a high stalled car?

It is incredible, when the car downshifts it throws you back in your seat hard instead of building torque and hp. With a messly 370 rwhp in my vette, it runs at the track a 11.5 at 120.

As for the converter locking up, all non-drag strip converters lockup for fuel economy. Hell I will buy one from Mercedes and send it to Mike at Yank for reverse engineering if I have to.

The converter is a better mod for performance than a pulley at the track. The pulley will get you more 2-3 mph while a converter will reduce your et by as much as .5. I would rather go 12.9 at 105 than 13.4 at 108.

I know theres not a big market for C32 or even MB converters, but all fast autos have a higher stall than the C32.