Does anyone thrash their 2nd gen at the 1/4 mile? I would be interested in your numbers, engine and drivetrain combo and suspension setup. I race mine 6 or 7 weekends a year at a local strip, and am constantly changing crap around so I am in no way consistent, but I do manage to satisfy my curiosity. I have some traction issues that keep my short times in the 60s, and would like to hear what others do in that area. Any info would be appreciated. 1971BB427, your ride looks like it could eat up 1320' in a hurry. Ever let it run?

 

I don't know if it will be helpful but I have some 1/8th mile times, no 1/4 mile times. My 77 Camaro is also set up for autocross and not drag racing. I have 6 leaf leaf springs, 1 inch rear sway bar, sub frame connectors, big block spring in front cut one coil down. 16x7 wheels, 245 50 in back and 205 55 in front. 350 engine, TH350I, .343 rear gears. I have 245 rwhp and 275 rw torque. I had traction problems on my runs.

run Time Speed react. 60ft 330ft
1 10.129 69.53 .125 2.540 6.649
2 10.065 69.03 .198 2.519 6.610
3 9.932 73.30 .568 2.496 6.590
4 9.811 74.88 .348 2.412 6.509
5 9.861 73.75 .281 2.459 6.538
6 10.010 70.19 .176 2.473 6.543
7 9.883 73.05 .327 2.435 6.549
8 9.865 72.76 .298 2.445 6.510
9 9.811 72.48 .340 2.373 6.439
10 9.906 71.45 .589 2.416 6.480
11 9.839 72.28 .164 2.395 6.455

 

When I purchased my '71 back in 1973 it was specifically in my plan to drag race it. I think a week after I bought it I was at the drags in totally stock form with little F70-14 tires, and the same engine it has now, but stock form (390 HP rated). I thought it was pretty fast, but it turned high 14's the first run, and I couldn't get it hooked up. Boy was I surprised and diappointed! Almost got beat by a fairly stock 327 '67 Camaro!
After letting some air out of the tires, and careful throttle control I got it into the low 14's. A friend jacked up his Chevelle and pulled the slicks off it and we installed them on my car. They weren't too wide, but much stickier, and the car broke into the 13's the first run!
I eventually did a number of changes to the engine; new Torker intake, Holley, headers, jetting, some head work, messed with open and closed exhaust, shift kit in the tranny, different cam, and eventually got it into the high 12's. Never did get it running well with open headers, so always ran them closed.
Later I went even larger cam and a Weiand tunnel ram with single Holley Dominator, and after some tuning got it into the low 12's, but that's as good as it got. Broke 3 rearends and one tranny. Eventually built the present 8.5" 10 bolt with Dutchman axles, locker, outboard bearing kit. Then had the Turbo 350 built with a Transgo Competition kit. Got very close to 11 sec. range, but never broke through.
Raced it from 1973-1989, and the engine got so tired it quit. I drove the poor car all week to work and raced weekends, so it really got a workout, but I loved every minute! It sat for 11 yrs. piled with junk on it in the garage, and in 1999 I began rebuilding the engine. It's a bit detuned from the old days, as I went back to the Torker intake, and Holley 750 vacuum sec. carb. Went with a less radical cam, and ditched the 10:75-1 pistons in favor of 9.5:1 forged TRW's. It still gets along quite well, but I've not had it to the drags since 1989, and don't plan on it again.
When I started the rebuild of the car last summer I found the body gaps had really opened up, and all those hard launches had taken their toll on it. After spending so much time getting it all lined up nicely, I wont undo my work by racing her again. It's strictly street now, but I'm looking at a project now to possibly build an old school gasser if it works out. That one may see some drag strip time if I think it is capable!
As for traction, I ran Lakewood slapper bars, and a 10" M&H slicks with beads screwed to the rim and about 8-10 lbs. of air. And of course those much berated air shocks with separate inlets so I could preload my suspension. I got very good launches, with very little tire spin. At the last with all the changes it was able to lift the left front tire off the ground launching, so it was hooking up well.

 

Whoa, you guys are a gold mine! Thanks to both of you for the input. To Capt. Kirk, do you know what your rear tire diameter is? Do you have an aftermarket converter, and if you do, what is the approximate stall speed? I assume you're not leaving on a transbrake. To 1971BB427, did you ever get a chance to try the Weiand with a 4150 style carb? Do you run a rear sway bar? What does your exhaust system consist of? Sorry for all the questions, but this stuff fascinates me.

 

We bracket race a 79 in the 1/8 mile. Stock rear leafs, slapper bars, 10 x 29 slicks, 12 bolt 4.56 gears, drag shocks, battery relocate to trunk. Mild 350, I run about 12 psi in the slicks. Last year it consistantly ran in the mid 8:20s.

 

I have not tried the 4150 with the Weiand, and the Weiand is long gone now. The Dominator I ran was the 1050 cfm back then, and I was not running a swaybar in back, but did have the factory SS HD front swaybar. I was (still am) running a set of Doug Thorley headers with 1 7/8" primaries on the .040" over 427 engine. Back then I ran from the 3" collectors into 3" primary pipe that ended into a pair of 3" Dynomax mufflers and just turned down before the axle. Now I'm running a full 2.5" Summit exhaust system that exits out the back. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-680101/
I'm also running the factory Trans Am HD rear swaybar in the rear now.
My Transgo converter is a 2200 stall. The tranny I had built in 1975 is still in the car, with the same converter, but the B&M shifter I installed earlier this year.

 

The diameter of my rear tires are approximently 25 inches. I have a factory stall converter. I do put my brake on and raise the rmp to about 1200 until I step off the brake and gas it.

 

ive never ran my camaro on the strip but my uncle david has been bracket racing for years and he said mine should run mid eights on the eighth mile and i cant wait to take it to the track ive gotta crate motor and all stock suspension and a built th350 with a 2200 stall in it and it runs pretty good

 

what is it with you people and the 1/8 mile, you barely get a chance to get on it and youre done, My dads buddy has a 79 that he runs with me and my 00 at the trakc although i can never catch him lol, hes doin about 12.3 at 112mph with nitto 55R street radials 10 lbs air,,, just some input =]

 

I've never run the 1/8 mile. I've watched and I think the attraction is getting more runs in during the day or night. If launching is the most fun you have at the track, then 1/8 would be your favorite. Some tracks are only 1/8 because of space limitations, so not everyone has a choice of running the 1/4 mile.