Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Dyno and Drag First time at track with the SVT...oy!

Well with the problems with my other car (oil and clutch problems), I decided it would be fun and relaxing (ok bad assumption starting off) to take the 'tour to the track and see if I could get some 14s. I decided to go to cecil, since that is my favorite track, and about as close as any others. Got there about 10am, stayed to almost 4, made maybe 10-11 runs. Would have been fun but I found myself getting frustrated by all the screwed up runs.

I have never missed third gear ever in the contour, yet today I missed on about half of the runs. On the street, I can launch with no wheelhop, at the track I wheelhopped so bad my radio came out of its bracket.

I was hoping to have a new computer chip from street flight, but that didnt work out, so there were some known tuning issues, which really didnt help. On the 3-4 shift, the car picked up 4th around 5k rpm, and I swear it was slowing down or bogging when I hit that shift, like the knock sensors were killing my timing. It was mid 60s and 40% humidity, not the ideal racing conditions I was looking for either.

Anyhow, my best run was a 15.26 @ 92 mph, on a 2.40 60'. Ill post the timeslip later if anyone is interested. This run the launch was a terrible medley of wheelhop and spinning tires, but I decided to stick with it. I also slightly tapped the 2-3 rev limiter. And this was my best run. I had a couple of other 15.2s also, but I was a little disappointed with the trap times on all the runs, the highest was in the 92-93 mph range. I also had a 2.34 60' (the best one all day) but I missed the 2-3 shift (hit right between the 1 and 3). All of the 15.2 runs had 9.9ish 1/8 times.

Thats my report, cant just post the good stories! As a side note too, my last dynot the car lost a bit of power from the 190 dyno (on a different dyno that I was told would be low, but still, there was more modifications done to it also, optimized TB, CTA, bigger K&N, and slightly different exhaust setup) with the knock sensors kicking in again at 4500rpm and killing my power (big dip in the graph, almost like the secondaries).

Sorry to hear. But I know how you feel. You head to the track with some great expectations and are left a little disappointed.

What I wouldn't give for a time anywhere near 15.2 and a trap speed even in the vicinity of 90mph.

Hope you get that chip soon and that everything else works out.

-R-

You get wheel hop at the strip because of the surface. All that burnt rubber is a lot different than street surfaces.

I hear ya. I swear my car runs faster on the street. Kremithefrog is right, because at MIR at Budds Creek I can see all of the rubber on the surface when I line up, and they only clean it up when it gets real thick. Doesn't help street cars, but the Pro Street guys don't have a problem.

Well it turns out I broke an axle. I noticed after a few nasty wheelhop incidents that I was getting a funny vibration from the front end. On the way home it worse, but I tried to ignore it. Today it seemed like the car was shimmying from side to side, getting progressively worse so I took it to my friends shop, put it up on the lift, and he immediately identified it as a broken axle. I guess It could have been worse and I could have damaged the tranny or grenaded the differential. I think I am going to have to figure out how to do away with wheelhop before taking this car to the track anymore. Like my girlfriend said, most unsympatehically, "thats what you get for screwing around with your everyday car!" We wont be able to get the axle until monday/tuesday, because apparently UPS and many of the other carriers are closed on friday also.

My camaro has 5 collapsed lifters and some other problems and is out of action too, so Im now driving a rental car..a toyota corolla

Boy you said it. OY!
Sorry to hear

-R-

I know that sucks! For that very reason I think I am done with the track for this year. The last time I went I tried to really go for it and had really bad wheel hop, and I thought for sure I broke something. It probably will show up later.
Well, I know you will enjoy driving your SVT when you get it fixed after driving the compact.