Street Racers, Racing Secrets ?!!

[biomedtechguy]

I happened by a '65 Mustang on a nice, straight, wide 2 lane same direction road in New Orleans not far from my house around 2008. I had a massaged '89 Mitsu. Chrysler Conquest TSi. I happen to have my Nitto 555 drag radials on it. The Mustang had a healthy cam and exhaust, and we came to a red light. Without any words or direct eye contact, I knew it was on. I destroyed him from the jump, and a big part of why is at the 1/8th mile mark he was still spinning his tires. No contest.
Here's a video of my 'Quest at the track, before drag radials. The "screech" sound you hear is NOT a blowoff valve, I didn't have one at the time. It is my tires screeching. It used to chirp 3rd...

 

[not so famous bob]

Ya you see a mustang pulling out of a car meet, or lining up for a street race you better get the f out of the way!

Drove my 505" barracuda to prayer breakfast last Saturday, on the way home I passed new rustang gt350, was hoping he felt froggy , but he didn`t!
was wondering how one could run vht thru windshield washer squirters and not have it plugged up, doubt if tit would work the second week.

 

[451Mopar]

The new EFI computers have traction control, multi-stage power adders, adjust for flex-fuel, and data acquisition/logging.
That can make a sleeper with regular sized tires surprise some hot rods.

 

[OK charger]

Well guys this is one of those things that is COMPLETELY avoidable yet people think they are invincible. Yeah I did it a few times but I never endangered any one and there was a LOT less traffic then. (think the eighties). In fact there was a story just last night on the new about a street race. One of the cars killed a lady trying to cross the street. She was 32 and on her way home from the store at 8pm. The times I've caught them in the act I impound the car call daddy(if underage) and a handful of tickets.

 

[Dodge 330]

ET Street Pro's, Cal-Tracs, leave in 2nd gear (manual valve body) and 2 spare wheels and tires in the very back of the trunk that weigh 110 lbs. I beat a car on the street that was a full second faster than me at the track...

I hook as good as guys with slicks using "pimp juice". Mild burnout with 275's and good to go!

That said, I race 99% of the time at the track. We have Friday Grudge Nights and its more fun there anyway.

 

[Zeppelin264]

ET Street Pro's, Cal-Tracs, leave in 2nd gear (manual valve body) and 2 spare wheels and tires in the very back of the trunk that weigh 110 lbs. I beat a car on the street that was a full second faster than me at the track...

I hook as good as guys with slicks using "pimp juice". Mild burnout with 275's and good to go!

That said, I race 99% of the time at the track. We have Friday Grudge Nights and its more fun there anyway.

So on the street you launch your car in 2nd?

 

[moparcrazy]

ET Street Pro's, Cal-Tracs, leave in 2nd gear (manual valve body) and 2 spare wheels and tires in the very back of the trunk that weigh 110 lbs. I beat a car on the street that was a full second faster than me at the track...

I hook as good as guys with slicks using "pimp juice". Mild burnout with 275's and good to go!

That said, I race 99% of the time at the track. We have Friday Grudge Nights and its more fun there anyway.

Wow id love to see that !! 2nd Gear would be tuff IMO, we have cars from 7.60 to 12 second cars and they all leave in 1st gear with tire sticky some of these guys easily pull the wheels on the street as they launch. and yes I understand that spinning isn't winning Lol

 

[Dodge 330]

So on the street you launch your car in 2nd?

It depends on the surface but yes, if it is a normal, dirty street, I launch in 2nd gear. The 505 makes plenty of torque down low and it does get full extension on the frontend but stops short of getting air. (it pulls the wheels at the track) Works really well! I raced a turbo LS Camaro the other night with much bigger tires than me that had run 9.60's. We both got off the line the same and I stayed with him for a good bit until he spooled. Was hoping he'd knock the tires off, but...

I beat a lot of cars at the grudge nights with much higher mph than me because the car 60 fts. better than them.

 

[CTMopar]

Race the guy in an old car with big rims and low profile tires.

 

[uwss]

Starting when I was 13 years old in Perryton, Texas is when I got my drivers license. Street racing was done on deserted highway with no one around. Modified OEM cars or stock were raced and never had any issues with people getting hurt. Racing with 2000 hp on any strip is asking for someone to get hurt or even 1000+ hp.
Once, I was shocked to watch a Chrysler luxury car wax a SS Chevelle in a quarter mile. The Chrysler had a push button transmission. Sleeper?

Street racing is all about having fun between 2 guys and sometimes a bet. Racing in traffic is just plain dumb !!
My two cents plus a quarter.

Veteran
50 years of street racing and back seat romance

 

[6PKRTSE]

I have seen 8-9 second Mustangs on Dub's and 10-11 second Impalas, Regals, Cutlass & Monte Carlos on Dubs, so yes, don't be fooled by the stupid look.....

 

[Dixie]

Wow, great thread. Brings back memories. I used to street race as a knuckle head kid back in the '80's. I never had any tricks other than letting a little air out of my tires. '69 Charger 440, 4spd. Dana at that time had been switched for a 8 3/4 with 3.91 sure-grip. Ran 14" bias ply - G60's Uniroyal Tiger Paws. Once I learned to launch it, it was a fast street car for it's time. I wouldn't recommend it today. There are very few places with little enough traffic to make it anywhere near safe. If you get caught the penalties today are very punitive, and will haunt you for years. Read - high insurance, no license and potentially no job, if a company runs a background check.

These days, I have a Driver Charger that I enjoy beating on. I'm tempted to try some of these tricks and take it to the track and race with both using them and not, to do my own comparison of how well they work. That would be fun !

One thing about using tracks, there is no argument over who won!! When the races are close, the red light and traps don't lie.

 

[tomlin]

I haven't lost a light to light yet. I choose my battles well lol. I got a 2010 Jeep Commander with the 5.7 Hemi. She is basically computer controlled AWD. Stick her in low range and still have 5 forward gears. 2.72 x torque amplification. I have let her rip about 7 times like that......just installed a replacement transfer case, guess the original it didn't like it too much...wife still thinks she broke it.

 

[hemicop]

I haven't street raced in literally decades (late'60s/early '70s) but I don't think the "techniques" have changed much.
I certainly wouldn't advocate now---between increased penalties, more people , lawsuits and increased costs of equipment & legal fees it just isn't worth it. BUT if you're going to do it................LIE!
Your "305"sbc is really a stroker 427/454sbc. Nitrous? "NEVER heard of it!" Don't open your hood where ANYONE can see it. Have an escape route. Use scanners & CB radios & have a spotter at least 2-3 miles from the site. GAther as much intel on your opponent as you can. There's guys out there that actually gather such info.
Mechanically keep everything as stock appearing as possible. Anything you can do to get more air into the motor without it showing is a plus---ask any Stock Eliminator racer. If your opponent is claiming he has a "street car" tell him "Prove it!"---have him drive the car to another race site(just make sure you can do it too! Putting money up? Have a third party hold it as the excuses will start flying if you win & the money & your opponent will disappear.
These were only some of the "secrets" we used in NYC waaaaaay back when.
If you want to read some really cool stories go to "Moparts.com" and look up "Streetracing in the '60s & '70s". You'll find about 40 pages worth of stuff!

 

[funknut]

I happened by a '65 Mustang on a nice, straight, wide 2 lane same direction road in New Orleans not far from my house around 2008. I had a massaged '89 Mitsu. Chrysler Conquest TSi. I happen to have my Nitto 555 drag radials on it. The Mustang had a healthy cam and exhaust, and we came to a red light. Without any words or direct eye contact, I knew it was on. I destroyed him from the jump, and a big part of why is at the 1/8th mile mark he was still spinning his tires. No contest.
Here's a video of my 'Quest at the track, before drag radials. The "screech" sound you hear is NOT a blowoff valve, I didn't have one at the time. It is my tires screeching. It used to chirp 3rd...

Chrysler Conquest is one of my all-time faves. I had a chance to get a nice one (yellow with the widebody) when I was 16 but the insurance was crazy high since they considered it a 'performance car'. You don't see them much anymore but I love the styling.

There are 2 that infrequently show up to my local cars & coffee. One is racing green with an LS swap, the other is all stock drivetrain with an upgraded turbo.

 

[Cornpatch MO]

In the 60's I street raced a lot. We found country highways with long stretches of flat. You could see a long ways both directions. Every town around had their designated 1/4 mile marked out. Checked out the side roads for waiting cops. Balanced 6500+ RPM small block -4 speed-4:10 posi --7" cheater slicks, air lift bags in the rear coil springs, in a 65 Malibu. Took the spare tire out and the rear seat. Everyone took their air cleaner off to go fast. The guys with big blocks didn't know how to drive them---they would repeatedly gun the engine , or wind them up and smoke the tires. I would launch at about 2500 Rpm and as soon as the tires got a grip, I would nail it. I beat a lot of bigger engine cars-until....the 340 Swingers came out !!!......................MO

 

[moparcrazy]

In the 60's I street raced a lot. We found country highways with long stretches of flat. You could see a long ways both directions. Every town around had their designated 1/4 mile marked out. Checked out the side roads for waiting cops. Balanced 6500+ RPM small block -4 speed-4:10 posi --7" cheater slicks, air lift bags in the rear coil springs, in a 65 Malibu. Took the spare tire out and the rear seat. Everyone took their air cleaner off to go fast. The guys with big blocks didn't know how to drive them---they would repeatedly gun the engine , or wind them up and smoke the tires. I would launch at about 2500 Rpm and as soon as the tires got a grip, I would nail it. I beat a lot of bigger engine cars-until....the 340 Swingers came out !!!......................MO

Wow love reading all these Great story's, I too take my air cleaner off today when I race, I've had my car on a chasse dyno and before the third pull we took the air cleaner off and it was good for 12 HP, OMG I about **** my paints, I thought that was the coolest thing, so needless to say I pull my Air cleaner off before every street race !! I have a check list saved on my phone so before the race I go thought it.
1) before leaving my garage I like to run though the car and make sure nothing is lose, ill grab things with my hands and shake them, I run Aluminum wheels so I like to re-torque them, I weigh my nitrous tank and make sure its full, I try to only put as much fuel as needed, then start the car and listen for any noise's ECT
2)I like getting to the racing spot about two hours early so I can get some test hits in and get rid of the jitter bugs / nervousness and make any needed adjustments
3)

 

[not so famous bob]

kids today do not under stand that way back when we were kids there weren't hardly any traffic on the roads stop light to stop light there was no traffic at times ,today your bumper to bumper and today your putting higher HP to the road it would like trying to launch a rocket out there ,yup the 50`s ,60`s and the 70`s were a lot of fun

THIS, hardly any room around here, at the hrs. I`m out, to nail it.

 

[condor74]

I havnt street raced since i was in college in the early 90s. We raced every Saturday night out north of Bakersfield. Typically about 50 cars or so. Fastest guys had low 11 second cars. One mid 10 chevelle. I raced my 15 second dart. seen vehicles of all speeds out there Dart eventually found its way to low 13s. 13 second street car back then was pretty quick. Best street race trick I did was switch from my 273 v8 in my dart to a 340 with out telling any one. I used to line up my 273 with a 283 powered El Camino. I would usually beet him by a bumper. close racing. Raced him 5 or 6 times over a summer. I lined up with the 340 and my busy in the passenger seat. I launched and my budy was hanging out the window giving the double bird. I beet him by 10 or more car lengths as I pulled away.

 

[hemicop]

The street racing stories are cool, but let's get specific................
Some cars have serrated washers at the bolts holding the A-arms. Replace them with regular washers to help the front-end lift a little quicker on acceleration. The old guys may remember draining some oil out of the shocks then plug-welding the hole. Not great for a street car but an easy, cheap way for a streetracer to get "drag shocks" for his car. For the ambitious, lining the rear bumper with lead or filling your spare tire with water is an easy way to get extra weight in the ***-end of the car and it's unnoticeable. Hiding your MSD box inside is an easy way to convince any "lookie Lou's" your ignition system is stock, whatever the age of the car. Stripping out weight in the interior, like gutting the back seat but leaving it there may convince some you're using your wife's or parent's car for a night of fun.
Of course WHAT you race is just as important as what you have. A 4-door sedan with a gutted yet stock looking interior can be a proven winner. And the smart guys downplay their car & experience. I had a friend that looked like a college professor, glasses & all, that could make a 4-speed sound like an automatic he was that good. But ask him about his car & he'd say "Oh, I just bought it used, it's stock as far as I know." Then he'd spank the poor guy that was dumb enough to believe him.