East coast super beetle drag car

69359 Views 471 Replies 46 Participants Last post by Leonl, Oct 23, 2015

superdrag

Discussion Starter · Jan 2, 2012

2

This car really isn't a "project", but since I am always changing it, it's kind of always a project. Like most cars I think! I think I will use this more as a logbook for myself than anything. Because I am always changing it, it's tough to remember when I did what. This was my first car I got when I was 13, drove it all through high school and college, than kept making it faster and faster. I've now had it for 19 years. It's a 73 super, all steel, all motor, I built everything including the engine, trans, chassis, and I do all my own bodywork and paint. The only 2 things I didn't do on the car is balance the tires and bore the block and heads, and I was standing next to the guy that did the machine work. I also intend for all of those criteria to always be that way. Nothing against people that go other routes, this is just the way I like it. The car weighs around 1540 lbs right now with the fuel full and without me in it. Personal best times right now are 1.60 60 foot, 7.80 1/8th and 12.48 1/4 without enough 4th gear by quite a bit. The last 2 years I have finally found my groove and won a few races, and unbelievably this year I made slightly more than I have spent. No engine or trans failures helps that statistic quite a bit.
I'm not the fastest guy out there, but I get a little faster every year and that's what matters. My current goal is to get down around 7.55 or 7.60 so I can stay in Pro, but be one of the fastest guys in Pro. I don't want to be the slowest guy in Super Pro! My plans for this winter are more cam and compression, I am moving some weight around, I am removing around 50 lbs, and more gear. Now here's some pictures of the car in it's current state.

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Krylon Monster

· #421 · Oct 5, 2013

Guess the pushrods work huh?

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #422 · Oct 6, 2013

Krylon Monster said:
Guess the pushrods work huh?

Yes, see me at E-Town, I owe ya.

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #423 · Oct 12, 2013

After thinking a lot about my test runs last week I decided to pull the engine and replace the clutch disc. Glad I did, it was worn down to .240", I think a new disc is around .350". SHOT. I measured the flywheel to make sure it was straight, it measured within .001" all the way around. So just waiting on a new disc now, I better rush deliver it. This kind of makes sense as I think about it, 2 years ago I was pulling 1 foot wheelies, and between then and now I was going faster and faster, but the wheelies were getting smaller and smaller. I think now I know why. Stupidity!

I also found a badly cracked exhaust pipe, right at the flange. I will weld it, but it will hurt the nice ceramic coating. Oh well, glad I found it.

BEAR

· #424 · Oct 12, 2013

new disc might slow you down

JC Quick

· #425 · Oct 12, 2013

BEAR said:
new disc might slow you down

Listen to Bear, the man is a legend and also let me add, it is said that wheelie's are a sign of lack of HP. I have found this to be true with my car. I have photos of my car doing giant wheel stands as carrying it out 20ft only to post a poor et. Upon investigation when I got back to the pits it was not getting full throttle. Some consider this an old wise tail by Gene Berg. But I feel I can still prove it. With that being said my car is way old school set up.

BTW I posted this not saying you are lacking in HP but just a reminder that its the little things even the best can miss THUMBS UP SMALL

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #426 · Oct 12, 2013

I understand what you guys are saying. As I said, my E.T.s were getting faster. And I have heard of many cases when people going to some kind of clutch management system have gone faster with it. I basically have a form of clutch management now! But it is now at a point where I am even having trouble mustering a 2nd gear burnout, and my sixty foots are going away. I am very surprised that I am not slipping in 4th.

JC Quick

· #427 · Oct 13, 2013

superdrag said:
I understand what you guys are saying. As I said, my E.T.s were getting faster. And I have heard of many cases when people going to some kind of clutch management system have gone faster with it. I basically have a form of clutch management now! But it is now at a point where I am even having trouble mustering a 2nd gear burnout, and my sixty foots are going away. I am very surprised that I am not slipping in 4th.

IMO there is a trick to doing the the snap the the clutch thing for a 2nd gear burn out. it's all in shocking the tires also you want to make sure you are in fully engaged in gear this video shows how I do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91hpy-Lc3Sk

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #428 · Oct 15, 2013

DON'T BE STUPID!

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Neil Davies

· #429 · Oct 18, 2013

superdrag said:
DON'T BE STUPID!

That photo scream out "must sleep before race day..." - we've all had that feeling! Car is looking brilliant Eric.

TurboNOS56VW

· #430 · Oct 18, 2013

You need a line lock and switch to turn the management off by bypassing the management valve though the line lock when you switch into second gear, This way there is no management during the burnout or any gears besides the launch.

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #431 · Oct 18, 2013

I may have misspoken above, I have no clutch management, I meant that the slipping clutch was kind of ACTING like one.

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #432 · Oct 21, 2013

Went into today's race at E-Town with one mentality: Set a new personal best and don't blow the thing up. First off, with the new clutch disc I had no trouble doing a burnout, and there was NO slip. My lights were ok, .057, .083, .018, -.022 DAMNIT, .025, .085. If the first number is a zero, that's good for me. Sixty foots were all over, ranging from 1.66 to 1.56. Got a new personal best right off the trailer, 7.73, and followed that up with a 7.57, 7.56, 7.60, and my new personal best, 7.54. Again, too bad it was on a 7.60 dial!! New best mph is 88.37. In time trials they had the 1/4 lights on, ran two 12.10's in a row at 107 mph, still don't have enough gear, it was on the shift light for about 2 seconds. Not the fastest car ever, but for comparison, my previous best times were 7.79 and 12.48, now 7.54 and 12.10. I am super happy with that.
I would like to add that this is still an all steel car that I built top to bottom, and has 1 5/8" exhaust, and unmodified IDF carbs with air cleaners.

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flattop

· #433 · Oct 21, 2013

Great work Eric...

Wayne

JC Quick

· #434 · Oct 21, 2013

what R&P are you runing

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #435 · Oct 21, 2013

JC Quick said:
what R&P are you runing

4.12. I started out with a 3.88, but switched to a 4.12 to try and shed some E.T. in the 1/8th. My time slips didn't change AT ALL. My next box will be a 3.88 again. Still running a stock 3.78/2.06. 3rd is 1.56, 4th is 1.22. My engine is done at 7000 rpm.

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #436 · Oct 25, 2013

And I now have the fuel drained, car stuck in the corner, battery tender on, and cover put on. My only plans this winter are to paint the fenders and MAYBE swap out the ring and pinion. I would love to squeak out an 11 next year. It's nice not to have much of a winter list, last fall my list was.................EVERYTHING.

humpty

· #437 · Oct 26, 2013

superdrag said:
And I now have the fuel drained, car stuck in the corner, battery tender on, and cover put on. My only plans this winter are to paint the fenders and MAYBE swap out the ring and pinion. I would love to squeak out an 11 next year. It's nice not to have much of a winter list, last fall my list was.................EVERYTHING.

I would imagine that would feel pretty good... I;m looking forward to that day myself!

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #438 · Nov 12, 2013

Winter time fun.

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1969dragbug

· #439 · Dec 18, 2013

superdrag said:
4.12. I started out with a 3.88, but switched to a 4.12 to try and shed some E.T. in the 1/8th. My time slips didn't change AT ALL. My next box will be a 3.88 again. Still running a stock 3.78/2.06. 3rd is 1.56, 4th is 1.22. My engine is done at 7000 rpm.

Eric, I might have a set of 48IDA's, all done up, for sale in about 1-2 months, can come up with a price by then. :th_DragRacer:

superdrag

Discussion Starter · #440 · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks for the heads up.

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