Hotrod Drag Week - How could you do it?

[petew]

HRM drag week is on again and just like last year I'm wondering about how you'd do it with an ACVW. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking about this. Richie Webb from the UK was doing the tour until he bent some shift forks in his street beetle vert (which has done 8:90s).

So, let's spitball some ideas. What would you build for this style of event?

1. What size motor?
2. N/A or turbo?
3. How to keep it cool on the freeway?
4. What sort of trans?
5. ET you'd be aiming for?
6. Any other potential dramas you can think of.

[petew]

C'mon, no one? Afraid of adventure?

Right, this is me then. In principle the wife as said "yes" (a miracle). They run a similar event over here. I'm gonna try to run it next year when I have some long service leave. My big challenge is whether they'll accept such a slow car.

Here's my setup...
1. DP1600, stock save crank, valve springs, cam running MS2 with a microsquirt
2. IHI subaru legacy turbo
3. full oil system with cooler/filter/deep sump + water intercooler
4. Late 1300 with 4:12R&P, steel plate in nose cose, superdiff, billet side covers and moly nut
5. Dunno, maybe low 14s?
6. This is where I'd need your help

What would break first? I think I'd stick to a sticky street tyre and try and drive on it the whole way.

[bug66]

Late reply but...

We've been discussing this in our garage from time to time, and this would be my setup:

1. WBX converted to aircooled 2.1+ liters
2. Turbo, water to air intercooler, BIG watertank up front with a heat exchanger. E85 for the racing.
3. low boost, low CR, big oil cooler
4. Bus box, as beef as you can get it. Built for 8's and run 10's..
5. 10's all week and 9's on the last day
6. - Think out your spare parts setup
- Dual tire setups?
- Boost by speed/gear so you can go a bit easier on the launch

But I think the most important is to both have a well proven setup for the track, but also have a car you have driven A LOT on the streets.

[gbaker770]

Prescott Phillips did it last year and kicked ass. N/A combo that ran 12's I believe. Prescott is a really sharp dude, he runs a self built Pro Stock car. Its beautiful.

[petew]

Looked that car up. Man, that's really cool. Just a qu, in practice, how is an alloy bubble case different to a (aircooled) WBX case?

[bug66]

Looked that car up. Man, that's really cool. Just a qu, in practice, how is an alloy bubble case different to a (aircooled) WBX case?

The WBX is superior.. Pressure cast case for instance. And sturdy as a rock. Better crank to flywheel setup. Oil filter at the case.

[petew]

Cool, I'll remember that. There's a local guy who does the cases I was chatting with the other day. Nice cheap way to get a stroker motor too.

[bug66]

Cool, I'll remember that. There's a local guy who does the cases I was chatting with the other day. Nice cheap way to get a stroker motor too.

Try to get hold of an old Oettinger WBX crank. I believe they came in 80 and 82mm..

[mactaylor]

Cool, I'll remember that. There's a local guy who does the cases I was chatting with the other day. Nice cheap way to get a stroker motor too.

Who was the bloke Pete?

[petew]

Mike Kristen at Custom bugs and buses. Apparently they've got it down pat now.

[mactaylor]

cool thanks pete!

[Clatter]

Ummm.. Don't a lot of those Drag Week guys run in the sixes?

Not to be a party pooper; I love these aircoolers and all, but… Low Sixes? Like 6.1(!)

[petew]

The high end of the field is an arms race into the 6s, yes. Outside of that there are a myriad of other cars running everything right up to 18s. That's a time a bus could manage these days. Drag week is about endurance not just the front runners.

P.s. I saw Larry Larson and his pickup in Oklahoma the other day. At the no prep drags, his engine bay looked nothing like a street car.

[cbeck]

Last time I saw that truck, he was rocking missouri plates. As a long time gearhead and father of 2 missouri state inspectors, I thought how the f@#k did he pull that off? It would never pass the federal emissions visual with out obdII.

[petew]

I'm pretty sure it has an OBD II port somewhere, but whether it's what Missouri would be happy with is another story altogether. The turbo on the front of the car had to be 14" in diameter with 5" dump pipe coming off it.