Gears have the Single biggest effect on drag race standing start acceleration.Just thought of a story from the past I thought to share.
We had a 77 vette, l82 auto and a 92 Dakota 318. An employee asked me how fast the vette was, I told him I'm not impressed with it. That let to us taking them out for a match race. 1/4 mile, Dakota won By 1/2 a length!!! He thought I was sandbagging. ( I was in the Vette) So we swapped and with me in the Dakota I won by a full length. Later, the vette had 487 heads instead of the 882's and it won by 2+ lengths!
A few years passed and we had a 84 or 86 vette. Aluminum headed 350.
He wanted to try again but asked me what I thought would happen.
I said, vette in the 1/8 but the Dak MIGHT run it down in the 1/4.
I was right. But this time the Dakota had some tuning on it.
Dakota had 3.55 gears, early vette had 3.07 The newer one had 2.xx gears. But it would get as high as 27mpg , the 77 could get 18-20 ( with the 487 heads, and the Dodge best was 17.
So many claim those 882 corvette heads were the best. Not in our case.
My Old Trans Am ran like that.That is why I posted it. Gears are a must. must match the power band and speed..
I also had a 70 cutlass 455 it had 3.73 gears Cam headers intake, built short block following Joe Mondello's advice. T400 with switch pitch 3200 on high stall. But it killed converters. On 150 n2o it ran 132mph mid 10's and was all I ever thought could be used on street tires. The hooked and it was a ride. So many people around me said, John, it's an olds it CANNOT be fast. It never got beat. But one day the police chief told me to calm it down or I would be in real trouble. After he clocked me over 130 ( by a lot over, he said). But he was out of his jurisdiction!
A high school senior wanted to buy it. I wouldn't sell it to him with that motor ever when his dad said it was ok. I built a 350 and swapped them. They still thought it was the 455!!! Often said it was very fast, but I let them believe it.
Guessing around 650 HP on the juice. Drive it anywhere IF you could resist WO. Passed a car one day at 60 mph and suddenly he was at my right door, I drove it out and never lost more than 15-20 mph. That guy came to my shop 30 minutes later and said, " Should break your nose for that but I've never seen that kinda driving! We laughed. all was good.
First day out on black top I hit the n2o at 30 mph, it pulled then reved like it blew the trans I lifted and looked at the tach. 8000+ Went back to see the tire marks 200 yards long!!! Went from 8 1/2 inches to 4 then back to 8 1/2. They were still there the next year.
Wish I still had it. It had a lot of kills even with no n2o.
It was breaking spot welds on the floor pan.
Nice Night StalkerHad the l71 in my old 68,did some things tho. tarantula manifold,touch higher lift cam. Bronze valve guides polly locks etc.View attachment 12243
Was getting out of Philly & moving to NJ back then.Was in my 20's,the wife took the pic.
Had access to all the speed goodies back then.
Thanks Maniac.Nice Night Stalker
Talk to later.Thanks Maniac.
By then I gave up Street Racen & Went the Rolling Hi Way route.
Im getting ready to eat ,then split for work.
Catch ya later.
I have been behaving.I usually do a tad above the limit in the right lane,if the car on the left wants to have at Im game,cant help it/lol!
Haven that head on collision in the G5 still bothers me tho. Air bag knocked me out cold,when I woke up all I wanted was a cigarette.
Besides that I also hit 2 deer driven into work,cant wait till I stop working.
Have some Violent storms up in Pa dropping down to my area . Gona be a fun night in work.
Catch ya later Maniac.