whats it really take ?
, well a decent transmission,rear gears ,suspension and tires sure helps,
but its basically dependent on your having a high hp to weight ratio,matching the cars tires and drive train gearing to the engines power curve, and how effectively you get power to the ground, how well your brakes and tires can transmit the power to the pavement and how well the suspension and brakes allow you to control the cars speed, direction cornering and de-acceleration, that matters.
any car with 400-450-plus horsepower at the rear wheels and a power to weight ratio, under about 7 lbs per horse power should produce exciting performance, but remember that the less that car weights the more impressive that performance, in both acceleration and braking will be, and the easier the car will be to stop or control under abrupt changes in direction,, and the less your cars total weight the easier it will be to accelerate or stop it faster, and lower weight also tends to result in lower parts wear and breakage rates, on the suspension and drive train and brakes,
its excess WEIGHT that is the biggest problem most production cars are fighting and why the T-buckets and A.C. cobra and similar kit cars can due to much less weight easily produce better performance.
I think most of us have run into a great many similar choices, between buying tools and auto parts,
its simply the result of a limited budget ,in most cases,
and most of us make a few mistakes ,
but as long as you keep the goal of building the car in mind you'll do ok.
after you gain experience there's both engineering and art involved in the process,
you'll generally start with a goal, you've envisioned for your car, reality and physics will provide some of the limitations, you'll be limited to a budget and at times by your access too tools and limited by your skills and knowledge, youll generally start,by simply making a very detailed list of the components you want too use ,to upgrade and modify the car to gain the performance and look of the car, and once you have that list of components, and being forced by going back through that detailed, list and doing the required math too verify you have selected the correct matching parts, and when you find you have to change a few components you go back, change the list and again revue the math, most of us start out without the required knowledge to accurately match parts and your goal.
yet this process forces you to do some research into what you can reasonably accomplish with the tools and skills you have and the realization that you may need to acquire both skills and more tools as you proceed.
your engines power potential is mostly related to the displacement, and cylinder head flow rates and components that effect those cylinder head flow rates,compression, exhaust scavenging , etc. parts like intakes,headers and cam timing.
When you start seriously think about getting into the 10's and even 11's it's not only the HP that needs to be there, but you need to start having your converter,stall speed, rear gear, ratio,transmission gearing, ignition,timing curve,and some sort of traction aid device,and tires all dialed in. The 60' time is something you should focus on and will help greatly. Also, you need to start thinking about, total weight, weight transfer and suspension and frame so a roll cage and your suspension set up, tend to be critical.
I always get a bit of a grin when most guys bring up WEIGHT as the reason they don,t want to swap from a SBC to a BBC engine, Id be the last person to say weight doesn,t matter but be reasonable and think things through carefully, deal in known facts, and verify what your dealling with, don,t guess or assume!.
if you do a bit of research the difference between a all iron sbc and a BBC with an aluminum water pump,intake and heads is negligable (READ THROUGH THE LINK)
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asic-engine-size-measurements-weight-info.11/
heres a good example of what to expect when a less than experienced throttle foot and 500 horse power potential cross paths in the real world.... it takes TIME and PRACTICE to learn to drive a powerful car that can easily turn the tire traction to smoke with the blip of a throttle
I especially get a big grin when the same guys tell me with a strait face that thier camaro or corvette weights something like 3300 lbs,with them in it!
I ask them if they have ever actually bothered to have the car weighed with them in it and so far all Ive ever seen is a blank stare or that deer in the head lights look!
honestly, step one weight your car, with you in it!
so you know what the facts are, then consider this,
lets say your corvette weights 3600 lbs with you in it,
the small block engine in it lets guess and say 550 lbs, if you swap to a big block, with aluminum heads its going to be 30-50-lbs heavier, its heavier but consider this
if that SBC is a decent engine, lets say a well built 383 it will make about 1.3 hp per cubic inch of displacement or about 450-500 flywheel hp, a BBC generally has better heads, bigger valves and if you built a similar BBC , (.030 over bore and a .25 inch stroker crank, like that 383 built from a 350 sbc) out of a 454, youll get a 489 cubic inch displacement BBC
its easily able to make a similar 1.3 horse power per cubic inch of displacement, or near 600-630hp,
if the car weights 3600 lbs with a sbc and we divide that by the 500 hp we get 7.2 lbs per hp, add 50 lbs to the car with a BBC and lets say only 575 hp,your still at 6.35 lbs per hp, or still about a 13% advantage in power to weigh ratio.
http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asonably-fast-in-street-trim.3404/#post-41457
We've all been there, starting with a car that goes 13's or 14's and slowly making improvements and going faster.
heres a few calculated, averages, based on a car weight of 3600lbs
which will be close to many street cars (car & driver) and based on REAR WHEEL HORSEPOWER, not flywheel hp
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
3600...........300......13.33..100.5
3600...........400......12.12...110.5
3600...........500.......11.12...119
3600...........600......10.6......127
now lets reduce the weight to 3200lbs,
to simulate a car stripped of most non-essential weight
notice what the removal of weight gains you in performance
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
3200...........300......12.8..104.5
3200...........400......11.65...115.5
3200...........500.......10.82...124
3200...........600......10.2......131
now lets suppose you build a T-bucket, or COBRA KIT CAR that weights only 2800 lbs, (an easy to reach weight, in that application)
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
2800...........300......12.3..109
2800...........400......11.14...120
2800...........500.......10.32...129
2800...........600......9.75......137
http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/estimate-horsepower-from-trap-speeds-et.1814/
your sure to find these threads of interest
READ THROUGH THIS LINK
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/finding-a-machine-shop.321/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/another-496bbc.5123/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/matching-parts-and-a-logical-plan.7722/
http://vexer.com/automotive-tools/1-4-m ... calculator
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/454-bbc-on-the-cheap-well-to-start.11739/
, well a decent transmission,rear gears ,suspension and tires sure helps,
but its basically dependent on your having a high hp to weight ratio,matching the cars tires and drive train gearing to the engines power curve, and how effectively you get power to the ground, how well your brakes and tires can transmit the power to the pavement and how well the suspension and brakes allow you to control the cars speed, direction cornering and de-acceleration, that matters.
any car with 400-450-plus horsepower at the rear wheels and a power to weight ratio, under about 7 lbs per horse power should produce exciting performance, but remember that the less that car weights the more impressive that performance, in both acceleration and braking will be, and the easier the car will be to stop or control under abrupt changes in direction,, and the less your cars total weight the easier it will be to accelerate or stop it faster, and lower weight also tends to result in lower parts wear and breakage rates, on the suspension and drive train and brakes,
its excess WEIGHT that is the biggest problem most production cars are fighting and why the T-buckets and A.C. cobra and similar kit cars can due to much less weight easily produce better performance.
I think most of us have run into a great many similar choices, between buying tools and auto parts,
its simply the result of a limited budget ,in most cases,
and most of us make a few mistakes ,
but as long as you keep the goal of building the car in mind you'll do ok.
after you gain experience there's both engineering and art involved in the process,
you'll generally start with a goal, you've envisioned for your car, reality and physics will provide some of the limitations, you'll be limited to a budget and at times by your access too tools and limited by your skills and knowledge, youll generally start,by simply making a very detailed list of the components you want too use ,to upgrade and modify the car to gain the performance and look of the car, and once you have that list of components, and being forced by going back through that detailed, list and doing the required math too verify you have selected the correct matching parts, and when you find you have to change a few components you go back, change the list and again revue the math, most of us start out without the required knowledge to accurately match parts and your goal.
yet this process forces you to do some research into what you can reasonably accomplish with the tools and skills you have and the realization that you may need to acquire both skills and more tools as you proceed.
your engines power potential is mostly related to the displacement, and cylinder head flow rates and components that effect those cylinder head flow rates,compression, exhaust scavenging , etc. parts like intakes,headers and cam timing.
When you start seriously think about getting into the 10's and even 11's it's not only the HP that needs to be there, but you need to start having your converter,stall speed, rear gear, ratio,transmission gearing, ignition,timing curve,and some sort of traction aid device,and tires all dialed in. The 60' time is something you should focus on and will help greatly. Also, you need to start thinking about, total weight, weight transfer and suspension and frame so a roll cage and your suspension set up, tend to be critical.
I always get a bit of a grin when most guys bring up WEIGHT as the reason they don,t want to swap from a SBC to a BBC engine, Id be the last person to say weight doesn,t matter but be reasonable and think things through carefully, deal in known facts, and verify what your dealling with, don,t guess or assume!.
if you do a bit of research the difference between a all iron sbc and a BBC with an aluminum water pump,intake and heads is negligable (READ THROUGH THE LINK)
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asic-engine-size-measurements-weight-info.11/
heres a good example of what to expect when a less than experienced throttle foot and 500 horse power potential cross paths in the real world.... it takes TIME and PRACTICE to learn to drive a powerful car that can easily turn the tire traction to smoke with the blip of a throttle
I especially get a big grin when the same guys tell me with a strait face that thier camaro or corvette weights something like 3300 lbs,with them in it!
I ask them if they have ever actually bothered to have the car weighed with them in it and so far all Ive ever seen is a blank stare or that deer in the head lights look!
honestly, step one weight your car, with you in it!
so you know what the facts are, then consider this,
lets say your corvette weights 3600 lbs with you in it,
the small block engine in it lets guess and say 550 lbs, if you swap to a big block, with aluminum heads its going to be 30-50-lbs heavier, its heavier but consider this
if that SBC is a decent engine, lets say a well built 383 it will make about 1.3 hp per cubic inch of displacement or about 450-500 flywheel hp, a BBC generally has better heads, bigger valves and if you built a similar BBC , (.030 over bore and a .25 inch stroker crank, like that 383 built from a 350 sbc) out of a 454, youll get a 489 cubic inch displacement BBC
its easily able to make a similar 1.3 horse power per cubic inch of displacement, or near 600-630hp,
if the car weights 3600 lbs with a sbc and we divide that by the 500 hp we get 7.2 lbs per hp, add 50 lbs to the car with a BBC and lets say only 575 hp,your still at 6.35 lbs per hp, or still about a 13% advantage in power to weigh ratio.
http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...asonably-fast-in-street-trim.3404/#post-41457
We've all been there, starting with a car that goes 13's or 14's and slowly making improvements and going faster.
heres a few calculated, averages, based on a car weight of 3600lbs
which will be close to many street cars (car & driver) and based on REAR WHEEL HORSEPOWER, not flywheel hp
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
3600...........300......13.33..100.5
3600...........400......12.12...110.5
3600...........500.......11.12...119
3600...........600......10.6......127
now lets reduce the weight to 3200lbs,
to simulate a car stripped of most non-essential weight
notice what the removal of weight gains you in performance
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
3200...........300......12.8..104.5
3200...........400......11.65...115.5
3200...........500.......10.82...124
3200...........600......10.2......131
now lets suppose you build a T-bucket, or COBRA KIT CAR that weights only 2800 lbs, (an easy to reach weight, in that application)
car weight....hp.......E.T......MPH
2800...........300......12.3..109
2800...........400......11.14...120
2800...........500.......10.32...129
2800...........600......9.75......137
http://www.wallaceracing.com/et-hp-mph.php
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/estimate-horsepower-from-trap-speeds-et.1814/
your sure to find these threads of interest
READ THROUGH THIS LINK
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/finding-a-machine-shop.321/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/another-496bbc.5123/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/matching-parts-and-a-logical-plan.7722/
http://vexer.com/automotive-tools/1-4-m ... calculator
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/454-bbc-on-the-cheap-well-to-start.11739/
Last edited by a moderator: