Match race vs. Dodge Charger

[Dave Vince]

Have a match race set up against a 70 Dodge Charger. Best 2 out of 3 at Lakeland drag strip, Lakeland Florida, on 2/04/06.
The Charger has a 440 with some mods like a mild cam, headers, 3" exhaust.
The F body is a 95 Z28 with some mild mods like, cam, roller rockers, headers, larger valves, mild port work.
The Dodge boys are coming out to support their brand so there will be a rooting section for the bad guy.
The Camaro has been down the track and it was weak in the 60' at a best of 2.18. Once it started moving it did OK with an 1/8th mile of 8.98 at a pretty good 84 MPH. This speed tells me that the stock converter and gear are killing it.
The Dodge has just been restored and it also has the stock converter and gear, so they will both be dogs on the bottom end.
Any guess on who the winner will be? The Dodge boat has 90 more cubes, but its pulling 4-500 more lbs. Besides it is a Dodge. Better than a Rice burner, but not a Chevy.

[raroZ28]

good luck, sounds like it will be a good race.

[Performin Norman]

My money is on the Mopar. If that 440 was rebuilt correctly, it will carry a torque advantage in the short 1/8 mile track. With both having stock converters, the 440's tremendous torque should rocket it out in front to about the 60 foot mark and then the cars will remain dead even til the traps. I believe if you had a 1/4 mile track, the race would be very close.

[fastTa]

I am definitely a fan of Chevy's, but I am also a fan of Mopar...how could someone not be.......ahem.......the Hemi.

That 440 is no slouch. I have no idea what all the specs are of this guy's 440, but I would suspect that it is making quite a bit more power than your LT1.

I believe that Lakeland is an 1/8 mile track, so that does slightly even up the playing field do to his weight. Your 1/8 mile MPH would suggest that you are making the power to get solidly into the 12's, but in a short 1/8 mile race, you better get that short time down or the Charger just might surprise you.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

Well I had a 440 RoadRunner and if this guy has the stock leaf spring suspension he's going to get wheelhop bad. Ballsy 440 engine or no, you might just get the jump on him unless he's got a upgraded suspension and a pinion snubber. If he digs in, you are done. Heck, before I built the 440 for my car, I had a 383 in there with a Sig Erson cam which could start off in 3rd going up a hill and pull til 110 mph!

Anyway, sounds like a good race - best of luck to both of you!!!

[Trash man]

did he turn his pistons around?

[Dave Vince]

Race update

Thanks for the replys. It looks like most of you are betting on the Mopar. I can only recall from my way back machine when I raced one of these way back in the 70's with my not so stock 67 Camaro. The 440 ran mid 14s while the old 350, which had a cam, headers, a holley 950 3 barrel (some of you older guys might remember that one), 4 speed, 4.10 posi, 10" slicks ran 13.1 in the 1/4. It was a no contest then. I think this will be closer but the Chevy will take the win. I did not state the fact that I rode in the Mopar, (he has been in the Chevy also), and while it ran good he is alot more worried than I am. There was no wheel hop when he took off, I believe he has a traction bar on it. He is bringing a whole crew of guys who are into Mopars so he will have plenty of help with the tuning. I used to race a heads up car that ran over 150 in the 1/8th so this is turtle racing for me. There is a side bet of course, but this is mostly for bragging rights. I dont know if he turned his pistons around, thats a new one for me!! The Dodge is going down

[Joe 1320]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the Mopar just won't quite cover the Camaro.

However...... based on your times, something might be wrong. I am running bolt ons with stock heads and cam, 3.73s and still the stock converter. With that combo I've run:

R/T .577
60' 2.019
1/8 et 8.547
1/8 sp 86.110
1/4 et 13.031
1/4 sp 107.860

so your 1/8th mile speed seems a little off for your cam, rockers, heads and exhaust. maybe it is the gear that is not helping.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

did he turn his pistons around?

That mod was meant to reduce piston slap. It was detailed in the Direct Connection Racing manual which you could buy at the Plymouth dealer. It told you exactly how to modify your car to go 12s, 11s, 10s, etc. It gave all the details how to modify the Holly carbs and the different intake manifolds that were available - six packs and all. It was damn good racing support from the factory. Not like we got now.

[Trash man]

That mod was meant to reduce piston slap.

yea i kno i was asking cuz if u turned it from where the factory had it, it made the more power but it had more nosie, hmmm i might do that to the 305

[Joe 1320]

That mod was meant to reduce piston slap. It was detailed in the Direct Connection Racing manual which you could buy at the Plymouth dealer. It told you exactly how to modify your car to go 12s, 11s, 10s, etc. It gave all the details how to modify the Holly carbs and the different intake manifolds that were available - six packs and all. It was damn good racing support from the factory. Not like we got now.

I remember...... they even detailed where to start cutting out metal for weight reduction. It was great going through all that stuff. The factory car geeks came up with some great solutions.

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

I remember...... they even detailed where to start cutting out metal for weight reduction. It was great going through all that stuff. The factory car geeks came up with some great solutions.

Well they published all the stuff from what they learned in the racing program. Remember when you could buy a factory 'Cuda with a 525 hp race hemi, Dana 60 rear end, acid dipped body panels, and half thickness windshield glass with pull up windows and no power nothing? That was 38 years ago

[fastTa]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the Mopar just won't quite cover the Camaro.

However...... based on your times, something might be wrong. I am running bolt ons with stock heads and cam, 3.73s and still the stock converter. With that combo I've run:

R/T .577
60' 2.019
1/8 et 8.547
1/8 sp 86.110
1/4 et 13.031
1/4 sp 107.860

so your 1/8th mile speed seems a little off for your cam, rockers, heads and exhaust. maybe it is the gear that is not helping.

His lack of gear and stock converter are killing it for his Z.

Thing is...we are just merely speculating. Give us some power numbers, tire sizes, cam specs and then we'll talk.

[Dave Vince]

ET

Joe, I am glad to hear someone still thinks the Chevy will crunch the Dodge. It looks like your car is making a little more power than mine due to the trap speed. The large difference in ET is due to your better gearing. I had another car that ran 84 mph trap speed in the 1/8th and it ran 8 teens, 8 twentys. That car had a 4.56 gear and a mild converter. There is no doubt that a drag gear and or converter would help. The Dodge has the same combination of stock converter and a street gear so they will be evenly matched there.
I have been around long enough to remember the support that Mopar gave to anyone who ran their product. If they rented the track and were testing their Super Stock cars and you had a Chrysler product. You could run with them and they would help in any way they could. GM offered you squat.