Update, we all rallied (thanks Don, Derrick, and Aaron!) working nights and weekends for the last month and got the car together. Don fired it up on Monday and has been working on the tune. We drove it for the first time Wednesday this week. Drivability is good and it comes up on the brake quickly. Just need a bit more data and we should be ready to go racing next weekend. Wish us luck next weekend. We are racing 8/11-8/14. Here is the live feed if anyone is interested:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AirstripAttack

200mph or bust!

 

Very cool can’t wait to hear good results

 

Still processing the whirlwind of a weekend, Aaron, feel free to chime in.

Tldr; we went 193.7 mph before we realized that we burned a new set of 275 pro’s up in a weekend. No 200 this year.

However, here are the cliffs:

- First day the 3rd/rev mod on my AOD valvebody was back feeding into the Fueltech causing the 2 step to come on at the 2-3 shift. Came back to the pits with a loud tick. After checking all the plugs, valve lash, and cutting an oil filter, we pulled the header and found a blown out remflex header gasket. I guess it didn’t like a 3,500 chip coming on at 8,800 rpm. Put it back together with RTV and we were ready to get back at it the next day.

-2nd day if I recall, Don was working on getting the fuel dialed in so did about 5 plug changes. By the end of the day we got the first clean pass of 181 and then it started pouring. Finishing up putting in new o2’s and the oil change and were ready for day 3. Don noticed that the time based launch/drag racing control only has a max of 15 seconds so it dumps boost to gate (1.8psi) pressure after that time. Tried to get help from Fueltech, but they are still looking into it since it was a Saturday.

3rd day – first hit knocked the tire off at the 1-2. We were struggling with killing the tire at the 1-2 and 2-3. The new loser converter is still too tight, we believe it’s a charge pressure issue so I have a call into my valvebody guy for help on that. Don they did some tricks with the timing during the shift and we were back in business. However, the car kept knocking the tire off when he ramped in any power. Looking at the driveshaft curve, it was pulling crazy timing to keep the car on the road. That caused the belt to fly off the car on the 193.7mph pass. We put it back on (missing a rib) and had the same issue with traction. Don looked at logs, then we looked at the tires. Completely bald. As we were packing up we spoke to some of the regulars. They said they have tried the drag radials but they don’t hold the power on the runway. So they said to try a toyo 888r (cant find one to fit my car) or the Nitto 555r2 (which I can get in 275/60/15). So we are on the wrong tire.

The announcer who has been doing this for 10 years said we have the quickest fox body in the ½ mile he has ever called, so we are calling that an unofficial record. We were a crowd favorite. Everyone was rooting for us and commenting on how you couldn’t even hear the car going down the road. Quietest car there besides the Tesla’s (that ran slower LOL).

We ever ran into Josh from back in the turbomustangs.com days and he was stoked to see the car. His first comment was, “damn, I didn’t bring any Zima’s for you guys!” Very cool to finally get some recognition.

Another day and the right tires we will have 200. All the runs dumped from 24psi down to 1.8psi for the last 1-2 seconds and we still went 194.

We did manage a 10.80 at 156mph in the 1/4 mile per the draggy and 3.9 seconds 0-60. This was all leaving at 3,500, 1.5psi, and 2 degrees of timing (on an airstrip with no rubber or glue). So we are making progress!

I am going to order up some new 275 pro’s and we are going to head to Byron in a few weeks to work on 1/8 and ¼ stuff to hold us over until next year.

Special thanks to my amazing friends that made this weekend race possible: Don Bailey, Arron Buharelle, Derrick Sobczak, Dustin Bassi, and my dad. Best friends and pit crew I could ask for!

 

Nice job!

I haven't had great luck with remflex, they seal really well.. But they don't seem to hold up, even NA

 

Interesting. We have never had an issue with them until now. What do you run for exhaust gaskets Ben?

 

A couple of additions from my side:

First of all, let's not be modest Shaun, you ran 193.79, not 193.7!

• While we had some mechanical hiccups along the way (header gasket, belt, TB feedback, worn tires at the end of the event), overall the bullet performed flawlessly with empty breathers and clean oil / filters. A credit to DiSomma racing and Shaun's top end.
• Other than running out of tire, the main issue that could not be solved at the track was the 15-second legacy coding in the FuelTech that dumped wastegate dome pressure when using time-based drag racing features. As it turns out, this is a testing item that was never removed in production, and an update from FuelTech will be coming out shortly. I suppose it has gone unnoticed over time because who would put a FuelTech on a >15sec car, right? However, 1/2 mile and Bonneville racers across the world will rejoice.
• Don put his all into the tuning and we now have a really good program for concrete, together with individual cylinder fuel and timing tuning based on the various sets of plugs we changed out. I learned a ton from this perspective.

Next steps for me are some wrenching with Shaun over the coming weeks and working on the part throttle drivability tuning. plus, maybe some track time when the new tires arrive.

As for the 200mph goal, I think we are one FuelTech update and a set of tires away...

 

If the heads are straight and the manifolds aren't badly warped I like thick soft copper gaskets, they have some give and are pretty dang durable. Just expensive. MLS is ideal but it won't tolerate any warp at all. Stage 8 locking header bolts seemed to really help longevity with stock style graphite composite on my sbf.

 

Very cool. Congrats on having a solid weekend and being able to bring it back home in one piece. That's always something to be happy about.

 

Great update less to 200mph goal.
Still living vicariously thru your exploits.

 

Update - We entered the Wisconsin Outlaw 1/8 mile race at GLD a few weeks ago. It was a great learning experience since I have never raced heads up before. With that said, we brought a knife to a gun fight and we didn't have time to wire up the bump box, so the pro tree kicked my ass. We were only running it out to the 1/8 mile (GLD has a really short shut down). We ran a 5.8X at 130 off the trailer, coasted to a 9.70 at 104. Got our first 9 second pass LOL. The car kept getting faster and faster, but my driving kept getting worse and worse. I was letting go of the button and then lifting to 70% TPS. We managed a 1.31 60 foot, a 5.40, and coasted to a couple of 8.54's in the 1/4 letting out after the 1/8th. Don gave me some coaching on how to drive this thing and I was ready for redemption, then someone oiled down the whole track with trans fluid. It was getting late, dew was forming on the track, so Don called it and we headed home.

We are heading back this Thursday night for slicks and radial night. I milled the header flanges flat and ditched the remflexes. Derrick got the headers and valve covers back so we should be done with blowing out header gaskets (flat flanges and RTV moving forward). Aaron and I wired up the TB and Bump to the factory cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. Hopefully I can get comfortable in the car and continue our quest for high 4's in the 1/8. Stay tuned! The car is working flawless and there is still a TON left in it. I just need to get more seat time.

 

Update, we went back to GLD for slicks and radial night. Made a clean 1/8 hit off the trailer so Don turned it up a bit. The car did it's first wheelie (and my first wheelie) so when it came down I aborted the pass because I thought the tire was breaking loose. The data log said it was not, so it was more driver error LOL. The 3rd pass Don turned it up a bit more. The car dead hooked and then snapped the output shaft on the trans and twisted the strange chromoly slip yoke! We loaded her up and called it a night.

Derrick and I pulled the trans and bought it over to Dean. He said my planets were shot, other than that, just normal wear on the clutches. I sent him a new set of wide ratio planets and he put them in along with a new output shaft and clutches. Derrick and I bolted it back up and i headed off to Punta Cana with Kelly for the week. While i was gone Derrick and Aaron finished putting the car together, fixed some things on the to do list, and cleaned the shop! We took it out of a quick test drive last night and we are ready to go racing. Hoping the weather holds out a bit longer here so we can head to GLD one more time on 11/12. More updates to follow as we continue to search for 100% TPS and 4's in the 1/8!

 

So we made it to GLD 11/12/23. The DA was awesome, but the prep was less than stellar. Not enough sunlight/heat or fast cars to bring it around. Don pulled a bunch of power out of the car and we made about 6 hits. We worked from 5.90's down to 5.50's, all 100% TPS! Don was having me short shift a 8K because it was knocking the tire off at the shift. On the last run the car was on a pass so I clicked it at 8,500 and it blew the tire off the car. I aborted and was able to gather it up. Don called it since it was obvious that the track wouldn't take anymore power so we drove her on the trailer and headed home. Arron and I swapped fuels back to pump gas and I drove it to church, my parents, Jewel, and Derricks on Sunday (with the kids in the back in booster seats!). Great way to end a season for us. Plans for the winter:

1) No upgrades right now, car is taking everything we throw at it and we have plenty of power to do what we want to do. Converter is perfect after the last stator change. The rpm drop is right where Don wants it to be and slip up top is around 3%.
2) Pull motor for maintenance. Head gaskets, fresh lifters, etc.
3) Make A/C lines and charge the system

Plans for 2024:

1) Go to a longer track with good prep in the spring and get that 7 second pass
2) Go to Marion and get our 200mph 1/2 mile pass
3) Get Aaron situated with the Caprice and ready for shakedowns (driver and car) in Marion. Maybe some shakedown runs at GLD.

We decided to wait another year to race True Street so we can finish what we started above and focus on Aarons program for a bit.

Plans for 2025:

Sally
1) 210mph+ in the 1/2 mile
2) Quicker than 7.50's (and get into the 4's in the 1/8)
3) Race True Street

Caprice
1) 200mph in the 1/2 mile
2) First 7 second pass
3) Race true street

Drag week or Sick Week for both cars.

That's about it! Thread will probably be silent until the spring unless we come across any surprises when the motor comes out.

Like always, thanks to every one who is still following along after all these years. It has been quite the journey!

 

Thanks for keeping us updated over here.
Your build has been and continues to be incredible.

 

Counting down to 1/2 mile airstrip attack in Marion. 4 weeks out!