[ronj1977]

My Set up is Summit 2801 cam, 400 stock bottom end, 1969#62 heads ,4-speed stock quadrajet 3.23 rear gears.

[ronj1977]

no guessess my brother in law says no way will i make the 13's i was thinking close maybe but never really ran the car very hard.

[ponjohn]

What car, what weight, what compression, any head porting, what intake?

[Half-Inch Stud]

See 12.2 & 12.0 ET signatures for target performance after "dialing-in" your combo.
Ther is a performance difference in 400 vs 455. But how much? Depends on then head porting.

There is a MAJOR performance reduction with the 4-speed in 60foot times, and applied/unapplied power during gear shifts. Expertise can close those 2 performance gaps.

[ronj1977]

mild home porting on heads 400 w/9.7-1 compression 1977 trans am

[screamingchief]

Most combos like this never run as well right off the bat as the owners think they should run,as there are typically all sorts of little "issues" that are never apparent till you actually get the car to the track and run it hard.

Now that's not to say that wont run significantly quicker once a fella works with his combo to iron out all those issues,but the trick is to not get too disappointed by the first so-so track outting and give up or such,you gotta dig in and stick with the combo and work with it to get the best performance outta it.

That said,yeah low 14's to start,and maybe into the 13's after some work and track time.

Especially with the 4 speed and an somewhat inexperienced driver.

Your gonna find that you'll probably wanna add a line-loc to help stage the car properly.

And for sure you should invest in a good driveshaft loop and scattershield if you dont already have those now.

Also plan on spending for a better driveshaft/yoke assembly too,1350 joints,steel yokes,and a thick wall shaft will be mandatory if it actually starts hooking with the 4 speed.

Then be prepared for the OE posi/spider gears to scatter.

Once the bug gets you,it never ends.

Good luck with it.

Bret P.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Prediction:

60 foots from 2.8 to 2.2 seconds
ET from 14.2 to 13.2 depending on above 60 foots.
MPH 97 to 103 depending on Total Advance being set sweet (30-34), with ping-free fuel.

[ta man]

I agree with all previous posts...have fun and work on your launch.

[grandville455]

Mid to high 14's around 98 mph...

[1FAST GTO]

Your going to need some slicks and some 4.33 gears to get low 13s. My prediction, first pass mid 15s, smoking the tires. Keep us posted

[ronj1977]

do i need to worry about car hooking up on track i usally ease into the throtlle the track will be much stickier ? should i launch in second gear possibly

[PontGuy]

I generally head to the track only once every 5 years or so just to see what a new build will do, and most have been sticks, so I've been right there with you a few times now. So, from a perpetual rookie... if your car runs good and you can manage a reasonable launch then low 14's would make me smile. 13's would make me grin ear-to-ear.

The track will be stickier than the street but if you've got it in your blood you will smoke the tires first time anyway. And don't be too embarrassed if you fall asleep at the light at first, getting the timing down is trickier than it looks from the stands especially with a stick. Start in first, step on the gas, let out the clutch and find the sweet spot.

My absolute first run on a strip 20+ years ago with a 67 Fb, 400 engine with more compression but no porting, bigger cam, headers, 3.55 gear but worn-out posi, and 4spd was 13.9 at 101. Your car should not be too far off from this. Go prove your brother-in-law wrong.

[ericwy]

Originally Posted by screamingchief

Most combos like this never run as well right off the bat as the owners think they should run,as there are typically all sorts of little "issues" that are never apparent till you actually get the car to the track and run it hard.

Now that's not to say that wont run significantly quicker once a fella works with his combo to iron out all those issues,but the trick is to not get too disappointed by the first so-so track outting and give up or such,you gotta dig in and stick with the combo and work with it to get the best performance outta it.

That said,yeah low 14's to start,and maybe into the 13's after some work and track time.
<snip>
Bret P.

It took me about 20 years to get my mild cammed DD street trim 400 auto to dip into the 13's.
In the end it was about deeper gears, higher stall, and better traction.

[th442]

"The best way to show a car is to drive it" ......that says it all PontGuy!

[Thomasmoto]

16'S

[Old Man Taylor]

Originally Posted by ronj1977

do i need to worry about car hooking up on track i usally ease into the throtlle the track will be much stickier ? should i launch in second gear possibly

The track is usually worse for street tires, but better for slicks. As far as technique, I always used 1st gear and rolled into it slowly.

[PontGuy]

"The best way to show a car is to drive it" ......that says it all PontGuy!

Thanks, took a while to come up with it but that's how I feel. I like very nicely done cars but have absolutely no interest in garage-queens.

16's? Seen it happen before but give the guy a break. I was very proud of that 13.9 first run ever though, especially with a daily driver that I built and tuned myself, and an open bottle of coke stuck between my legs during the run at that. But I'm an optimist and sticking with it as the target for the OP. Ronj, you do have a posi back there, right?

I still haven't taken the Lemans down the 1/4. No idea what it will do- the car runs strong and has good grip with the new rear. But the engine is set up for the street and its all about torque instead of RPMs (and no stick!), so impossible for me to gage. Actually the idea of running an old convertible hard to 100+ MPH has me a little spooked safety-wise. I need to hang out here for a while, throw in a comment every now and then and get psych'd.

[se428bandit]

I would say 14.50's until you get use to it and get it tuned.My '77 T/A with a 3.42 gear and 8:5 comp 400 and ran a best of 8.68@82mph in the 1/8 but slowed to a 13.68 @92 because of a bad fuel pump.What is the elevation at the track you want to run at? That will be a factor with what you run to.

[Ron H]

My first pass 16.8. After switching to a shifter to have all 3 gears, th400 and adjusting a few things and getting over the inital rush of the first time out. I ran 14.7's.

Warning, you will become addicted. This is your last chance to quit before you get the rush.

[Thomasmoto]

Originally Posted by PontGuy

Thanks, took a while to come up with it but that's how I feel. I like very nicely done cars but have absolutely no interest in garage-queens.

16's? Seen it happen before but give the guy a break. I was very proud of that 13.9 first run ever though, especially with a daily driver that I built and tuned myself, and an open bottle of coke stuck between my legs during the run at that. But I'm an optimist and sticking with it as the target for the OP. Ronj, you do have a posi back there, right?

I still haven't taken the Lemans down the 1/4. No idea what it will do- the car runs strong and has good grip with the new rear. But the engine is set up for the street and its all about torque instead of RPMs (and no stick!), so impossible for me to gage. Actually the idea of running an old convertible hard to 100+ MPH has me a little spooked safety-wise. I need to hang out here for a while, throw in a comment every now and then and get psych'd.

I was figuring on him spinning more than power output and street radial tires to boot. I didn't mean anything derogatory.