[1968blackstang]

This weekend I went to a local dragstrip for a show. With the entry fee, you got one pass down the track after the show for free. This was my first time drag racing, and my car's first time down the track as well. I have to say, it was A LOT of fun, but i was seriously disapointed in its performance... it ran a 18.77 at 72 mph in the 1/4 and 12.87 in the 1/8th, i almost lost to a freakin pinto! :hihi: Now, granted it was pretty hot out and i just left it in drive, but still were these cars really that slow?
The motor is bone stock (rebuilt about 10-12 years ago), and so is the rear axle ratio.
What can i do to shed some seconds off that time but still keep it streetable? A gear change is a obvious one, how hard are they to do?

 

[Badfish]

Do you have your slip? What was the 60 ft. time? I can see 16-17 being normal for a 289 2 barrel car, but 18.77 sounds like you need some help. Actually that could be close for a bone stock 289 from the 60's......

Theres so much more we need to know about the car I think.

 

[Badfish]

I couldnt find specific info, but this site has a 66 289 tested at 17.9 in the quarter, so yours might just be close, given the hot weather, lack of seat time, etc.

http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-quarter-mile-times.htm

Sorry about that. But you can make it faster if you choose. If its any consolation they have the 73 Pinto tested at 18.70......

 

[solidhex]

The original 289 motors were not known to be power houses

 

[Jonk67]

Did you leave the line from an idle or powerbrake at all? It takes some practice to get a decent launch which is where most races are won. Just like a foot race, if you don't get a good snappy start you'll probably never catch up.
Jon

 

[andrewmp6]

Yeah a stock 289 isn't that fast but can be,Also drag racing takes time to get good at just keep trying for fun.

 

[Sick467]

Rear gears make a world of difference ans you suspect. Especially if yours is on the extreme end of the highway ratio. Rear ends are not too hard to change. The hard parts to manage can be removing the bolts that hold the forward section of the springs, but only if you are changing the springs too. Otherwise you leave them in place and only remove the rear shackles. The U-bolts are typically pretty crudy and have to be cut off, so count on replacing them. It can be done by yourself, but as most things wrt cars - it's better to have a extra hand and plenty of research beforehand.

Other things to concider would be different heads, cam, headers, and 4 barrel carb. Maybe even a smaller diameter rear tires for more off the line torque.

 

[Veronica]

Hello. If you have a stock 'C' code car, your car came with a 2.80 rear end, and only has one wheel pushing back there. Swapping that out with a 3.25 limited slip would make a world of difference. Plus, as has already been hinted at, having a ptofessional driver behind the wheel would probably trim a couple of seconds off of that time. There is a reason why it always seems to be the same few people that end up in the finals every year.

 

[jdstefan22]

I can totally relate to your experience!

I ran my 66 coupe- stock 289, 3 Speed- 2.80 rear- 4 bbl Edelbrock carb, Pertronix I in the distributor, no other mods- down our local dragstrip in Sept 2009.

My time in the 1/4 was 17.58 82mph, in the 1/8mi 11.58, 65mph.

My 60ft time was 3.351, not sure if that is good, bad or indifferent, but I do know I didnt get out of the gate smoothly.

Yeah, I thought it stunk also. But here is why it stunk so much, I think:

1.First time I ever ran on a track- there is skill involved just getting the timing down of the lights that a rookie doesnt have.

2.Never drove the car with a helmet on before. That totally negated my ability to hear the RPM's of the motor, hence when the light turned green I came out of the gate quite jerkily, because I had the RPM's too high.

3.Lack of seeing/hearing my engine RPM-no tach, couldnt hear the motor, for the reasons above-plus the other noise you get when your there with another car at the line.

4.The gearing of the rear, 2.80, certainly won't get you anywhere quick.


I was running 205/70's on the front and 245/60's on the rear then, maybe that helped. I have changed the rear tires out for 215/70's now, as my car really is more of a car show cruiser than track star.

I think that with practice and a tach, I probably could improve the car maybe 2 seconds, but honestly, I am not sure I would ever get below the 15 second mark, if that, with my car.

But, let me tell you, it was pretty cool! (Not sure I want to subject the car to the abuse that I did that day again though)

 

[sporty12]

You guys better keep those mustangs off the track or you will be like a lot of others on this site myself being one who get hooked on drag racing. I race at least once a week 9 months a year. It is my hobby and I can't wait each week for Saturday to roll around.

 

[lil bull]

I ran my 65 Falcon in 06 with a 289 with c4 and 3.50 rear gears. I has a 4 barrel, performer manifold and headers and ran low 16s. I shifted it manually at about 4500 rpm. I think I would have been in the 15s if I had pushed it harder but it has over 100k miles o n it and did not want to tear it up.

 

[v8only]

the stock mustangs were rated 200hp by the old standards...when rated by todays standards, it's about 150hp. 150 hp in a 2900-3000 pound body doesn't make for a ton of fun.

I remember years back when my friend had a bone stock 66 coupe, stock right down to the exhaust and smog pump...he raced it against my bro's 91 escort LX.....my bro in the escort beat the mustang.

They're extremely slow....even with intake exhaust and gears they're still pigs. Only way around it is to yank the engine and throw a complete rebuild at it with good heads and high compression, or drop in a later 5.0 engine...

 

[PaulS]

Well, to begin with the 65-66 Mustangs were only 2400 - 2700 pounds and they were not the fastest cars on the road but they were a ton of fun.
In 1971 I built a 66 289 using the iron heads that came with it to 350 hp and it was plenty fast in a 65 fastback.
You can build the same amount of power in a 289 today a lot easier with aftermarket heads and modern cam and intake but mine was done with Ford parts - except for the Cobra intake.
The engine was machined by an old timer who did excellent work. I did all the head work except installing the seats to fit the larger valves. I ground a radiused seat and ground the valves with a radius instead of three angles. I ported the heads and equalized the chambers to within .1 CC from largest to smallest. I rebuilt the distributor and installed needle bearings in place of the bushing and made a breaker plat that didn't change the dwell when it rotated. I recurved it and set it up with dual points. A lot of other details were covered to make it perform well and when it showed 352 hp on the engine dyno I was proud as I could be. The first time I drove the car I just pulled out of the lot and on to the highway and pushed it through the gears. Before I could mentally catch up I was doing 120 mph and was already several blocks down the road not even thinking I had covered a block. It was plenty fast and when I learned to drive it I could take just about any corner I came to without worrying about sliding or squealing my tires.

The problem with young builders today is that they think it has to have aluminum heads, roller cam and a boat load of aftermarket parts to make power - some of us have done it with some work and careful planning over 39 years ago.
Bring you up to date I have built a comparable engine that is in my not-yet-ready 66 coup and it will be even better. The car is at least 200 pounds lighter, the engine makes more torque, the chassis will be stiffer and the suspension at least as good.

 

[nnik]

+1

Well, to begin with the 65-66 Mustangs were only 2400 - 2700 pounds and they were not the fastest cars on the road but they were a ton of fun.
In 1971 I built a 66 289 using the iron heads that came with it to 350 hp and it was plenty fast in a 65 fastback.
You can build the same amount of power in a 289 today a lot easier with aftermarket heads and modern cam and intake but mine was done with Ford parts - except for the Cobra intake.
The engine was machined by an old timer who did excellent work. I did all the head work except installing the seats to fit the larger valves. I ground a radiused seat and ground the valves with a radius instead of three angles. I ported the heads and equalized the chambers to within .1 CC from largest to smallest. I rebuilt the distributor and installed needle bearings in place of the bushing and made a breaker plat that didn't change the dwell when it rotated. I recurved it and set it up with dual points. A lot of other details were covered to make it perform well and when it showed 352 hp on the engine dyno I was proud as I could be. The first time I drove the car I just pulled out of the lot and on to the highway and pushed it through the gears. Before I could mentally catch up I was doing 120 mph and was already several blocks down the road not even thinking I had covered a block. It was plenty fast and when I learned to drive it I could take just about any corner I came to without worrying about sliding or squealing my tires.

The problem with young builders today is that they think it has to have aluminum heads, roller cam and a boat load of aftermarket parts to make power - some of us have done it with some work and careful planning over 39 years ago.
Bring you up to date I have built a comparable engine that is in my not-yet-ready 66 coup and it will be even better. The car is at least 200 pounds lighter, the engine makes more torque, the chassis will be stiffer and the suspension at least as good.

thats how I grew up...now people just laugh when you say you'd like to do it that way, I'm currently working on a roller 5.0 that will hopefully have over 300hp by using what I was taught 30 yrs ago, rather than bolting on parts from summit

 

[v8only]

nothing but respect for building HP the hard way. High compression and tons of man hours into porting stock heads to make the #'s you want.....

Guess I'm one of the lazy ones... a 5.0 roller block, a good off the shelf cam and some junkyard gt40 heads, and I've got 300 real hp.