600 hp Corvette

[vetteracer]

G' day- my first time- please be gentle. I'm totallly new to the salt, but did run my 1984 (C4) Corvette in the 1994 Cannonball Run. Finished 3rd outright and 1st n/a. The donk was a home built 355 ci chev, which had 366hp at the wheels which I estimate to be about 425 hp @ the flywheel. This was good for a solid 170 mph on tarmac. I am now building a 434 ci smallblock which should make 600 hp( streetable -on PULP) I had thought the extra 150 hp would get me to 200 mph on the salt in the vette. Now that I have a look around the DLRA site I realise I have a lot to learn about that white dyno. Anyway, I have sent off my $100 cheque- I'll build the 434 and hope to be at the salt next year to see what she'll do!
Vetteracer
PS They reckon the Romans used to say "If you can't race it or take it to bed, it's not worth while having!"

PPS I tried to post this last night, but can't find it on the site PPPS- that should be "extra 175 hp"

[Rob]

Read it last night, I'd say Greg inadvertently ditched it as it was sandwiched in the spam posts.

Keep referring to the rule book as you build. From the time I spent observing at scrutineering this year, 90% + of all problems could have been avoided if the owners had read the rules on each area as they constructed their vehicles.

Cheers,
Rob

[BOB ELLIS]

"90%"? make that 100%.Read and follow the rules!It is not hard.

[vetteracer]

Rob/Bob- thanks for the feedback. The vette has a CAMS approved full cage (Targa Tasmania) but will have to check the rule book - will follow your advice and try to not assume anything.
Vetteracer

[Dr Goggles]

G' day- my first time- please be gentle. I'm totallly new to the salt, but did run my 1984 (C4) Corvette in the 1994 Cannonball Run. I am now building a 434 ci smallblock which should make 600 hp( streetable -on PULP) I had thought the extra 150 hp would get me to 200 mph on the salt in the vette.

....go to landracing.com/forum and register there . Start a topic and ask how much power you need to get a 1984 C4 Corvette to 200 , there will be someone there who knows , you'll be in the ballpark with 600. There will also be people there who have suggestions about what you might do to keep it on the deck when it is going 200.

I get the feeling that you drive this car on the street?....A race legal 200 mph car is a dedicated beast , and salt makes short work of pretty things.There was an E-Type running(~150mph) at this years meet that has plates but you'll go a long way to find any others , let alone 200 capable.

My tip would be to take a leaf out of Don Hudson's( http://www.dlra.org.au/profiles/417.htm , http://www.dlra.org.au/2009-06.htm# ) book and find a retired race car( in his case an Auscar) and sling your motor into that ..transplant your seat, harness , extinguisher system etc and drive the arse off it........ that way you can try a lot of stuff out that may be irreversible if you do it to the 'Vette.......worse case scenario?..... you blow ten grand on a salt car and you decide you don't like it, sell it , and you've still got the 'Vette unmolested.

Above all , the most important thing is to READ THE RULE BOOK in order to avoid disappointment!!!!!

[vetteracer]

Dr Goggles- mate you are too late. My vette/s have already been molested! I've been playing with race cars all of adult life, & my motto has always been to build them for going, not for showing. My goal is to go 200 mph in a road registered vette. I have 3 vettes in my shed, in various states of disrepair. #1 is the "old girl" that did the Cannonball Run (inc. driving to & from Darwin from SE Qld) & various tarmac rallies inc. Targa Tas 5 times. She has copped a few biffs along the the way - a rollover at a hillclimb in Vic.- a clutch blowup @ 7500 rpm at Calder Raceway (sounded like someone in the passenger seat was firing an AK47) as they say "more hits than Elvis" #2 is a 1992 vette (LHD) that I managed to put upside down, over a cliff (in the rain) in Targa #6. The chassis & body is stuffed but I can salvage the good (home-built but with expensive steel) cams roll cage. The running gear is also OK. #3 is a 1991 vette that i've 75% converted to RHD. Have still not decided whether to run #1 or #3 on the salt- this will depend on the rulebook. If all all else fails there is a spare chassis in the paddock,& will build a car from scratch. BTW, I am not a rich wanker- the cars have been "cheap" imports from US & Japan & with the help of a mate (Trev) have done everything (engine-gearbox-diff-paint & panel) ourselves. Could not have afforded to do even one Targa (let alone 6) if absolutely everything was not done in my shed, on a budget. Will keep you posted.
vetteracer

[BIG GAZ]

I agree with Bob re the rulebook. Interpretation is one thing but plain ignorance just wastes everyones time. A new race car should take around 15 mins to scrutineer. One with problems can take an hour, I could give numerous examples. I personally think we are far too accomodating to some which is to the detriment of those who actually care about their safety. Remember if you have any questions post them up or give someone a call or PM them. Everyone is only too willing to help. I can't stress it hard enough, 200mph on salt when you can't slam on the brakes and jump out in 10 seconds is pretty scary. Being burnt alive is not the way I want to go out.
BIG GAZ

[Rob]

Bob,

I did say 90 plus %

I'd think too, that once a scrutineer finds one problem on a vehicle, they start to look at the rest a whole lot closer.

Not just the vehicle either, at least one piece of "protective" clothing that I saw put forward for scrutineering, was sportswear.

Cheers,
Rob

[momec]

Welcome aboard Mr Vette

First area you should read is main cage tube size.
My interpretation is Cams cage Dia is too small so have a look in that section before you build a car around a wrong cage

Chris

[vetteracer]

You are spot on Chris- measured the CAMS cage last night and while the main hoop is ok, the front legs and braces are a bit light on. That spare chassis down the paddock is looking better by the minute- still it only owes me 3slabs (freight on a backload from melbourne to Qld- mates rates) so I guess that's a fairly economic start to any race car. Suppose it doesn't really matter if I try for 200 in 2010 or 2011- maybe will build the 434, run it in & sort it in the old girl, and go from there. Do not plan to cut any corners and I too am terrified of fire (when running in speedway, saw a mate badly burned in a methanol fire )
vetteracer

[Don Hudson]

For mine, the biggest problem is trying to follow the DLRA rule book and the RTA rego rule book at the same time, it's so much less constrictive if you forget about the fastest registered, and just go for fastest!

DLRA rules are for safety for you, RTA rules are alot more 'diverse' and often seem counter intuitive when it comes to salt lake racing.

I agree with the use an old race car theory (obviously - and it's a NASCAR, not AUSCAR, Dr G) , whether it's that or your other vette, just go all out and build for speed and safety, and forget about the rego.
Most of all, just get there.

[vetteracer]

Don- am now inclined to agree with you- thanks for the support. Just having to think out loud by posts on the site has helped to sort out my priorities. I want to run on the salt as hard and as safely as I can- stuff the rego bit. It was not until I finished a careful read of THE RULE BOOK last night,that I realised that I was tilting at windmills. When I proposed to my wife 30 years ago I said "I enjoy a beer and love motor racing and do not plan giving up either- they are the tems" She agreed (and we are still married) I look forward to enjoying racing and beers on the salt! Once the 434 is sorted will start on building a dedicated saltvette.
vetteracer
Whoops- try "terms"

[David Leikvold]

G'day Mr Vette, when you are designing the salt Vette you will have to remember that for the first time ever, lighter is not better. I still struggle with it from time to time, but if you make everything thick, strong and heavy you won't go far wrong. Except of course if you believe the old story about Corvettes being turned around in wind tunnels only to find they are more aerodynamic going backwards than forwards . We look forward to seeing your Vette on the next version of the 200mph club poster.

[vetteracer]

Hi David- thanks for the helpful aero tip- will now fit an overdrive reverse gear, just in case your theory is correct! BTW,I have a query re engine blocks and the RULEBOOK. For future reference what is the protocol? Should I put a post here, or on a different forum- or a PM to a scrut. or the moderator?
Vetteracer

[BOB ELLIS]

Asking here would be OK,or you can PM me if you like.It seems like i'm head tech inspector(don't know how i got the job) & also joint chief steward,so ask away! One tip on engine blocks,DON'T use a Ford Y block!!,or a jappa,or a pommie thing,Stick with good ol' Uncle Sam products .Use a Dart or World style block,even a 010 block can't take the loads that the salt provides (for very long).
And about the rulebook,read it,then read it again,then read it again.And when you think you know it,read it again,and again! Then ask questions,which i'll try to help you with as best i can.
One last tip , Tech inspectors drink Bourbon .A lot of competitors seem to forget this important part of protocol ,
Cheers , Bob.