1978 luv # 2

[BigDan3131]

I know you love these things so I found another one up here for you: http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/5178085446.html

[hotrod 80]

Washington seems to be where majority of them sold . Northern California .

[hotrod 80]

Getting closer .

[hotrod 80]

Well It was a lot of work , but I got it in a really good state yesterday by 2pm and decided to take it to Lufkin @ Pinevalley raceway for one of the last bracket races of the year . I got a lot of good data from the trip think I made 5 passes . The air got really good after sunset . Passes are : 7.5929 , 7.6100 , 7.7002 ( bad burn out , it spun , my fault ) , 7.6052 , 7.5697 ( good air for the break out ) .
The goal was to us this at bracket finals in No-E sportsman which is 7.50-12.99 1/8th mile . My lights were .049-.057 all night . Im going to swtich to a 25 inch front tire to help with the lights . Had a great time . Im off next week so I will be getting the newly rechromed bumpers put on and finishing up the small details . Tags , inspection , gas gauge , carpet Little stuff . Illl update as I go .

[hotrod 80]

Got the front and rear bumpers on . Headed to Ben Bruce memorial raceway this weekend for Texas vs Louisiana race .

[hotrod 80]

Had a pretty good night . Won the reaction time challenge with my worst light of the night a .0327 and got to 3 cars and lost with a .-012 to and .084. I had the rpm at 2200 instead of 2000 and was watching the tach . By the time I got it to 2000 it had crept into the second bulb and was almost deep . $183.75 for semis and reaction time challenge . .003 a .012 a pair of .018s and the .032 . Now have about 10 passes on it and the fastest pass is 7.64 . Still has about 16 number swing , but trans shifts different now and then in drive . Going to try and just shift it at 5000 off the shift light Thursday . Had a blast .

[djracer]

I am glad someone is getting to play. I have been working on a friends wife's race car just to get something to play with at the track. It is a 68 nova with one of my old small block street motors. It should run low 8's in the eighth.

[hotrod 80]

Just gonna try shifting manually @ 5000 . I had a few electrical issues last weekend , mainly the tach light and loss of power to half the accessories . I went today to West Marine and bought a 6 place ATC fuse block and a needed power junction . All the original stuff was Japanese and worn out . The fan belt was rubbing the underside of the upper radiator hose . I pulled the bulb out of the fasten seat belt light . anyway .... im as ready as im gonna get . Leaving Thursday morning For DIV 4 bracket finals .

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by djracer

I am glad someone is getting to play. I have been working on a friends wife's race car just to get something to play with at the track. It is a 68 nova with one of my old small block street motors. It should run low 8's in the eighth.

I don't see how you guys do it . I work on these things and enjoy it , but I love to race .

[hotrod 80]

Had a pretty good weekend . Manually shifting at 5000 worked out well . It definitely has more in it . The air was 1800DA sunday morning and 32% humidity and I won a double break out with a 7.498 . Went out 3rd round . I was like.030 to .045 all weekend . Going into 3rd I knew I needed to wittle on the .030 and made a big front tire pressure adjustment of 3#s up and was -.010 red , but my opponent was .012 so I was gonna have to make a move. I just moved to much . Before I left I installed a stereo and speaker so I could listen to the track announcer on the radio broadcast to get hints about the passes . The dash pad on this truck was long gone so I just glued some cheap carpet to it . Had a great time and figured I would add a few pictures .

[hotrod 80]

ended up going 3 rounds @ Div 4 bracket finals and took to big a bump and tire pressure move . Had a great time truck is fun for sure .

[hotrod 80]

Just to update . I dropped a screwdriver while it was running and tore up the radiator . $38 later it was repaired . Got it all back together and took it to get inspection yesterday . Guess I forgot to tighten the gas cap cause when I got to the inspection place it was gone . Nobody in town had one . Got one ordered and had fun driving it around town . Sat next to a police man at a light and he just shot me a thumbs up with no plates and registration out of date . Fun truck on the street for sure . Passengerside caliper acts like it is hanging up a bit . So far so good .

[hotrod 80]

I took it out a couple of weeks ago on test and tune night and ran it all the way out the back . Motor seems to really like being back on gas vs E85 . 11.88 @111 on 87 pump gas. Happy with that for sure . 1.57 60'

Anyway I have a taillight on the driver side that has some sort of short . When I hit the brakes the turn signal lights . Anyway took the truck to get it inspected and got to the place and passed everything except the gas cap was gone . Guess I forgot to tighten it . Drove to every auto parts in town looking for a new one and had to order it . Bought the only 2 they had left . In Texas the previous owner has the right to keep the plates off the car . The guy I bought it from chose to keep them . Also in Texas you have to have an inspection paper to get new tags . Basically I have insurance on it , but no plates and inspection . Pulled up to a light and Baytown PD pulls up next to me . I look over and he gives me a thumbs up ! Just glad he wasn't the ticket writing guy . I worked all weekend and now we have rain . The gas gauge wasn't working and on these trucks the fuel gauge has a voltage regulator that drops the voltage to the fuel gauge and the temp gauge to 7 volts . Somewhere along the way the wires had shorted and the voltage to both was 11.7 . The fuel gauge was un responsive and the temp gauge was working , but not very linear on the higher end . I found this thing n o s .

Hopefully this fixes the remainder of the factory gauges . I also found the factory bolts for the tailgate to put the tailgate straps back on .

[hotrod 80]

Have not updated this one in a while , but I was trying to save my Yellow truck for IHRA . I took this one out for sat/sunday NHRA race . I double teched it box and no box and I was killing it . Worst light was .033 . Headed into 3rd round in no box . I was .087 and 6 numbers slow for the lose . 3rd round super pro or box I was .088 and 7 slow . Broke the sprag in the converter .

[hotrod 80]

So last update I broke the sprag in the converter . Well I pulled the trans , which is a pain in the butt. These trucks have torsion bars like a Duster and the transmission crossmember is solid as it also holds all the rear mounts for the torsion bars . Trans has to come out bellhousing first . I had a tci break away (2800) in the garage and threw it in . Way to tight compaired to the tci super street fighter at 3800 . I took the truck to get it inspected and they wouldn't pass it due to the et streets . Inspector was a dumbass and didn't even know what a dot number or expiration date was . I wasn't letting this idiot drive my truck . Came back and put a set of 275/60's on it and was headed to another inspection station and got on it a bit to hard . Motor still has oil pressure , but has a real light rod knock . It can be saved , but needs to come out . I put new intake gaskets in the 388 pump gas motor and the super street fighter is rebuilt and fresh , so new motor and coverter .

My next question is about the trans . I have a th350 being built and the builder offered me what he calls his super stock trans . It is a 700 planetary machined to fit a th350 case . This changes the first gear from 2,52 to 2,75 . Truck has a 3,60 gear . Looking for opinions on this first gear change

[regan wilson]

I did the math and it really doesnt run the starting line ratio up that much. If your not having alot of trouble with tire spin it make help perk up the R-T's. It's a difference of 9.072 to 9.90 starting line ratio.

[hotrod 80]

Well I have always aimed for 9 to 1 first gear . Also worried somewhat about the bigger rpm drop going into second . I can mount a 28 x 10.5 and make shock adjustments and I think I can make it work with my very stock suspension .

[hotrod 80]

Well just an update . truck got driven at a truck race in the 12.0 class here in Houston and got a bit hot . Looks like it got a head gasket . Afr headed 388 going in with rebuilt converter . Also the long tubes off my yellow truck and a new exhaust system going in . This motor was .2 slower than the old "beater" in my yellow truck so maybe we can slow it back down to 7.50 1/8th mile . It has been as fast as 11.44 now . Anyway here are some update photos . Oil had water in it .

Coolent in the starter bolt hole

Old motor coming out


New motor

Going in

[hotrod 80]

Well I got a bit further and the motor doesn't look hurt to bad . It looks like it got hot and pushed water from the water jacket into the valley from the corner . Any way here are more pics of progress .

[hotrod 80]

[hotrod 80]

This is a video from last years bracket finals .
https://youtu.be/MHX0fi9_NCE

[hotrod 80]

Moved the shocks straight up to make room for exhaust .

[hotrod 80]

had an ever so slight oil drip over the back of the block and the starter . Found the problem and fixed it . Guess I didn't put down enough sealer on the rear China wall.

[hotrod 80]

Well , I have been driving this thing more and more as my yellow truck has issues . The motor seems to be getting better the more I drive it , So far best pass is a 6.97 in killer air . I ran it in Baytown in no box and went to 7 cars and in the money . It was around 7.07 in 2800DA air . Of coarse I got protested for safety , but they let me finish out the weekend . I bought a Willys restrictor plate for it and this cuts it back to 7.48 ish . Yesterday they had an Iron man race for 7.0 index and only one car showed up so we went for it . I told them hey here is the deal , no bars . They said we are good with it . We tree'd a dedicated 7.0 back half Vega and didn't have enough . We went 7.10 all out and he only clipped up by .014 at the finish line . A buddy of mine drove it at the truck race in Baytown and won the 12.0 index with it also .

[hotrod 80]

GOt the exhaust finished on this thing and now it is tagged and inspected again . My yellow truck is down so I have been bracket racing this truck . With the restrictor plate open it runs 7.25 with the back pressure and added weight of the exhaust . We went to Evadale Saturday morning and lost in the finals . Then loaded up and made the trip to Pinevalley as the gates opened at 4 pm . First time trial was at 6 pm , we pulled in at 5;45 just in time . Huge car count . Lost at 11 cars to a 14 pack . Had a great weekend of racing .