tips on tuning a drag car and track car

**trigga_bc** · 02-01-2007, 06:35 PM

Hey all right this is two questions rele right 1st one:-

I wanna build a car designed for drag racing and is road legal

What sort of mods do i wanna be looking at doing to get this?

2nd question:-

I want the same car to be good round a track what sort of mods do i need for this

The car i will be looking at getting is a 1.6 zetec S Fiesta Mk5.

I no basic things lowering it, stiff suspension, air intake and a few other goodie but that is as far as my knowledge goes im not very mechanicly minded lol.

Can someone help me please?

Cheers Trigga

**fingers** · 02-01-2007, 07:40 PM

Hi Trigga,

Firts off you need to decide what your budget is and which you'd rather do, 1/4mile strip or circuit.

A circuit car needs to be well balanced and handle well before you worry about going fast, and a circuit car needs more mid to top end power to be able to pull out of corners easily and have a higher top speed for those straights.

A drag car just needs to get from 0 to top speed as quck as possible. Top speed doesn't have to be and extra ordinary figure to get a good 1/4mile time, you just need to get there quickly. You may be up against a car that has a top speed 20mph higher than yours, but if it takes an extra 4-5 seconds to get there you will probably win. When building a drag car it needs to be as light as possible and as powerful as possible, weather it handles andd goes round corners is not important but you do need maximum traction at the driven wheels. If you wheel spin you loose time.

Buiding a car for the circuit and putting it down the strip with a little squirt of nitrous to help your time is probably your best bet. It is not possible to build a car specifically to do both and you cannot run a strip car round a circuit because it won't corner, but you can run a ircuit car down the strip it just won't be as quick as a purpose built drag car.

Good luck with it though.

**trigga_bc** · 02-01-2007, 07:57 PM

nice one cheers for the advice i think that a drag car wood be my best option as i have santa pod aceway just down the road what sort things can i do to enhance the speed acceleration etc

**fingers** · 02-01-2007, 08:44 PM

Ok cool. 8) 2 important questions.

1) Do you want the car to remain very comfortable, comfortable or throw all luxuries out the window and have it raw.

2) how much do you have/want to spend? As much as it costs, a lot, a little or bui;d it on a shoe string.

The order I would do it in is:

a) get your engine first. Strip it down and make sure it is all ok. Whileyou are there replace your piston rings, all engine bearings and oil seals. It may be worth fitting a high pressure oil pump too as the engine will get alot of punishment. It will also bea good idea to fit any high performance parts while your here too.

b) Get the car of your choice, put bigger brakes on it and put the engine in. While doing the engine swap, get rid of the power steering and fit a manual rack. they weigh less and reduce drag on the engine. When you fit the exhaust put anextra flange jint just behind the engine so when you're at the strip you can remove it. Once the engine is in drive the car round gently for 500 miles not exceeding 3000rpm and NO harsh acceleration during this period. Once you have done 500 miles do an oiland filter change and thats your engine sorted (in theory). Fit a good roll cage too.

c) I wouldn't bother lowering your car but I would put harder shocks on it to hold the wheels more firmly on the ground so they don.t spin.

d) Get a spare pair of wide front wheels to use your strip tyres on. You won't be able to use on the road as they usually too wide for a UK car and are very expensive (and usually slick). For the rear I would use standard skinny fiesta steel rims, The thinner the better to reduce rolling resistance.

e) Go through the car and work out what you want/need and don't want/need. Backseat, carpet and underlay, doorcars, rooflining, sterio and speakers, Spare wheel (when your at the strip), passenger seat (also when your at the strip) can all come out. The less weight your carrying the better and the faster you will go. Anything else unimportant that you can think of can come out too. If you can replace the doors, wings, bonnet and boot lid with ether fiberglass or carbon fiber panels as they are lighter and replace what glass you can with plexiglass for the same reason. Don't bother fitting spoilers/bodykits as they will not reduce drag enough to worry about only make the car weigh more.

I think that pretty much covers it. Once you have done this it is a case of fiddling with the car at the strip to try and improve your times. The biggest problem you will have with a fwd car is holding the power down and not spinning off the line.

If I think of anything else I will let you know.

**trigga_bc** · 02-01-2007, 08:51 PM

blimey cheers for that m8 lol a lil bit more and i could write a book lol but that is v helpful thank u v much

**fingers** · 02-01-2007, 09:20 PM

You're welcome. I wish I lived closer to the strip.

Welcome to my hobby. 8)

**trigga_bc** · 02-01-2007, 10:41 PM

you will have to come down to the strip one day there a few events comin up what you runnin

**fingers** · 02-01-2007, 11:02 PM

At the mo I'm runnung a 1970 Plymouth Sport Satellite with a 5.2 V8.

http://www.torquecars.com/features/near-lee.php

But I am building a Porsche 924 powered Morris Minor Specifically as a road legal strip car. I need to rebuild the motor on the Plymouth before I do any more runs in it, its the original motor and its getting a bit tired.

***waynne*** · 03-01-2007, 07:44 AM

Hi trigga_bc - welcome to the site. Nice to have you along and good luck with the project. (Very comprehensive answers Fingers - thanks an interesting read!)

**fingers** · 03-01-2007, 09:16 AM

Oh yeah, a high ratio geabox would be a good idea too, possibly use one from a 1.6 or 1.8 Zetec (if it will fit on your engine). You will loose some top end by doing this but you wil get there a whole lot quicker, which like I say, is the important thing. Get your 0-60 time down to about 5-6 seconds with gear ratio's that will give you a top speed of 100-110 mph and you should be able to get a 12 sec 1/4 mile.

***waynne*** · 03-01-2007, 10:11 AM

Don't you mean Low ratio? (closer gear ratio's)

**fingers** · 03-01-2007, 10:42 AM

Thats the one.

Mental note: Don't post just after getting out of bed.

**trigga_bc** · 03-01-2007, 12:42 PM

blimey cheers mate for all your advice i have copied it word so i dont lose it lol and hopefully i will see what 2007 will bring for me

jalopyjoe · 03-01-2007, 02:16 PM

Hello fellow drag racers. I am currently preparing a 1986 GTS Scirocco for VWDRC events. The plan is to debut it at the Easter Thunderball at The Pod. This will still be my daily get to work car so mods are much the same as the suggestions above. Maybe we will bump into each other at The Pod sometime.

***waynne*** · 03-01-2007, 02:29 PM

I Didn't realise we had so many drag racing fans on here - maybee it's time to put some drag tuning and drag driving articles in the main site? What do you think guys? Any tips on drag driving techniques (that you want to pass on)?