Need/want more power!

[grass doctor]

very interesting
experience is the key with engine build and tranny , great read thx
trust is a funny thing it takes years to build and can be lost in an instant

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

Well to sum it up for the OP, major opinions seem to be...

1. Save your money for eventual carnage.
2. Invest in better tuning solution.. powerlogger, ecm etc.
3. Torque convertor
4. Bigger Turbo.
5. Transmission strengthening

I'm somewhere between save your money and better tuning solution. We all seem to agree with a good tune and launch you can break into the 11.50's. At that point I believe your on the bubble with the stock block and center mains going sometime is a good possibility, causing total destruction. A lot of guys at your level used to pull the motor and do the center mains rather than risk the block. Several guys here though have had good luck, so something to think on. Lot of destroyed stock blocks at the 500chp level.

I think your stock transmission is fine at your level, many disagree. Make sure the filter is sealed. This was a problem on my car and probably the cause of a soft rebuild. Filter good, if it starts to slip, put new clutches in it, replace the stator etc while your in there. Its cheap. Breaks a drum, just replace with the upgrade if you want. My slow car has pulled some 1.6's 60fts on slicks and have never broke one, but I've seen them broke. Usually when the tranny breaks, its not that big a deal like the center mains going in the motor. You can have it out of the car in an hour once you do it a couple times. I don't worry about the transmission, its cheap compared to other destruction.

If it were my car, I would probably turn it down. Go from 24lbs to 20lbs boost for the sake of longevity and enjoy it as a driver at that level.

If you've really got the bug and want to go faster economically though, I vote for... stop where your at and get a different purpose built car.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Buick/18...=buick&quickSearch=1&np_offset=37&from=search Trailer Queen that should pin your ears back, probably get it for 25k, cost three times or more to build it.


https://www.racingjunk.com/Radical-...h=ls+1&quickSearch=1&np_offset=37&from=search Can you imagine beating NY Twin Turbo in a $15000 Tracker???

https://www.racingjunk.com/C5-1997-...h=ls+1&quickSearch=1&np_offset=76&from=search Do you like Vettes?


Lots of different flavors out there and way cheaper than the 55000 grand NY Twin says it would take to build his car.

Mechanical it would pretty much end up being exactly as it is. But I would eliminate all my unnecessary progressive steps, parts, and bling bullshit, skip the polishing, powder coating, upholstery, unnecessary gauges, stainless exhaust, paint job, HID and LED lighting......so on and so on. I wouldn't even start with an 86-87 TR. I would use beat-up hot-air or plain Regal roller.

But to keep it fair, It would still have all the characteristics needed to be a "street car".

I think maybe all this can be done for the low, low price of about $55,000. This includes the cost of the actual vehicle.

But.... NY Twins car is super freaking cool and a steal at 55 grand if moneys no object.

 

[Mr.Spool]

https://www.racingjunk.com/Radical-...h=ls+1&quickSearch=1&np_offset=37&from=search Can you imagine beating NY Twin Turbo in a $15000 Tracker???

unless i missed something i dont see how this tracker with a best pass of 9.8@132 is going to go down the track faster than his stage car that goes 9.6 at 146,and obviously is turned way down and still goes faster.the difference there is weight/tune/goals,and a really nice stage car that is turned down and goes to shows.

 

[Mr.Spool]

Trailer Queen that should pin your ears back, probably get it for 25k, cost three times or more to build it.

thats a one time bad ass peice.thats seen better days.bought at a fraction of what it took to build

 

[Mr.Spool]

Lots of different flavors out there and way cheaper than the 55000 grand NY Twin says it would take to build his car.

right but your trying to compare a car that cost x to build vs buying used.building and buying new everything is always going to cost more than buying used that someone wants to get out of.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Lots of different flavors out there and way cheaper than the 55000 grand NY Twin says it would take to build his car.

But.... NY Twins car is super freaking cool and a steal at 55 grand if moneys no object.

Thank you............I think.

 

[LANDAU LIMITED]

thats a one time bad ass peice.thats seen better days.bought at a fraction of what it took to build

....and probably a total pain in the ass pos. When you purchase something like that your purchasing someone elses headache. If not it would cost alot more. Plus that LS tracker would blow up within the first 5 passes.

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

right but your trying to compare a car that cost x to build vs buying used.building and buying new everything is always going to cost more than buying used that someone wants to get out of.

I guess my point is that once you start chasing a number, a lot of the time its cheaper, and quicker in the long run to just sell what you've got rather than hack up the car you have. Talked to several guys that at the end of the road, liked their cars better before they got the bug and hacked the car up trying to keep going just a little faster. OP is at the point with his car, he's going to need a roll bar if he's a track guy running the 1/4. If he's a street guy, is he going to notice a few tenths on the street? At 24psi the car should already be a pretty good street machine. IMHO he's right on the line with his car and the next steps are pricey as NY Twin as illustrated and there is not a lot of return on investment. If he just wants to go fast, a lot of cheaper options.

If he's like NY Twin and specifically wants a super fast dependable v6 regal, and wants to do it right, then he's going to have to pony up a lot, which I think NY Twin would agree with. If you want to run 9's build it for 8's. You need to figure out where you want to end up and cut to the chase. Nothing wrong with that, as long as your going to be cool with the down time and price of admission. A 1000 here and a 1000 there at this point your just wasting time and money if that's going to be your final goal.

OP's car is right on the race car edge, and my advice is to be happy with it. The guy with the Geo Tracker I linked to, probably thought it would be the coolest thing on the planet to have a 9sec Tracker..... and it is..., but the thing probably drives like crap, front heavy as hell, a bitch to get in and out of, can't drive by a gas station and he's tired of it and ready for it to go. Luckily for him I don't think he probably has as much tied up in it as we would with our cars and the 3.8 at that level.

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

Thank you............I think.

LOL. Nothing against your car. I'm jealous as hell.

 

[Mr.Spool]

nd probably a total pain in the ass pos.

at that level they are all high matinence cars and really money pits.also not a one man show when you go to the track.

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

...and probably a total pain in the ass pos. When you purchase something like that your purchasing someone elses headache. If not it would cost alot more. Plus that LS tracker would blow up within the first 5 passes.

No. Your buying someone's dream which they probably ran out of motivation or money to continue. All these cars have their headaches. Once you spend the kind of cash it takes to build that thing, its scary expensive to even race it for fear of breaking it, so it sits until its finally sold for a fraction of its build cost.

 

[Mr.Spool]

If he's a street guy, is he going to notice a few tenths on the street?

it depends where it is,exn the street the car was saying 60fting 1.8 and he drops the time to 1.6 he will notice,if its past say 1000ft probably not.

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

it depends where it is,exn the street the car was saying 60fting 1.8 and he drops the time to 1.6 he will notice,if its past say 1000ft probably not.

Agreed LOL

 

[LANDAU LIMITED]

No. Your buying someone's dream which they probably ran out of motivation or money to continue. All these cars have their headaches. Once you spend the kind of cash it takes to build that thing, its scary expensive to even race it for fear of breaking it, so it sits until its finally sold for a fraction of its build cost.

Was their dream now their nightmare.....then its your nightmare.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

I guess my point is that once you start chasing a number, a lot of the time its cheaper, and quicker in the long run to just sell what you've got rather than hack up the car you have. Talked to several guys that at the end of the road, liked their cars better before they got the bug and hacked the car up trying to keep going just a little faster. OP is at the point with his car, he's going to need a roll bar if he's a track guy running the 1/4. If he's a street guy, is he going to notice a few tenths on the street? At 24psi the car should already be a pretty good street machine. IMHO he's right on the line with his car and the next steps are pricey as NY Twin as illustrated and there is not a lot of return on investment. If he just wants to go fast, a lot of cheaper options.

If he's like NY Twin and specifically wants a super fast dependable v6 regal, and wants to do it right, then he's going to have to pony up a lot, which I think NY Twin would agree with. If you want to run 9's build it for 8's. You need to figure out where you want to end up and cut to the chase. Nothing wrong with that, as long as your going to be cool with the down time and price of admission. A 1000 here and a 1000 there at this point your just wasting time and money if that's going to be your final goal.

OP's car is right on the race car edge, and my advice is to be happy with it. The guy with the Geo Tracker I linked to, probably thought it would be the coolest thing on the planet to have a 9sec Tracker..... and it is..., but the thing probably drives like crap, front heavy as hell, a bitch to get in and out of, can't drive by a gas station and he's tired of it and ready for it to go. Luckily for him I don't think he probably has as much tied up in it as we would with our cars and the 3.8 at that level.

There are a lot of different angles that one could view this whole hot-rodding thing from. I can only make suggestions to the OP and others on how they can approach it based on what has worked for me. For those that have read or spoken to me about my logic before, please excuse me. I don't need to bore you again with this story.

I've made a few wrong moves along the way, and have taken a few extra unnecessary steps. But not much. I'll leave those things out for now. But mostly my build has been right on track with what I chose to do 25+ years ago. Of course there are things that need maintenance, and there are some things that could use updating, and maybe some changes that can be made based on current styling trends. But the goal was always to have a "finished" project.

Lately I have explored the possibility of having a nearly identical short block built as a stand-by. This is to minimize downtime and changes if my current motor should need a re-freshening. It's been about 13 years that I have been running this build completely internally trouble free. Some day it will be due and I am too old now and my free time is too scarce to give up a year of down time.

My Buick is the first car I had ever owned. And I still have it today. I have never owned another hot-rod or project vehicle of any kind. I have been tempted. But stayed focused on one project and disciplined myself. I have never taken out a car loan and never owned a new car. My daily drivers are $1200 beaters and I own them for a year or 2 and then throw them away. For this reason, it would surprise most people that hot rodding as a hobby has not cost me a whole lot of money over all. Others build multiple projects, sell, buy, never finish, move on, lose interest.......etc. I'm not saying this doesn't make them happy. If it does, then keep going with it. But for me, I just wanted one thing I could make myself proud of.

I hope you all can understand why a take the stand I do when it comes to beginners asking for advise. This community and these cars has brought me years of happiness and satisfaction. There have been ups and downs along the way. But otherwise I only hope others can outline a plan that will work to provide them with what I have been so thankful of.

 

[OKBuickTurbo]

I have never owned another hot-rod or project vehicle of any kind. I have been tempted. But stayed focused on one project and disciplined myself. I have never taken out a car loan and never owned a new car

Your doing it right man. ADD is a horrible thing.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Your doing it right man. ADD is a horrible thing.

It is.

But so is OCD.

 

[TurboTGuy]

There are a lot of different angles that one could view this whole hot-rodding thing from. I can only make suggestions to the OP and others on how they can approach it based on what has worked for me. For those that have read or spoken to me about my logic before, please excuse me. I don't need to bore you again with this story.

I've made a few wrong moves along the way, and have taken a few extra unnecessary steps. But not much. I'll leave those things out for now. But mostly my build has been right on track with what I chose to do 25+ years ago. Of course there are things that need maintenance, and there are some things that could use updating, and maybe some changes that can be made based on current styling trends. But the goal was always to have a "finished" project.

Lately I have explored the possibility of having a nearly identical short block built as a stand-by. This is to minimize downtime and changes if my current motor should need a re-freshening. It's been about 13 years that I have been running this build completely internally trouble free. Some day it will be due and I am too old now and my free time is too scarce to give up a year of down time.

My Buick is the first car I had ever owned. And I still have it today. I have never owned another hot-rod or project vehicle of any kind. I have been tempted. But stayed focused on one project and disciplined myself. I have never taken out a car loan and never owned a new car. My daily drivers are $1200 beaters and I own them for a year or 2 and then throw them away. For this reason, it would surprise most people that hot rodding as a hobby has not cost me a whole lot of money over all. Others build multiple projects, sell, buy, never finish, move on, lose interest.......etc. I'm not saying this doesn't make them happy. If it does, then keep going with it. But for me, I just wanted one thing I could make myself proud of.

I hope you all can understand why a take the stand I do when it comes to beginners asking for advise. This community and these cars has brought me years of happiness and satisfaction. There have been ups and downs along the way. But otherwise I only hope others can outline a plan that will work to provide them with what I have been so thankful of.

I wish I could like this post multiple times, because I would. I'm not nearly as mechanically inclined as NYT is, but I can wrench and had an 86 GN I bought new until it was stolen in 96. I fell in love with these cars the first time I read an article in Hot Rod magazine in 86 and then looked at one at the dealer.

Fast forward to 2010, I bought a bone stock TR from Lou Czarnota and asked him to help me make it an 11.5 car.

It ran mid/low 11's from day one. I got the bug within 3 months and told Lou, "I wanna go faster". He knowingly shook his head and said "You know, it's not going to be cheap nor will it be easy".

Then he did exactly what I asked of him and the car went mid/low 10's for 8+ years of literally flogging on it both on the street and at the track every chance I got, and those opportunities were more than I could count.

I spent a lot of time researching what it would take and I spent good money wisely to get it done right the first time. This is KEY to any successful build.

A Buick TR is, and always will be, the only car I want as my "Fast One". Though NYT does, some people just don't get that, and I really don't care. This new build, well, it's going to be a monster. Many of the folks that are involved are at the pinnacle of the TR world. I'm a lucky guy to be able to do this.

I am currently in a build that is 13 months old with no real end in sight, so I understand the down time, but I CAN see light at the end of the tunnel. I really hope it's not just the train coming at me.

Good luck to you OP, whatever you decide.

Thanks NYT, you've restored my enthusiasm!

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

I wish I could like this post multiple times, because I would. I'm not nearly as mechanically inclined as NYT is, but I can wrench and had an 86 GN I bought new until it was stolen in 96. I fell in love with these cars the first time I read an article in Hot Rod magazine in 86 and then looked at one at the dealer.

Fast forward to 2010, I bought a bone stock TR from Lou Czarnota and asked him to help me make it an 11.5 car.

It ran mid/low 11's from day one. I got the bug within 3 months and told Lou, "I wanna go faster". He knowingly shook his head and said "You know, it's not going to be cheap nor will it be easy".

Then he did exactly what I asked of him and the car went mid/low 10's for 8+ years of literally flogging on it both on the street and at the track every chance I got, and those opportunities were more than I could count.

I spent a lot of time researching what it would take and I spent good money wisely to get it done right the first time. This is KEY to any successful build.

A Buick TR is, and always will be, the only car I want as my "Fast One". Though NYT does, some people just don't get that, and I really don't care. This new build, well, it's going to be a monster. Many of the folks that are involved are at the pinnacle of the TR world. I'm a lucky guy to be able to do this.

I am currently in a build that is 13 months old with no real end in sight, so I understand the down time, but I CAN see light at the end of the tunnel. I really hope it's not just the train coming at me.

Good luck to you OP, whatever you decide.

Thanks NYT, you've restored my enthusiasm!

OMG!!!!!

You DO look like Bill Murray!

 

[TurboTGuy]

OMG!!!!!

You DO look like Bill Murray!

No, I look like Carl Spackler........