Taking on an LS1 F-body...will I have enough?

[Snorman]

I've got a friendly race with a local guy with an '02 Firehawk at E-town next Saturday. His car is an A4, stock (except the SLP lid and Loudmouth).
I just put on a set of 235/60 DR's. I've also got the following...

*Walbro 340 with RT hotwire kit
*Postons base lid for aircleaner
*Convertor and manual fan switches
*Billet inlet bell (no gains)
*160* stat
*Cottons 93 chip and Thrasher 92
*Adjustable WG actuator
*237 FP regulator

Right now, I left off the 237 FPR and am running the Cottons chip. The car is making 16/16/17psi of boost and feels very strong. O2's are in the 800 range, with no KR after having very intermittent KR the first time driving with the chip. I'm thinking of running 100 octane and cranking the boost up to 18-19psi. Also, I'm going to put on a test pipe that's in the garage.
Think I'll get him?
S.

 

[turbo buicks]

www.fast-autos.net lists a ls1 T/A at 13.9. of course this can vary widely but its an automatic which is probably pretty consistent. i think you may be able to stay w/him especially since you are running more boost. but to be sure, put on the test pipe, add the 100 octane, up the boost and tune. if you dont mind ruining a o2 sensor put some 116 in ther and get the turbo in its sweet spot (~20-21 psi i think but i may be off) just to make sure you will win. since his car is basically stock allow him to run racegas just to be "fair" so he cant say "oh but you ran racegas". too bad he will just be wasting his money LOL

 

[Dan K]

Hmmm....I say you lose w/ 16-17psi.....unless you can launch w/ some good boost.
Don't ask me how I know.

 

[JToups386]

Well, for what it's worth, per owning one of each;
My bone stock 99 LS1 Z28 w/ 2000 miles on it, went a 13.35 @ 105 on factory radials, first trip down the track. I then simply took the air filter out while there, re-ran, and went a 13.15 @ 105.7! I was amazed, as were my constituents around me.
The simple fact is, the LS1 is today, what the Buicks were in their era. It's a superior powerplant to anything in it's class, with the best technology around. A 15* head makes for incredible airflow right from the factory. My point is; don't underestimate his ability! Don't go into it being only half prepared either. Put a half-n-half mix of C16 and 93, (you won't hurt your O2 on one tank of this), and crank your boost up to 20psi. Put that dump pipe on too, as it usually yields me 1.5 tenths, and 1-2 mph!
If he has a Firehawk, they already have better exhaust and a ram-air setup that my stock LS1 didn't have, and I would bet he could run a high 12 with little effort. If he's on DR's too, he'll beat you off the line, because you will in all likelihood fry your DR's on the launch, per making more torque than him.

This is just some basic assumptions, per the data you provided, and it could certainly vary with other given factors. I'm simply letting you know that the LS1 packs a hard punch, and it doesn't take much to make them really scream. I now run 12.50's in mine, simply by using a Vigilante 2800 stall, and Nitto DR's.

Best wishes to ya' for victory. (I'm still partial to the Buicks...!)

 

[DCVING 6]

I think you should be able to hang with him.

I ran a 14.04 @99 2.26 60ft. my first time out.

Had 245/60 street tires, stock chip (showed around 15 psi on gauge)

hotwired 307
atr 2.5 downpipe
testpipe, hooker 2.5 exhaust
237 reg (i think i was a little rich)
K&N
powerplate
160 stat

 

[Snorman]

I'm pretty knowledgable about the LS1 F-bodies. This car is a stock '02 with the SLP lid (Firehawk) and SLP Loudmouth. He's running on the stock Firestone SZ-50's. The '01/'02 cars are a touch quicker than the earlier cars, but most A4 cars are in the 13.3-13.7 range at around 104-107mph. If it was a 6M, I'd be concerned about him running me down in (his) 3rd gear.
I'm going to have a hard time matching his TS, but if I can get it down the track well, I can probably hang with his ET.
I'm not sure what to expect as far as ET's with these mods, as it seems some cars are running 14's and some are running 12's. My car is pretty light, it's a hardtop with Al bumper supports and no options except cruise, rear defrost and power windows.
I guess it's the old saying...race him and find out.
S.

 

[turbo buicks]

wow JToups386, those are some impressive times, especially for an auto. i try not to rely too heavily on what one person says a car should run due to the many factors involved in racing but that website is the only place i knew of that would have times for a lot of different high performance cars.

 

[JToups386]

Originally posted by DCVING 6
I think you should be able to hang with him.

I ran a 14.04 @99 2.26 60ft. my first time out.

Had 245/60 street tires, stock chip (showed around 15 psi on gauge)

hotwired 307
atr 2.5 downpipe
testpipe, hooker 2.5 exhaust
237 reg (i think i was a little rich)
K&N
powerplate
160 stat

I would hope you're not suggesting that any 14 second time slip would have a fraction of a chance against the Firehawk???
Even an average running LS1 stocker will run 13.6 @ 104 on any given day. The Firehawk should be low 13's with no prob. And, if he's done any mods, he could be in the 12's. I was able to get a best ET of 12.97 @ 106.8 on stock radials with my LS1, after spending less than $300 on self fabbed mods, an airlid, and exhaust cutout. It only got better after adding a stall later on...
Don't sell the F-body short!

 

[JToups386]

Originally posted by turbo buicks
wow JToups386, those are some impressive times, especially for an auto. i try not to rely too heavily on what one person says a car should run due to the many factors involved in racing but that website is the only place i knew of that would have times for a lot of different high performance cars.

Thanks. I too was impressed, (as well as surprised), when I bought the car and ran those times. It wasn't a fluke though, as it did it consistenty. Obviously it wasn't built on a Friday...
And yes, ET's vary considerably across the board. Mine seemed to be about a tenth quicker than my different friend's with the same setup. We also have the luxury of running at one of the nation's quickest drag strips (Houston Raceway Park). It was about 65* that first night, but I did back it up on an 85* day, with the 12.97's.
However, my LS1 is my daily driver, as I still choose my GN as my weapon of choice (If I ever finish putting it back together). There's just quite a joy in beating a V8 or V10 hotrod with these 15 yr. old V6 huffing sedans...! Right?

 

[turbo buicks]

yes

 

[donZ]

i don't think so.
good luck, and let us know who wins.

 

[TType84]

my friend's stock 2001 z28 ran 8.53's in the 8th, to my 8.60's..

so you have a car with an adj wg, and a street chip, oh yea drs too.. crank the boost with some octane and put that test pipe on

you might beat him then..

my 8.6 was with open exhaust, 17psi, a cold air kit and a jay carter chip

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by JToups386
I would hope you're not suggesting that any 14 second time slip would have a fraction of a chance against the Firehawk???
Even an average running LS1 stocker will run 13.6 @ 104 on any given day. The Firehawk should be low 13's with no prob. And, if he's done any mods, he could be in the 12's. I was able to get a best ET of 12.97 @ 106.8 on stock radials with my LS1, after spending less than $300 on self fabbed mods, an airlid, and exhaust cutout. It only got better after adding a stall later on...
Don't sell the F-body short!

I dont think it's a Hawk....has an SLP lid. The lid really woke my brother's car up - both his Z and his WS6 TA ('99 and '02). The WS6 feels a tad slower, but it's not as loud and a little more refined than the Z28 was. His Z ran low 13s @ 105-106 off the showroom floor (stock everything - including the tires). Never ran it with the lid and exhaust mods. Could be good for a tenth or two.

I think the LS1 might edge you out.....hope I'm wrong.

Jim

 

[PsychoBuickBoy]

16-17 psi - You will lose
20 psi - You will win


That simple, just get some decent gas and smoke him!

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Put the regulator on, slap a 108 chip in there, fill up with 116 octane, turn the boost to 22psi and spank him like a red headed stepchild.

In fairly stock form (turbo, intercooler, injectors 15-16 psi) my brother would spank me every time in his 97 LT1 SS camaro. On the street he would walk me. He was running 13.5 @102 with nothing more than a slp cold air intake. I put in race gas and a race chip, and proceeded to crank out 13 ohs at 105 all night on 235 street tires.

If you have the stock exhaust, a nice little trick is to unbolt it behind the cat, and bolt the top part of the y pipe to the bottom part of the cat. I picked up 4 mph because the stock exhaust is so restrictive.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Get the O2s down into the 770 range!