Rick's 1960 HT

[Dakota Boy]

Try pressing the brake, then hold the line-lock button, and pump the brake pedal one more time and release (keep the line-lock button pressed). What happens is a bit more fluid pushes past the lock, but cant get back out.

A line-lock wont hold the car back for too long on dry surfaces, but it'll hold forever on wet concrete. Ask me how I know this...

Their main purpose is to keep a car in the burnout box at the strip, not really as a "launch-control" device.

Is your rear diff open, or limited slip/trac-loc/posi-trac/whatever-whatchmacallit?
I have a Detroit Locker in my center section.

[Restifier52]

Thanks for the tip. I have a posi. It seems to work pretty well judging by the marks left on the pavement and it makes strange noises sometimes when I'm in reverse and turning. I bought a cheap little usb camera to put under the car while I'm driving to see how the suspension is moving and stuff. Haven't recorded much data yet. Pretty sure the clanking sounds in the back are my Cal Trac whachamajiggies slapping the leaf springs. Got my 50HP fuel jet today. N2O jet is on the way. So close. I read that using race gas reduces the need to retard the timing when spraying. I can do that.

[Dakota Boy]

Have you seen that MSD makes a little gadget with a dial on it for adjusting timing from the driver's seat? I'm pretty sure you have to use it in conjunction with one of thier ignition boxes though.

[Restifier52]

Yes I was looking at that today. I have a 6AL in the car so it's a viable option. I also saw the msd digital 6 that has that feature(and others) built in. Also looked at window switch but I don't think I need that. If I want to turn the nitrous off near the top end I can just turn off the arming switch in the ashtray and that will kill the WOT switch and the electric fuel pump simultaneously.

[Restifier52]

Well I got my 50HP jets installed, put in some race gas and finally hit the N2O. The first attempt was on a freeway on ramp. I thought I could tell the difference but it wasn't overwhelming. Perhaps the fuel line wasn't full. I hit it a couple more times going about 65-70mph in third gear. About the same. Then on the street I coasted down to first and tried again. This time I heard the pitch of the motor go up about a major third at the onset, still in first gear. I don't know what the rpm jump was, I'll keep one eye on the tach next time. My one second delay helps me know when it hits. It was as if the throttle opened up a bit more even though my foot was all the way down. I don't think I'm going to fear the 100HP jets. Maybe there are other things to do but other than not knowing exactly what my timing is doing I think everything is where it's supposed to be.

[Restifier52]

Still waiting for the dyno guy to call but there is plenty to do in the meantime. My wife sewed the seat belts because they were too long. I was chasing a problem of my "N2O ON" (flowing) light on the dash was illuminating when I turned on my headlights. Other symptoms appeared long story short boy it really cannot be overstated MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUND! I had mounted the relay for the solenoids on the fender right where the passenger headlight wires go through. I thought I would use the same ground point for the relay as the headlights. Clearly I compromised the ground when I did that and I was lucky too because my dash was getting hot to the touch. I put things back the way they were and presto! Bright headlights, everything good. Tomorrow I'll put the relay back on and see if I need to ground it somewhere else or if I can just make a good connection there.

[simplyconnected]

Really? ...nitrous, MDS, relays, extra dash lights... and you're depending on fifty year old rusty spot welds to carry half your current?
NOOOOOooooooooo...

Many restorers are very particular about their electrical connections but take grounds for granted. You know, like the ground side is 'a given'.

Seriously though, run a bare #8AWG stranded copper wire from your battery (neg) to the trunk area, clamping it to the floor along the way in one continuous length. Tap off of it for each area. In other words, run a #14 stranded copper wire spliced from the #8 to your headlight area and connect that to ground. Tap another branch off for your dash, another for your power seats, convertible top motor, and another for your trunk lid, tail light housings, license plate lamps and FUEL TANK.

Then, you can add as many relays or solenoids as you want. - Dave

[Restifier52]

Track Shoes

Hi Dave,

Thanks for giving me a new perspective on the ground situation. Your instruction makes perfect sense now that I can visualize what's going on there. Thanks again. BTW, people at All Tbird Day used the term "sleeper" to describe my car. That was when I had the other set of wheels and tires on. Now it looks like Dr. Jeckyll halfway through the transformation. I keep asking myself am I going to leave that heavy bumper and hood on? Those things are really gonna slow me down!

[Restifier52]

The project continues

Going to get my subframe connectors! Then hopefully the doors trunk and hood will stay where I put them after running down the track with that 100hp shot of N2O and drag radials. I have one shot at Milan Dragway if the weather cooperates. If not, I'll be ready come Spring. For the nitrous I installed a new ignition box-the MSD 6520. It has a rev limiter that is programmable and activated by a voltage sensor. I spliced it into the line lock. Of course it also has a programmable top end rev limiter. Also a built in programmable timing retard that is also activated by another voltage sensor. This I have spliced into my solenoid(s) wire. So when the bottle is open and the system is armed, my timing will drop 4 degrees at the same time the solenoids open, currently one second after I go to WOT. Life is good.

[Dakota Boy]

what size tire is on the rear wheels in that photo above?

[Restifier52]

235/60R15 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial 2. Either 7" or 8" width on the wheel. I can't look it up online at Jeg's where I bought the wheels cause they won't show you your history without the order#. It took me all day to get them on ( I had to remove the 1" lowering blocks to get the axle low enough - I figured that was less work than undoing the leaf spring perches) then I took em off for a cruise and now they're back on again. I realized it might be a bit easier if I let some air out of em. In truth it seemed like I had to push them through the gap between the wheel well lip and the brake drum just as hard with 10psi as 30.

[Dakota Boy]

If you cut away some of that troublesome sheet metal around the rear wheel openings, you can then fit any tire you want....

[RustyNCa]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for giving me a new perspective on the ground situation. Your instruction makes perfect sense now that I can visualize what's going on there. Thanks again. BTW, people at All Tbird Day used the term "sleeper" to describe my car. That was when I had the other set of wheels and tires on. Now it looks like Dr. Jeckyll halfway through the transformation. I keep asking myself am I going to leave that heavy bumper and hood on? Those things are really gonna slow me down!

You could always do what a local guy did with his TriFive drag car. He built glass bumpers that look just like the chrome ones and had them air brushed to simulate chrome. When you look at them and understand what he was doing, they are kind of cool. That would save what, 200 pounds on a squarebird?

[RustyNCa]

235/60R15 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Drag Radial 2. Either 7" or 8" width on the wheel. I can't look it up online at Jeg's where I bought the wheels cause they won't show you your history without the order#. It took me all day to get them on ( I had to remove the 1" lowering blocks to get the axle low enough - I figured that was less work than undoing the leaf spring perches) then I took em off for a cruise and now they're back on again. I realized it might be a bit easier if I let some air out of em. In truth it seemed like I had to push them through the gap between the wheel well lip and the brake drum just as hard with 10psi as 30.

I have the same battle to pull the 17" rims off our 58. I actually have to unbolt the passenger side shock at the bottom to get the tires off. I have concluded, if there were discs on there instead of the drums, I could probably pull them without all the drama. I tried the air thing also and don't think it helped me at all.

[Restifier52]

Yes that pesky sheet metal. I like being able to put the skirts on when I'm running the cruisin wheels and tires. Hey Rusty I may try disconnecting the shocks next time. I wasn't thinking but that must allow the leaf to drop a little more. Easier than disconnecting the rear spring mounts by far. What I really need now is a bigger jack.