1st Time at the Track

[FPontiacguy00]

Whats up everyone its my first time posting here i got a mildly modified 2000 3.8 Fbird. It's got a 2.5" Magnaflow Catback,high-flow cat,Whisper Air Lid,K&N Filter, factory installed Torsen LSD, and some 245/45/ZR18 Toyo Proxes 4 tires. I went down to our local track and ran it for the first time and i was kinda dissapointed to say the least. I ran a:

R/t: .677
60': 2.370
330: 6.753
1/8: 10.384
MPH: 68.35
1000: 13.469
1/4: 16.105
MPH: 84.93

I was hoping i'd run atleast a mid-15 since thats what i've read they should do stock... I ran twice both times i ran a 16.1 so it was pretty consistent, the second time though my R/t was .161 so I was wondering if anyone had some advice on if they think it was my launch or something wrong with my car. It's an automatic also. I read the post before this and it sounds like he was having the same kinda problem maybe i'm having tuning? the guy that owned my car before me mentioned something about a performance cam but he didn't know a brand or anything about it so he could've been lieing but if thats the case i doubt it's ever been dyno tuned. Any advice on what mods to do next or about the run would be appreciated. I would love to build a mid-12 second bird :bowdown:

[Nachius]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

Your 18's are hurting your 1/4 times.

IF you ran stock 16" rims and a decent tire and work on your launch you SHOULD be in mid 15s without a problem.

Looks like from you 60' on those 18s you still can gain some from your launch as well. Cut that down to a 2.1 60' and you should cut a high 15.xx.

[JohnnyC]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

launch softer and lose the 18's. I run 15 inch rims and I see low 14s on my modded camaro all day. Do you have a system in your car? t-tops? auto?

[DAS BOOT]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

Its the wheels/tires... also how is your CAT doing? My 2k killed 2 of them and I only have 82k.

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

launch softer and lose the 18's. I run 15 inch rims and I see low 14s on my modded camaro all day. Do you have a system in your car? t-tops? auto?

Launch softer? Lol. Go to a real wheel/tire combo and launch HARDER.

Sounds like you need to decide which direction you want to go! Show or go, they aren't mutually exclusive, but do counteract each other.

[JohnnyC]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

softer, I meant less wheel spin, then I punch it. I chirp them and before it bogs I punch it and I cut 1.9-2.0 on 205/70r15 snow tires.

If you launch too high in the RPM on low pros, you'll spin out of the hole but no traction comes out to be >2.3 60' times.


I like to try to look like I know what I'm talking about :cool::)

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

softer, I meant less wheel spin, then I punch it. I chirp them and before it bogs I punch it and I cut 1.9-2.0 on 205/70r15 snow tires.

If you launch too high in the RPM on low pros, you'll spin out of the hole but no traction comes out to be >2.3 60' times.


I like to try to look like I know what I'm talking about :cool::)

Try harder next time. He's got an A4, so no bogging for him. It's not technique, it's equipment. You will go nowhere on some POS 18 inch street tire with a treadwear rating of 450. Just a fact, it's unpossible. Whenever I think of this, I picture the OP dragging 4 boat anchors down the track.

[FPontiacguy00]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

lol i knew those 18s would give me some trouble, they look good though! i wish i would have kept my stock rims to put a different tire on and now i'm kicking myself for that. i just put it to the floor off the line i didn't try power breaking it and launching it at a higher RPM... but maybe that would help my 60' and 1/8 time as well because my tires never broke lose during both runs so i don't know.

As far as my cat it's brand new so it should be alright but the funny thing is i have a SES light and i scanned the car at my school and it came out to be a Insuffient Catalitic Converter code so that kinda makes me wonder if they sold me a bad one or if its the o2 sensor acting up

What would be my best bet for my next mod? I was looking at a set of coated pacesetters or MSD Blaster coils, and MSD wires. I would like to eventually go the FI route.

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

Set a goal and stick with it. Most people waste a TON of money buying the same parts over and over and over again. 1 well thought out plan can be worth thousands of savings.

[FloydSummerOf68]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

It's also the summer man...wait until the winter and you'll probably pick up close to a half second just from that, lol. (seriously)

[Camarorulz]

Re: 1st Time at the Track

Don't worry about the catalytic converter: the sensor that's throwing that code is after the cat, so it doesn't affect how the engine runs. All high-flow cats will throw a code. Get an 02 sim if you want to get rid of the code.

It's not the car, it's your launch. MPH seems a little low, was it really humid?

Your car should have done 15.7 or so that day with a 2.1 '60.