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Veteran
Posts: 194
 
Location: Dorset, England | Next month I shall be driving my '58 Dodge Coronet Club Sedan to Chimay, Belgium to the Euro Hotrod show (http://www.hotrodshow.eu/page.asp?pageid=6 ) where I shall be participating in the 1km sprint and 1/4 mile drag race.
My car has a stock 2bbl 325ci RedRam with 2spd powerflite & 3:15 rearend on 14" belted whitewalls. With 77k miles it breaths a bit. The only mods are twin exhausts and a trans cooler. No power steering or brakes (or other options except the delux interior).
Experts, make your predictions:
1. Will I hit 100mph in the standing start 1km sprint?
2. What ET do you reckon it will make at the dragstrip?
I'm just curious to know what a stock car could acheive in 1958, and have some fun finding out. Someone here must have performance figures from when the car was new.
I shall of course, let you all know the results when I return. |
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Expert
Posts: 3577
  
Location: Blythewood, SC | I doubt it will hit 100 in the sprint, and I'd guess it will be in the 16's in the quarter mile. The engine just isn't a very high horsepower engine in stock form, and that transmission won't pull you up to speed fast enough to hit 100 in a kilometer. |
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Expert
Posts: 2612
Location: Parts Unknown |
Take lots of pics if you can - !!!
I GUESS you will get in the 90's in the sprint and 17.5 at the drags
Sounds like fun to me !
HAVE FUN !!!
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 508
Location: Orlando | 57plymouth - 2012-05-28 9:14 AM I doubt it will hit 100 in the sprint, and I'd guess it will be in the 16's in the quarter mile. The engine just isn't a very high horsepower engine in stock form, and that transmission won't pull you up to speed fast enough to hit 100 in a kilometer. I think you're being generous with that 16.xx quarter mile. Sports Car Illustrated tested the '57 D500 (with the hemi version of the 325) and a 3spd torqueflite, and they got a 16.xx quarter mile out of it. Although, IIRC, they were have carburetor issues.
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Expert
Posts: 3577
Location: Blythewood, SC | ThomasD500 - 2012-05-28 2:06 PM
57plymouth - 2012-05-28 9:14 AM I doubt it will hit 100 in the sprint, and I'd guess it will be in the 16's in the quarter mile. The engine just isn't a very high horsepower engine in stock form, and that transmission won't pull you up to speed fast enough to hit 100 in a kilometer. I think you're being generous with that 16.xx quarter mile.
I'm a nice guy and I was being polite.
Of course my car with a Flattie, a Powerflite, and 3.73 gears couldn't hit 100 unless it was thrown off a cliff. In the quarter mile it might break into the 20's if I'm really really really lucky and have a tail wind. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 508
Location: Orlando | Hell, with my rebuilt/slightly modified 325 hemi and torqueflite, I HOPE I can break into the 15s. Seriously.  |
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Expert
Posts: 1493
Location: Jamaica Plain, MA | I think the gearing is the dragging point. The Powerflite with that rear cog weren't made to sprint. My guess: 85 mph. 18 second quarter. Although that club coupe was about the lightest FL car on the road, so, who knows? |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8948
Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | i'd like to see it do great . i'm thinkin 96 in the 1km and high 17's in the quarter ------------------------------------------------------------------later |
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Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Dorset, England | I've just found out that the drags are only going to be 1/8 mile. This is rather a disappointment. It won't get out of low. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Oh, it'll get out of Low, all right, as it will short-shift on you, unless you leave it in 1st-button, which should
be fine, in the .125 mile with the 3.15 rear end, and with that 2-bbl.
In fact, that set up (except for the carb) will hook up and get away very nicely; no wheel spin to control.
The PowerFlite torque converter will wind up the engine about 200 RPM higher than the T/Flite's TQ will, at take off.
You don't have a tach, but I wouldn't suggest getting the engine all revved up before dropping the brake pedal.
Your reaction-time, and the static RPM at lift off will determine how well you do in the 1/8th.
Just make the engine happy, and not mad, before you leave the line, and keep it in 1st.
[13,000th post; back to four Stars].
Edited by d500neil 2012-06-16 7:05 PM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | One ROUGHLY (And I mean ROUGHLY) adds about 4 seconds to the 8th mile time in MOST cars to get the "Average" 1/4 mile time....So, that being said, I would think it would do something in the neighborhood of high 13's 8th mile on a good day....
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Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Dorset, England | Neil,
What do you reckon my terminal speed will be in the 1km sprint? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Well, since I scrolled up & saw Chaney's guess, I'm going to SWAG a high 14's (18-19 sec. 1/4 mile time).
Remember to leave on the yellow (don't wait for the green), and rev up to about 2.5-3K, when you
drop-the-brake, and hit the gas.
The 2-bbl and the high rear end/1st gear-forever should give you a pretty good 60' time---no bogging down, as with
4+ barrels kicking in, and with a lot of (single-) tire spin.
Edited by d500neil 2012-06-20 4:54 PM
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Location: Parts Unknown | Change those rear gears to 6.17 and I see your quarter times around 2.7 seconds !
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | Doctor DeSoto - 2012-06-22 6:22 AM
Change those rear gears to 6.17 and I see your quarter times around 2.7 seconds !
Nah, he'll just run out of motor alot sooner. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Off-line traction might be a concern, with the peg-leg diffie.
Even the 1956 D500-1 draggers used 'only' 4.89 gears to obtain their (its--one car reportedly, in KS) mythological 13-second (!!) 1/4 mile (maybe that was for 1/8 mile...) time.
Apparently, the 295 HP open rear end cars, with 1956 tire and 3-speed trannie technology, started out in 2nd gear (seems logical) and shifted once, into High gear, before the finish line.
Edited by d500neil 2012-06-22 2:57 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 168
Location: Leeds, England | John
Interesting Info from http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/dodge/full-size_dodge_5gen/f...
Data for DODGE CORONET V-8 2-Door Club Sedan PowerFlite, model year 1958, version for North America U.S. with 2-door sedan body type, RWD (rear-wheel drive) and automatic 2-speed gearbox. Basic www.automobile-catalog.com specs and characteristics: petrol (gasoline) engine of 5328 cm3 / 325.1 cui displacement with advertised power 188 kW / 252 hp / 256 PS ( SAE gross ) / 4400 and 468 Nm / 345 lb-ft / 2400 of torque. Dimensions: this model outside length is 5430 mm / 213.8 in, it’s 1990 mm / 78.3 in wide and has wheelbase of 3099 mm / 122 in. The value of a drag coefficient, estimated by a-c, is Cd = 0.55 . Standard wheels were fitted with the tires size: (check standard and alternate tire sizes). Reference vehicle weights are: shipping weight 1590 kg / 3505 lbs estimated curb weight 1700 kg / 3750 lbs .
How fast is that car ? Performance: top speed 180 km/h (112 mph) (theoretical); accelerations 0- 60 mph 9.3 s; 0- 100 km/h 9.9 s (a-c simulation); 1/4 mile drag time (402 m) 17.5 s (a-c simulation).
Fuel consumption and mileage: official: , average estimated by a-c: 23.5 l/100km / 12.1 mpg (imp.) / 10.1 mpg (U.S.) / 4.3 km/l, average estimated combined driving range of this car is 325 km / 202 miles
All our cars are on this site, including also the depressing estimated fuel consumption
Simon |
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Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Dorset, England | Thanks Simon, I wasn't aware of that site.
So the results were...........(drumroll).....
On the 1/8th mile dragstrip. 11.5 sec at 62mph. It was an unprepared public road so even after a 5sec 1 wheel burnout it still spun up off the line. Leaving on the the last yellow as suggested by Neil just produced a red light, however I did beat every car I raced to the finish line. I was pleased to uphold FL honour by beating a '59 flat top Impala with a 283 & 4speed.
On the 1 km sprint I managed 92mph, but it was still pulling hard as I crossed the line & I had just filled the tank with fuel so was carrying a lot of surplus weight with that and the spare tyre, tools, spares etc that were in the trunk. Perhaps if I had taken it more seriously I might have topped the ton?
If anyone asks I shall try to post some pics and vids, but in the meantime here is a vid of the event featuring my car (not racing unfortunately - I was trying to make my way through the crowds to the sprint) and also a FL DeSoto hearse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHwu8kiV8Jk&feature=plcp
The biggest news from the event was that the legendary Mooneyes dragster crashed backwards into the armco and end up on the rollcage, as can been seen here...
http://speedwell55.skynetblogs.be/
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Expert
Posts: 2519
Location: central Illinois | Car looks good! That staging lane is crazy! How about the guy swinging the helmet all nonchalant. If you're on street tires, which probably everyone else in this video was, avoid the burnout box that's full of water. It leads to instant tire smoke.
Let's see some more pics and videos. |
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Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Dorset, England | Here is a vid of my best race against Clarke Devey's -to die for- chopped 36 ford coupe with pretty much stock drivetrain. It was a foregone conclusion. Note how he keeps his foot in way past the line. HE was racing the full 1/4 & he had me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAaMQZ1XvK8&feature=youtu.be
Will post the sprint in due course. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Loved the sights and sounds!
Your ride hooked up real well, in its high gearing, and didn't lose anything as it powered on, in 1st gear.
The sounds of that staging immediately reminded me of this LP album, which was recorded at the 1958 Sebring race.
On side-1 there is a fantastic recording of the Tech Inspection, with the glorious sounds of open exhausts and metallic
brake linings, and general auto related conversations.
Edited by d500neil 2012-06-26 9:14 PM
 (PICT5329.JPG)
Attachments
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 PICT5329.JPG (104KB - 101 downloads)
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Veteran
Posts: 175
Location: Hebron, IN | Thanks for sharing- some nice video. Your car looks great and sure bet it was a ton of fun! Officially jealous. :-)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 337
Location: UK | Hi John, Great videos, Just saw the videos of the Moon dragster crash too. Wow looked a bit scary. Hopefully see your car in a few weeks at the Hotrod Hayride if you're going.. |
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Expert
Posts: 2612
Location: Parts Unknown |
Very cool - looked like it was a lot of fun
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 8948
Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | i love the smell of burnin tires in the morning ! -------------------------------------------later |
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Performance predictions anyone??
