Okay, so i have decided that i want to start hitting the drag strip next spring and I want to know what stuff to add to my car to improve it. I know to start with the basic stuff, like the shift kit, new intake, and exhaust upgrades, but everything after that I am confused about. so my question is, what should i do to my car and what order should i do it in? also, it would be helpful to know a rough estimate of parts cost. i also decided to make i bet with my friend that i would be able to get my car to run a 1/4 mile in under 16 seconds by the end of the school year. i know the is easily achievable for the ecotec, but all my friends think the j-bodies are the worst car out there. i know they are not the best, but they have a lot of potential. my uncle would be able to help me with a build since he has been drag racing for 10ish years now, but unfortunately, he is also one of the many who see no potential in j bodies. so until i prove him wrong, hes not really any help.
some info on my car: 2.2 ecotec with 84xxx miles (not sure if i need to add that) 4 speed auto, completely stock right now.
so here is what my plan is so far
1. shiftplus
2. k&n air intake
3. high flow cat or some other exhaust upgrade
everything after this is what i need help with. so what would you guys suggest? also, i want to keep my engine n/a and my car will still need to be used as a daily driver, so no insane interior stripping
nitrous alone would put you below 16's cheap and done!
nitrous was something i was wanting to build to, but i wasnt sure if i would need any engine upgrades. how much would the engine stock be able to handle? and what are some good kits to look at?
im just saying to prove them wrong, spend a few hundred, toss n2o on and you proved them wrong.
and if someone has a suggestion for a nitrous kit for a stock ecotec, could i get a link? i have tried navigating the NX website but i dont know what to look for
I pieced together a nitrous kit for my car for about $200 less than a brand new kit costs. Then add $40 for 10lbs in the bottle and I was good to go.
Getting an ET under 16 isn't that hard. A cold air intake will be easiest and help out alot. Instead of getting a catback I highly suggest you get a header attached to the stock exhaust. Much more power gain than doing the cat back with the stock exhaust manifold. Those two mods alone should be plenty.
http://youtu.be/RXppsUVhJJE
my car ^
Screw No2. Peice together a pm62 blower kit, run the gm reflash and you'll never have to refill aything and be way quicker.
JUCNBST wrote:Screw No2. Peice together a pm62 blower kit, run the gm reflash and you'll never have to refill aything and be way quicker.
could do that but i figure if he only needs to break 16's that spray would be his cheapest quickest solution rather than going balls deep into builds and being broke from it
In my opinion. I would start with maintance first, and take care of anything that needs changed. Get everything running well, and then go from there. Tires are a HUGE factor no mater the HP level. With a sedan you should run 16.4-16.8. That is normal for an ecotec "stock" sedan. If you need new tires. BUY NEW TIRES. Balding tires are not slicks. ~Rant~
The first thing I would buy would be a warm / cold air intake.
K&N is very nice.
Click Me.
AEM make the best in my opinion.
Click Me
Stupid cheap intake. You can get them, but replace the air filter with a good well known brand, and fitmint is not the best normally...
Click Me
The I would get the B&M shift plus or an AutoTrans Interceptor. Both work fine. The interceptor is almost impossible to find anymore, but is 100% plug-n-play. the classifieds here has them sometimes. Turbotech was the cheapest place for the Shift-plus last I checked. The Shift-plus does "need" to be soldered in place. The included splices will not hold up to the elements.
You need to get seat time at the track. You, are the best mod you can do. I would see where you are from there. A header --> Highflow Cat -->Catback --> Good Muffler would be nice. If you do the exhaust ensure you get polyurathane motor mounts when you install the header. Pacesetter "coated" is a nice cheap header. In my opinion the magnaflow catback is the best sounding catback you can buy pre-assembled.
I think this will help a lot.
-MD- Enforcer wrote:Ok, my advise is as follows:
- Remove all lose junk from you car. Remove jack and spare is optional.
- Some like to remove the floor mats, and some tracks make you...
- Do not run A/C or any other electrical equipment while running down the track. This is robbing hp, and you do not want condensation dripping on the track. You can be asked to leave.
- If your on street tires DO NOT DO A BURN OUT!
- Drive around the water box if possible, unless on slicks.
- You want to do a VERY small one to two revolution burnout to remove any debris on your tires. NOT A FULL burn out.
- Ensure your windows are rolled up, the starting person will probably tell you to roll them up anyway if you forget.
- Try to keep your cav as cool as possible. Open your hood if the weather is hot that day. If it is cold out, you do no want to get to much below operating temperature.
- If you have adjustable struts. I personally like the front very soft and the rear AS STIFF AS possible.
- Normally I slightly air down the fronts lately to like 28psi, and air the rear up to 40+psi...depending on the max psi the tire is rated for...
- If you have an option run the lightest tire / rim combo you have. You can also run smaller diameter tires to help with gearing.
- Do not AIR DOWN STREET TIRES! You'll just be making your contact with the surface worse.[\li]
- Check air between runs to ensure your tires are not to high on air from the heat of the track / racing. You may also need to add later on in the night when the track and air cool down.
- Do not be a dick and fully stage before your opponent. Pre-stage with only one set of lights lite till your opponent pre-stages. Then fully stage. You should be able to give the car a little more RPM to creep forward till fully staged.
- If you have time while staged. Take car out of gear rev car once with foot on brake to build vacuum. This will let your brakes hold harder, and let you launch harder. You should feel your peddle drop towards the floor a little.<---For Autos
- Right foot on gas to around 2000RPM with a stock torque converter, and left foot HARD on brakes.<----for Autos
- Turn off Traction control by pulling up your e-brake one click or by putting your car in second or first. just remember to up-shift. LOL<---Mainly an auto thing
- The faster car has priority on the return road. You should slow faster than he if you lost the race to show proper respect that you lost. This is a big pet peeve of experienced racers.
- DO NOT TURN ON STEREO in staging lanes, and there is no need to turn your headlights on. Most tracks have well lite tracks.
- If your running a .500" tree. Leave at the last yellow. I leave when the last yellow is turning off. If you leave at green....you already have a bad reaction time.
- Some drag strips make drivers wear JEAN pants, and some require long sleeves.
- Ensure your car is not leaking any fluids. some techs actually do their job and check the cars.
I think that covers most of it.
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
Quote:
The faster car has priority on the return road. You should slow faster than he if you lost the race to show proper respect that you lost. This is a big pet peeve of experienced racers.
I would check with your track on this one. The track I race at is left lane always exits first whether you ran the faster pass or not. This is mainly a rule for safety to avoid collisions.
http://youtu.be/RXppsUVhJJE
my car ^
Being that your a auto, I would go the supercharger route.
You could put a kit together for around 1k. Would get the results you want and make it fun, and reliable.
As also stated seat time, seat time, seat time.
when racing at the track playing with tire pressure can really make a difference even on street tires. Keep a log of all settings (tire pressure, strut stiffness if you have adjustable struts, launch rpm's, shift rpm etc..)
FU Tuning
Addicted to meth wrote:Being that your a auto, I would go the supercharger route.
You could put a kit together for around 1k. Would get the results you want and make it fun, and reliable.
As also stated seat time, seat time, seat time.
when racing at the track playing with tire pressure can really make a difference even on street tires. Keep a log of all settings (tire pressure, strut stiffness if you have adjustable struts, launch rpm's, shift rpm etc..)
thanks for the reply. but like i said, i want to keep my car n/a. forced induction confuses me and i wouldnt know where to start on building a kit. i understand the concept and everything, its just something i dont trust myself building
The only thing I disagree with in MD-Enforcer's post is staging too early. Especially if you're doing a burnout to heat up your radials/slicks. There's no reason you should have to wait 20+ seconds for some douche to finally stage after you're ready. Its a damn burnout not an awesome display of power doing a 45 second burnout in your beater civic only to run 15's.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
If you think you can handle installing a header , exhaust and intake. The gm supercharger setup on an eco takes the same skill level don't dismiss it. Research!
JUCNBST wrote:If you think you can handle installing a header , exhaust and intake. The gm supercharger setup on an eco takes the same skill level don't dismiss it. Research!
Oh, well I guess I will have to look into that then! And for people using the shiftplus on an ecotec, have you had any problems? I read on one thread that the ecotec doesn't like the shiftplus, but that doesnt make sense to me since it affects the transmission and not the engine
If you'd like the pdf file with the mp62 install instructions pm me your email and I'll send them to you so you can look it over.
JUCNBST wrote:If you think you can handle installing a header , exhaust and intake. The gm supercharger setup on an eco takes the same skill level don't dismiss it. Research!
I 100% agree. It's a bolt on affair and relatively cheap for what you're getting. I could not be happier with mine.
Just be sure on your first couple passes that you take it easy pulling out; worry about making good times when you have more experience with it. Strips are SUPER sticky and break parts if you don't do it right. My FIRST pass on the drag strip was the fastest 0-15 feet time I've ever had....then the wheels hopped twice and my differential decided it needed some fresh air. So seriously if you think you're pulling out too slow on that first run, you're not.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Friday, October 26, 2012 4:08 PM
"In Oldskool we trust"
Y3llowCav wrote:JUCNBST wrote:If you think you can handle installing a header , exhaust and intake. The gm supercharger setup on an eco takes the same skill level don't dismiss it. Research!
I 100% agree. It's a bolt on affair and relatively cheap for what you're getting. I could not be happier with mine.
Just be sure on your first couple passes that you take it easy pulling out; worry about making good times when you have more experience with it. Strips are SUPER sticky and break parts if you don't do it right. My FIRST pass on the drag strip was the fastest 0-15 feet time I've ever had....then the wheels hopped twice and my differential decided it needed some fresh air. So seriously if you think you're pulling out too slow on that first run, you're not.
There are ways around it... tire pressure, LSD's, pre loading.... Just need the seat time to find the best way.
BuiltNBoosted wrote:Y3llowCav wrote:JUCNBST wrote:If you think you can handle installing a header , exhaust and intake. The gm supercharger setup on an eco takes the same skill level don't dismiss it. Research!
I 100% agree. It's a bolt on affair and relatively cheap for what you're getting. I could not be happier with mine.
Just be sure on your first couple passes that you take it easy pulling out; worry about making good times when you have more experience with it. Strips are SUPER sticky and break parts if you don't do it right. My FIRST pass on the drag strip was the fastest 0-15 feet time I've ever had....then the wheels hopped twice and my differential decided it needed some fresh air. So seriously if you think you're pulling out too slow on that first run, you're not.
There are ways around it... tire pressure, LSD's, pre loading.... Just need the seat time to find the best way.
Unfortunately I didn't get that opportunity, haha.
"In Oldskool we trust"
Quote:
Strips are SUPER sticky
on street tires this usually is not the case.
Wheel hop is not because of traction but lack of traction.
FU Tuning
Addicted to meth wrote:Quote:
Strips are SUPER sticky
on street tires this usually is not the case.
Wheel hop is not because of traction but lack of traction.
Why have I never had trouble on regular streets? Moderators I am NOT promoting street racing, all reading DO NOT DO IT, IT IS DANGEROUS AND AGAINST THE LAW. Anyway, I'm not starting a fight but rather I'm actually interested. Everywhere else in the world I just spin, but on the strip I dig in and hop. how can that not be due to a sticky track?
"In Oldskool we trust"
To add, I agree that more traction is the answer, but that doesnt make the track any less sticky compared to a regular street.
"In Oldskool we trust"
Y3llowCav wrote:Addicted to meth wrote:Quote:
Strips are SUPER sticky
on street tires this usually is not the case.
Wheel hop is not because of traction but lack of traction.
Why have I never had trouble on regular streets? Moderators I am NOT promoting street racing, all reading DO NOT DO IT, IT IS DANGEROUS AND AGAINST THE LAW. Anyway, I'm not starting a fight but rather I'm actually interested. Everywhere else in the world I just spin, but on the strip I dig in and hop. how can that not be due to a sticky track?
this was stated earlier, but what works on the street will not on the track.
The tire pressure you run on the street will not get you the same results on the track.
FU Tuning
