Hey guys..

As promised, here’s my follow up to my last post with a 13.9 at 101 timeslip on oddball size 225/50/15 drag radials.. I was redlining in 4th way before the finish line because the tire size lowered my gearing WAY too much. This last time slip was not my record, I had run this same exact time on my street tires.. I tried this size because I got fed up with the street tires and ruining them going run after run trying to replicate or beat my best time. So I had tried my friends radials and at that moment, I made the decision. The Z needs drag racing tires to get a good consistent time and it is not worth wearing my nice street tires out. Also, you can’t beat purpose-built equipment so I got some used 300ZX TT wheels with 26” Mickey Thompson ET Streets (not slicks!) to try them out.

First, I want to mention my intentions and some background info:

1- Lots of people on this forum look at the few guys that have been running low 13s NA as drag racing “Gods” since they can drive and they should give drag racing seminars to other Z drivers etc. I am here to challenge that, I am far from a drag racing guru and my slips are below. I hope there won’t be any haters, but I am here to show you ANYONE with drag racing tires can run these times. I only have about 60 passes under my belt and yes, it takes practice. This was my FIRST TIME EVER ON properly sized DRAG TIRES!!!! And no, they are NOT SLICKS. Look at my slips and YOU DECIDE what my times would have been if I had slicks on. My 60ft times STINK compare to what those tires can do. Imagine I had a 1.8 60ft. I’ll let you guesstimate what my times would be. I will lower the tire pressure some more and definitely heat them up more next time. Also, this was my first time pulling the ABS fuse and really warming tires up!!!!

2- My car is “bone stock” other than JWT intake and Strup test pipes. I am not hiding anything and if anyone wants to come and check my car out, you’re more than welcome to do so. Do I have an odd-ball “monster” Z from factory. Absolutely not! I have a 2004.5 287hp Z that put down 239 at the wheels on a mobile dynojet AT THE SAME DRAG STRIP 5 minutes after my runs. So if my Z is anything, it is a very average Z. I do not have a plenum spacer, I do not have any other mods whatsoever. Unless you call the nismo radiator cap a “mod” lol. I do take out the spare and tools, I do run low on fuel (usually ¼ tank) and I do have some lighter seats. My car is the heaviest model (touring) so my leather and heated seats weighed a ton. So I switched so racing seats but I do have both seats in at all times. So I did not alter or modify anything in my car to make it lighter. I would say though, that my seats gave me an advantage of about 40 pounds versus another TOURING Z, with leather and heated seats (I'd say 25 to 30pounds compared to other models). So please don’t go around saying my Z is stripped, it is far from it.

3- Drag racing tires make a HUGE difference. You’re going to say “no sh*t” but I think there is some things I learned which might be new to some of you as well. First, yes, the 60 ft times are greatly improved. But I believe there is more to that. With lighter wheels and traction, you’re also accelerating faster the whole way down. I dropped almost 0.5 seconds off my 330ft! Also, look at my trap speed! My best trap speed was 101.5mph before that. So all that spinning and loss of time now turn into acceleration that pays off at the end of the run. Are my wheels special ridiculously light drag wheels? No, they are standard 16” Nissan 300zx wheels.

4- If people don’t pick up their skirts and get to the drag strip, they won’t be running these times. It takes practice and the Z is a mid to low 13 second car stock equipped with drag racing tires. People get there, and get smoked by a bone stock all-wheel-drive car like the evo or sti and get discouraged. Well, they do have all wheel drive car and they do cut 1.7 to 1.85 60fts all day long. Put on some drag tires and that advantage is more than diminished. No reason to get discouraged, the only mod you need to beat these cars comfortably is some drag racing tires and a good burnout. Now, add an intake and exhaust to the mix and it’s show time. Yeah, “NA mods do nothing to the Z” my A*SS!!!! I will –yes I said it- run a 12.9 with bolt ons and show everyone that you do not have to be a pro to run a 12.9 in a NA Z with bolt-ons.

5- Are some tracks faster than others? Absolutely. The guys with better times do not exactly run the slowest tracks. But I have to say I don’t believe in the word “faster track”. I believe in “well prepared tracks”. Location (altitude), temperature, humidity and prep work play a huge role in your times. So pick a good track and have a go. That is not cheating. Atco is an excellent track, I'm sure there are better ones. The temp when I went was right at 70F with 63-65% humidity. I'd say almost excellent conditions.



I am inviting everyone in the area to a test&tune night at Atco raceway this Thursday May 25th. I have added a Ichiba y-pipe last night and I will try to run better times. I am not doing mods like crazy and go nuts on dyno numbers, I am trying to see what each small NA mod does on the drag strip. So come on out and show everyone what your car can do. Personally, I am looking for some 1.8 60fts to better my times.. it should be more than feasible on these tires.

Ok now, let’s cut the cr*p and get to the pics I know, I know.. this thread is worthless without pics, and yes, I did come prepared EDIT: Also, I am car #8638



And I just had to buy this pic. The girl that took it was cute and she totally made me feel horrible when I saw that she made the effort to put the picture in a frame etc.. so her sales pitch worked, I broke down and just paid her 30 some dollars. But hey..

 

Congrats on the big improvement though man BTW ET streets are "street legal" cheater slicks.

 

I guess they are.. you're right. My next purchase though will be full slicks.

I wish I had better 60fts though.. did you see I could only cut a 1.92?? I know I have room for improvement so I'll try lowering the pressure some more and maybe do a 2nd gear burnout. So far, all burnouts I did were in 1st like yours.

Later during the day, I did cut a 1.85 but I redlined in 2nd so I did not bother beating on the car any further that run. I think I need to lower the pressure a bit more. I tried 20psi, then went to 17psi. I believe one of these was on 20psi, the other 2 on 17psi.

What pressure do you run?

OH and I guess I should give myself credit for the other 2 runs with lower trap speeds but hey.. I did run a 13.349 !

 

The numbers are small but I think I see: 13.39, 13.35 and 13.37. Great numbers and damn consistent. Great driving. With that kind of consistency you should try Summit ET racing.

 

Thanks a lot

yeah sorry for the small numbers.. they are 13.349, 13.35 and 13.37. I wasn't as consistent in the beginning as I was still trying different burnout methods and tire pressures. But once I found the right setup in the rest of my runs, I became pretty damn consistent. I will go for bracket racing at the next import event and see what I do. Tires help the consistency a lot, too if I warm them up right.

 

i pull better 60's on street tires

yeah the magic of a sticky tire is great. as stated, et streets are slicks with lines in them, i yank my front stock wheels with 17" et streets in the rear of my stang.

have fun and get those 60's down. you should be able to pull some mid to low 1.7s

 

Yeah great times for the 60ft, my best NA times were my first time out on slicks and weaksauce 1.96 60fts Try running 15-16psi doing a 2nd gear burnout and going from there...few more mods and you'll be 12's.

 

he could get into the 12's with a little bit better driving and better 60'. i squeaked in with my vert with only 103.75mph and a 1.72 60'

 

You also have a lot more midrange grunt to get you into the 12's Jackie. Unless a Z is gutted I dont see a Z going 12's with 103mph trap.

 

theoretically, I could MAYBE get in there.. but it's a long shot. I think I need one more mod, maybe two to get me in there.

I can't cut 1.7 60fts.. that's my problem. Once I do that, matched with my driving.. it could come close. Let me see what I can do this Thursday night.

Also, don't mustangs have a solid axle in the rear? That should be a clear advantage when launching, shouldn't it?

Also, I'm sure the stock camber isn't best for crazy 60fts like that.

 

Nice runs for NA...what track were you at?

 

thanks man, last saturday at Atco..

tilleys, I thought of letting you know I was going but I didn't think you got a new clutch yet. Or did you?

I want to go again soon, I just put on my y-pipe and I want to see if I can come a little closer to a 13 flat. I definitely have room in that 60ft.

 

LOL. I just noticed the framed 350Z photo. Pretty cool.

 

Mojo,

One thing you should mention is Atco has the reputation of being one of the fastest tracks in the country.

Either way props to you and great times!

 

thanks man

I don't know about it being one of the fastest in the country.. it sure isn't a "slow" track. There are several very good tracks around the northeast area like Maple Grove, Cecil and a few others in Maryland. I guess you can call them "fast" tracks, I call them well prepared tracks in a good location (altitude, weather).

I'll run at Englishtown as well and report back later this summer to compare.

 

Atco is great. Nothing like looking up its elevation above sea level and seeing: 12'. Despite having to drive through the water, Atco has always been great to me. Maple Grove seems to be a curse that I can't shake.

 

you know, it's not the first time I hear that Nate.

But then, what's weird is I ran my best BEFORE I got the ET Streets at Maple Grove, not at Atco. Now that I have traction, I will try to see what I run at Maple Grove and at E-town.

Also, my next mod might just be a camber kit for the rear. You can never get enough traction with that stock negative camber. I want something like -0.5 camber and 0 tow and I'd think I'm far from that right now.

 

I guess I gotta get some ET Streets and get to the track now huh Mem?
I'd like to see about just doing some minor bolt ons and a 3.91 rear and see how quick my car will go.

 

Good job. You've still got a lot of improvement on your 60 foot, and you could drop off a few tenths.

I, myself, am very close to procuring a set of old 300zxtt wheels, and will be buying some matching ET Streets or slicks before drag season this summer to run some 11's. I'm going to be shopping around for tires this summer as well. I'll probably end up going with the ET Streets. I'm also considering buying and installing some line locks.

 

I know the owner of the junkyard in town and he has a full set. Definitly gonna have to talk to him this week.

With a high 1.9 60' and a 13.37 time, a high 12 could really be in there. Theoretically, for ever .1 you can take off your 60', it equals about .2 in the 1/4! If you could hit all your gears correctly after a good launch, 12's should be in your site.

Audiblemayhem runs high 12's with a skunk2 spacer, k&n, and test pipes i believe, so your not that far off!