Drag racing a 2.2

is there any warm weather people racing this winter? any new fast FWD's buing built???

I built my 87 TII Shelby Charger last year , (actually Dean Stillie did most of the work), but I had a lot of small problems and lack of funds to finish the car properly..should be faster this spring, also TII ing an 86 Lebaron GTS

If you had Dean work on it then it will be fast and long lasting his car will be listed in the history of FWDs 30 years from now when we are finally taken for been real fast cars.

Thanks for the kind words Cliff!

I have a question for you and the masses.
Anyone know of a company that can supply me with 2 fiberglass leaf springs that measure 48"eye-eye and 2.5" wide

That last message was suppose to say WITHOUT NOS!!! Ooppss, sorry about that...!

[This message has been edited by Garry (edited January 19, 1999).]

I certainly can't wait for the warm weather to come our way. I just finished building my killer long rod engine (i believe it is the first) and can't wait to take it out to the track. BTW, thanks Cliff for the little odds and end parts that you got for me. This season I am hoping to break into the 11's without NOS, only have to wait til Milan Dragway opens on April 3rd. Interested in seeing the new engine check out this link:

http://www.concentric.net/~Gmckissi/ttm

Garry I hope your long rod is the first 2.5 long rod to live. Around here Kemp built a 88 2.5 turbo with a spearco intercooler, it ran fast for about 1/2 hour then boooom. As for the no nos, if it was easy to run a nos car and live, every one would do it.. since they don't and bad month those that do, i think just saying your going to try to run 11's would be enough said, my count has only 6 of us that has run in the 11's. with or without NOS. and yes the fastest is a non NOS car. FM's GLHS @ 11.59, he does have NOS to put on, when needed. And no i was not saying you garry bad month NOS I know you are not, but the other reader's may not know you that well. Good luck and "BE FAST WITH BOOST" cliff

Just to clear something up, my long rod engine is really a 2.2L, NOT a 2.5L..! I am using the 3.62" stroke crank, actually an 89' common block 2.2L crank. I just needed to use an 88' 2.5L N/A block because it was taller then all the other blocks out there. This way I could fit those custom Cunningham connecting rods inside there.

Yes, FM's car is actually flying!! That just goes to show you that what everyone needs is a programmable (on the fly) laptop computer setup. This way you can dial in your car to the combination that you are running. When running in the 11's you have to add a cage, which will on the average add another 150 lbs to the weight of the car. So, now you have to go and try and remove this amount of weight. This is what I am trying to do right now.

A 6-point cage will be installed in the next month, then I will start to find spots to remove more of the weight off the back end of the car. Plus add some lexan windows. I just hope I am able to come out to Cecil County this coming October 16th. Just have to find a trailer that I can borrow so I can go.

I am finally getting ready to go drag racing this year. Old Matchbox (rare 110 hp Horizon...not GLH or Omni) is still buried in the snow and I finally took its old cracked big valve head to Indy Cylinder Head to be repaired, only $350. The cracks were from water ports to combustion chambers. They said that I had too much heat. I told them I never run it at over 205 but they asked if I run it lean.....yes I do, now I need a EGT guage for that car, just as I have in both my turbos. The Lethal Weapon 4 90 Shadow with 88 electronics and S60 stuff lost its second FM turbo. It is at the dealership now getting a turbonetics one put on. I will have turbonetics rebuilt the FM units. This car ran 12.35 with some nitrous.
My blue GLH T1 conveted to T2 is not quite ready yet either. This is the car that ran 11.89 at 118 on TONS of nitrous. (only 14.0s without it!) I am trying to get it in the 12s without the juice. The only thing that really runs like it should is my 3.0 Duster (that Carroll Shelby autographed) and my $200 beater 85 Horizon that has $250 worth of studded snow tires. Need to get rid of the snow tires on the Duster and slap on the 225x50s to have at least one really ready!

Garry Thats why i wanted to build the neon i should be 150 lbs lighter then the omni, even with the roll bar. The Omni's race weight of 2750 with me is heavy because i made no attempt to make it lighter and i carred 60 lbs of steel in the front bumper to help traction.
We all may get to meet alittle closer then you think SDAC 9 my be going s. w. of you at "66" Not positive yet but looking goood. june 13-16 1999 i think its sun - wed if it comes to be. Be there and ill try to have the fastest quick 8 FWD's mopars anywhere. well maybe it would be allittle far for gus to come.

One more thing...Indianapolis Raceway Park opens for test and tune on March 13th...lst points race is the 14th and they have raised the entry $5 ($30) but they are paying the top 16 places (8 last year) and they are doubling the pay out!!! ($500!!!!) That is for the street class. I will run Matchbox for sure in street and maybe run one of the two turbo cars in pro....heck, if I lived closer to the track I could run the $200 beater in trophy, the Matchbox in Street, the Lethal Weapon 4 in Pro with no NOS, and the blue GLH in Super pro with it!

June 13 - 16? Yep...13th is Sunday. I hope I can get off...we already put in for vacation, they only let two non vacation people off per day, but only if we have no injured people. At present we have 12 people recovering from auto accidents and surgury...out of only 63!!!

Now Angelo, The 66 thing is not set in stone yet, but it was the best hint i could give without the shelby gods being mad at me. Im still thinking we my go to vegas {sdac west} and Md. as {sdac east} but im just dreaming? I guess 66 is 4 hours for you? drags would be wed. you can give me one day.. you look alittle pale allready by june i know you would need a sick day... Hay, hay, quit laughing. im just pulling your turbo strings. i know you will be there, where ever it is just to run me!!! Hahahahha!!! im there bring on the new fast cars. i have not been anything but the fastest car since kansas. but i knew the neon would not be there!.. talk at you later cliff

Wow, possibly Chicago that's not that far for me (only 280 miles max), about 3-4 hours tops. If SDAC9 is at 66, then I will try my hardest to get there -- at least for the drag race day. Though I thought I heard rumors that it was going to be in Vegas this year.

Looks like I will have to start dialing in the race car, Milan actually opens up on April 3rd. Seems like I am going to have my work cut out for me next season. As long as the engine stays together should be a fun season... Until then, stay fast upfront!!

Garry Cecil opens Feb 27 for test and tune and in march for friday nites and sundays so maybe i can get a week or two more racing in, Ill need it.. but it's about 800 miles for me to get to "66". I just got off the phone with Bill C. and its looking good for "66". Barrys down to "makeing the deal" Lets hope this goes through it sounds great. road racing, autocross and drags just like indy but each has its own day.

Hey Cliff....have you ever "o-ringed" any of your 2.2 blocks and is it possible to do it with the block in the car..meaning is there and inexpensive tool to do this with?

Hi Dean its cold here hows is it up north? I have never run a "o-ringed" block. i have seen the v8 guys have a tool that slides into the bore and they center it and spin the handle and it had a diamond cutter do the deed. i have no idea where they got it. darn near looked like a glass cutter. i guess you heard that SDAC "9" will be at Rt 66 in chicago?? should be fun?? I'm waiting for a rematch!!! ha aha i guess its your turn to beat me is'n it?? thanks

I think it sure would be difficult to O-ring a block while it is in a car. That is why I had my 2.5L tall block O-ringed while it was out of the car. Looks like Route 66 is a definate go then, huh Cliff!! I will more then likely go to the drag race day for sure. Might even leave the night before to get to Chicago that night, and meet up with everyone. Should be a good year, just hope it isn't as hot as Topeka or Milan was!