Hey guys, so i have a funny story.

Last weekend i participated in a cash day race, it's a 20 dollar buy in to race and the only restrictions were "no nitrous allowed" Anyway, there is a silver new edge mustang with some cammed carbureted pushrod engine, yes i said it "carbureted pushrod engine" in it that's built for nitrous and it has a roll cage inside with straight headers dumped under the car, also it's an auto which i think it maybe a powerglide or something because his car doesn't shift into second gear until 1/8th mile mark. I mean is definitely far from being a 2V GT.

So we finally line up to race, the light hits and we both take off. For then first 200 feet we're door to door than all of sudden he pulls a car ahead of me, at that time i couldn't help but noticed a consistent stream of blue flames from his exhaust that lasted for at least 3 seconds. At this point I'm under impression that this guys is spraying. Needless to say i loss the race.

I asked my buddy who started the cash day event if the silver mustang was on the bottle and he told me that he doesn't even have a bottle in his car (I'm sure he didn't thoroughly check though) So at this point I'm thinking he just has a badass motor in his car.

Anyway, later on i found out his car actually is making 331/335 on all motor and I'm making 423/370 on motor. So what do you guys think? Did I get bamboozled? Or is there a logical explanation for this?

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NOS-05029NOS/

 

Read This No one will ever know:

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-t...k-nitrous-kit/

 

No, I have no explanation for that, LOL.

But can someone explain to me how a two-speed transmission can be an advantage on a drag strip; how does that work?

 

Three things. Nitrous. He had 500 pounds on you. The powerglide is one hell of a trans. I had a car with one that went 0-70 in first!

 

Dude has to have a bottle hidden somewhere on that car lol he still claims he was all motor. There's just no way a 99-04 stang making 331whp would pull on me like that unless it weighed like 2500lbs or something

 

minor sidetrack: how the heck does that work?

 

If you have the power, it is more efficient and can make better use of the power curve. A powerglide trans has 2 forward speeds, some of the advantage is it is lighter and stronger. No need to waste valuable time shifting.
A good example of using the power with that type of gearing - Funny cars have only 3 gears and go 320+ MPH, and can go 120+ MPH in first gear.

 

My first car was a 68 Impala 327 Power Glide. That transmission was fun! Have no idea what rear gears I had but it would hit almost 60 in first.

 

Yeah, I had one in a '68 Firebird that would do 70-80 in low. It had some really long gears in the final drive when I first bought it. It was 2.xx:1

Later I built the rear diff. with some 3.xx gears (sorry I don't remember the exact ratios, it's been about 40 years since), and man did that ever wake the car up.

The engine was a 400 cid with RamAir and HO heads, but I'm pretty sure my 5.0 is faster.

 

Sorry OP for the ongoing hijack, but it is kind of related and I've been wondering about this.

How can such a tall first gear give good performance off the line? The engine would need to have crazy high torque at low RPM . . . . and usually that means not so good at high RPM.

Is the torque converter doing something, like not locking up completely so the engine can hold higher RPM while it climbs through the transmission gears?

I'm pretty sure the funny cars have some kind of progressive clutch that allows them to hold high RPM through each of the gears. Also, don't they have tires that grow in diameter as the speed increases, effectively acting like a continuously variable gear?

 

Most race cars have a power glide. You don't want all your torque coming off the line. You set the rear gears up for the track you are racing at. You set it up so you are in the power band where you want it.

 

You probably should be more specific what type of Funny Car you’re speaking of. TA (Top Alcohol) cars have three speed trannies coupled to slip/lock-up clutches and are shifted pneumatically by CO2 pushbutton. TF (Top Fuel or “Nitro”) cars don’t have trannies at all. They are direct drive to the rear end through a slip/lock-up clutch. The old adage “Big engine, little transmission, little engine, big transmission” holds as true today as it always has. The big horsepower engines we’re getting from Detroit today are getting coupled to “Big” trannies for fuel economy. The tighter the engine is held in the sweet spot of its power and torque curve, the better the fuel economy. 6 and 8 speeds do that far better than 3, 4, or 5 speeds can. CVT’s can’t handle the power and as far as I know, don’t lock up.

OP, the nice blue flame and increase in power you saw as your competitor wandered on past you sounds more like a methanol/water injection to me. NO2 usually has a more white flame verses blue like alcohol. IF that’s the case then it sounds like what he was doing was perfectly legal.

John

 

John nicely said. Do you race?

 

Used to circle track but have been into all forms of motorsports all my life...an equal opportunity ***** I guess