So I tried to make some street runs with my Valiant to see how quick it will be at the track, but my calendar ran out of days before I ran a full quarter mile. The car is a '63 with a stone stock 170. I put a tach in it so I could figure out where to shift, but 3,000 feels pretty much like 4,000, any idea where to shift this thing? It'll be quicker than 19.99, right?

The tach is helpful at the start, especially if you have a manual car. I was lined up beside open headered cars each time I ran my quiet truck and it was hard to know what RPM you were launching at.

19.99? probably, but just remember if you go slower than 20.4 I might beat you!

Rick

Competition, oh good! I'm going to over inflate my tires, watch out!

I'm sure I'll be in the 19 second range too, if I sandbag a little I could be the slowest.

I'm running a smog era 225(it is a supersix) in a 3800 pound car.

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Not sure if this counts but, My first time down the 1320, in my '68 Dart, got me a 18.76. It is as stock as I got it, as far as I can tell, all it has is hedders and duals all the way back. I ran it with worn points and a Holly 1920 with a reman label on it....I wanted to get a baseline, before I really started "getting" into it. Larger valves, porting, cam, higher compresion, 4bl, are all in the works for it .....sometime.....

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An officialis Tyrde-Browne Racing membrum

My 63 dart, with an all stock 225, and running in Drive ran a 19.05. With headers and cherry bombs. 18.84. Best MPH was 73.

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1963 Dodge Dart -225 Slant 6, 904, 2.76's, 18.84 @ 73
1970 Nova 12.53@108
1970 Bug 15.38@87

My best with the '71 Dart 4 door was 18.98, 225 bone stock with 2.76 gears and larger rear tires.

Best with the '74 Swinger was 19.30, hydro-225 bone stock, 2.76 gears, and stock size tires.

The 170 is lesser on the grunt to get her rolling, but she will spin faster, and you also have a fairly light rig. If you have a stick, I imagine you have either 2.93/2.94 or 3.23:1 rear. In either case, with stock 13" wheels and stock tires, I think you would be under 19.99 easy.

Bone stock, all of my cars have run out of poop around 5k, so I would say somewhere around 5k might do it well for you. I haven't owned a 170 though, and this is just a guesstimate.

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

My '66 with a stock 170, auto, and 3.55 gears went 20:12.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Thanks for the replies.

The car was a three-speed, but now has a standard four-speed. Tonight I tried different launching techniques and no matter if I drop the clutch at 3,500 or try to slip it a bit from a lower RPM, the tires will chirp, the RPM drops to 1,000 and it lumbers out of the box.

As far as shifting it goes, 4,200 is about it. It will spin past that, but goes no where. In fact if I didn't know better I would swear it was slowing down. That said, it feels pretty peppy after you're under way.

Gears are 2.76, tires are 195 / 70 / 14.

If you are spinning off the line? If so LOWER your air pressure in the tires. I would shift your stock 170 about 4000 to stay in the power band. Launch at 2500 if you can get it there.
My02.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Finally!!! Please, please come to Kearney NE in August. I'm looking for a car to run with.

I've been dragging my car for a few years now. In the 1/8th, I can brake the speed limit (57mph) and in the 1/4, it's only about 65 mph.

I lost to Sergio in round 1 last year due to wheel spin. Ya, a 100hp car spun the 14's. Well, one of them. The damn track wouldn't let me go around the water box. Every couple runs I would actually spin the tires! Sure, cool on the street, but the track after I entered the race... not cool.

(Sergio went on to win the event so maybe he was just better )

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Chris'
Autobody
Restoration
Service

i had a 225 slant 6 with 48k original miles, gave it a basic tune up, also put super 6 intake and 318 2bbl carb on...untouched 904 trans...i shifted it at about 5500 it loved RPMs! had 8 3/4 rear with 3.23 gears and super stock springs... Fastest i think i ever went in my duster...weighed with the slant 6 and me in it was #3045 pounds...

17.72 @ 76MPH it HAULED ASS!

BEFORE (1bbl in pic)




AFTER (318 v8 )

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Nick Bowman
1970 Plymouth Duster
14.00 @ 98 - 8.94 @ 80 (v-eight)
08 slant 6 rookie of the year

So you had a fairly fast slant six,and now you have a very common pretty slow V8???I was more impressed with your /6 times than your v8 time.Mark

There's the problem...
You can't really get a "fast" standing start, with that much rear-end gearing.
Just my 2 cents,
DD

My stock 72 Duster 225 /6 ran a flat 21 seconds. I had absolutely awful launches though. I knew nothing about racing, and didn't have my RPM's up at all when I launched, I just floored it when the tree hit green.

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