First drag comming

spooner_dee · 09-14-2005, 02:37 PM

OK fellow max members, In about a month and a half im going to be racing my first drag race. everything is legal its at a sanctioned meet full rescue crew and everything.

While at the races this past weekend i couldnt help but notice id cream most of the local losers that raced in their civics and integras and lest we forget the kids that borrowed moms station wagon to do the strip...

Needless to say the friend i was there with couldnt help but run his mouth a little and say he could take me down, to which i laffed and said not on your life. So i think we agreed in late october in the next meet that we would have at it.

To prepare ive gone the route of finaly ordering the pieces i need to build my intake and searching for various other things i can do on a budget to get a lil pep to the ground. Not to mention steps taken to lose a lil weight in the car, removing the spare and evertyhing not bolted down... maybe some that are bolted..

So i need some advice and some tips. My friend is driving a 2000 gti 2.0 4cyl, it has cams, chip, intake, exhaust, and suspension work. The car is pretty quick, but i know i can kill it. im driving a 97 328i soon with an intake heatshield and maybe a chip. My biggest set back is im auto and he is manual. so all i need to do really is get a good launch. Ive heard people say push one foot on the break the other on the gas and ease up on the throttle till it pulls then just mash the throttle when u want to go... I can see how that would work, but i also am warry of it doing damage, that cant be good for the car lol.

so if anyone has any REAL tips or advice please do share thanks all.

propr'one · 09-14-2005, 09:39 PM

A) no auto's
B) that is the correct method of launching an automatic. Although it does wear out your breaks a little sooner than we would like.

Lastly, the gti setup you described is quick, but i agree with your thinking that you can take it. I'd strongly recommend the chip, or anything that will give you a little more pep in the low rpm's, because that's where you'll need it. But as long as you got your CAI pulling in plenty of air, a chip which like i said i'd recommend, and if you got the cash to spend mabye a less restrictive exhaust, with a good launch you'll be telling him how nice his grille looks in your rearview/

Edit:

Im just going to add that im in no way someone who's really into drag racing, so take what i say with a grain of salt. plenty of people on this board know loads more than i do and i'm sure they'll be quick to help you out too

cheers

erikIS · 09-15-2005, 12:18 AM

i seriously doubt your auto 328 can take a chipped/modded GTi golf. Although possible if he sucks at driving.

I do remember that really nice edition Jetta? It was a new one , sharp blue colour, nice big rims w/180hp? he done some mods and was at 230ish hp supposedly but he cuoldnt get traction of the line and ran consistant 15.1's...

I think a car such as the 328i Automatic can be possibily compared with a 97+Honda prelude Sportshift in regards of hp and weight. although the 328 may be a bit more beefy.

You are lookn at high 15s low 16s.

Hell, my friends 04 Mazda GT6 w/220hp ran 16.1 .. dont count on anything better.

spooner_dee · 09-15-2005, 04:52 PM

well see whats making me think i have it in the bag is, that his car stock is 115hp@ 5200 rpm and 122lb-ft of torque @ 2600 rpm.... which is nothing compared to my car, but i know a good driver can win with an under dog... my second point that makes me think i can win is with my old eclipse i could keep up with him no matter how hard he tried, my eclipse was 145hp and about 140lb-ft of torque.

Now with my 328i i have played chase with him b4 and have always had to let off the throttle cuz id start to fly up on his rear, the only time he can ever get away from me and pull is on hard twisties cuz i have stock suspension and he has some sweet coilovers...

I guess my real edge is going to be that im confident and know i can get him no problem if i can launch it.... good thing i need new brakes soon anyways lol gives me more reason to buy newer better ones and replace them. thanks for some of the tips ideas thoughts...

RevShoT · 09-15-2005, 07:09 PM

your car will not launch, its auto it will just bog you dont have a stall convertor

the best you can hope for is mash the brake pedal and gas and hope the motor struggles to reach 2000rmp then let off the brake and keep your foot to the floor

keep your car in manual mode and shift at 6500rpm or whatever your peak HP is for your 328. keeping it in manual mode will knock off literally a second on your time, i know cause ive done it personally

your brakes wont burn out from this method of launching... think about it for brakes to wear out they have to be braking..... not standing still

spooner_dee · 09-15-2005, 08:21 PM

yeah whats up with that, why do autos have like a delay from the time u mash the pedal till the time it finally takes off?. would be nicer if it just took off like a manual does lol.

RevShoT · 09-15-2005, 08:24 PM

its called a stall converter, when your at idle theres a big ass disk full of tranny fulid that free spins so you dont stall, when you give it gas it locks up and makes the wheels turn

if you hold the brake and step on the gas you will either

A) do a burn out if you have enough HP
B) burn out your transmission cause its working so hard to make the wheels turn

spooner_dee · 09-16-2005, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevShoT

if you hold the brake and step on the gas you will either

A) do a burn out if you have enough HP
B) burn out your transmission cause its working so hard to make the wheels turn

exactly why im not to keen on the idea of doing it... thanks for the info about the auto tran

RevShoT · 09-16-2005, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spooner_dee

exactly why im not to keen on the idea of doing it... thanks for the info about the auto tran

it takes a lot to break a tranny holding it for 4-5 seconds wont hurt it, unless you already had problems ive personally destroy'd 3 auto trannies myself

when you hear about auto cars... "launching" they have beef'd up stall converters, so the stall convertor will not lock up till a certian RPM, ie: a 2500 stall you can rev your motor with your foot on the break till 2500RPM and it will not try to turn the wheels

spooner_dee · 09-16-2005, 09:03 PM

lol good thing this is just a one day event. i dont have any previous probs with the tranny and i dont think ill race more then a few times, against my friend and maybe a few local yocals. all in good fun but i would like to win none the less. thanks for all the info rev much appreciated

Soldo · 09-20-2005, 10:28 AM

Why are you running your mouth and racing in a AUTOMATIC 328??

You car might be quicker, for your sake i really hope the the auto 328's didn't come with the 2.92 diffs, but i hope you loose just to teach you a lesson!