Okay guys, I got a coworker who has a '96 Z with a modded LT1. He's always talking crap about his car beating mine etc., etc. Well we raced twice, the first time he jumped me and maintained a half car through the quarter. The second time I manually shifted and beat him by a car! I was spinning BADLY both times on the launch. By the way both cars are A4's. what I need to know is would Nittos make a big difference or should I go to LT headers and ORY. Help me out guys, I want to absolutely destroy him in the 1/4.

 

I would get the headers/ypipe. This will increase your MPH through the 1/4, up the HP, and reduce your ET. You can always launch at a lower rpm, but reducing your car's 60' with DR's will give you a lower MPH and you could get pulled at the top end. Tires are cheaper anyway. Get the bigger mod out of the way.

What's done to his car anyay?

 

Head work, cam, and ported TB, done at a hi-performance engine shop. It runs pretty strong for an older car.

 

the longtubes WILL give you a significant gain in performance however the 60' theory on drag radials is not correct. you're kind of saying that if you win on street tires, you're going to lose on drag radials... traction is EVERYTHING in a drag race.

you may lose a mph of trap speed or so by dropping the 60', but if you're 60 foot drops 1 tenth, you'll drop about 2 in overall quarter mile ET. if you leave harder and spin less, he's gonna be a lot further back on the top end. he WON'T be pulling you down and passing you just because you 60' better. if this was the case, nobody would use drag radials, because they would slow the car down.

 

MPH never won a single solitary drag race ever. First one there wins. That's all et.
Tires and a torque converter and you'll bury him every time.

 

About the stall converter.....if i get a 2800 stall, does that mean every time i come to a stop I will have to rev to 2800 rpm's just to go? That's like overkill if I'm just going to the store or something. I gues what I'm saying is I don't want to race unintentionally. Please clarify the stall converter and how it works.