gotta hand it to you guys

[huckleberrydude]

some fast cars. I finally took a stock Zo6 last night but it took $2000 worth of tinkering..I just don't see how the vette launches so well

[Purerock105]

Launching any manual effectively and consistently is more
driver than car.

Then again a good many who frequent the strips regularly,
and the more serious you go...you GO automatic.

It eliminates the percentage of human error or driver in this
case. Can't mis-shift with an auto. A good many people
even in the Corvette community will 'dis' the A4 people
as not being a real Vette in the sense that a 'real' sports
car would only have a manual shift. That idea is about as
old and tired as...say...Ford vs. Chevy, or import vs. Domestic.

Perception Is Reality...until you're a first timer M6/Z06 owner
and you get beat by a A4 . while at the track.

[TEXAS-HOTROD]

Good one, Purerock.
The design of the Corvette powertrain helps too.
---TEX---

[VenomInMyVeins]

PureRock. I have an auto C5 with the basics (vara-ram and borla exhaust) The car has about 405hp (same as a z06) and I've got 2 ?'s for ya's. 1st my brother took it to the track and only did a 14.4 and got beat by a 350 chevelle (he's an embarassment to our family ) What're some tips to be able to get a better take off. Do you recomend for the traction control to be on or off in a 1/4mi drag? And do you think it's possible for my C5 to keep up with the z06? I'm thinkin not, but I haven't checked the gears. But if I remember right the c5's geared more for higher speed and the z06 is better in the holeshot.

[Vettribution]

Where are you running the Vette at? What are other average times for vettes at that track?

I have about 400-410 HP in a 98 C5 Coupe, and I am running 13.25-13.50.... But I am also running my car at Bandimere Speedway...Which is over a mile high, so subtract 1/2-1 full second off that and I feel my car runs pretty well . (SW of Denver, so I got altitude running against me) Im not an experienced drag racer, so I feel like I can get better times once I get a bit more used to pushing my car on the strip instead of through the mountain passes.

So it makes me wonder... Is he slow to start? Are you having any problems with your car? How are your tires?

It just seems odd that your car has that much power and you are running 14's!

[VenomInMyVeins]

No way.. that's hella cool. I'm from the denver area too. That's where he ran as well. The tires are fine, he didn't peel at all off of the line, but you have to remember there is traction control too. it's a 2002, and it only has about 5k miles on it, and it runs great. I don't think that there are any problems with the wheels or anything. He may just suck :-P. But with an auto is there any way to increase your times besides just pounding on the gas off the line, then praying for the best? There's a guy up here that runs constant 13.5's with an awd GSX... He's wanting to race, and I'm a little skeptical after seeing my brother go down in a ball of flames.

[Purerock105]

Originally Posted by VenomInMyVeins

PureRock. What're some tips to be able to get a better take off. Do you recomend for the traction control to be on or off in a 1/4mi drag? And do you think it's possible for my C5 to keep up with the z06? I'm thinkin not, but I haven't checked the gears. But if I remember right the c5's geared more for higher speed and the z06 is better in the holeshot.

It took me about 20-passes to finally figure out a technique to launch
my car with the torque converter. I always run with traction control
turned off and in 3rd gear. I tried staging at different rpms 1000, 1500,
2000, etc to pretty much no avail. I also was switching rubber at the
time too(which is huge). After I figured how the GoodYear GS-D3's work
with the TC, I launch at idle(about 500-700).

My best is a 12.66 at 109mph.
60ft-time......1.88
Reaction time.532
Bradenton Motorsports....Sea level/80degrees/75% humidity

Interestingly to note. After installing gears and tc I actually lost power
on my first dyno. About 10hp. As a stock A4 with the 2.73's I had a
baseline run of 298. After the gear swap...290. I've since had the PCM
re-tuned "A/F" mix being the primary issue. Add in the intake/exhaust
I'm at 313 presently. The second thing is that my trap speed lowered.
Stock I ran 13.4-13.5 all day long with traps at 110-111. No doubt
the taller the gears, the more top-end you sacrifice. Top-end is 'zine
fluff anyway, not real world numbers.

The ONLY time I beat Z06's is if it's a rookie owner or a track newbie.
Most Z' in my neck are solid 12.3-12.4 cars or better.

[VenomInMyVeins]

Wait... am I getting you right? You put the auto tranny in 3rd gear, hold the brake down and give it gas til it hits whichever rpm u were wanting and then you dropped the brake and gunned the gas? And these were your best times? Crazyness.

[Purerock105]

Originally Posted by VenomInMyVeins

Wait... am I getting you right? You put the auto tranny in 3rd gear, hold the brake down and give it gas til it hits whichever rpm u were wanting and then you dropped the brake and gunned the gas? And these were your best times? Crazyness.

Yup. Gotta have both feet on the same page, unless you get a line
lock. At the final staging light JUST before the tree goes Christmas,
I would rev up and hold. Couldn't be more than 1/2 a sec. The trick
is releasing the brake with the left-foot while slamming the right
WITHOUT spinning off the line and if you detect spin, let off a hair,
because it's at that point where a good many crash into the wall.
i.e. the first 30-50 feet. Not good.

...and this process WAS NOT by best times. I was dialing in a 12.76
and 12.8's. It wasn't until I started to launch at idle where I rung up
my best at 12.6. For whatever reason THIS car launches better at
idle(could be the tires too). Ya gotta do whatever works for YOU.

[DVS LT1]

Wait a second, you're not "starting" in third gear when you put it into third - or "3" if thats what it says on your shifter.

In my A4 Z28 I've got OD, D, 2, & 1 (well actually there is no "1" printed because of some noise pollution law or crap but I popped the center console up and cut away the little plastic piece that stuck in the way).

Anyways, when you put it into "3" or "D" (drive) the car still starts in first gear and shifts to second and third - it simply won't shift any higher than third. If you begin in "2", again the car will start in first gear and shift to second and you'll be bouncing off the rev-limiter until you pop it into drive or overdrive. And if you start in "1" you're stuck in first gear.

You can't tell me you run out the quarter mile in one gear! Or even two (although its possible because my A4 with 2.93's finishes the quarter just as second gear ends and shifts into third - with 2.73's and a bit more HP it could be done) But my point is that it can't be third gear you're doing it in! (like if a six-speed manual dude started out in 3rd).

If in some crazy fucked up world or atmosphere you were running out the quarter beginning in third gear, you would have to launch at like 5 or 6000+ RPM to get any kind of torque off the line! I'm not flaming you bros. but its late and this is impossible (and its going to fuck up my sleep 2nite!)

[DVS LT1]

Originally Posted by VenomInMyVeins

Wait... am I getting you right? You put the auto tranny in 3rd gear, hold the brake down and give it gas til it hits whichever rpm u were wanting and then you dropped the brake and gunned the gas? And these were your best times? Crazyness.

What Purerock said about the launch is absolutely correct. Inside an automatic tranmission there is this magical thing called a torque converter - its basically a round cylinder that is full of fluid and has discs inside it that spin. Every converter has a specific stall speed - that is the maximum point where you can hold down the brake and give it gas without spinning the wheels.

The stall speed of my stock converter is rated at 1600 RPM(I think). That means with the brakes down I can rev the engine anywhere under 1600 without turning the rear wheels. I'm not really fighting my breaks below the stall speed either - whats happening is inside the converter the discs are spinning and certain chambers are filling up with fluid. It is basically keeping or holding back the power from the flywheel until you let go of the brakes. Or until you go past the stall speed at which time you will start turning the rear wheels and frying the brakes.

The disadvantage stock converters have is that you lose a bit of HP in the process. Aftermarket converters however most often have a 1:1 ratio, meaning that when you get the converter spinning up to stall speed and let her rip, you instantly get 100% of the power(close to it) sent to the drive shaft with no loss. Aftermarket converters also have a range of stall speeds, so for guys with big cams and cubic inches you can drop in a 4500 RPM high stall converter and do the kind of launches the stickshift boys do - only you get consistant power transfer every time with no clutch bumbling!

EDIT: and ya I should have replied to you about the whole "3rd gear start" in the first place - I think buddy just mistakenly made it sound like that. What am I doing up anyways?