Should I run 12's 13's or 14's

[z28 boy]

I was wondering why every one here has a different idea about the times a camaro should run in the 1/4 mile. Some people say 12's others say 13's. Down here in Texas where I am from the best we can do with our cars is high 13 and low 14. I have never ran my car but my friend ran his ws6. He got 14.00 with a flowmaster and gears it was an a4. I have seen a 02 Z run a 13.7 consitently it was a m6. I even saw a z06 run 13.4. I am from north Texas by Amarillo. So I don't understand how it is possible for some people to run 12's. I read in a mustang magazine that the 03 cobra ran a 12.7 while the 02 ss ran a 13.2. I am not saying they are lying I just want to know if our cars are slower or what. I have never lost a race. I drive an A4 00 z28 with a flowmaster hypertech programmer and a 160 degree stat. I can whip that ws6 pretty bad. I have also raced an 02 z and beat him by at least 2 1/2 cars. Not the same one I saw run 13.7.

[cannibalrights]

Because it depends on alot of things. What kinda engine you got, what kind of Camaro you've got....that kinda stuff.

[Hypsi87]

First of all never go by magazine numbers. They usually post corrected times. My 12.6 corrected is like a 11.7something but, I do not post 11.7 Man with an LS1 I have seen anything from 13.2-14.3 all within the same MPH. So it depends on the driver. My buddy ran a 13.2 with the only thing done to it was an airbox lid. and a borla cat back system that he bought used and we jerry rigged it up to his car. I personally have never seen a cobra run in the 12's stock. Leave your car in drive, just barely clean you tires off and pratice a good launch without spinning your tires and youll be in the mid 13 ez. All it takes is seat time.

Andy

[Chevyracincamaro]

quarter mile times have more to do with than just horsepower. you run slower times in texas cause its damn hot down there. temp, humidity, air pressure all affect a cars performance. thats one of the reason why magazine times are so sporadic. also, track conditions determine the amount of traction a car gets which affects times. also, different drivers produce different times. one driver might let the wheels spin a little more than another or one might weight more or less than the other. point is, horsepower isnt the only factor when it comes to quater mile times, or anything of that nature...

[cannibalrights]

Like I said...Alot of things depend on your time

[CamaroSSBoy346]

dont forget drivers, and altitude. A LS1 Car might run 15's up in colorado. Take the same car down to death valley and run like 12's. Oh yeah, dont forget Evan Smith- Fastest STOCK Z28 record holder- 12.98. Cars down here-Convertable ?? SS-13.5 and a T-TOP 02 SS-13.1-12.9 (Has hypertech chip though.. so..)

[Vlad_Tepes]

Shit my Utes got ya'll whooped.... I run a 1's....

[Chevyracincamaro]

i run the quarter in like 2 days...

[DVS LT1]

Its all in the launch man, just like Hypsi said (although I must ask what you mean by corrected ET's as I have never heard anyone else mention that).

Not surprisingly, track prep often influences your launch. I've had the pleasure of being the first car to race just after the launch area had been sprayed with this gripping compound (help me out guys I forget the name). I can tell you that was the one time where it felt like my rear suspension bottomed out off the launch (unfortunately, like RacingCamaro alluded to, it wasn't my best run of the day because it was HOT and I had just driven over 2 hours to get there and hit the stages immediately - noob mistake )

Unless you're running slicks don't bother even driving though the burnout patch - you'll just be bringing water up with you to the line (and for everyone else!). Taking your tire PSI down will help the rubber heat up quicker and provide more gripping surface. Over time you will figure out what works best. One strange thing that I've found (and confirmed pretty well) is that my Z28 gets better ET's when theres lots of gas in the tank. Suspension & chassis mods are next on our list...

[DVS LT1]

Originally Posted by Chevyracincamaro

quarter mile times have more to do with than just horsepower...temp, humidity, air pressure all affect a cars performance...thats one of the reason why magazine times are so sporadic...also, track conditions determine the amount of traction a car gets which affects times...also, different drivers produce different times.

Yes indeed. Thats why a good published quarter mile test should include ALL of these variables including wind speed/direction, etc...

But the frustrating part is that we often do not know what is being done behind the scenes - especially if we're reading specific Mustang or GM interest magazines (but the same also holds true for the mainstream supposedly unbiased Motortrend's, Car & Driver, etc...). We may not be told that the tire PSI was taken down, or that the car was stripped of the spare tire, jack, and run down the line on fumes. The car could have spent the high-noon hours resting in the shade and gotten a nice push to the line in the late afternoon.

Regarding drivers, you almost have to analyze which mags have better driver's and remember (if possible) the names of the really good pilots. But again, they may be the best because they use unpublished tricks up their sleeve...

[BadAzz240]

Hey DVS LT1 , what do u run anyway???

[cannibalrights]

Like I said. Depends on alot of things.

[Hypsi87]

Originally Posted by DVS LT1

Its all in the launch man, just like Hypsi said (although I must ask what you mean by corrected ET's as I have never heard anyone else mention that).

Not surprisingly, track prep often influences your launch. I've had the pleasure of being the first car to race just after the launch area had been sprayed with this gripping compound (help me out guys I forget the name). I can tell you that was the one time where it felt like my rear suspension bottomed out off the launch (unfortunately, like RacingCamaro alluded to, it wasn't my best run of the day because it was HOT and I had just driven over 2 hours to get there and hit the stages immediately - noob mistake )

Unless you're running slicks don't bother even driving though the burnout patch - you'll just be bringing water up with you to the line (and for everyone else!). Taking your tire PSI down will help the rubber heat up quicker and provide more gripping surface. Over time you will figure out what works best. One strange thing that I've found (and confirmed pretty well) is that my Z28 gets better ET's when theres lots of gas in the tank. Suspension & chassis mods are next on our list...

corrected times are times that are correceted to be at 60* at sea level. Anyway one thing that will help you is lower the air pressure on your dirverside tire about 3 PSI over your passenger side tire. When you launch your car the rearend tries to torque and pull the passenger tire up and the drivers down. Changing the tire pressure is like putting a heaiver spring on the passenger side. keeps the rearend level and gives both tires equal traction. We did it to my buddys '02 z and he dropped from a 13.4 to a 13.2.

[DVS LT1]

Eh Hypsi, I never would have thought of that. Its kinda like what airbags are supposed to do. There's lots of stuff I need to try at the track, stuff I've found out since last summer and stuff I've known but been too lazy or unable to try.

It may sound like I've been preaching track tips but I'm really new at this. I've only been to the track twice, and both times my car had issues. First trip my street tires were all but bald and I managed to pop the tranny mount while playing in the burnout puddle (fucking noob I AM!). I tagged along with friends my second trip knowing my differential was screwed, and we looked just grand spinning only the rear passenger side tire and leaving the line sideways! I'm pretty confidant that I will see better times and not break anything my next trip out.

And NOW that you've had a chance to hear some of my excuses BadAzz, I can tell you with little shame that my best runs each visit to the track were 13.8's @ 101 Mph with 2.1ish 60' times. These quickest times could only be achieved by simply flooring the gas off the line - all attempts at launching the car at up to 1500 RPM just lost traction & time (really, no more puddles next time!).

I wanted to give my current setup one last shot at the track with a good differential, the Eibach springs/Bilstein shocks I had put on since, and the full prep treatment like resting the car good, icing the manifold, pushing her to the line with the hood up, taking out all the stero shit and trying to run her on fumes with low tire PSI. But the gears will be changing as well as the TB & heads this summer so it looks like I'll be learning all over again.


EDIT: oh ya and thats my biggest excuse - the 2.93 gears and 6000 RPM shiftpoints BERELY make it a 3 gear quarter mile.

[Hypsi87]

Yea lowering the tire pressure is like the airbags. Its the hick way of doing it though. DVS you got a 2.1 on street tires?! Damn thats good. with street tires....STAY OUY OF THE WATER!!! drive around it. Also don't do a mice smokey burnout. Just spin the tires like three or four times just to clean them off. With my buddies camaro we usually launched it at like 1200 RPM. (Automatic) it had some spin but very minimial.