Just put an LS in my car and planning on doing some more performance upgrades to engine I should be at 450 RWHP which will put me in the low 11's
Has anyone on here gone that fast in a vert and did you have to do any mods to the top? any fears of it coming undone?

If you don't have a bar (cage?) and the track cares, they'll boot you if you go faster than 13.99, which you can pretty much do on foot.

It would be a really good idea imo to put sub frame connectors in the car, even the bolt in variety will help.

As for the top blowing off or down, I haven't heard or seen this happen on a car at the track. There are several guys that run convertible first gens in NHRA stock eliminator, and I don't know of anything special they do to the car. Also, the NHRA rule book doesn't mandate anything other than the top must be up when making a run.

From hotrod.com

"For cars that run e.t.’s between 12.00 and 13.99, all of the above requirements apply along with the addition of a driveshaft loop. A new-for-’95 rule exempts cars running 13.00 and slower when equipped with street tires. Since traction is the key to going quick, this places more strain on the driveshaft. To prevent the driveshaft from breaking at the front U-joint area and perhaps coming into the interior of the car, or digging into the track and pole-vaulting the car, NHRA mandates that a steel loop be placed just behind the front U-joint of the driveshaft. A universal driveshaft loop is available from Lakewood that bolts to the floorpan. A rollbar is required in this e.t. bracket only if the car is a convertible."

From the 2010 NHRA rule book.

ROLL BAR
Roll bar mandatory in all cars (including T-tops) running 11.00
(*7.00) to 11.49 (*7.35), in convertibles running 11.00 (*7.00) to
13.49 (*8.25), and in all dune-buggy-type vehicles running 12.00
(*7.50) seconds and slower. Permitted in all cars. See General
Regulations 4:10, 10:6.

I was at the Byron Wheelstand Championship this year and there was a convertible GS Skylark (70-72ish). he was making passes with the top down, but did have a full cage (not an NHRA track), just thought I would mention it.

Frame connectors are welded in. Drive shaft loop is simple and great idea for safety. I will most likely have to go down the track on a private rental. I was worried about the top coming un-latched. Glad to hear no one has heard of this I will still take some precautions maybe reinforce from the inside somehow on track day. As for roll cage not going to happen on my street car. Any other safety tips you guys can add would be appreciated. The car has tubular control arms with coil overs on the front and multi leafs on the back with a 12 bolt.

Made first 12.90ish pass in my '69 rag at a Super Chevy meet & was met in the pits by safety team telling me next run like that w/o helmet, loop and cage would have me thrown out! Then I noticed a crack in the rear cowl where apparently body flex added the line converts didn't have! Its tied together now w/ a homemade loop and will probably never be run on a qtr mile track again. Ha!

Holy crap!! any pics of that home made loop or damaged areas at the time?

Just put an LS in my car and planning on doing some more performance upgrades to engine I should be at 450 RWHP which will put me in the low 11's
Has anyone on here gone that fast in a vert and did you have to do any mods to the top? any fears of it coming undone?


A roll bar is required in any convertible running 13.49 seconds or quicker in the quarter mile, and in other cars beginning at 11.49. The roll bar is accepted in vehicles running as quick as 10.00 second e.t., provided the stock firewall and floorboard is intact. Straight from nhra.

What mods are you doing to make well over 500 hp?
Is this an ls1, 2 or lsx base?
I'd like more info please.

Stock LS2 with 226/234 on a 113
Underdrive Pulley
Long tube Headers
Through on A4 with unlocked converter
Safe Tune 12.8 AFR at WOT
currently at 394 RWHP, LS 2 intake worst you can have.

I will be porting stock heads, Ported Fast 102 intake, and New 102 TB. should be at 440 - 450 with unlocked converter.

I still want to take the BPOS Camaro down the 1/4 mile (after I practice launching it) and run an 11.99 and get booted.

I've been booted before........more than once.

Ron

nvm :)

Most tracks will stick to the 13.99 rule. My last trip to the track they told me that I could run 1/8th mile no problem:). They threw me out after a really good pass:D. I haven't been to a track that didn't throw me out. I would not run without the drive shaft safety loop. small insurance. I imagine that a removable roll bar would be a good investment. I don't want a permanent bar in my convertible. Also if you are going to race your car often, I would expect cracking eventually even with sub-frame connectors. My old car with a hard top became loose after about 40k miles. It needed weld surgery.

Ive been 10.70's at 125mph in a NHRA superstock 69 camaro convertible. Of course it had the cage and was a nicely built racecar. Never had any top issues other than it ballooning on the top end some.

Most of my freinds sport big hp engines in the 900 - 1000 rwhp range and the only way they can have fun is to get together and rent the track for a day. We have all the freedom at that point to let it all hang out!!
again glad to hear to top issues. I will make some passes for a best time If i go deep in the 11's I will be happy, no need to beat it on it after that it will not be a weekly adventure.

1000 rwhp?

Wow, do they run in the 7's in the 1/4?

What has your car run with your rwhp?

Most of my freinds sport big hp engines in the 900 - 1000 rwhp range and the only way they can have fun is to get together and rent the track for a day. We have all the freedom at that point to let it all hang out!!
again glad to hear to top issues. I will make some passes for a best time If i go deep in the 11's I will be happy, no need to beat it on it after that it will not be a weekly adventure.

Things must be different in Canada than they are down here in the US. Here, even if you just rent the track, the insurance company is still liable at least to a degree, and as such the track will enforce the sanctioning body rules.

I wish ya luck, but man I would really reconsider making a pass in an 11 second ride-especially a convertible-with no roll bar and a good 3 inch belt.

YouTube - 2009 orlando world street nationals

Most of my freinds sport big hp engines in the 900 - 1000 rwhp range and the only way they can have fun is to get together and rent the track for a day. We have all the freedom at that point to let it all hang out!!
again glad to hear to top issues. I will make some passes for a best time If i go deep in the 11's I will be happy, no need to beat it on it after that it will not be a weekly adventure.Sounds good to me!

1000 rwhp?

Wow, do they run in the 7's in the 1/4?

What has your car run with your rwhp?

LS motors with Novi's in their vettes, mostly in the 9's a couple guys with twin turbos over 1000hp, very tame cars that are driven daily. I didn't get a chance to go down this year the weather changed quickly this year. However Fast 102, porting heads and nick williams TB should net me 440 - 450 RWHP which with a good tire should put deep into the 11's. Then I will be content for a street car with mild manners!

Things must be different in Canada than they are down here in the US. Here, even if you just rent the track, the insurance company is still liable at least to a degree, and as such the track will enforce the sanctioning body rules.

I wish ya luck, but man I would really reconsider making a pass in an 11 second ride-especially a convertible-with no roll bar and a good 3 inch belt.
I will let off if I feel uncomfortable but like I said it won't be a weekly thing.

YouTube - 2009 orlando world street nationals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlIvrCIavA)

WOW! does that qualify as a grocery getter still? :)

LS motors with Novi's in their vettes, mostly in the 9's a couple guys with twin turbos over 1000hp, very tame cars that are driven daily.

Not what I would expect for 1200+ hp but they are probably not set up for the 1/4 mile.

Still they have to be fun on the street.


BTW, your will be a blast as a lo 11 car!:thumbsup:

Stock LS2 with 226/234 on a 113
Underdrive Pulley
Long tube Headers
Through on A4 with unlocked converter
Safe Tune 12.8 AFR at WOT
currently at 394 RWHP, LS 2 intake worst you can have.

I will be porting stock heads, Ported Fast 102 intake, and New 102 TB. should be at 440 - 450 with unlocked converter.

how is was that for a prediction I made 446 RWHP!!!!!

On my way to low 11's :hurray:

Al, we wouldn't make the first 330 feet on foot! :D
Unless a bambalance was waiting with CPR and oxygen!:hurray:

YouTube - I needa Bambulance

RA

If you don't have a bar (cage?) and the track cares, they'll boot you if you go faster than 13.99, which you can pretty much do on foot.

When do you plan on getting to the track?
I am very interested in what it will run.

Also, have you put a roll bar in it?
Even a track rental will probably make you pass tech.
Or, make your 11 sec pass and get booted.

I go to the track rental day as well,we have lots of wild cars and no one ever gets booted out. We all sign waivers and never have been asked to leave. Its just good fun....better than on the street. Wes Down our way 9sec to 10sec steet cars seem to be the new 12 sec car.

no roll cage unfortunately,, This is not going to be a weekly event at the track just a personal goal. I will picking up some Nitto drag radials on my trip down to Florida in a few weeks. First track rental after that. Usually happens late spring and late fall. I should be low 11's planning on 11.2 - 11.4 depending on my 60ft!

Sounds awesome. What part of Florida are you planning on running the car?? I talked to the guys at Gainesville and they STRICTLY follow NHRA rules, so they told me I would have to have a 6pt and that would only cover me to the 11:50, now 11:99. They told me that if I took my car out there as it is and ran a low 11, not only would I be kicked off the track that night, the car wouldn't be allowed back unless it had a cage. I love the vert, but I built the car to run low 11's not reading the whole handbook.

Good luck.

Sounds awesome. What part of Florida are you planning on running the car?? I talked to the guys at Gainesville and they STRICTLY follow NHRA rules, so they told me I would have to have a 6pt and that would only cover me to the 11:50, now 11:99. They told me that if I took my car out there as it is and ran a low 11, not only would I be kicked off the track that night, the car wouldn't be allowed back unless it had a cage. I love the vert, but I built the car to run low 11's not reading the whole handbook.

Good luck.

Thank you,, (Disney World) no racing on this one;)

So went to the track on the weekend unfortunately we had heavy rain the night before and they were only allowing us to run the 1/8 mile. Good news I got to make a few passes without getting kicked off.

ET@ 1/8 7.490
MPH 92.90
60 ft 1.72

using some online calculators I get approx 11.6 in the quarter

we will be going back in a few weeks for a private track rental. I am sure i can get a low 1.6 in the 60 if not a high 1.5 my goal will be 11.4. Then she will see no more tracks just cruising the speed limit :noway: