Cobra Jet article in NY Times

bill dedman · 03-10-2009, 12:13 PM

Gump asked:
>>>"And you have a .........?"

I am not sure why you asked that question, particularly in view of your refusal to tell us what YOUR car is. Different rules, depending on whom you are, I guess... Why the secrecy; does your paranoia run that deep??? (guess it must...)

My car is just a "bracket," street/strip car. (Can't afford a "Class" car, these days.) And as such, it's really not pertinent to this discussion, but since you asked, it's a 1972 Valiant 4-door sedan with a 1998 Dodge 360 Magnum engine fitted with a V-1, S-trim, centrifugal supercharger, and apparently would run high 11's if I ever got it to a quarter-mile facility. It runs 9.79 @ 106mph in 1,000-feet, with a 3.55 gear, on worn-out drag radials (pathetic 1.81 60-foot times.). The only way that information is pertinent to this discussion is that building and running it has given me at least some understanding of how boost affects horsepower, from a first-person basis. Unblown, it was a low 13-second car.

Ten pounds of boost added almost 50-percent to my engine's "pre-supercharged" output. At 360 cubic inches and pulling a 3,600-pound package to high 11's, it is probably putting out around 480 flywheel horsepower; a very weak-kneed powerplant compared with the much-smaller Mustang factory-blown units that are the subject of this discussion.

Just why you had any desire to know that is beyond me. If you think that my not running an AA/SA car invalidates my opinion, then that's your right. But, the racers' board is separate from this one, and if I was a competitor at this time, with a permanent competition number, I'd be posting over there. This board is for people who don't currently race. You knew that, didn't you? Knowing that as you do, I'm curious as to why you'd have any interest in what kind of a car I have because it has no pertinence to this discussion.

At least, I use my real name, so folks who want to tell me that my opinion is worthless know exactly to whom they are talking. I have lots of problems, but paranoia is not one of them, thankfully. LOL!

For the record, I am REALLY glad the Mustangs have been built; I am REALLY glad the Chargers have been built. I sincerely hope that somehow, some way, competitive 2010 Camaros find their way into this mix. I think it's a very good thing (having "factory" cars in the Eliminator).

The ONLY problem I have is what seems to be the unfairly low HP factor that was assigned these Ford cars. It spoils everything with regard to their place in the Stock and S/S racing they are intended for. I think they're, to put it mildly, "mis-classified."

That fairy-tale factor needs to be changed, and not in the "slow-as-cold-molasses" AHFS, time-eating, way. The NASCAR hemi got horsepower from NHRA Tech before one ever hit the strip. Don't say it's unprecedented, or can't be done... ask Joe Teuton.

The 2010 CJ's need a dose of that to make this "new factory race car" business viable. As it stands, it's just a bad joke, but the joke is on the cars owners' who have to run those factory 'stangs heads-up, in class, or in the Eliminator.

My opinion, only, of course.

Thanks for listening.

Bill

03-10-2009, 12:13 PM	#15
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Cobra Jet article in NY Times Gump asked: >>>"And you have a .........?" I am not sure why you asked that question, particularly in view of your refusal to tell us what YOUR car is. Different rules, depending on whom you are, I guess... Why the secrecy; does your paranoia run that deep??? (guess it must...) My car is just a "bracket," street/strip car. (Can't afford a "Class" car, these days.) And as such, it's really not pertinent to this discussion, but since you asked, it's a 1972 Valiant 4-door sedan with a 1998 Dodge 360 Magnum engine fitted with a V-1, S-trim, centrifugal supercharger, and apparently would run high 11's if I ever got it to a quarter-mile facility. It runs 9.79 @ 106mph in 1,000-feet, with a 3.55 gear, on worn-out drag radials (pathetic 1.81 60-foot times.). The only way that information is pertinent to this discussion is that building and running it has given me at least some understanding of how boost affects horsepower, from a first-person basis. Unblown, it was a low 13-second car. Ten pounds of boost added almost 50-percent to my engine's "pre-supercharged" output. At 360 cubic inches and pulling a 3,600-pound package to high 11's, it is probably putting out around 480 flywheel horsepower; a very weak-kneed powerplant compared with the much-smaller Mustang factory-blown units that are the subject of this discussion. Just why you had any desire to know that is beyond me. If you think that my not running an AA/SA car invalidates my opinion, then that's your right. But, the racers' board is separate from this one, and if I was a competitor at this time, with a permanent competition number, I'd be posting over there. This board is for people who don't currently race. You knew that, didn't you? Knowing that as you do, I'm curious as to why you'd have any interest in what kind of a car I have because it has no pertinence to this discussion. At least, I use my real name, so folks who want to tell me that my opinion is worthless know exactly to whom they are talking. I have lots of problems, but paranoia is not one of them, thankfully. LOL! For the record, I am REALLY glad the Mustangs have been built; I am REALLY glad the Chargers have been built. I sincerely hope that somehow, some way, competitive 2010 Camaros find their way into this mix. I think it's a very good thing (having "factory" cars in the Eliminator). The ONLY problem I have is what seems to be the unfairly low HP factor that was assigned these Ford cars. It spoils everything with regard to their place in the Stock and S/S racing they are intended for. I think they're, to put it mildly, "mis-classified." That fairy-tale factor needs to be changed, and not in the "slow-as-cold-molasses" AHFS, time-eating, way. The NASCAR hemi got horsepower from NHRA Tech before one ever hit the strip. Don't say it's unprecedented, or can't be done... ask Joe Teuton. The 2010 CJ's need a dose of that to make this "new factory race car" business viable. As it stands, it's just a bad joke, but the joke is on the cars owners' who have to run those factory 'stangs heads-up, in class, or in the Eliminator. My opinion, only, of course. Thanks for listening. Bill __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 03-10-2009 at 10:58 PM.