True Bracket Car vs True Street Car....

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Well IMO the parts used or what it runs at the track are not the deciding factors as to whether it’s a street car, a streetable race car or a strictly race only car. Anything goes as long as it has lights, turn signals, brake lights, horn, wipers and any exhaust short of open headers, could pass a safety inspection if there was one where you live (not talking emissions) can drive in stop and go traffic without loading up, or over heating and puking coolant like old faithful then pretty much the rest is just down to what you do or don’t find tolerable in a street car. I like loud, raw, bare bones minimalist, think: 62-64 factory light weight Max Wedge car kind of guy. Like driving around all giddy, amped up, adrenaline pumping......my kind of drug. :)

I agree. It is up to each person to decide what to put up with. What you want...and what you don't want.

What I don't want: Mushy power brakes, doors that lock themselves, anything with automatic headlights, an automatic that shifts by itself, something I can't hear running

What I want: Manual discs, reverse valvebody, good converter, Says "Yes Sir" when I mash the gas...not "Huh?"
and to enjoy the drive...
 
I see plenty of fast cars driven to and from the track. It's not the same as when I was in High School, or even my 20's. Even though it's not my flavor, the Ebay turbos and new engine swaps have given a new meaning to the definition of fast. Example: a guy at our track cruises to track at 70 mph, then runs low 9's, and cruises it home. Yeah, times have changed.....

But can he put that power down on the street? A real street car won't live up to it's potential at the track, a track car won't live up to it's potential on the street.

My definition of a street car is being able to drive it anywhere and being ready to throw down at any time.

Grant
 
Like I stated if you KNOW how to drive there's no fear of running a spool..you drive to the track well if you race enough somehow somewhere something is going to break hope your not the goof:):) sitting there wondering how am I getting home,oh ya' I'll call my friend he's got a trailer

Don't worry about me. Been running hard, power shifting at 7K for 45 years. Probably 500K on my cars, not one ever, on a trailer. I'm good to go. I don't race at the track, I never had your kind of time or money. Just vicariously and wrenching for friends. I know what racing is and I know what street is. My friends have no compromise race cars that get to the track and back on a trailer.
 
Don't worry about me. Been running hard, power shifting at 7K for 45 years. Probably 500K on my cars, not one ever, on a trailer. I'm good to go. I don't race at the track, I never had your kind of time or money. Just vicariously and wrenching for friends. I know what racing is and I know what street is. My friends have no compromise race cars that get to the track and back on a trailer.


Trust me I don't have the time most of the time..and I wish I had half the money I'm suppose to have:D:D
 
But can he put that power down on the street? A real street car won't live up to it's potential at the track, a track car won't live up to it's potential on the street.

My definition of a street car is being able to drive it anywhere and being ready to throw down at any time.

Grant
yes, he can throw down anytime, including a 70 mph on up race on the interstate. He races it in 100% street form.
 
yes, he can throw down anytime, including a 70 mph on up race on the interstate. He races it in 100% street form.

My point of my "a real street car won't live up to it's potential at the track, a track car won't live up to it's potential on the street" statement was that a car can't be optimized for both street and track at the same time. Those that compromise to do both we call street/strip cars.

Grant
 
Well if they never seen a track how is it they run those times..seen plenty of guys at the track bragging how they THINK their car will go 11's always get a good laugh when they run 15 seconds:p:p :p --
-- I know what You mean -- but -- Been there, done that - Had 2 (1 new) L79 66 Novas (12s), A 396 Chevelle 350 HP (15s), a 65 Belvedere 426 Wedge (15s), a Hemi Dart (11s) built by the Ramchargers, a 65 Coronet A-990 clone, with a mild 440 (12s) and several others. -- I had a 68 Dart 500 inch, built by McCandless - ran it on the street daily, in the summer - 11.23 - 123 MPH at the track, and there were cars, all around, that could kick My a_ _, big time, and never went to the track. -- If You've been around dragstrips, for over 50 years, You can pretty much tell, by watching them go.
 
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You can do anything you want and with your car. Your time, your money. Never would I run a spool on the street, and I have never needed a trailer. My friends have trailers and real race cars.

I drove one on the street in a hot 406 sbc vega , best run was 10.28 , on a curve I had enough sense not to accelerate , even more if I got caught in the rain , ran 14x32 M-T cheater slicks all the time .
Drove it 28 miles each way to work quite a bit too!
 
I had my cousin buy a locker when I found one, and virtually ALL the gurus and whiz bangs in gym shorts said you can’t run a locker on the street.

After a week or so he said he forgot there was a locker in there. Once I got the car, I never once thought this locker sucks to drive. A spool isn’t much different.

Agree, I run a locker right now .
 
I see plenty of fast cars driven to and from the track. It's not the same as when I was in High School, or even my 20's. Even though it's not my flavor, the Ebay turbos and new engine swaps have given a new meaning to the definition of fast. Example: a guy at our track cruises to track at 70 mph, then runs low 9's, and cruises it home. Even the "all throttle" folks have displacement and aftermarket parts availible to make 10's a yawn if ya want to spend some $$$ Yeah, times have changed.....

KEY WORD , money------------
 
I drove one on the street in a hot 406 sbc vega , best run was 10.28 , on a curve I had enough sense not to accelerate , even more if I got caught in the rain , ran 14x32 M-T cheater slicks all the time .
Drove it 28 miles each way to work quite a bit too!

I know you can do it. It's just where I draw the line. Sounds like you have the brains to know what the dangers are.
 
Just jumping in on page 7...but it appears the premise about bracket racers vs street car advise is flip flopped. More often than not I see a street car guys that don't understand some "race" oriented parts and bash them and say they are not for street use...but have never used them (not just on this thread, but in general). Folks need to educate, have an open mind, and don't tell people you can't use XXXXX if you yourself have no experience with XXXXX.

I am an exception...I am a bracket racer, my car is street driven a lot and I race a lot, car runs low 10's, my car has had a spool in it for 20 years with no breakage and no issues at all. My car has had an 8" converter in it for ~15 years...again, no issues. I can drive my car to the track (and do often), but I chose to trailer most of the time for safety's sake. When your car is making good power it will break things from time to time...and I don't want to have to call my wife to pick me up from the track with the truck.

In the end, take all advise with a grain of salt and do your own research...apply what you see fit.
 
Just jumping in on page 7...but it appears the premise about bracket racers vs street car advise is flip flopped. More often than not I see a street car guys that don't understand some "race" oriented parts and bash them and say they are not for street use...but have never used them (not just on this thread, but in general). Folks need to educate, have an open mind, and don't tell people you can't use XXXXX if you yourself have no experience with XXXXX.

I am an exception...I am a bracket racer, my car is street driven a lot and I race a lot, car runs low 10's, my car has had a spool in it for 20 years with no breakage and no issues at all. My car has had an 8" converter in it for ~15 years...again, no issues. I can drive my car to the track (and do often), but I chose to trailer most of the time for safety's sake. When your car is making good power it will break things from time to time...and I don't want to have to call my wife to pick me up from the track with the truck.

In the end, take all advise with a grain of salt and do your own research...apply what you see fit.

What brand 8'' converter ??????????????????????????
 
Just jumping in on page 7...but it appears the premise about bracket racers vs street car advise is flip flopped. More often than not I see a street car guys that don't understand some "race" oriented parts and bash them and say they are not for street use...but have never used them ...

Oh, I understand them. You can do as you wish, I say again.
 
Just jumping in on page 7...but it appears the premise about bracket racers vs street car advise is flip flopped. More often than not I see a street car guys that don't understand some "race" oriented parts and bash them and say they are not for street use...but have never used them (not just on this thread, but in general). Folks need to educate, have an open mind, and don't tell people you can't use XXXXX if you yourself have no experience with XXXXX.

I am an exception...I am a bracket racer, my car is street driven a lot and I race a lot, car runs low 10's, my car has had a spool in it for 20 years with no breakage and no issues at all. My car has had an 8" converter in it for ~15 years...again, no issues. I can drive my car to the track (and do often), but I chose to trailer most of the time for safety's sake. When your car is making good power it will break things from time to time...and I don't want to have to call my wife to pick me up from the track with the truck.

In the end, take all advise with a grain of salt and do your own research...apply what you see fit.
Spot on...
 
KEY WORD , money------------
Money... and.. Availability. When I was in High School, you BUILT a 14 second car. Now days, any V6 car that's 2012 or newer is virtually a 14 second car.
 
Again, this is the normal situation:
  • a true bracket racer and car that runs 12 flat will have an ET that's something like 108 mph and a 1.6 60f t.
  • A true Street car that runs 12 flat will have an ET that's something like 111 mph and a 1.78 60 ft time.
Why? Suspension is one reason. Most "TRUE" street cars don't run all over with 90/10 shocks in the front, etc etc, Battery in the back with no alternator and use a generator after every 15 seconds of running... LOL, have 5.13 gears and a 5200 stall converter. All which gives you a better ET with less MPH. My point was, a lot of bracket racers see mph and say "your 60 ft is off, you should be at XX.XX ET." not considering it's a street car without a pure drag race set up on the car. I guess I haven't been very clear...LOL :)
 
But, somehow not as fun.
and the self accomplishment isn't there either. My son has a car I'm pretty sure would be low 12's, and I'm also sure would leave most high 11 second cars 50 mph on up. Again, availability and a job, because he ain't building it....
 
and the self accomplishment isn't there either. My son has a car I'm pretty sure would be low 12's, and I'm also sure would leave most high 11 second cars 50 mph on up. Again, availability and a job, because he ain't building it....
I'm pretty sure it would be high 12s...
Most true street cars don't have drag radials... Just plan not safe in the wet weather...
 
I'm pretty sure it would be high 12s...
Most true street cars don't have drag radials... Just plan not safe in the wet weather...
He just raced a 12.20 car and they went neck to neck with my son finishing about a fender ahead.
 
From a rolling start?...
probably for both cars sake... It was a built (aftermarket heads, cam, exhaust, tune) '14 Camaro with a 6.1 LS. It has the genie in the bottle, but on motor it went 12.20. But I can tell you, my car dead hooks and if what your saying, high 12's, then he wouldn't catch me till the 1000 ft marker. I can tell you, he'd have me bagged a lot quicker than that … LOL.
 
probably for both cars sake... It was a built (aftermarket heads, cam, exhaust, tune) '14 Camaro with a 6.1 LS. It has the genie in the bottle, but on motor it went 12.20. But I can tell you, my car dead hooks and if what your saying, high 12's, then he wouldn't catch me till the 1000 ft marker. I can tell you, he'd have me bagged a lot quicker than that … LOL.
Lol.. "deadhook" ... same arena as Colonel Flagg saying he's from counterintelligence LOL...
 
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