Cheap Ways To Get Faster Times

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

Link 1: Weight loss for your car
Some of these I don't recommend for those of you who daily drive your car, haven't yet payed your car off, or are very accident prone. Do so at your own leisure. Do all of them and you could easily shave 200-300lbs off of your ride. These tips are beyond the obvious spare tire, jack etc.....


1. Scrape all of the undercoating off (scummy weekend job, oven cleaner works good, gasket remover too. Again if you drive your car in the winter, you may not want to do this) -20 lbs
2. Remove your carpet and all sound deadening. You can put the carpet back in and leave the deadening out if you want. -30lbs.
3. Buy a lighter battery. Those 900 cold cranking amp batteries can weigh nearly 75lbs. The ones you guys run for your stereos can go even heavier. Maybe pick up an el-cheapo one for your runs at the track? -15/30lbs depending
4. Remove your non-drive wheel sway bar. You AWD cars are SOL here -15lbs
5. OBD-1 compliant cars Gut the cat(s). Pick up a few HP while your at it -5lbs
6. Remove your bumpers. This is a serious weekend job. 500 bolts, clips and brackets later and they are off. REMEMBER-a 10 mph tiny fender bender now becomes a radiator into the front of the motor accident now-due so at your own risk! -40/70lbs
7. Remove your A/C compressor, condensor etc.....you'll have to buy the corresponding belt for your application -50lbs
8. Remove all stereo stuff, power antenna, head unit, speakers, wiring the works. Gives you an excuse to buy more guages to fill the head unit hole too -20lbs
9. Fair weather cars--Remove wipers, motor, wiring--put some rain-x on your windshield to be safe -25lbs


The ones below require cash, but are worth it.(I should've put the battery one here, oh well)

1. Header(s) -15/30lbs
2. Racing seats -20/50lbs
3. Fiberglass hood/carbon fiber hood -25/50lbs
4. New wheels -20/50lbs

There are tons of more things you can buy to shave weight, but basically anything that replaces steel with aluminum or along those lines will work.


Link 2: Drag Racing Tips
I figured i'd post this since there seem to be a lot of questions coming up about car setup for the track. Add to the list as you feel necessary.......

CAR SETUP:

1.Remove excess weight (spare tire, jack, stereo eqipment, rear seats)
-Theres tons of other stuff that could get their own forum here
2. Inflate your non-drive tires rock hard (reduces rolling resistance)
3. Wash and wax your car (dirt has weight and is not aerodynamic)
4. Clean your K+N or replace your air filter (freer flowing)
5. Put a bag of ice on the intake (double bag it so there isnt a mess on
your motor)
6. Increase your spark plug gap .010" (don't overdue this!)
7. Go to a 1 heat range cooler plug (dissipates combustion heat faster)
8. RWD cars, unbolt or remove front sway bar (better weight transfer)
9. Run highest octane gas for a few weeks before the race (computer
won't pull timing)
10. Only fill your tank maybe 1/4 full (less weight)

DRIVING

1. DO NOT GO IN THE WATER WITH YOUR STREET TIRES!
2. Don't heat them up either, just a dry hop to burn any crap off of them
3. Shallow stage for best E.T. (just barely trick the stage beam. This
allows your car a few inches of momentum before the E.T. clocks
actually start, thereby reducing your E.T. a tiny bit)
4. Play with the air pressure on your drive tires to get the best traction
(what works for you on the street may not work at the track
you'll have to experiment. I bring a portable air compressor with me)


I will start a new thread with not so easy weight loss tips for your car too.

earlier it stated to turn off your tcs, i bought my alero used, and it doesn't come w/ a manual, how exactly is this done?

Originally posted by af_anthony@Sep 22 2005, 09:11 PM
earlier it stated to turn off your tcs, i bought my alero used, and it doesn't come w/ a manual, how exactly is this done?

Quoted post

Nevermind, i f***ed around for a minute today and found it....stupid thing should be label TCS be much easier for idots *cough* *cough*

I also have what may be considered a stupid question. I noticed earlier someone said to put it in 3. Will it be better to manually shift it or will it have any more effect on the car's performance?

[Redog]

D is an overdrive gear, the car shifts better in 3 in the 1/4 mile.

You don't want your car shifting into overdrive in the 1/4 since it's more a cruising gear and for highway fuel ecomony.

You're not going to run out of gear in a stock Alero

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

does using 3 vs D have any effect in the 1/8?

[BlackJack]

3 vs D in the 1/8th wont matter as long as you're at WOT the whole way.

As far as manually shifting, you shouldn't need to if you're in 3 and you press the gas pedal slightly farther than the firewall.