Penny Pincher Volare

[Perko]

Here is a pic of my 80 Volare spinning the tires off the starting line at Julesburg Colorado Dragway.
Will have that solved with fresh rubber this weekend.
Best times 11.40 at 114.2, with no spin. Opps too fast for no rollbar.
Will have to shorten the shift point or other drastic measures to slow it down some.
Steve

 

[David_Lee]

what combo?

 

[Perko]

408 stroker on methanol, 5200 stall convertor, 904 with low ratio first and second, 4.56 gear.
Two step launch at 3200.
Soft tune-up at 30 degrees timing and somewhat rich methanol settings on the Willy's carb,
shifting early at 6200.

 

[Locomotion]

Start out with frame connectors if you don't have them yet. They are a good base to tie the roll bar main hoop & outriggers to.

 

[Perko]

Start out with frame connectors if you don't have them yet. They are a good base to tie the roll bar main hoop & outriggers to.

Have them tied already, no roll bar for this project. N stock is slow enough to not require one. Sheet metal and structural is more rust free than some I have seen.
This will be my last race car build and least expense, may be the most fun.
Steve

 

[Perko]

Have the tire spin mostly corrected, set rear shocks tighter, lowered front suspension. Let the oil out of the front shocks, cut off half of the up stop on the upper control arms. More burnout less air pressure higher stall speed.

 

[David_Lee]

do you get close to a 90/10 with the old out of the shocks?

 

[GTX JOHN]

Have them tied already, no roll bar for this project. N stock is slow enough to not require one. Sheet metal and structural is more rust free than some I have seen.
This will be my last race car build and least expense, may be the most fun.
Steve

Let me know if I can be of any help or advise.

I have raced a N/SA or O/SA Aspen for nearly 20 years.
We held the National Record for some years back when it meant
something!

We run a roll bar: When you are running 108 and guys in new factory
cars are chasing you at 160+ and some of then ar Newbies, It makes since
at least to me.

 

[Perko]

do you get close to a 90/10 with the old out of the shocks?

David, Just plain loose more so than worn out ones. But the same side to side unlike those worn out shocks.

 

[Perko]

Let me know if I can be of any help or advise.

I have raced a N/SA or O/SA Aspen for nearly 20 years.
We held the National Record for some years back when it meant
something!

We run a roll bar: When you are running 108 and guys in new factory
cars are chasing you at 160+ and some of then ar Newbies, It makes since
at least to me.

Thanks John,
I remember meeting you at a D6 race in Billing MT a few years back when I still ran my 73 Duster in G/SA. You told to ditch the superstock springs and use the Cal
Trac setup. Man what an improvement that was.
Thanks again.
Steve

 

[GTX JOHN]

Anytime!
Currently at Woodburn this week in the Demons trying
to lower our average!

 

[mikedevore]

We are currently at Columbus working on our average.
Added weight & made some adjustments to slow it down.

 

[Perko]

Couple of pics of the Aspen wagon stock eliminator car. Will have 318 4V.
No show car, but makes a nice drag car.

 

[mikedevore]

Pic of my '80 Aspen wagon.
Former V/SA record holder with the 225 /6.

It will be a bracket racer next season.
I have a mild 360 that should put it in the 11.20 range.

 

[mikedevore]

My son races a '77 Volare in stock eliminator in I/SA.

 

[mikedevore]

Here is a pic of my 80 Volare spinning the tires off the starting line at Julesburg Colorado Dragway.
Will have that solved with fresh rubber this weekend.
Best times 11.40 at 114.2, with no spin. Opps too fast for no rollbar.
Will have to shorten the shift point or other drastic measures to slow it down some.
Steve

View attachment 53238

good looking car

 

[Oldiron440]

If your car runs 11.40 spinning you should be able to set it up to run 11.50 consistently. Pulling timing at the hit will help with the traction problem. One other thing put a decent set of shocks on the front. Thirty years ago I did the junk shocks thing on my Cheap Trick and I found out that the lack of control was causing the rear suspension to unload. At the time the only shocks available were what the part stores sold so I bought a set of gasmatics. The Volare has been mid 10s on those shocks and ran a few high 1.30 sixty foot times but most of the time 1.40-1.41. The car is caged uses SS springs and the longer truck shocks in the rear. Nothing high end.

 

[Perko]

If your car runs 11.40 spinning you should be able to set it up to run 11.50 consistently. Pulling timing at the hit will help with the traction problem. One other thing put a decent set of shocks on the front. Thirty years ago I did the junk shocks thing on my Cheap Trick and I found out that the lack of control was causing the rear suspension to unload. At the time the only shocks available were what the part stores sold so I bought a set of gasmatics. The Volare has been mid 10s on those shocks and ran a few high 1.30 sixty foot times but most of the time 1.40-1.41. The car is caged uses SS springs and the longer truck shocks in the rear. Nothing high end.

I made a carb restrictor plate with 1.25 holes that brought down the ETs to mid 11.50s 11.60s in the heat. I do have a pair of new replacement shocks that I will try out.
Julesburg is at 3500 elevation and hot days the DA is over 6000. With a 9x30 drag radial the sixties are 1.59 1.60. Our biggest variable at Julesburg is the wind, never know how much or which direction and changes throughout the day.
Thanks

 

[GTX JOHN]

Pic of my '80 Aspen wagon.
Former V/SA record holder with the 225 /6.

It will be a bracket racer next season.
I have a mild 360 that should put it in the 11.20 range.

View attachment 53835

I sold it to the Gentleman in Washington that used to race it

 

[GTX JOHN]

Are there now a good adjustable race front shock for the Volare/Aspen.

I had to modify our Stock and Superstock to use A body shocks
and there was still no room for adjustment knob on adjustable shock.