At last, the better side of 12.0 in the 14b powered Talon!!!

[Phil1320]

Started working on the car for the next track visit. A bit more weight out. Need to get a new harness as mine is more than 2 years old and have it mounted properly, I have no rollbar. Apparently, the harness has to be mounted to a permanent rollbar as far as I can see. A harness bar apparently is not NHRA approved. I have not hit 11.49 ET that requires the rollbar, but I guess the bar must be there if I run the race seat and harness. I may actually put the stock seat and belt back in rather than doing a rollbar at this point. Anyone that knows these rules can chime in. The '09 NHRA rulebook really doesn't state this all in plain english, it's kinda vague. Just want to iron it all out so that I'm ready the next opportunity I get.

 

[bullettdsm]

Started working on the car for the next track visit. A bit more weight out. Need to get a new harness as mine is more than 2 years old and have it mounted properly, I have no rollbar. Apparently, the harness has to be mounted to a permanent rollbar as far as I can see. A harness bar apparently is not NHRA approved. I have not hit 11.49 ET that requires the rollbar, but I guess the bar must be there if I run the race seat and harness. I may actually put the stock seat and belt back in rather than doing a rollbar at this point. Anyone that knows these rules can chime in. The '09 NHRA rulebook really doesn't state this all in plain english, it's kinda vague. Just want to iron it all out so that I'm ready the next opportunity I get.

Lol, I'm not ignoring you, I just forgot to get back to you after Cingular screwed up my voicemail messages. I know I owe you a call on this matter
MB

 

[Pirrofab]

All I've come to know was that a cage was mandatory at 11.49. I do believe that the factory seatbelt are allowed till another faster e.t. but the seats should be allowed till any point. However if your putting in a harness then you might as well put in a cage and if your doing all that then you might as well put in the seat. Unless you want to have your limit be 11.50 in 1/4 mile. As far as the cage you might be able to just get away with a driver safety cage with just a 3 or 4 point set up. Kind of similar to a shelby cobra with just the halo for the drivers head and then the bar going down towards passenger floor. I'm not sure if that cage is still considered nhra legal though. I need to pick up a rulebook and find the ins and outs of it.
I know island dragway is going to have a blast with me because I'm upgrading the turbo and its far from stock appearing. I plan on shutting down at 11.50's. I refuse to cut up my car for a cage.

 

[eviltsi]

Pretty damn impressive, congrats!!!!

 

[burkgonzo]

Congrats...love the the 14b but came across a evo 3 turbo for a good deal....AWESOME car...

 

[Phil1320]

Lol, I'm not ignoring you, I just forgot to get back to you after Cingular screwed up my voicemail messages. I know I owe you a call on this matter
MB

No biggie, just figured you're busy and you would when you have time. But, now that you say cell phone technology is involved....I totally understand! Yeah, a few decisions to be made here......I will be around this afternoon, tomorrow most likely at Lime Rock for the Koni Challenge races....sure my cell phone will work up there!!!!

 

[Phil1320]

All I've come to know was that a cage was mandatory at 11.49. I do believe that the factory seatbelt are allowed till another faster e.t. but the seats should be allowed till any point. However if your putting in a harness then you might as well put in a cage and if your doing all that then you might as well put in the seat. Unless you want to have your limit be 11.50 in 1/4 mile. As far as the cage you might be able to just get away with a driver safety cage with just a 3 or 4 point set up. Kind of similar to a shelby cobra with just the halo for the drivers head and then the bar going down towards passenger floor. I'm not sure if that cage is still considered nhra legal though. I need to pick up a rulebook and find the ins and outs of it.
I know island dragway is going to have a blast with me because I'm upgrading the turbo and its far from stock appearing. I plan on shutting down at 11.50's. I refuse to cut up my car for a cage.

It was recommended that I confirm with the Division rep for NHRA before I make changes. I totally plan to go quicker than 11.50, but until then I would like to take advantage of lighter weight. Throwing the stock seat back in with a 2G lap belt will add some weight over my Sparco seat/harness, but I have already countered that with other weight removal. I was kinda like you in that I didnt want to "ruin" my car by putting a cage in, but, it will have to happen for sure. Just didnt want to do it this year. I think you touched on it...once you remove the factory seatbelt and go to the harness, it has to be secured properly to a point that is solid mounted to the car. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Phil1320]

Pretty damn impressive, congrats!!!!

Thank you very much! After years of trying, well, and years of my Talon seeing no driving at all, it's nice to bring it out again and accomplish!

 

[Phil1320]

Congrats...love the the 14b but came across a evo 3 turbo for a good deal....AWESOME car...

Thanks alot for the recognition! EVO 3 would be the next turbo for me for sure once the 14b has run its course. Good luck with yours! Thanks for the compliment!

 

[SBstar]

Thanks alot for the recognition! EVO 3 would be the next turbo for me for sure once the 14b has run its course. Good luck with yours! Thanks for the compliment!

5+ years on the 14b and you think it's going to "run its course" haha! I've never seen a place in the nhra rulebook that said harness bars weren't legal, but I have an 06 or 07 book so perhaps things have changed a bit. That's pretty much what is keeping me from throwing my lightweight seat and harness into my car as well. I have a "fabbed" harness bar, but I really don't want to weld it into the car just to remove it and put a cage in later. I'm thinking canadian belts to lose some weight for the time being. (although I'll be looking for a cheaper alternative to the "canadian belts")

 

[Phil1320]

5+ years on the 14b and you think it's going to "run its course" haha! I've never seen a place in the nhra rulebook that said harness bars weren't legal, but I have an 06 or 07 book so perhaps things have changed a bit. That's pretty much what is keeping me from throwing my lightweight seat and harness into my car as well. I have a "fabbed" harness bar, but I really don't want to weld it into the car just to remove it and put a cage in later. I'm thinking canadian belts to lose some weight for the time being. (although I'll be looking for a cheaper alternative to the "canadian belts")

Actually, I've never run anything but the 14b, it's never been off the car since I bought the car bone stock from the original owner in 1996. If the turbo hangs on, I'll probably never take it off the car.

I just got the '09 rulebook and it really doesn't get too technical. I doesn't say a harness bar is illegal, it doesn't mention it at all. It doesn't spell out that even if you run 15's, and put a harness in---that it has to be mounted to a roll bar per se', it says that it has to be mounted at, or no more than 4 inches below shoulder height, that's it. It's pretty lame. They outline all the NHRA class race rules well, but, I don't compete, I just run for fun. I should be able to get by with a 2G belt, you're saying a Canadian 1G belt is non-passive-restraint is what I'm gathering? I don't know if the 2G spool will bolt in and if the latch is compatible with the 1G buckle thats bolted to the seat??????????? Gotta figure this out though before I can head back to the strip so it's the priority as of now.

 

[Pirrofab]

Canadian belts are awesome. Saw one in harrys u pull it and had to stare at it for quite some time because I could have sworn the 1gs had the auto belts as standard. Theres a hook bar at he bottom of the floor behind the seats with the seat belt tied around it and up through the b pillar and then attached somehow to a spool and across the seat. It was hard to place together because the seat belts were half cut out of the car and used to yank the motor with.

 

[Phil1320]

Canadian belts are awesome. Saw one in harrys u pull it and had to stare at it for quite some time because I could have sworn the 1gs had the auto belts as standard. Theres a hook bar at he bottom of the floor behind the seats with the seat belt tied around it and up through the b pillar and then attached somehow to a spool and across the seat. It was hard to place together because the seat belts were half cut out of the car and used to yank the motor with.

Weird....I'd like to see a pic of that....

 

[Phil1320]

Well, I've consulted with my technical advisor, Bullett. The decision is that the stock driver seat will go back in the car with a 2G factory lap seatbelt and will run like that until sub 11.50 passes are made. A simpler proposition with no cost involved. Sounds like a plan to me

Back to working on the car.......

 

[Gooberlog]

Phil,
I know how bad you've been waiting for this day to come. Congrats man! Good luck on even lower times to come next trip. I'm sure with some test and tune passes those slicks will put you deeper in the 11's.

I picked up a new project car in march and have been doing some work to it. Planning on trying to beat my old best 14b time of 12.42, but your making it look easy! You sure are raising the bar for us 14b competitors. I just passed my car through inspection and emissions so there is still more work to be done that what the pictures show...

Travis

 

[Phil1320]

Travis! I'm really psyched that you're up here, I wondered if you were still into it. Thanks for the congrats! You're the only connection from Maryland that I hear from at all. I'm glad though. Yes, I have been waiting for this day for some time. Don't know if you were at Capitol the one night I ran the talon in October of 2002. I ran three passes that night with a best 12.05@113. I had set the new bar at 12.02 before I came down there. After I came back here to CT, I ran a 12.00 best at a drag day in maybe June of '03 and then a 12.09 at another. (Then the record was regained by Leon at 11.64 until the end of last year when Dave W. from Norcal ran 11.51! Crazy! ) Then there was a break until October of '07 when I ran two different days to 12.04 and 12.02. Now, forward to 3 weeks ago! A little recap for you. It was crazy....12.0 after 12.0......

Glad to see you have stayed in the game, the laser looks good. Set-up looks nice. Good luck with it and stay in touch.

My combo SHOULD net even quicker ET's like you've said....only time will tell!

Later,

Phil

 

[Gooberlog]

Yeah i got out of the scene for about five years and got into doing track days on sport bikes. I had four different bikes and wrecked my '06 R1 at summit point and did a couple more track days and after my accident it just wasn't as much fun with the fear in ya. So i knew it was time to get another 1g. I had been waiting and looking for about a two years and finally things worked out and I picked up a decent '92 AWD laser. BTW, this thing was all stock when i got it other than the powder coated valve cover and a ACT 2100 clutch with RRE flywheel. So i have been busy for the past couple weeks.
I was hoping to take it up to capitol today but two days ago i finished assembly and found out my 2g maf is bad, was able to confirm by swapping one off of my friends '97tsi though and it ran fine. Then i found that the radiator was leaking from the bottom end tank even though it was fine before WTF? So now the plan is to shoot for next friday at Capitol for test and tune if i can get my last two parts for the car by then. I'll let you know how she does.

Keep the faith...14b!

Travis

 

[4WARND]

Congrats Phil! I am not on here much just read this today. Long live red 1ga's.

 

[Phil1320]

I was hoping to take it up to capitol today but two days ago i finished assembly and found out my 2g maf is bad, was able to confirm by swapping one off of my friends '97tsi though and it ran fine. Then i found that the radiator was leaking from the bottom end tank even though it was fine before WTF? So now the plan is to shoot for next friday at Capitol for test and tune if i can get my last two parts for the car by then. I'll let you know how she does.

Keep the faith...14b!

Travis

I got into the sportbikes as well, no track days though. I know it hurts bad when you go down...been there. A best friend of mine went down on his RC51 at a track day and tore up his ribs, he was limpin around for weeks. Not to mention the damage to his "baby." If you're gonna do trackdays on a bike you gotta have a designated track bike is the way I see it.

Anyway, sounds like you've been busy with the car, that's good, that's what it takes. When the thing sits, you're not moving toward your goals. Sometimes, life makes the car stay in the garage....

Well, good luck when you do hit the strip! I remember from my apartment parking lot into the staging lanes at Capitol was less than 17 miles when I lived down there. Now, I'm back to 100 miles plus to the nearest strip.

 

[Phil1320]

Congrats Phil! I am not on here much just read this today. Long live red 1ga's.

Hey Mike! Thanks! I did see your message on CCDSM.....I tend not to say much up there though. I'm the CCDSMr everyone loves to hate for whatever reasons. I'll leave it there.

Thanks for coming up here and checkin out the thread. I appreciate it.

Yes, red 1ga's are pretty bad - ass!

PS--deal fell through on Archer car...had to let it go....explain later...

 

[olmytsi]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phil1320]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks very much!!!

 

[Phil1320]

Just an update. Figured out that more than 50% of my FMIC is blocked by the bumper cover. Possibilty that I was heatsoaking the last time at the strip. So, kinda against what I prefer aesthetically, I removed some of the front bumper to expose more of the intercooler to maximize its capability. So, here's the result:

 

[SBstar]

Well Phil, I'll admit I hate the look. But if it helps out performance wise I suppose it'll be worth it. When are you planning your next trip to the track?

 

[Phil1320]

Well Phil, I'll admit I hate the look. But if it helps out performance wise I suppose it'll be worth it. When are you planning your next trip to the track?

Believe me....I'm not liking it either, it will be worth it if it helps though. I couldn't fall asleep last night because I was thinking of what I did to the bumper! Nothing that can't be fixed with another front bumper cover though so it's really not a big deal. I'm more concerned with running the numbers than winning a car show!

Not sure when the next trip to the strip will be. Hopefully sooner than later...most likely June. There are a few more things I want to do before heading back.