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Doug, we ran a 67 camaro years ago, with a 454, narrowed Dana 60, spool, 5:57 gears, turbo 400 and a VEGA convertor, redrilled the flexplate, about 4500rpm stall, no tranny brake, it lived for two years with a 14x32 tire on it! Everyone said, you'll ballon the convertor,..we said, if we do, we've got two more!! If it would have had a tranny brake, i;d have bought a convertor. .....About your gears, I understand about being bucks down, but, we had a guy set up the gears in the dragster, course it's got a hogs head, for $50.00. Yours would be higher prob, but you could get a motors manual from someone and set up the rear yourself, then have someone maybe come over and look at it for you maybe? Surely could'nt cost that much for that. JMO.

Doug, we ran a 67 camaro years ago, with a 454, narrowed Dana 60, spool, 5:57 gears, turbo 400 and a VEGA convertor, redrilled the flexplate, about 4500rpm stall, no tranny brake, it lived for two years with a 14x32 tire on it! Everyone said, you'll ballon the convertor,..we said, if we do, we've got two more!! If it would have had a tranny brake, i;d have bought a convertor. .....About your gears, I understand about being bucks down, but, we had a guy set up the gears in the dragster, course it's got a hogs head, for $50.00. Yours would be higher prob, but you could get a motors manual from someone and set up the rear yourself, then have someone maybe come over and look at it for you maybe? Surely could'nt cost that much for that. JMO.

Wow!!

It's actually not too bad. The local speed shop wil do it for 250 bucks. This time around, it's not so much about the money, I want to learn to do this as I have never set one up. On the other hand, this is pretty critical.

I will probably just go ahead and have him do it.

Doug, would he possibly let you sit in on the build? then you could video it or ? Next one you could do!!

Doug, would he possibly let you sit in on the build? then you could video it or ? Next one you could do!!

I don't know, can't hurt to ask though. Good idea.

sorry to be late on the reply Doug.. I didn't get involved in the car untill after it was up and running in the 14 second zone.. my buddy called me and said hey i put this little cutlass together for my son and i to play with.... i said well if you only want to drag it , it needs a gear.. then it needs tires that will stick.... then it needs a carb that wont bog.then it needs a cheap coverter to launch it now that it has a minispool and c-clip elimintors.. now we need to remove some weight..now we need to tune it. this little 9/1 cast piston stock bottom olds is making laps and i think i had something to do with teaching him how to drive both ends of the track to win rounds. the little motor is all done at 5500 rpm with it's stock style hyd non adustable olds valvetrain.. I called it a $99 converter just because it is a econo deal from B&M over the parts counter deal. holeshot i think they call it.... we change oil and plugs, keep good rubber on it, flush and fill the th 350 every 50 runs or so and keep going untill something breaks.. not bragging but winning rounds and points is kinda cool,

its not braggin' if'n ya got the proof, Doc.....I'd venture to say, y'all have the proof .....Like I said earlier....Fast is fun....but consistent and low maintenance can be profitable

Doug,
I would never try and deter a DIY guy like yourself from tackling a project on there own, but this is one that you might want to consider paying someone else to do.
First there are some special tools needed. First you are going to need a mag base with a 1in dial indicator for checking back lash, an inch pound beam style tork wrench to set pinion bearing pre-load, a special tool to measure pinion depth (you don't really have to have this one, but it saves a lot of time) a breaker bar with a helper bar attached to break loose the damn pinion nut that is rusted and corroded on etc!.
You really need to take the rear end out to do it the right way, you can do it with the rear end in the car but multiply the aggravation factor x 10
If you decide to do this yourself count on it being an entire weekend project.
Just my .02 cents worth

Jim, I don't think it's bragging. You're going rounds and having fun. That is the name of the game, right?

Bob, I know that you are right and I am going to have it done. It's too critical of a link in the chain for me to goof it up and I already have a chunk of money invested in the new parts.

However, I will see if I can get im to do it on a weekend that I am at home so I can maybe watch from a distance.

lol...just position yerself off to one side....and wear some dark sun glasses, but keep you head pointed away (or to the side of where the guy is)....that way.....you can cut your eyes sideways and view what you need to see, and they won't realize you are being nosey

yep Billy.... the car as built was a 14 second street car... with a $99 convertor and the gear and testing and tuning it is a nice competitive hunk of metal all it needs is more stickers and sponsors

A $99.00 Converter and it's holding up in a 12 second car?

I gotta get me one of those.
What kind of converter do you have Jim?

i had redneck convertors in both my pontiac and my el camino, $250.00 off ebay, 9 inch, anti balloon plates, roller bearings, i hit em both hard and repeatedly with nitrous and drag radials, no problems.