What's the limit?

[5.0_RAY]

What is the general consensus on the HP limit for a true daily driver? I'm planning on installing H/C/I on my 91 coupe, but I need to keep it as reliable as it is right now if that is possible. I put the Holley Systemax kit on my 89 stang and everything was great except I kept breaking T5 trannies. I've got a Art Carr aod with transbrake and non-lockup, will this hold up to daily driver abuse? I've got to be able to drive from KC to S.E. KS on a regular basis, and still bracket race it on weekends. Is high 12's too much to ask for?

[rel3rd]

Is high 12's too much to ask for?

High 12's should be 250 or so rwhp which is definitely not asking a lot of a daily driver/weekend drag car...JMO

[jboehm]

i had a 600 hp DD for a while.

[5.0MustangGT]

My DD runs 12.1s and goes through snow and rain...a automatic high powered car is a easier daily driver in my eyes then a 5 or 6 speed

[5.0_RAY]

Well, I'm hoping the aod will hold up better than the 5 speed, and I won't be breaking parts all the time. I still have the Holley heads, so I'm thinking that plus a cobra/explorer intake plus a small cam like a TF stage 1 or 2 plus a 70mm throttle body, a 3.55 gear and exhaust ought to get me there.

Sound about right?

[rel3rd]

I'd go at least 373 gear (maybe even 410) NA, or with a bigger cam it'll be a slug everywhere except the highway...

[turfmn]

I would put 3.73's in at a minimum and go with a 65mm tb vs the 70mm with that intake and cam combo.

[5.0_RAY]

I already have the 70mm tb, and since I'll be making long road trips I'm concerned with fuel mileage. How much mileage would the 3.73 cost me vs the 3.55? I've got a set of 4.10, but wouldn't that kill the mileage?

[rel3rd]

If you want to simply bracket race it and not so much concerned about best ET's, yet still keep the reliable highway driven aspect, I'd skip the big cam and leave the 355's in. The problem is, as I see it, you can't have both things you're asking for...at least not at the same time. Especially with a HCI car. You have to make concessions on either the mileage or the performance. To get more of one of those things, you're probably going to have to give some from the other...

With the TFS Stage 2 cam and no power adder, you'll need 410's (at LEAST), and a loose converter, or the car will be a dog.

You need to decide what you want out of the car, and what you're willing to compromise on.

FWIW, just for kicks I raced my old YS trim car without the blower once...It went 13.2@103, which kinda surprised me. The car was tuned for the blower via PMS (which I didn't even change anyything), had 355 gears, stock Edelbrock 6037 heads, TFS TrackHeat intake, 75mm TB, 42# injectors with complete Aeromotive fuel system, 27" tall tires, and a converter that flashed to 4200 with the blower (1.5x 60foots), that without the blower flashed to 2500 or so, with 1.9x 60 foots..LOL....Trapped at 4800 rpm's instead of 6200 or more...Obviously, the car "could" have been setup to run a LOT quicker, but it was a turd, as is...total mismatch of parts, which is not where you should head with yours. BTW, the car ran 10.24@133 with the blower back on...3 seconds quicker and 30MPH faster than when NA....:shock: Moral of the story...figure out a plan and stick to it. A well thought out and matched setup will ALWAYS outperform the mismatched ones...

[5.0_RAY]

I'd give up some performance for consistency and mileage. Here is a quick run down of what I already own performance wise:
Stock Holley heads
Accufab 70mm TB
ProM 76mm MA tuned for 42lb injectors
42lb injectors
shortie headers
2.5 inch x-pipe going into dumps
Stock cam, Holley cam,or a E cam
2.73/3.55/4.10 gears can get 3.73 pretty cheap if needed.

I know this is not the best match in parts, but was planning a turbo car but am changing direction so I can attend law school. What should I keep, and what should I get so I can have a high 12/ low 13 second car that will still be reliable and won't cost me an arm and a leg in mileage? I thought the cobra intake with the 3.55 would work well together, but I don't have a ton of experience with all the different combos.

[paul nieto]

Too much injector for muscle. Your going to have to lower the fuel pressure. You'd be better off with 24 pd inj. Try cheap tricks like shorter drive belt, Disconnecting front sway bar. More timing and tune. Maximize traction.

[rel3rd]

I'd give up some performance for consistency and mileage. Here is a quick run down of what I already own performance wise:
Stock Holley heads
Accufab 70mm TB
ProM 76mm MA tuned for 42lb injectors
42lb injectors
shortie headers
2.5 inch x-pipe going into dumps
Stock cam, Holley cam,or a E cam
2.73/3.55/4.10 gears can get 3.73 pretty cheap if needed.
.

The 42's need to GO...
19's will be fine, GUARANTEED...but if you insist, no more than 24's
I'd leave the stock cam, add 1.7 rockers, swap to 373's and get a higher stall converter, but keep the LOCKUP feature so it is still fine on the highway...Like said above, add all the tried and true bolt-ons...underdrive pullies, bumped timing, K&N or a cold air kit, etc...I think that'd easily put you where you want to be, and without giving up too much day to day use-ability...

FWIW, My old 89 coupe made 280rwhp/322rwtq and went 12.40@110 it's first trip to the track. And I drive like a girl...LOL.
It was a five speed, but I built a nice little 306 for it that had a self ported Cobra intake, Canfield 192 heads, and a STOCK CAM with 1.7 rockers, and stock 19# injectors...shorty 1-5/8" MACs, a BBK X pipe and Magnaflow catback...373 gears...

For comparison sake, when the same car still had the AOD in it, as well as STOCK 171,000 mile LONGBLOCK, stock aod, stock torque converter, stock "headers", stock mass air, stock TB, 373 gears and nothing more than MAC CAI kit, 20* base ignition timing, off road H pipe and the Magnaflow catback, it went 13.62@101

[5.0_RAY]

Thanks for all the advice. Guess I forgot to mention that I have an art car aod with their 3k stall, non-lockup input shaft, and a transbrake. I wasn't planning on using the 42 lb injectors with this combo, just listing what I had available right now. Planning on sticking with the 19's until I out grow them.

[lxhatch302]

I put over 200 miles a week on my car and it runs 10's on the spray, 12's n/a. Soon it will be in the 9's with the turbo'd setup in it, still will have p/s, heat, a/c, cruise, ect. as it does right now. Its just about right for a DD IMO.

[88blownstang]

Get a good suspension set up,drag radials,373s or higher.Ive seen plenty simple bolt fox bodys with a stock cam/heads run low 13s easily.A friend of mine had a car with bald street tires and an e cam and went 13.2..everything else was stock basically.I had a cobra intake,70mm throttle body 3.73s and 17s with street tires and went 13.7 before.