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Stock Eliminator

23K views 35 replies 13 participants last post by  fstick66 
#1 ·
I am just starting my reseach on what Nova would have the best weight break in Stock Classes. I have ordered the NHRA Rule book but what better place to ask the question than Steve's. We all know Grumpy ran mid elevens and did it with a light 66 and 430 hp from a 331 sbc in A/S. Would there be a better weight to cubic inch in the 3rd generation?? I am open to any suggestion and this is something I am going to pursue.
 
#2 ·
Eddie,
Go over to www.classracer.com and find a turn-key Nova Stocker.

Trust Me on this, been there, done this.

Unless you have a ton of money to spend on numerous engines, torque convertors, trick-transmissions, gun-drilled, ultra light rear ends, etc, etc ... renting tracks to flog the living crap out of the car......then by all means,start from scratch.

I loved Stock Class racing, ....in fact, I love the challenge of making a stock combination run good and still do. But there are SO many secrets involved today..... let me tell you, it will cost you $10K+ for a fast and competitive engine.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for the website and Mike, Top Fuel? I think the challenge would be interesting and the technology that is a moving target would keep the mind active. I admire people like Gordie Rivera, he owns a small shop in Yuma and runs Pro Stock, he doesn't always qualify and his gear may be dated but I see him with a grin on his face when races because of the love of the sport. A high school friend of mine has an F/S Ford Fairlane and has been competitive in Division 7 for years. He is a retired Ford Tech and owns a small repair shop in Kingman, AZ. I believe allot of this is about thinking outside the box and doing your homework. Lots of money is great if you let someone else do your work. 10K in a motor that is easy, the motor in my current car would have easily surpassed that if I hadn't built it myself.

It is the challenge ! As my wife says, “Don’t dare him, it just encourages him” I guess it is my Marine training? :D
 
#5 ·
Eddie,
It sounds like your mind is set to go :yes:

If your looking for someone to do the engine, or any part of it, like the cylinder heads,etc. Call Jeff Stealy @ Stealy Racing Engines, or Parsons & Meyers Racing Engines. A properly prepared set of 'cheater' heads are a must to compete.

When it comes to a 3 speed trans, call Scott McClay Engineering

As to the rearend, just call Strange Engineering and get the entire unit with all of the gun drilled axles and flanges, lightened ring and pinion and spool.

QA1 'Stocker-Stars' shocks work great, and Calvert bars for the rear.

Bogart Wheels make flyweight wheels, I have them on my Chevy II wagon.
 
#8 ·
If you have any ? about Stock eliminator send me a pm. this year will be my 33 year racing in IHRA and NHRA.I dont race a Nova[Buick GS] but I know many Nova racers.Just like anything you can spend a fortune racing in stock,or you can throw a car together for a few thousand and go have some fun.Later lyn
 
#10 ·
Would there be a better weight to cubic inch in the 3rd generation?
You would have to do the math and see where a combination will fall, then search for a class with a 'soft' index. Some combos don't get factored with a lot of extra power tacked on to the stock h.p. ratings.
 
#13 ·
Have you attended a stock class race and spent time with some stock class racers? It isn't anything like it was back in Grumpys day. You can set national records though. Few classes have more than 1 car so it becomes a bracket race with dial ins the way I see it. RM
 
#14 ·
And you get to deal with things like NHRA factoring the new Cobra Jet Mustangs at 425 h.p., while the stock version of the car makes 500. Am I missing something here? With just a pulley change they will dominate their class like Calvert did over the weekend.
This was yesterdays final round; the other car redlit, as did most of the cars Calvert ran against:



 
#15 ·
To answer your original question, yes there are better combos than the L79 that Grump ran. I've been slowly putting together a '66 hardtop for Stock for the last few years, and talking to several Nova racers along the way. Jim Schaechter and his brother have tried several combos in their 66 post, including the (L79) 350 and 275 horse versions of the 327, and the 220hp 283. The L79 is NHRA rated at 300 nowadays, but seems to struggle with the small Holley. It seems the best combo right now is the 275, rated at 274 I think. Thats what I'm going to start with. That motor with a hardtop is a natural F car, and can add weight to run G. I don't think you could get enough weight out to drop to E. (and still pass tech) As far as $10,000 engines, yes you could spend that if you wanted to, but I bought a fresh spare from another racer for a third of that. And one last thing.......use a STICK!!! 3 speed autos aren't allowed in those cars since they only came with powerglides. And autos are boring.
 
#16 ·
Thank you for your valuable input. I obviously have my ideas and want to brenchmark any buildups on currently winning combinations. I am waiting for my rule book but would be curious as to the weight for F/S. This will be a new project and has nothing to do with my current hot rod, it is just what I wanted in a street rod.
 
#17 ·
This is one of the toughest class indexes.

This is not cheep!

This is not as simple as just install a engine and go.

These stock engines are as expensive as most NASCAR engines. These are the ultimate in blue print and tuning.

Just making the field is a accomplishment.

NHRA indexes are Tuff, VERY TUFF!

And on top of that, you have to run a second under the index to just get in. There were 85 cars for stock, and top 28 were -1.00 or more below their indexes.

You also have to run some series points races as requirement first, just have a chance for a National Event.
And what a Index is today can and in most cases changes!

And with NHRA moving away from sportsman racers and wanting a one or 2 days professional race they can go live TV with. I would not waist my money!:no:



Al
 
#18 ·
I have a friend out of Pittsburgh (PA) that runs LT1 cars in Stock Eliminator. He has a '94 Z28 and also a '96 Impala SS. For the last year or two he has switched over to IHRA as he said it pays so much better than NHRA. He usually takes these 2 cars plus a Super Stock 3rd gen Camaro and he and his brother split up the driving duties. I would agree. I think he has some serious dollars in these combinations, but I believe he is very competitive.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Yea, I met Brent over at PRP in 1996 when my Camaro was new and his was 2 years old. He now has a shop over in Ambridge, PA.

After Ray got out of School he had a job for a year or two as a manufacturer's rep or something for an R/C car company. He has won a few championships racing the R/Cs. Ray is now working with at Brent's shop and sometimes running the Impala SS.

I think Brent has been running the two Camaros.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/p...y-oct-13/288230385972136637/?icid=VIDURVAUT01

See the link above. He also built that Caprice to run in Pinks. That Caprice is crazy fast. I won't mention how fast he said becasuse it may make its way back on pinks. There are like 6 or 7 short videos out there to see the whole thing. Brent said the organizers from Pinks delayed the race until it was dark, (for better effect) but by then the track was covered with dew and it was unsafe. After one or two passes where the Capri nearly lost it the guy didn't want to race anymore so they just called it a draw. Classy guy, Brent could have taken the guys car but I think they just agreed to go their own ways with what they brought.

I stopped in to see him when i was back in town over the holidays. I hadn't seen Ray in several years but he has been working with Brent for less than a year now I think.

I try to stop in to see Brent the once or twice a year when I am in town.

I used to see them both at PRP and Quaker City. Good guys. Brent gave me one of his Brent Darroch Racing T shirts. I'll wear it to Edgewater for some free advertising for him, HA HA.

You can reach Brent or Ray at the the address below:
Brent Darroch Motorsports 2198 Duss Ave, Ambridge, PA, 15003 724-251-0522
Aside from general line mechanical stuff he is building race cars and doing rollbars and chassis work and stuff.
 
#23 ·
Thats cool, I saw that Pinks episode. The only time those guys come around now is when the IHRA divisional is in town (Pro-Am). Ray used to bring his camaro out and run street, he didn't do that at all this past year and maybe once or twice the year before that. Brent has the two camaros, the Stocker is a stick? why he would do that is beyond me, he still does pretty well in it though. The Super Stocker is yellow and white and has an automatic in it.
 
#21 ·
If you pick a class where there is noone else or only one car in your area that runs that class, you can be 4 seconds off the index if you want. Its just a bracket race as someone stated before. The only time it would hurt you is if you ran someone in your class then its heads up first to the finish line.
 
#22 ·
This is not true, you must run under the index to be able to dial in. If you are running slower than the index then your index becomes your dial in and then most likely you will lose due to running off the dial/index. As long as you are running under the index then yes it is a bracket race until you meet someone from your class....B/SA vs. B/SA etc.
 
#27 ·
Your dial in is your Class index. Period!
There is no break out!
Maybe you should explain that to the racers at the Winternationals, whose dial-in's were all over the place. Or maybe the loser of the double breakout they had in one round on Tuesday. They must be confused!
 
#31 ·
I know several world and division champions in IHRA stock classes and Monty Joe Bogan and Mike Petrie hold or have held world records as well. Their motors weren't cheap but they weren't totally out of sight either but they have and had great cars and they worked hard at the track changing stuff to be fast. High dollar transmissions with different gear ratios and several torque converters of different size and stall are part of the way to go fast. Swapping parts all w/e can be important too. Lots of people enjoy that type racing but it requires alot of work and love of the sport. RM
 
#32 ·
Al, we finally agree on something...they've moved too far away from class racing and too close to strictly bracket racing. They still have class runoffs, but only at selected national events. BTW, the econo altered classes still exist, in comp elim. and yes those are some high-buck motors! Comp still runs off the index, 32 car qualified field. Better be able to run .5 under!
 
#34 ·
Stock eliminator to the lanes please!!!!!!!

If you have some IHRA races in your area you can build a pure stock car.you have to run the stock duration cam,mufflers,no electric water pump and a few other minor things.Check the IHRA rule book .Indexes are easy to run on,and not many cars in these classes, so heads up runs are at a minimum.I have know guys that have built cars for these classes and had fun for under $5,000.Any ? send me a PM.
 
#35 ·
Lynn Smith ^^^^ is "THE RULER" of Stock Eliminator and a Great Guy!

I met Lyn @ the Indy U.S. Nationals around the 1978-79-80 time frame if my memory is correct. He and Bobby Meyers (Green Buick Wagon w/350 cid)and some other Buick 'Stocker' guys (there names escape me know) were all parked together, and I had a '70 Skylark '350' car at home that I had started on to make into a stocker. I sat down with them one night there at the trailers, and they we so nice to me, and told me what to do to the engine, which torque convertor to get, what gear ratio to run, etc.
When I returned home to Iowa with my pages of notes, I went to work. My car ended up in the L/SA class and ran a couple of tenths under the class index the first time out. I never had any problems with that car, never had to work on it, just drove it and had a blast with it. I wish I still had that car today.
But, I do have my Chevy II Wagon, and it's going back on the street and strip, and my 327 engine is still a stocker with just a different camshaft and a old Super/Stocker intake manifold with my Qjet.

Thanks Lyn, because of you and Bobby, I've been hooked for 30 years :yes:
 
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