Well, this is going to be very anti-climactic.* My '68 GMC that I spent a bunch of time prepping and tuning to go run is currently sanded down to bare metal, prepping for paint.* I figured that I could get on board with dragging it down there in nice weather.* However, there was a storm that came in and being that they salt the roads here in northern Arizona now, I opted to keep that truck tucked safely in my garage.* But, I wasn't going to NOT go down to the track and have fun!* So, I decided to put a little effort in getting my '59 Apache road worthy enough to take down there and get through tech inspection!* So, a couple of late nights got some electrical work done, an oil change, carb rebuild and some re-jetting of the carb, along with adjusting the timing, new plugs and wires and new rotors, pads, drums, shoes, ONE wheel cylinder replaced and new brake fluid bled through the lines.* I couldn't have done it without my 16 year old son staying up late and getting stuff done with me.* We also had to wire a neutral safety switch and install a radiator overflow catch tank.* I only replaced one of the rear drum brake wheel cylinders, as it was leaking and I only found one locally in town.* Luckily I ordered a couple of rebuild kits for the stock ones from NAPA, which came in right before we left town.* I got everything done and the truck loaded up a couple hours later than I wanted to leave.* As I got the truck loaded up onto the trailer, the other wheel cylinder began leaking!*
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So, I got to the track, got into the pit area, yanked the leaky drum brakes apart, honed out and rebuilt the wheel cylinder, cleaned everything up, bled the brakes, and got through tech inspection!*
So, being that I missed all opportunity for test and tune on that Friday night with a leak, and the track was super crowded on Saturday for the event that they had going on, I only got one single pass in.* And, the bummer of it was that due to wind, they shut down the 1/4 and were only allowing guys to run the 1/8th mile.* AND, it was sprinkling off and on most of the day, which finally led up to them shutting down the event early!*
The '59 Apache has an all stock 350 bottom end with a mellow cam and 1406 Edelbrock carb.* Its got a '79 Camaro subframe and 10 bolt rear axle.* It's got 3.08 gears out back, though the 700r4 helped it leave, with its lower first gear.* It's got an open differential and spun A tire for the first 100-200'.* Tires on that truck are 245 BFG Radial T/A.* I had them aired down to 12 psi.* My son rode with me on the ONE pass that I got to make.* It was a BLAZING 10.462" 1/8th mile!*
* I had to feather the throttle a bit to keep it from spinning.* Plus, my 700r4 is all stock and had a VERY slow, very "slippy" 1-2 shift!* So, with a posi, lower gears and some work to my transmission, it would have run quite a bit quicker.*
So, that was slow!* HOWEVER, I believe that I experienced the feeling that many cracking heads must have felt the first time they smoked crack, because I am HOOKED!* I can't wait to get back down to the track to get a baseline for the '68 and to get both trucks to run quicker!*
I'm having trouble attaching pictures at the moment. I'll post this, then try to add a few pictures of how to spend a lot of time and money to travel hundreds of miles to make a single slow pass!! LOL