Pete Wiseman’s Sox and Martin tribute Barracuda

[Pete]

Glad you like it, Steve.

I will have a re-group and work out the next bits to cover.

I can email you the bigger jpegs as well. What is taking the time is all the re-sizing of pictures to load up.

[Anonymous]

Stick em on a disc and post them over mate, a lot easier!!

What's not to like?? A great story.

[Pete]

Having got all the expectations sky high on the potential performance of the Sox on the track; it was “put your money where your mouth is” time. The car was running on Quick times , but were pretty wide, so hope fully grip would be OK.

I had to learn how to drive a stick shift and use the Line lock effectively. It was set up to work on the front brakes as this worked better with a clutch to operate; and also acts as a “fail safe” because you cannot inadvertently leave it engaged and find at the moment of truth that you have rendered your rear brakes ineffective.

Try explaining that to the insurance company and the accident investigator – if indeed you are still alive.

The first point was that any “practice” on the street – classed my Mr Matt Hollingsworth as “Wanton and furious diving”; something that he once accused me (quite appreciatively!!) of doing when I took him out in my #’s matching Challenger T/A (yes, that’s another story…life going past sideways), is that it is totally different to the strip.

How can a car that grips so well on a road where number nine buses have puked diesel everywhere be more grippy than a purpose-made and glued track??? What’s that all about??

I have lost trainers running down the track at the pod; but I cannot get a car to hook up. Mind you, with size 12 trainers, I guess there was more surface area than on a 325 wide Hoosier….

[Pete]

Actually, the afore-mentioned Achilles heel of the car reared its ugly head.
Blame Blue and Alex.

They introduced me to the noble art of “Power-shifting”; and more radically “side-stepping”.

For the uninitiated, the Power-shift approach is used on up-shifts where the motor is pulling a bazillion revs, and the clutch is “punched” with the foot in a stabbing motion just as you attempt to rip the shifter out of the car to obtain the next gear. The theory behind this is that loss of power transmission is kept to an absolute minimum. The problem is with a Mopar box is that the cogs are so big it really is a challenge because of the inertia.

Rumour has it that on the Sox cars, every other tooth was filed off the gears so that they would engage more readily. It was OK, THEY could afford to change boxes after each run; I had to get home!!! Well, more accurately, Blue had to get home; I was in the “Beeper”….

“Side-stepping” is a technique on launch where the car is in gear (it does help!) and the clutch is held down and the accelerator is floored.

At this point I should mention that it pays to either have:

a) Three feet.
b) A Line Lock that will hold the car in the “staged” position (see above).
c) A rev limiter, so the motor does not go “bang” and join the choir invisible, or
d) All of the above.

[Pete]

Next is the scary bit……

On the “Green”, or in my case “amber”, one simply simultaneously removes the line lock device, keep the right foot firmly planted, and then merely pivot the left foot (or indeed middle if you have fulfilled the criteria a) as above) so that the clutch “pings” upwards.

This means lots of horsepower suddenly meets hot sticky tyres; only briefly separated by a very nervous friction material, and a neurotic release bearing.

This system does not always work, because:

1) Men can’t multi-task.
2) You know you have got to make it home.
3) You are not really sure just how strong that prop shaft really is.
4) “Centre-force” clutches are REALLY expensive.
5) All of the above.

Again, legend has it that Ronnie held the hemi at 7000rpm before “side-stepping”.
I tried it at 5200rpm and that was enough for me.

The simple fact is that clutches cannot multiply torque, and that’s what you need to get off the line.

The bottom line is that with tweaking and a lot of input from Alex and Blue, the car ran a 12.90’ish time at 105 mph.

A small victory, but I had just learned how hard it is to take a street car out and run good numbers.

[Pete]

Nice to learn a bit more about the 360 too- (you may well have told me already & i've just forgotten...) i didn't know Ray hisself had done the porting!

Yep, just heard back from Alex - the whole motor was pulled apart. The biggest problem was getting the correct push rod length - I think we ended up with custom Smith Brothers jobbies

[Pete]

Here is a picture of the first time the Sox made it to the track, note the lack of Fender stickers:

[RayC]

Great Stuff Pete, Enjoying the read

[TYREMAN]

Yes a great read thanks

[Anonymous]

After my last post Pete, it did occur to me that there may have been 2 'Birds in your life and I have since taken myself outside for a good talkin' to.

[Pete]

After my last post Pete, it did occur to me that there may have been 2 'Birds in your life and I have since taken myself outside for a good talkin' to.

You got that right, Woody. At one point I was lucky enough to own 3 wing cars at the same time:

A Tor Red Superbird - #'s matching "V" code 440 six-bbl, 4 speed Dana car with 3.54:1 gears and Power-loc, 1 of 308;

A Corporate Blue (Petty Blue) C37D Superbird "U" Code - 440 4bbl, A727 column shift, with 8 3/4" with 3.23:1 gears; 1 of 28, and

A Hemi Orange Dodge Daytona - originally a 440 4bbl car, I screwed around with it and put a date coded 426Hemi in it with 2 x 4bbl Carters, A727 floor shift, factory front disc brakes, Dana with 4.10:1 gears and Power-loc. 1 of 403(ish) built.


I have been very fortunate.

[Kev]

What a fantastic thread Loving it!
Point of order; in the first post you mention beating the Taxi, this seems to be a big block car which is fair enough, if you are talking about the sb v8 small block 'Vert Cuda I would like to point out that this was before my drug addiction and do believe that my 318 out 1/4'rd your 360 6 pack time eventually......By about 2 seconds......
The "Blue Effect" is a very strong and powerful way to get skint. (But go fast and have the best time of your life!!!)
Reading this thread has brought back some fantastic (forgotten) memories of Nats gone by.........Leaning on a post resto Petty Blue Superbird to admire my Taxi.........Blue in a stock bacaruda.......all parked on the pavement in Hertford, Jem complaining about his centreforce clutch on his Hemi Charger (Jem since converted by Blue to the dark side)
Jog On!!

[Pete]

Thanks Kev for looking in!

When I whooped the Taxi's bottom, the '71 barracuda 'vert was a 440 Six pack.
I was using Blues slicks, cos the street tyres melted to the 3rd gear shift.

Given I was running 3.23:1 gears (Bi-sexual), the rear ratio with 28" tall tyres was about 1.5:1.

On the slip, my reaction time was quicker, but you blazed away from me to the 1/8th mile; and then horsepower took over.
It was actually quite close at the line, with me playing catch up.


I never ran it on the strip with a 318 v8 in it.
The previous owner did, but he was addicted to sniff, and it ran a 12.4 quarter.

I did not get that close with a NA big block running about at 13.6.
A message, there, I feel

[Kev]

And for the record the 318 cab went 13.42 n/a and 11.72 on drugs.


More words, Pete! Can't get enough!!!!!!!


Question Point:
Pete could have written this as a Connected Article. It would have been read/digested/filed. On here it is a living, breathing, article of interest and with input from fellow members............What is best? Connected Article or Web Thread? Separate Thread fpr debate, please....

[Dave-R]

The bottom line is that with tweaking and a lot of input from Alex and Blue, the car ran a 12.90’ish time at 105 mph.

And at the same time I was crying because my full weight and almost stock Challenger was only running 12.4s @110mph due to problems.

There. That put Pete in his place Kev!