Drag racing

[curmugeon]

Life experiences. Staging my 1957 Chevy Bel Air coupe at the dragstrip. A quick burn out to warm the slicks. Watching the lights, first yellow, the rpms come up. Second yellow rpm hours toward redline. Green foot slips off the clutch, the car lurches forward. First gear to 8000 rpm, then second, then third, then to fourth watching as rpm builds toward 8000. Past the timing lights and on the brakes. It takes some room to slow down from 120 mph of more. Then a quick check of the gauges to make sure the motor is okay then back to the pits. My Chevy had a 283 v8 bored 1/8th over for 301 cubic inches. An Isky roller cam (very noisy at idle), 11 to 1 forged pistons, boxed rods, two c series AFB Carter carbs on an Edelbrock manifold. Doug Thorley headers exiting into the front wheel well just behind the tire. Steel flywheel with a scatter sheild around the bellhousing backed by a Borg Warner T10 four speed trans. Synchro rings had been brazed together so they wouldn't pop off. Rear differential was 4:56 to 1. ( the car used to be doing close to 5000 rpm at freeway speeds) redline was conservatively set at 8000 but capable of quick bursts to 9000 plus. I owned that car for one year till I blew the engine racing from a traffic light. It was fun while it lasted. On a Friday night of cruising I would get 8 to 10 mpg. I ran Chevron Custom Supreme gasoline rated at 104 octane. That stuff cost 39 cents a gallon. Average gas prices in 1965 were around 30 cents.