Went to my first open drag event at the Jacksoville Raceway (http://www.jaxracewaysonline.com).

This is 1/8-mile track and for $15 you can run as many times as possible between 6pm-9pm on Tuesday nights.

I ran 7-times from 7:30pm-9:00pm @ 72-F. Ironically, my best time was my 1st run 9.552-secs. @ 73.51-mph, with a reaction time of 1.106 secs. Perhaps the engine get's too hot, and the timing is retarded . . .

My best reaction time was 0.490-seconds, but my time was only 9.985 @ 71.31-mph.

With a first gear start and a 3.07 LSD, the Kumho 712's (225/45R17)@ 36psi, just wouldn't hook-up. I'll bring the PSI down to 20psi next time.

I was the only Mercedes, and only wagon, and I humbled a lot of people. At first some people chuckled, at the end of the night, people were cheering on the black wagon!

The Honda, Acura, Mitsubishi Conquest Tsi, and one stock Mustang GT were humbled by my 4000-lb. black beauty.

Maybe I'll get drag-radials . . .
500E is next. . .

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

Great Neil!

We've got to get hold of the formula which translates 1/8 mile times to 1/4 mile times. Most of us have better mental benchmarks with 1/4 mile times. Or, better yet, just find a 1/4 mile track!

I'll ask a friend who is a drag racer and see if he has the extrapolation formula.

Keep up the good work!

Rgds,
Chris W.
'93 500E

I don't think there is a very accurate translation since gearing and other things (e.g., aerodynamics) come into play.

BTW: does a faster reaction time affect the 1/8 mile times or is it just another stat? If so, if I can shave 1/2-second off, and get the car to hook-up and the power not retarded due to a warm engine, then maybe I break into the low nines or high eights.


I did find a list of 1/8 mile times here:
http://www.car-videos.com/performance/distance.asp?dist=660

Below is a sampling:

:-) neil
==========
1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE 5.7 8.02 s 98.8 mph
2004 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti (USA) 8.53 s 81.9 mph
2003 Mits. Lancer Evolution (USA) 8.60 s 80.6 mph
2002 Mits. Lancer EVO VII (Jap) 8.65 s 81.7 mph
2001 BMW M3 8.68 s 84.5 mph
2004 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Turbo 8.83 s 78.2 mph
1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo 8.85 s 82.2 mph
1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) 8.89 s 77.8 mph
2001 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra 8.91 s 82.6 mph
1994 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 8.97 s 76.2 mph
2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan 9.12 s 75.8 mph
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 9.13 s 82.7 mph
2003 Nissan 350Z Track 9.17 s 80.9 mph
2003 Porsche Boxster S 9.21 s 78.7 mph
2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 9.23 s 82.5 mph
1993 Nissan 300ZX Turbo 9.28 s 78.1 mph
2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe 9.28 s 80.0 mph
2003 BMW Z4 3.0i 9.29 s 77.7 mph
2004 Infiniti FX45 9.36 s 71.5 mph
2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Sedan 9.41 s 74.6 mph
2000 Honda S2000 9.47 s 77.7 mph
1988 Mercedes 360TE AMG 9.55 s 73.5 mph
2003 Nissan Altima 3.5SE 9.60 s 75.6 mph
2000 Porsche Boxster 9.62 s 75.0 mph
2003 Porsche Boxster 9.62 s 75.3 mph
2003 Acura 3.2TL Type-S 9.64 s 75.8 mph
2002 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro 9.65 s 71.8 mph
2002 Acura RSX Type-R (Jap) 9.73 s 76.7 mph

Reaction time is not factored in the ET, but will effect the winner of the race, as the first one to the line wins, regardless of ET.

Those are really fast times for that wagon! Breaking 70mph in the 1/8 is a big accomplishment for that car, given it's weight and inability to hold a launch. Four speed auto-box, too.

36psi in the rear tires is too much! You're on the right track to drop the pressure. Take a tank along and leave it in the pit to reinflate for the drive home.

On the list, I'm also pretty impressed with the 3.5 Altima! That's a fast time! Both of you put the boots to some pretty impressive iron.

__________________
John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/4050/tophat6.gif

Nice Work!

Time for the Bottle!50Shot!
Get a Couple of worn out tires/Slicks for the rear and The ET will be lower...Glad to see The WAGON on the track to Humble a few onlookers!

Outstanding!

Those 3.5 Altimas Honk fer sure!!!

I chased one on VIR (Long), driven by an experienced guy on slicks, and it took me quite a while to take him (he was a fabulous driver-if I screwed up even a little bit in a corner, he would walk away from me and it would take me several laps to get it back). And when I did get him, he was up my butt for the better part of the rest of the session unless I was spot-on (I'm not very fast-sorry!).That guy was great!!

Neil, I suggest that you drop the rears to 20 psi and you'll have a nice, fat contact patch; but you will have enough pressure to keep the tires from spinning on the rims(maybe - personally, I think you're lying about your 3.6's output )

Great job-that wagon goes like hell!!

__________________
"If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?" Sir Sterling Moss

Michael
2014 E63S Estate
2006 SLK55
1995 E500
1986 Porsche 944 turbo

BTW: how come my 1/8 mile trap speed is so much lower than those with even higher times (e.g., Porsche Boxter 9.62-s @ 75-mph vs. 360TE 9.55-s @ 73.5 mph)?

Should I change from a 3.07 LSD to a 3.27 LSD, or a 2.87 LSD?

Thanks in advance,

:-) neil

It is usually an indication of traction problems.

Here's my time slips. BTW: I purposely fouled the staging so I could backup a little which LOCKS the LSD.

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E

neil,

great story and congratulation to you Wagon, again and again.

Concerning the final drive and the times, changing from 3,07 to 3,27 will give you better acceleration in general while changing to 2,87 will give you higher max. speed or at least lower rpm at the same speed.

The time for 1/8 or 1/4 mile depends also on the shifting points and the gear you'll finisch.

If you shift the engine at 6500 (don't know the numbers for your engine) you will get appr. 68mph in second gear with 3.07 but 73mph with 2.87 final gear.

Doing the race with only two gears with a longer diff (2.87) will do better than using a shorter diff (3.27) but having an additional shift from 2nd to 3rd gear.

On the other hand this optimizing can only be done for one special situation 1/4 OR 1/8 mile OR high-speed racing and on and on. As you know, professionals adapt the gearing for every specific course to get best results.

Do you know the program "car test"? That is made for exactly this purpose: playing with numbers. It's great and helps you to decide, wich gearing will fit best. Have a look at it at the site of car test software .

best regards,
bis denn,
Christian

1989 300TE mostly stock

__________________
improve your German - please visit my homepage :-)
Das W124-Archiv

Christian,

I'll check out the CarTest. I'm lucky because I have all three differentials to play with.

If only I could locate a 2.87 with limited-slip . . . Got any leads in Germany?

:-) neil

Neil,

>I'm lucky because I have all three differentials to play with.

Yes, that makes a lucky guy!

>If only I could locate a 2.87 with limited-slip . . . Got any leads in Germany?

Sorry no chance, not at all. Since my diff is nearly shot, actualy it IS shot, I looked for a longer one like 3.07 or 2.87 all the time.
This week I was lucky to get a 3.27 with ABS for my TE (standard gearing in Germany for the 300TE) but since it's from a 230E I'll have to change the shaft flanges.

regards,
bis denn
Christian

1989 300TE

__________________
improve your German - please visit my homepage :-)
Das W124-Archiv

Here's the projected numbers from CarTest on the 360TE AMG:

:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E
=========
Diff Ratio 660 ft. 1320 ft. 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-100 MPG (city/highway: combo)
3.46 9.43 @2000 14.6 @3600 5.90 8.20 10.00 16.20 14.6/19.2 (16.4)
3.27 9.45 @2500 14.61 @2400 6.00 8.40 10.50 15.80 15.2/20.1 (17.1)
3.07 9.45 @2700 14.63 @2700 6.30 8.00 10.60 15.90 15.9/21.1 (17.9)
2.87 9.41 @4200 14.65 @3700 6.50 8.10 10.80 16.30 16.5/22.2 (18.7)
2.67 9.47 @4100 14.63 @4200 6.60 8.30 10.30 16.50 17.2/23.1 (19.5)
2.25 9.5 @3600 14.53 @3600 7.10 8.90 10.90 17.10 18.9/25.8 (21.5)

I already said it but I will say it again!!

I love your car man and you did an oustanding job modifying it Congrats man