(Acceleration:
As I mentioned, Jim only made three acceleration runs. There were a few reasons: the main is that it started to rain, and then there was a curious park ranger that stopped by to quiz Lynn and Chad about why the purple 'Cuda was making so much noise. Apparently it was a catch-and-release day, for no tickets were issued. Finally, the 'Cuda was running 220-230 degrees due to an inadequate electric fan from the previous owner, and then spit some oil out the breather valve onto the headers, which fogged out mosquitos for an eighth of a mile. When Jim has some time to sort out this fire-breathing monster I'd expect some warp speed runs!
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Since Test Site South has a slight slope, we again averaged two runs in opposite directions to cancel out the difference. Unfortunately the two runs differed widely since Jim only ran a three times in total. Still, the averaged (uncorrected) runs were 14.6 seconds @ 104 mph! The 0-60 times averaged 7.1 seconds because of the crappy 225mm Firehawk tires; Jim was essentially unable to hook up without totally babying the launch. You can see this at the end of the video clip as he uncorks an estimated 200'+ brakestand. Wow!
Power:
Again, due to testing constraits Jim was unable to perform any power runs. Using the acceleration runs the recorded power averaged an uncorrected 269bhp @ 5100rpm, and 279 lb-ft of torque @ 4300rpm. There are a number of factors that make this number tentative: first is that we did not weigh the 'Cuda on the scale so the weight is estimated. Secondly, since we didn't do a power run the torque figure is likely off and probably lower on the RPM scale.
That said, the best estimate for corrected output is 360bhp @ 5100rpm, and 365lb-ft of torque @ 4300rpm! Those are outstanding figures, and are backed up by the record-setting trap speeds recorded. The stock 1970 440 4-bbl motor was rated at 375 bhp @ 4600rpm (SAE gross) and 480 lb-ft torque @ 3200rpm. Converting from SAE net to gross gives Jim's 440cid V-8 an estimated 440bhp!
You can see the power curve from the smoothest acceleration run Jim ran. Since the 440 pulls so hard after a shift the power figures displayed are skewed, and the RPM range is limited as well. We'll put a power run or two on the top of the list for the next test...
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Technique:
Since Jim could only make three runs he did not have a good opportunity to dial in his launches. Due to the severe traction limitations he launched very softly all three times, resulting in poor 0-60' and 0-60mph times. When you look at the launch comparison you can see the more RPMs he can put down the better, even at the expense of some wheelspin. A few more RPMs and faster throttle, if still avoiding huge wheelspin, would be the way to go. The best solution for the launches, of course, are more and better tires! This car really needs more rubber to hook up with it's high torque and power.
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You can see the advantage the final run got from Jim's faster shifts. The 'Cuda was able to keep more momentum with the faster 2-3 (and to a small extent, 3-4) shifts on the last run. In terms of shift points it's less clear. Since we didn't ever get a full power run we don't know the exact power delivery of the engine. Apparently the former owner of this car raced it for years, and normally shifted at 6500rpm. Right now the limiter is set to 6000rpm, so Jim had to avoid winding it too high. More practice runs and a higher rev limit in the future will help us determine what the best shift points are.
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Corrections and Other Factors:
As before, there is a few extra factors to correct these runs: (1) "Test Site South" is slightly sloped, so I have to average two runs to get one accurate result, and (2) we only had three runs to pick from! Since the two closest runs were fairly far apart the average figure is not as accurate as I'd like. Given what data we have, I have prepared one best run and one averaged run spreadsheet.
| Recorded Data | Corrected Data | |
|---|---|---|
| Best run: | 0-1/4 mile in 14.5 secs @ 105 mph | 0-1/4 mile in 14.0 secs @ 109 mph |
| Averaged runs: | 0-1/4 mile in 14.6 secs @ 104 mph | 0-1/4 mile in 14.1 secs @ 107 mph! |