My yellow '68 Sport Fury made it's track debut today. The track was slick and it was hot and humid so the air was lousy. Traction is BIG issue with the bias ply tires on a slick track as on multiple runs the car spun the tires and even started to dance sideways on one run. I can't power brake or leave at full throttle because the tires just spin like I was in a burnout contest.

My best run was a 13.84 @ 97 MPH. The torque converter is slipping to much and the stall speed is too high and will need to be changed when finances permit.

The engine is strong and pulls great even at 97 MPH. I don't know if Lebanon Valley's scale is off as it weighed the car without a driver at 4450. My pure stock 383 powered sister '68 Sport Fury with a heavy drivers' side power seat weighed 4350 at E-town with me in the car so I suspect that the scale is off.

Very pleased with it's debut and performance as well as the car performing better on each run. I had Bill Atwood take the car down the track once to assess it's performance. It was very cool to watch my own car down the track with skirts and full wheelcovers sounding awesome thanks to the TTI exhaust.

Many thanks to Rhett who spent a ton of time turning wrenches, to Bill Atwood for his tune up and other work on the car and to Ralph and everyone who has given me support and encouragement with this project.

Congrats, you have to feel a great deal of pride and accomplishment.

Hal, my memory is that it is either a 3000 or 3500 stall converter. I got two different ranges for a stall speed recommended by the engine builder who did not want the stall speed to low since the engine is a torque monster and he did not want full torque to the rear tires coming in to soon resulting in spinning the tires (worse than it already does).

I do not know what RPM it actually stalls at. In fact, I am still in the process of learning how to drive the car that I just left the car in drive yesterday and did not even look at the tach for shift points as the car was a handful for the first 1/8 mile on all but one run.

Ralph could tell watching the car run that the converter was slipping bad at low RPMs.

I hope to sell enough parts at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals to be able to purchase a new lower stall converter.

Thanks - very much appreciated!

I know that my driving needs a LOT of improvement. In hindsight, I should have waited until my budget could afford a new converter instead of the one represented as a low use unit from someone I know that was also represented as being good by a respected transmission builder. Part of the steep learning curve.

I truly appreciate your input and coaching. If you get a chance, email me the contact info for the converter builder that you recommend (Lenny?). Thanks.

A few photos from yesterday:

The best photo of the day as old beats new:

That. Looks. Awesome.

Bill

Oldschool ftw.

Good job, i agree, with a little work it will be a very unsuspecting 12 sec yacht!