Pure Stock-1995 Olds Achieva

[Robert Swartz]

OK, there was the thread on Pure Stockers. Well, what if you had a car? I've acquired an 1995 Olds Achieva. It has the DOHC 155hp (NHRA rating w/auto), 2.3L 4 cyl. It is a FWD, 2 door, auto trans. If the IHRA and NHRA hp ratings are the same, the car fits in I/PS. Using the 16.00 lbs as a minimum, NHRA guide shipping weight is 2619. So if my math is right, the car would weigh 2650 lbs. Looking at indexes, the 1/4 mile is 14.55, 1/8 is 9.45.

If I can find the time. I have an 1/8 outlaw track 6-7 miles from the house. May just have to throw the thing on the trailer and see how it really runs. Don't really have the time or space for another project but just what I need is an excuse to go to the track.

Next thing, a FWD car. What do you do with these things? Here's a picture of the car.

[Tod Lane]

Its an intresting motor, I wonder who could do a ECU for it?

[Robert Swartz]

For better or worse, we're off to test the waters tommorow. Immediate goal is to baseline the car.

Other than a fresh oil change and fixing a few minor problems, I've done nothing to the car. It will be run as is. The brakes work, put some fuel cleaner in, it still has a 1/2 tank or so of "whatever" gas was last put into it. All the tires are even at pressure. Wish I had a scale, would love to know the actual weight.

No tach, no converter, it will be pretty simple this trip. Stage the car, hope to cut a decent light and stab it, try to be consistant? Try to record what the car does. See where it's at in relation to the I/PS index (9.45 in the 1/8).

I'll post results (good or bad) either tommorow or Monday. We'll see how feasible this little experiment is.

[Lew Silverman]

Good Luck! Sounds like you've got a well thought out plan.

I had gone by the track you're talking about last time we deployed to Camp Atterbury, but it was an off weekend.

Lew

[Robert Swartz]

Well it was an interesting day at the track. We made 4 practice passes with the car. First pass was an 11.801, second pass 11.712, third 11.731, fourth was 11.533. Only thing we could surmise, on the last practice pass, we allowed the car to cool for a longer period. First three passes were all made within 15-20 minutes of each other. Last pass the car may have sat for at least 30-35 minutes, maybe longer. We didn't record that.

For eliminations, we dialed the car at an 11.60. I cut a really crappy light. My opponent treed me, he ran a 8.61 on an 8.57 dial in. I ran a 11.607 on an 11.60. The guy was pitted next to us, he hadn't cut a good light all day, until we ran!

With the object being baselining the car for I/PS. We're way off the 1/8 mile index of 9.45. That's with nothing being done to the car. Just staging the car, leaving it in Drive and steering it down the track. Got work to do on our other cars. I may clean the throttle body (or whatever this thing has), maybe put a fresh set of plugs in it. Then maybe take it back in a couple weeks or so and see what those little improvements do. Unless I sell the car, then that frees up time and money to get my "real" cars finished, LOL!!!

Also got to meet another member of our board. Dennis Roberts and his wife Carol were pitted next to us with their H/PS Malibu wagon. I appreciate that he was willing to listen to my many questions. It's always great to leave the track and make new friends. He had some good tips for us, should we decide to pursue this car farther.

[Billy Nees]

Front-drive cars are at a real disadvantage in Purestock because you can't take full advantage of the only two major performance enhancements that you can use. Gear ratios and torque converters. Pull off the exhaust, I think they unbolt ahead of the cat. Take off the P/S belt, put on the shortest front tire that you can find. Try for 20" dia. That combo is at the added disadvantage of not having a distributor so you're at the mercy of the ECU for max. timing.

[Owen S Quirion]

Is that Achieva a 3 speed automatic or a 4 speed?

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Front-drive cars are at a real disadvantage in Purestock because you can't take full advantage of the only two major performance enhancements that you can use. Gear ratios and torque converters.

Correct...and they make better 1/4 mile cars for this reason.

[Robert Swartz]

After a couple days reflection. I'm more and more convinced, this car will be hard pressed to make the I/PS index(es). Don't take me wrong, I've got the car and for the most part, I have no real money in it. For right now, I'm going to do the simple and free stuff to try and improve it, see if we make any "real" gains.

One concern I had, we hadn't weighed the car. I took care of that Monday evening. I was a little stunned but not unsurprised. Weighed with approximately 3/8 tank of gas, still has full interior, including mats, spare and jack, pretty much as you'd buy a car off the lot. It weighs 2900 lbs. Using racer math, 16.00 x 155 + 170 = 2650. So, I would need to lose 400lbs from that car to make weight. Which as my thinking concludes, enough weight needs to be removed to compensate for a driver. For right now, this is a street car that I do need to sell, so, I don't really want to gut it.

Owen, yes it is an automatic. As I stated, I don't have a tach in, at present. We're just leaving it in Drive and letting it shift itself. If we decide to keep it for awhile, that's something I'll do, put in a tach and gages. Being able to control the shift points would give me some control over the car. A temp gage would be nice as well, knowing the engine temperature is a wonderful aid.

Billy, all of your suggestions were conversation points on Sunday. The IHRA rules require you to run a full exhaust. Something we discussed is the catalytic converter, I'm certain that is choking this car badly. We also discussed the belt. We mainly thought about the AC, wonder if there's a delete for that? The PS is a good idea, am sure theres a minute amount of HP to be realised there. And I was already looking at the tire situation before I committed to running the car last weekend. I've got to ask, were you referring to using Drag Radials or just trying to find some smaller street tires? Just for conversation sake, Nitto had the smallest set of drag radials. Common sense, a shorter tire will increase the gear ratio, a wider tire will be harder to pull. Regarding the timing, at present, making any changes is beyond my present capabilities, don't have all the right tools.

Mark, using my baseline information. 1/8 mile best is 11.53, converting that to a 1/4, puts us in the 18 second range. I'm over 2 seconds off the 1/8 mile index of 9.45. The 1/4 mile index is 14.55, being in the 18's, I definitely have my work cut out for me.

Unfortunately, at the current time, I don't have the time for an aggressive racing schedule. So, Like I said at the start. I'm going to try and do some of the simple and free stuff that can be accomplished in my spare time. Hopefully in 2-3 weeks I can take it back to the track and see if we make any gains.

Thanks for the input and replys.

[Dan Fahey]

There is a whole community that AutoCrosses these GM cars.
Performance parts are available including Headers.

In IHRA it is either open exhaust stock exhaust manifolds
OR
Mufflers and Cats with Headers.

Oversized stock pistons should be available.
The Crank can be indexed in Pure Stock.

For a Tune you should have ODB-1 PCM.
Contact Bryan Herter for a Tune.
http://www.pcmforless.com/

Torque Converter...you should be able to get one for your ride.
May want to try Yank or Edge converters.

Short Tires are available.
Barry Werner runs HF/SA and has a set.
His little Dodge with a 1.7 VW made engine runs a full second under in 1/8 mile.
On a good day

Also Bullet Cams can build you a IHRA Legal Cams.
Call IHRA and make sure they have the right specs for your application.

Plus LOSING 400 pounds is a huge advantage..
How you do that is another issue..!!

Dan