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.