Pure Stock-1995 Olds Achieva

[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

[Billy Nees]

400 lbs. in that car is probably more than a second! P/S is probably 2-3 tenths. you can remove the exhaust fron the manifold back.if you use stock manifold.

[Tod Lane]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

400 lbs. in that car is probably more than a second! P/S is probably 2-3 tenths. you can remove the exhaust fron the manifold back.if you use stock manifold.

As I was telling Robert Sunday at the track, the thing hasn't had a set of plugs in it in who knows how long, the stock air intake is still on it and looks VERY restrictive to me. Full exhaust... Cheap gas... there ae a lot of little things that can be done.

I believe there is an idler to replace the A/C Compressor as well.

By the way, Bob did a darn fine job of driving considering it's been thirty years since he has done it. No tach or temp guage and we had passes with in .03 of each other and he ran .007 off his dial in... The kid that beat him dropped a nice package on him.

[SBDART]

I see a road trip to muince one saturday Bob.. and run it in the 1/4 mile. just to see what she can do. pick me up on the way up and i will go for sure. LOL