A 30 year journey, and a 2nd chance.

[Cglrcng]

I had red light itis the entire 4 races plus I ran from September forward to the end of the year in E1 except adjusting to a single day of .030, .031, and .033 lights at Bakersfield Q1, C1, and E1, then next day went red again in E2. Pomona was off the trailer .020 Q1, .010 Q2, and -.008 again red E1 (though - .666 to -.797 under index in lower elevation and good air). (The absolute bane of a locked stock ECM/PM with virtually zero tuning capabilities...So far).

But, I long ago grew up racing at my night owl time of day, not many early morning races. It was afternoon time trials, night racing, and I wake up after the sun sets (no matter how long I have been up!) A natural born night owl here.

Coffee, and a lot of it is my wakeup juice. So, experience tells me I am close, but get away from coffee as a prelude to class racing. It was killing me. Then I found a legal cure, as I stopped taking my coffee pot to the track, but then also too shell shocked from many E1 red-light, I swung the as bad opposite direction to .060-.098 greens that will not also win many rounds/races. Though a few more than leaving first reds will.

Long story short, I finally found an easy (and legal), cure, and though it took a while, it took. Last race was Q1 .005, C1 was .012, E1 (still not yet fully convinced, I came up on the converter in E1, then before staging said nope, I backed off 200 rpm, staged and lazed out a .059 just to make sure it was not red), and banged off what I thought was my best run yet, followed by E2 .018, though both on the brakes at the big end I took just a bit too much stripe...OK, the car has been in the zone, though very slow at Vegas, very consistent when I am not attempting to push it the 3 tenths plus faster it is absolutely very capable of running, and just driving it the same, and the drivers head is finally out of his butt and in the game also, at the same time.

Ok, let me take a pic of 6 time slips, and resize the pic and post it. All are at Las Vegas, altitude struggle bus track w/that lousy DA. 1 from E1 November 2023(cold out), 5 from April 2024 (98 Degrees out), pay no attention to R.T.'s I covered that already. Pay little attention to the final ET's 5 of the 6 were somehow on the brakes, a lil' or a lot, leading or following. 2 different shifters, many tiny or large changes, and a major class change and change back, all are either E1, E2, C1 competitive races.

But, struggle or not, as a lifelong bracket racer ...7 thou between November 2023 E1, and April E1, and look at all the 1,000' ET's and MPH. The car has been in the game, the driver was just needing to catch up, and quit worrying about going fast. The super fat air, with the stock ECM/Power Module is doing its job, even if phat and rich as can be. The dial in's are not all equal.

That is super perplexing to the guy who rarely ever faces anyone in his class and is a bracket racer at heart.

I am going to, but would you touch that? Go ahead Billy, Yac, and anyone else...Yes, I need to laptop tap, tap tune. But, I am going to both document everything, every lil' thing I can first before we put that Holley EFI System it needs on it. It will be changed a lot before October.

It is still hard to go that route when it can run that consistent in present form.

[Cglrcng]

[Cglrcng]

Next up, a Holley EFI System & Harness w/a wide band 02, a 2 Step, convert the brakes to manual, get that converter loosened to 5,000 & refresh the Transaxle while it is out (as those bands and clutches are the 1984 originals), and get the cam I started the car with a year ago (or 1 like it and updated closely with it to today's technology back in the car). If I am going to risk screwing up a decent thing to go faster, we might as well go all the way. At least I know it is a good starting point, the turtle can run 8 tenths under, just not at Las Vegas. (-134 under a factored index on a 17.61 dial in in EF/S (17.75), against a -726 under 9.65 dial in in FS/C (10.47), just does not feel that comfortable at the outset, but it can be very rewarding if the car does its job, and you do yours). Dead 6 will put a big smile on your face...And followed by Dead 0-in the other lane, a round later can take it away too!

It's all fun and games I would not trade for anything right now, even when it was the struggle bus.

Then there are other considerations, wheels, tires, bearings, brakes, alignment changes, etc....all in good time.

So, most of the plans I had last Winter at least for the car, are still the plans I have again now. With all that completed, we will again later attempt to test it in DF/S trim again. Until all is, I wouldn't even for kicks attempt it unless it was a sea level track. The California Car, just loves California air. It liked FL, air, and Houston Air too though.

[Cglrcng]

(Since last races in april; Changed 02 sensor, added beam breaker)

June 8th & 9th Summit Bracket Racing Las Vegas, NV 109 degree plus weather (Super Sunny and junk air) Saturday -.007 Red TT1, -.005 Red TT2, .024 E1 Win 17.75 Dial/17.784 to a .121 12.92 Dial 12.910 B.O., .018 E2 Win 17.75 Dial/17.742 to a .100 14.38 Dial 14.275 B.O., -.014 Red E3 Loss 17.74 Dial/17.836 to a -.065 11.83 Dial 11.913.

After the 3rd rnd loss Saturday changed the fuel pressure regulator to a new adjustable regulator, attempted to adjust the pressure downward from 42 psi to attempt to lean it out a bit, but the minimum adjustment ended up raising the pressure to 50 psi. (Left the new regulator on the car).

Sunday (Temp and corrected altitude even higher.)
Had Coffee in the morning and knew 1st TT was going to be deep red and it was -.051 RedTT1, 17.618 (a 10th and a half plus quicker than TT1 Saturday, so the ECM is adjusting properly, more fuel pressure), in TT2 I made a bunch of biological and car adjustments that did not pan out (I did too many at once) Ate food, lowered front WD Slicks a full psi, and beyond and it showed .118 TT2 17.653, Adjusted w/ low caffeine dose via half a pepsi, and put the front tire adj. back up 1 psi .042 E1 Win 17.66 dial 17.623 double breakout, against .113 12.45 dial/12.410 B.O. (MOV .0031), then ran into Paul Wong E3 and a weekend ending Red Light knowing it was going to be a tree chopper -.036 Red 17.64 Dial 17.634 Loss against his .018 12.16 Dial and 1 under 12.150 (So I needed to hit hard and went waaaay too far! Car was dialed right my 6 thou too quick against his 10 thou too quick was right there together, driver just wound too tight.

On to start bigger and better things, and finally start to make this car finally tuneable! Car is still in storage in Las Vegas until all the parts and pcs are in and ready to put on the car, but the Holley Terminator X ECU, Main Power Cable are in already, and made up a pr. of electronics mounting boards (1 for me and 1 for a friend in Texas (Greg Hogue), who is building a Stk.1984 2.2L Daytona Turbo Edition).

[Cglrcng]

[Cglrcng]

I will be using an un-terminated 15' main harness to create a custom harness (Using the Universal MPFI docs as a guide), as they don't make a terminated harness for the 84 Daytona 2.2L/135 CI Single point TBI.

[Chuck Weissberg]

The first (White) photo reminds me of 87 Daytona Pacifica turbo 1 DF/SA car I had way back when. I enjoy your story

Originally Posted by Cglrcng

Just testing my resized pics so I can continue.

Through the years...

Attachment 68129 1993 Day of Purchase, no...we bought the whole car, but the only pic I could find from the beginning.

Attachment 68130 Spring 1995 GatorNats, FL

Attachment 68131 This last May 20th, 2023 (Shakedown ring seating Pass 2-1/8th Mile Kingman, AZ Legal Street Drags on Rt. 66 on the Slicks) (An annual full track setup right on Andy Devine 3 miles from home, and a timely finish of a 15 month project. Short Block was in the machine shop a full yr. and 3 week


Attachment 68132 (Now ready to run first quarter mile passes this go around, as soon as NHRA hopefully re-assigns the same numbers...fingers crossed, paperwork and fees are in now). Yeah the G's went away yesterday, now EF/S is on it. Looking to first quarter mile T-N-T Vegas on the 8th of Sept. (Sportsman Brackets same weekend? Maybe)

I think I have the aspect ratio on resized pics correct if they post so I can get back to the build and changes over time. We shall see.

[Chuck Weissberg]

I have been out since @ 1995...reading Yanko" and Nees's stories kinda is giving me the bug again. Making me forget the reasons I left NHRA stock racing/

Originally Posted by Cglrcng

My wife and 3 boys already know! And yes, after sitting out 26 years, I am flat having a blast! I feel like it is 1975 again, not yet my most successful season of 1984, but I hope that is coming (If I can just slow my leaves down a few thousanths, to as green as I have been red so far, I will load that tree up in the hatchback and steal it!)

Going fast was never really a part of my competition equation, but side by side in the lights is what excites me, and to do it with even much faster competition is more fun than I can even imagine attempting to bring it down to an inch! (David, to get to race with many of the best Stock racers in the country at Las Vegas & Pomona at season's end in only my 3rd and 4th event back in the saddle, was a dream come true, and it is beyond fun!)

It is a blast! (I just get at this late stage in life, to stay out there on the track doing it, every pass, quite a bit longer than anyone else does!) It is though too bad NHRA has that rule of not aiming a camera at the competition, because if they did not, I would mount a go-pro under my rear bumper so everyone could see the under chassis view I see in my rear view mirror of the competition when they go wheels up, usually when I am about to cross the 660' mark, it is to die for!

I don't know if anyone else noticed or not, but my last pass of the season, was -789 under, almost 4/10ths off the EF/S Record as far as E.T., but was 4/10ths of a mile an hr. faster than the MPH that was set at. When you pilot a slow heavy sled, the little things are big accomplishments.

That is only a tiny increment, but knowing the car like I do, I can switch to the front street tires, and run 2/10ths slower, but pump that up at least 1 MPH faster. Another small increment.

To see, and be with old friends again, all doing what we love to do...I am just getting started having fun!

[Billy Nees]

Hey Gary, ya know I've been wanting to respond to your build for a while but I've been concerned about the possibility of me going blind reading your response.
I actually have a little bit of experience with the mid-80s 2.2s and, if it were me, I would go in one of these two directions;

#1. Leave the engine combo as it is, get your Holley system up and running and commit to running E with the car.
My reasoning being that (from my experiences) the 2.2 makes good torque for a smallish engine and it doesn't like to see RPM. AND the .95 that you get in index.

#2. (What I would do) Change it to a Holley carb and IMMEDIATELY contact Pat and show him that your '84 combo is EXACTLY like the same engine that is in a '85 Plymouth Turismo (again EXACTLY!!!). The only difference being '84 combo, 107HP and the '85 combo, 102. Specs, part #s and all. And run it in E.
If you decide to do this ^^^^^^ then do it right away before the NHRA crew leaves for the holidays and before the new HP revisions come out.

Oh and spend a little more time wrenching and a little less time typing! ;-)

[J.R. Haddad]

Gary, the advice you received in the post above is 3-4 Thousand Dollars
worth of advice for free. The years of experience that went into that advice
boggles the mind. If I can be so bold, TAKE THE ADVICE!! Do not reply with
pages of questions, just TAKE THE ADVICE. When you contact NHRA, do not be wordy or lengthy. In fact, show them Billy's post. They know he has done all the research, and it will save them time. You also had Robin Lawrence offer to help you, you now have two fantastic resources in your
corner. I would suggest when either one gives you information, I would
TAKE THE ADVICE. If you can follow this, you will end up with one very bad
Hot Rod.

J.R.