Questions about Stock

[david ring]

The other thing I'd recommend is to try to find a lower class car that can be consistent. That may be hard to do and you'll be chased all the time, but since NHRA has combined the FI and carb cars, there are lots of heads up races these day in the higher classes and then you are talking big bucks..

[Angela Macy]

Fast - you didn't mention where you live and what sanction body you were wanting to run - NHRA or IHRA. Obviously you can't run a crate motor in NHRA, but can in IHRA. Crate money are less expensive to build than traditional stocker motors, or so I hear.

I recommend IHRA and run a Crate Motor - more bang for your buck. IHRA treats their sportsman racers better - strickly my opinion.

[55 Chevy]

Angelo is absolutely correct. It takes a pile of money & time to build a car that is instantly competitive. I bought mine as a 6 cylinder driver 22 years ago after just missing buying a complete national record holder. Did a body off frame restoration on it & built it the way I wanted to. It was fun & a huge learning experience but if I could do it over again would not go that route, especially in todays market.
The end result was a very nice car that did OK competition wise but it did take a "couple" of years to arrive at that.

[CrateCamaro]

Originally Posted by Angela Macy

Fast - you didn't mention where you live and what sanction body you were wanting to run - NHRA or IHRA. Obviously you can't run a crate motor in NHRA, but can in IHRA. Crate money are less expensive to build than traditional stocker motors, or so I hear.

I recommend IHRA and run a Crate Motor - more bang for your buck. IHRA treats their sportsman racers better - strickly my opinion.

I wouldn't say its cheaper to build considering a stocker engine and a "crate motor" stocker engine run basicly the same internal parts. Its easier to find the parts thats for sure. You can get Vortec heads right at the wreckers and build yourself a 350 330/340hp IHRA crate motor. Its next to impossible to find Camel Back's (461's/462's)in the wreckers to build a 300hp combo. And if you do find the heads good luck finding the intake and carb complete. Personally id stay away from the 4 gen camaro stocker because the class is flooded with cars from A-C (FI) which makes it hard to win in a "Heads Up" run. The cool thing about IHRA is you can build a GT Stocker now so you can build your 4th gen Camaro and run a 69 350 295hp combo. Really the sky is the limit with GT Stock. And theres not alot of cars in GT yet so winning class is not a pipe dream.

[Whalen3186]

Thanks for all the replys guys they have all been very helpful. There isn't alot of IHRA races that are very close so the crate motor idea probably isnt an option, even though I would love to run IHRA. Another question that I had and haven't been able to find any information on is what are the limitations on rear-ends? If a car came from the factory with a 10 bolt, can you put a 12 bolt underneath it or even a 9 inch?

[David Lee]

Originally Posted by fastbowtie

Thanks for all the replys guys they have all been very helpful. There isn't alot of IHRA races that are very close so the crate motor idea probably isnt an option, even though I would love to run IHRA. Another question that I had and haven't been able to find any information on is what are the limitations on rear-ends? If a car came from the factory with a 10 bolt, can you put a 12 bolt underneath it or even a 9 inch?

you have to stick with the rears that were made by that manufacturer, but truck rears are not allowed, so you could not put in a dana 44 or dana 60 even though GM did use some of those in thier trucks. You can switch it with an aftermarket 12 bolt such as the KTRE which will bolt right in. in SS you can use any rear made by anyone, except for some of the FAB 9 type rears.