HI all,
I tend to prefer reading about what every one else is doing with their cars, but I thought I would share my recent track exploits and updates on my car. The car in question is a 62 Dart 440 (with a warmed over 440, 3,91 posi rear, etc.... which has been a combination cruiser and weekend racer for the last 12 or 13 years. It normally runs anywhere from 12.0's to 12.20's depending on the weather. So about teo week ago, I funally got around to taking the bench seat out of the front, and the rear baench, and installing a light weight seat for the driver. I also removed the carpets. Net loss was about 100 pounds. So we went to Maple Grove (my home track) and my first run was an 11.999 - my first ever 11 second time slip at my home track. Unfortunately, the trans had a slow 2-3 shift. Second run, they sprayed the track with vht right before street class ran. I dialled a 12.00, and ended up running an 11.95 hard on the brakes. I lost in a double breakout run by .007 margin of victory (or loss in this case). Next day (Sunday) the car ran an 11.98 in time trials, and then ran another 11.95 in a breakout run, but toatsed high gear in the trans in the process.
So yesterday, I swapped out the push button trans (65 cable shift slip yoke) with a later 727. I ditched the push buttons and installed a cheetah shifter. I had mixed emotions over that, because I feel that the push buttons are part of the character of the car. But after running the car with the cheetah shifter today, I dont think I'll ever go back to the push buttons. I never felt quite comfortable shifting with my left hand and holding the steering wheel with my right hand (maybe because I got my start in a 71 Satellite with slap stick shifter, with my left hand on the wheel and my right hand on the shifter). So to get back to the story - today I participated in a charity race, and the car was running pretty consistently between 12.10 and 12.17 - a little wider of a spread than I like, but some if it was inconsistent track prep, and some driver error, so I can live with it, But I loved the way the new trans worked. And for those of you who have fought with trying to keep the O-rings from leaking on the older transmissions, or once you get the o- rings to stop leaking and then have to fight with the cables leaking through nicks in the sheaths. It was nice today not seeing a single drop of trans fluid under the car. I liked it.
Last thing I'll say, if anyone is thinking about doing a swap from the early pushbutton trans to the later style trans, you will need to make modifications to the rear trans cross brace, and trans mount. Where the trans mount bolts to the trans is narrower on the later transmissions so your old trans mount will not work. Fortunaely, when I made the swap yesterday, I had an assortment of later B body cross braces, and one or two of every trand mount Ma Mopar ever made, so i was able to figure out what I could make work with the parts I had to work with. I had to slot a several bolt holes to tweak everything into the right positions. Hope that's helpful information.....
JohnP
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