Archive for category 63 C10
How I Spent My Summer Vacation..
Ok, so this isn’t what we consider a vacation, but it is summer and it was fun, despite the heat.
We hit North Star’s bracket series race Saturday, and overall had a pretty good day with the Camaro finding a nice payday after all was said and done.
The truck’s still experiencing growing pains combined with the normal trouble of not having been to the track much at all this year. It’s still tough to beat rolling into the track with the AC blowing and still managing low 8’s in the 1/8th when it’s 100 degrees.
Look for a more in-depth mid-summer update in the next few weeks, including the plans for the next big adventure.
Shop Truck: On-board video from the track
After braving dense fog, near-freezing temperatures, fogged windows, and numb extremities, the truck surprised us again Sunday at North Star’s first bracket race of the year. Results from the driver were highly suspect, but the truck continues to amaze, lowering its best time by another .14 as the temperature came up.
The sun poked through the clouds a few times, but for the most part the first half of the day was utterly miserable with temps staying in the 40’s. It did eventually clear off, and as the track and air temp rose the beast came out. A (hoorrible) red light allowed me to run it out the back door, and my jaw dropped as I read 7.54 | 91 on the scoreboard. Luckily it did it again the next pass, otherwise I would have thought it was a fluke.
So, enough talking, let’s go for a ride –
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Super Saturday
Since winter seems to have skipped right over us (though it is 40 degrees today), we decided to make the maiden trip to the track in our new for 2012 configuration: Camaro in the trailer, truck following behind. Pretty uneventful trip, which is precisely what we were looking for.
Got 5 runs in with the car, no surprises other than the fact that mineshaft air conditions had it bit lean.
The truck was much the same, little bit of a stumble off the line due to lack of fuel, but only managed to make two passes after discovering a little leak out of the back of the water pump.
Haulin’ Hay..and A Few Other Things
One of the things that makes a record-setting, drought-stricken, utterly miserable Texas summer tolerable is the thought that the mild winter to follow will provide the opportunity for activities that our neighbors to the north don’t get to experience. Such as heading to the drag strip a week before Christmas.
We got to enjoy that simple pleasure this year, and get a much-needed first trip with the 63 C10 shop truck in. Conditions were beyond words – density altitude started below 0 and never passed 600 all afternoon. Temps reached the mid-50’s as the day wore on, and as always, the guys at North Star Dragway made sure the cold track was still plenty sticky.
Overall, we were very pleased. Aside from some very unnerving handling characteristics stemming from front-end alignment issues (we eventually likened it to driving a boat through harbor at idle, only at 80+ mph with guardrails mere feet away), the truck did exactly what we were hoping to see, managing a best ET of 7.749, and best MPH of 88 and change. Not too bad for an old farm truck.
Here’s video of the best pass – watch for the wiggle:
Look for the transformation into full-on shop truck mode in the coming weeks – or months, we know how timelines go on these projects.
Christmas comes early
The shop truck finally moves under its own power! For the first time since last November, our 63 Chevy C10 lumbered out of the shop and down the road. Updates we’ve completed at this point:
The basically stock 91 model 350 bid us farewell in favor of an RHS aluminum-headed 406 with a healthy solid roller and just over 11:1 compression. All that new grunt drives through a fully built 700-R4, and exhales out a new exhaust setup consisting of a 3″ Pypes x-pipe and full stainless tubing leading to the Hooker Aerochamber mufflers that were on the previous setup.
On the inside, a B&M Stealth Pro Ratchet shifter steps in for the original B&M Hammer, and the glovebox now conceals the MSD Digital 6+ ignition box. Still on the to-do list is a 9″ Ford rearend, then it will be thrash time.
Here’s a short clip from after the maiden voyage, and a much needed wash in the driveway. There’s a little romp to around 3,000, then 4,500 at the end.
406 Cubic Inches
Little clip of the new engine in the shop truck, running through an open Pypes 3″ X-pipe. Should be good for a few seconds off the average delivery time, I’d think.