My good buddy Jay Brown always does a blog of his Drag Week builds at FEpower.net, and it seems to help him keep motivated, as well as build enthusiasm for the event, so I decided I'll take a shot at it here on Moparts. I'll get this kicked off today, then update it once a week or so as progress is made.
If anyone else want to put their Drag Week stuff here as well, feel free to do so.

It just kills me to concede that my early Hemi powered 31 Plymouth coupe will not be ready for Drag Week 2016, but that is the reality I need to face. As usual, I took on too many other projects and activities not related to this project, plus I had some setbacks with a cracked head on the 392 Hemi. There is just too much work left to be done for the time I have available.
So on to plan B! I really need to reprogram my enthusiasm for the new plan, because it is not really there yet. I am still emotionally clinging to my dreams of running the Hemi-Coupe. Hopefully writing a blog here about it will get me energized! ;D

31 coupe:



So Plan B is to bring my 67 GTX that I ran in Factory Appearing Stock Tire (F.A.S.T.) years ago back out for Drag Week 2016. THis car needs far less work than the coupe to make it race and street ready, so I have a good shot at getting it done.

F.A.S.T. 67 GTX:



Last time I ran the car was 2010, and I blew up the Hemi by accidentally setting my two-step launch control to 9300 rpm instead of 3900. The plan now is to keep the budget somewhat low by putting together a 484 inch Hemi from spare parts that I have laying around, make some changes to the car for streetability and durability, but keep with the stock appearing theme. For Drag Week of course, I do not need to comply with the strict F.A.S.T. rules, so I will take some liberties as needed.

I will probably run in Street Race Big Block NA, or the Daily driver Bracket race. I expect the car to get solidly into the 10's, which would get it into the quick 32 program at Drag week, but would not be too competitive in SRBBNA. It has a roll bar and will tech to 10.00 e.t.
But the non bracket classes at Drag week have a few perks that might be worth it.

I'd love to see the X competing!!

Have they announced the tracks/locations this year?

We have an awesome line-up of tracks for 2016:


September 11 – Registration, Test and Tune
National Trail Raceway Hebron, OH

September 12 – Day One Racing
National Trail Raceway


September 13 – Day Two Racing
Summit Motorsports Park
Norwalk, OH

September 14 – Day Three Racing
US 131 Motorsports Park
Martin, MI

September 15 – Day Four Racing
Lucas Oil Raceway
Indianapolis, IN

September 16 – Final Day Racing
National Trail Raceway
Hebron, OH

Beginnings of a to Do list:

Clean up the mess in my shop so I can work on it

dig the GTX out of the back corner and push the coupe back into the corner.

Find all the parts for the car and for the Hemi and get them into 1 location

order any parts I need for the Motor

Put the motor together, maybe dyno it?

Put the moter and 4 speed back in the car.

complete the wiring on the car, for F.A.S.T. I didn't wire anything that wasn't nescessary to get down the track, like headlights and blinkers

re-do the fuel system, with the stock tank for street fuel and a 4 gallon cell for race gas. I street pump and 1 race pump, plus a valve to switch between them.

Figure out what tire will fit under the back of the car. It is all stock wheelwells, so maybe an 8.50 - 26"? Drag Week does not allow street tires, so I am going to buy a pair of slicks. Maybe my thinking is wrong here, but since I have 4.10 gears, I need a short tire to keep the rpm in the power range when it is in 4th gear. With a 26" tire 130 mph = 7000 rpm, a 28" tire = 6500 rpm at 130.

Maybe add caltrack bars and mono leafs? Are they needed, or will my stock Hemi leafs be good enuff?

Maybe add frame ties? I didn't need them with the G-70 14 bias ply's, but with slicks they would help.

Oh yeah they have stated the tracks.. National Trails
will be the home track(thats where you begin and end)
Norwalk is in there also.... 131 is in there... I forget the
other one of hand.... I'm way down on the waiting list
but if my car is together I will show up.. either I get
in or I'll drive along... I'm changing the cam and heads
next week... the roads here in Mich are a BITCHH on my
front struts.. the chuck holes in Mich are like hitting
the grand canyon .. I might change out struts if I can
get some long travel one for road racing

I don't have to tell you how cool a stock-appearing 10-second GTX is, great idea. Go for it!
There have been a few threads on slick size & rim size on '66-'67 cars. Taller tire will help leave harder, but powerband of course will dictate where you want to be RPM-wise.
If you do a pump-gas motor, you won't have to do a 2nd fuel system. 11:1 was fine on 93 with my fairly big cam, iron-head, 438" Hemi RR.
Looks like it leaves hard on street tires, but if you don't mind the alteration, ties would help the unibody. You can bolt 'em in if need be, easier to un-do later.

PM me for any G1 or G2 Hemi parts you might need. We have some stuff down at the shop after rebuilding a few recently. We have one spare G2 head and 7 pistons for +.030" and a number of other parts....

For your suspension question, we have found the old SS springs and pinion snubber totally inadequate on a number of cars. I highly recomend the Caltracs & Mono's and a leaf spring relocation so you can use the whole wheel well. We generally fit a 13" wide x 28" slick in there with a totally stock wheel well. Trim the inside of the wheel well to the frame rail, and you can go bigger.

I envy the guys that can go to Drag Week. The time and dedication required is enormous, not to mention, its not cheap. Wish I could go.

I built my 605 Cuda into basically a street legal Drag Week car...All it needs is the roll bar turned into a full cage so it could be 9 sec legal as it has already gone 6.32 in the 1/8th this year on pump gas in street trim thru the mufflers, a good working instrument cluster, and lastly, an air filter that fits with the new hood.

And since DR315's no longer come with tread, I would need a way to hook a small trailer to the car so I can switch street tires to slicks...Tubbed cars suck in any rain, so I would have to really put a rain tire on it for driving.

Car has probably 300-400 miles on it this year already without too many issues other than a lean condition during cruising I am working on.

If I remember right, I have a .060 over 1966 block, 1/2 filled, with a fresh hone; a Mopar Performance 1053 steel crank, 4.15 stroke, Manley Sportsman I beam rods, and matching pistons that should yield 12.5 - 13.5 to 1, a reground Bullet roller cam with about .720 lift and 280 @ .050 =/- duration, and a fresh set of iron heads. I'll need to check the heads and pistons and calculate the exact compression ratio, but whatever it is I'm going with it because I have the stuff.

It's only 60 days till drag week, I only have a very limited time to make changes. How big of a deal is it to move the leaf springs in, I've never done it. Do the Calvert mono leafs require a panhard bar? Panhard bars are not allowed in Street race classes.
Dragula, I envy your 605! THat would be a great Drag Week car!

What's more important, using a taller tire for more traction, or using a shorter tire to get the rpm up? I have a 4.56 gears I could use, but they would be awful on the 1200 mile drive.

Mono's and Calverts are a bolt in...No panhard needed. Plus they are lighter than SS springs and pinion snubber. And Mancini has the relocation kit. Comes with front boxes that need welding in, and new rear hangers. Buy it, if you have time, move them in, if not just leave the monos and Caltrac's where they land.

And at your cubic inches, and a 28" slick, 4.30 is the optimal ratio. The Hemi will really like 4.56's but that would be hell on the street. So I would go 4.10 and a 28"-29" street tire..Owned many Hemi's at that cubic inch size, and they love lots of gear, but +3200rpm cruising it down the thruway gets old pretty quick.

If its not going to run 9.90's or quicker, I would put the mildest gear you have in it, and sacrifice a tenth or two for drivability.

A friend who races Fords offered to bring over a bunch of different tire/wheel combinations that he has to help figure out what will fit. I decided not to move the springs, but I ordered a set of weld in frame ties from US Car Tool. They are contoured to fit the bottom of the floor. So some paint repair will be needed. I hate to weld on the bottom of the car, because it looks like this, but I have to so it doesen't warp the car:




I'll order the caltracs and mono leafs today. I think I'll stick with my single adjustable QA1 rear shocks.

I pulled the heads off the shelf last night, and found that they are all disassembled. I forgot about that, I thought they were ready to bolt on. Now I need to find all the parts. I know I have them, I just need to find them.

I doubt that this motor will have enuff snort to put this heavy car into the 9's, but if it does I'll be very happy to upgrade the roll bar to a cage. I hate sandbagging!


BTW, if anyone else wants to add their own DW stuff to this thread, you are invited.

I wouldn't relocate the springs and tub that car...too beautiful to cut up. If you were able to make it hook on G70's, you should be able to make a small slick work. It might not hurt to find a 28-29" tall street tire to keep the revs down, then swap to a 26" slick at the track.

I would move the tub over to the rail in a second........but that's just me. Those cars look SO much better with a little more tire in the wheel well

Could not agree with you more Monte, but we only have 60 days until Drag Week... Joel has enough on his plate to deal with.

Jeff, You have to stop working on your car and help

I haven't touched the Road Runner in a month. I've been working 11-12 hour days, add in 2 hours of commuting per day, and I just do not have much spare time. I have my GTX running again, but by the end of the day I'm wiped out. I'll get some rest during Drag Week lol.

I've been running crazy... working on the EFI
and my shop... I'm finishing up the upper dry
wall then adding the air conditioner.. plus adding
a door opener... not the normal one that runs up
the middle.. I have one that mounts right on the
shaft itself so I have to add some metal for the
mount... then change the cam and heads on the car
and that will take new PRs also... so yeah I'm staying
busy.. then the normal every day stuff... I was thinking
of putting in my 395ci engine.. that way I could build it
on the stand.. but I think I'll just change the 416 over
to the W-5 from the W-2s that are on it now.. I could use
the weight loss... at least now my wife can drive again
so that freed up some time(she was in a neck brace)
EDIT
I forgot.. I'm changing the struts in front to longer
ones for the rough roads here in Mich... I'll sell off
my race ones before I hurt them... I just talked with
Strange today so I will place my order tomorrow

I am planning on dropping the new for drag week 416 in this weekend. I really want to get to the track this Month. Since the EFI is still new to me I want to try and get a handle on what this motor wants prior to drag week.

Good luck to all of you.....

Cool post Joel!! keep on the updates and we LOVE pictures!!