Centurions at the track!

[Smartin]

Anyone have pictures of their cars or any others running down the track? If so, post them here!

I have some from the last few years at the BPG nats, and at Milan Dragway in 2003 for Buick's 100th.

http://www.buickpartsdirectory.com/centurion/salem_2006.jpg

http://www.buickpartsdirectory.com/centurion/smartin_launch.jpg

http://www.buickpartsdirectory.com/centurion/smartin_yardley_launch.jpg

http://www.buickpartsdirectory.com/centurion/adam_burnouts001.jpg

Here is a video of me in 2004 running against a 4 speed Regal with a 350.

http://www.buickperformancegroup.com/images/nats2004/videos/BPG_CLIP7.wmv

[Centurion]

These are excellent photos, guys. Thanks for posting them here for us to see.

[nick rabi]

2006 BPG Nats getting spanked by Adam .

[Smartin]

:laugh: :beers:

[EEE]

I've been to the track a few times, and plan on going back at some point soon. I much prefer that to the shows..

[scottrod]

Great shots guys. You have more courage than I do at this point. With the base 455 (even rebuilt .030 over) I'm not sure mine would run in the 16 second class. Props to Nick on his 72 convertible. What a cool color combination!

[centurion 455 ragtop]

Great shots. I agree I have been growing chicken feathers too on racing it. Being I tow the racecar to the Buick events if the Centurion breaks I'm screwed being it is the tow car. But you know this year at the BPG Nats I will take it down a few times. Have to. It would be cool to se a buch of land barges in the staging lanes.

[Eric B]

THIS THREAD RULES!!!!!

[EEE]

I'll stick some more in here..

[EEE]

Went to a different track today and managed to squeeze in only three runs. I did get the ET down to 16.19 @ 83.84 and I know there's more to claim since my '60 was off by .2 sec from my best. There was also some video taken by a digital camera and I'll see if it's worth uploading, I just have to get it to the computer first.

[Smartin]

Looking forward to the video!

[EEE]

Let's see if this works, it's something like 25 megs, so I let youtube deal with the load. This would be race No.3 with the new pb of 16.19.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=00DPv_3TuTs

I stage and the second light flickers, I guess I'm right at the line light, so I start inching forward, but it's already started the countdown. It kind of messes up the start a bit with some tire spin and me not being totally prepared, but I'm not complaining with a new PB and I know there's more to dig out, it was 95 degrees. It also looks like I'm dropping a can out the back of the car at the 40 sec. mark, but I'm running over something that I didn't even see when I went down the track, and it bounces up under the car and drops out the back.

R/T .314
60' 2.41 (that's .2 off my best)
1/4 16.19
MPH 83.84

[EEE]

Getting rid of some spare air for extra grip. I had to use the gas stations gauge to see where we were at.

[Smartin]

Nice!

[EEE]

Here's the second race of the day.

The guy in the blue car redlights big time, -.277 must have been real itchy.

R/T .09
60' 2.44
1/4 16.25
MPH 83.26


http://youtube.com/watch?v=VZfiiCufxxE

[MichelHaak]

Nice vids! Do you have a standard rear axle of limited slip?

[EEE]

I'm on my third axle, the first one was leaking from three different places, and was run dry resulting in one of the inner bearings getting screwed up, and burning off the brake hose on the freeway; that one had either 2.73/2.93 gears. I got hold of an open 3.42 from an Electra as a replacement, not too many of those around. Finally I found a 3.42 posi from a 71 Centurion convertible.

[EEE]

The first race of the day, it's always nice no get those new Mustangs. They might be v6's but still :p

R/T .191
60' 2.304
1/4 16.21
MPH 82.22


http://youtube.com/watch?v=UB_KhxuWkA0

[MichelHaak]

Nice one! But... No v8 roarr? Where are the Flowmaster 44 series? :laugh:

[EEE]

I wish the shorty headers were cheaper, then I would go with those and a set of glass packs hooked up with a mandrel bent 2.5 system exiting in dual pipes on each side right before the rear wheels with slanted chrome tips. I have a set of 67 exhaust manifolds laying here, the ones that have the better flow design, but someone managed to sell a set of those on ebay for like 500$. If I can manage to pull off a similar stunt I will buy the system I'm talking about. If not, I might just use the 67 manifolds myself and go with the rest of the plan. I had a nice and loud car after I blew out the previous mufflers and put some wire around them to keep them together, I would get a bit dizzy sitting in traffic so that wasn't exactly ideal. I bought some dynomax welded mufflers that were advertised as having a good tune, but they're thumbs down on noise.

[EEE]

Here are all my runs since day one

http://lucidroom.com/racetimes.html

[Robroy]

The first race of the day, it's always nice no get those new Mustangs.
:beers: :beers:

[Smartin]

:Brow: :Brow: :Brow: :Brow: :Brow:

[EEE]

Put some cement bags at the back of the trunk and it would have cut the light with the rear wheels. What size drag radials did you fit in there, and what's the rim size?

[Smartin]

Well, I got those rims from another member 2 years ago, and they have the wrong backspacing. They stick out a little too far, and I had to pump up the air shocks to keep the right side from rubbing. The left side has a quarter inch of clearance from the sidewall of the tire to the wheel opening.

I need to get a set of wheels with about 1.5" more backspacing than the current wheels.

The wheels are 15x8", and the tires are 275/50/15's. They're 26" tall, they give me a little bit more gearing, due to being shorter than the stock tire. They HOOK, too. I had no traction problems.

I really wish I didn't have to pump up the shocks....the car would've looked really good with the rear end squatting.

[EEE]

the car would've looked really good with the rear end squatting.


I think it looks good now, but I see your point. So that's it for modifications for the copper car? Going back under the cover in the garage now, and the hunt begins for something new?

[Smartin]

That'll probably be about it for now, I think. I might do some undercarriage detailing. I'd like to get the front suspension redone - the control arm bushings squeak pretty badly. Plus, it'll give me a reason to clean and paint all those chassis parts.

[EEE]

There is always something to clean and paint, or something to clean and re-paint once you come full circle.

[Smartin]

:cool:

[MichelHaak]

What were your end times? :beers:

[EEE]

Looking good, the rims sure do seem to have alot of offset on the outside. I think the rims on cop caprices come in 15*8, sure would be cheap at the yard.

[Smartin]

Yes, Kimson, the rims are really too far out. I could use them much better if they had one more inch of backspacing.

Best time this weekend was 14.25

Going to Gateway International Raceway this Friday night to try to run some times.

[73 Centurion]

Hi Adam,
Were all of the pictures taken when you were launching the car? It looks like you're getting some good lift and weight transfer.

14.25 from a fully loaded boat is damn impressive. Particularly because you have gotten their through engine and transmission work and not by gutting the car.

You want the rear to raise, not squat for the best launch. If the rear squats it means the axle is being pulled up into the car, you want the opposite with the rear axle being pressed down against the track. Pumping up the air shocks has probably changed the suspension angles enough to give you lift instead of sag. It would be interesting to see if the times got worse if you replaced the rims and didn't pump up the shocks.

You've got a great looking car!

John

[Smartin]

Thanks John..

I was suprised to see so much lift in the front end on the launch. I can alllllllmost see air under that front left tire:rolleyes: :laugh:

[2mnykars]

I agree with Kimson. Just purchase 2 94-96 Chevy Caprice rims from the junkyard. They came on the chevy police cars (9c1) and measure 15 X 7. They are the same rim pattern as well. I used to own one of those cars.

Then just paint them black and you're ready. You could also unhook the front sway bar, race with the least amount of gas you can get away with, remove all excess trunk weight, and air up the front tires to the maximum safe level so they are less rolling resistance. Good luck..

2mnykars

[Smartin]

15x8 would be the preferred rim for the 275/50's

[centurion 455 ragtop]

Going to pop my cherry! This coming Labor Day weekend will be the annual Buick Performance Weekend at Englishtown, NJ. Saturday is closed exhaust BOP racing and a show. Sunday is all out Buick racing.

Anyway I figured being the track is just under 2 hours from my home, after towing the racecar to the event I'll unhook the trailer and enter my Centurion in the Buick bracket race class on Saturday. I always had the urge to run her, but most times the events are far away from home and I need my Centurion in top shape for that long tow home. Too much of a risk if something breaks.

It's all stock, stage 1 valves with just a clean up port job, and a tow cam, along with an open 2.73 rear, the trans is worked but the convertor is stock. No doubt it will be slow, but all she needs to be is consistant. We'll see. I don't think she'll be faster than my '73 GS Riviera was, which ran a 15.65 at 88 and change (I towed with that too, before I bought the Centurion)

[EEE]

we're eagerly waiting...

[centurion 455 ragtop]

Nice shot of Nick Rabi's '72 Centurion convertible about 50 feet from the end of the quarter mile. Nick was running in the mid to low 14's. I have to give Nick a huge THANKS for letting me rip a pass off in his car. I ran a 14.22. This shot is with Nick at the wheel. 13's are a definite goal with this car!! It should not be a problem.

[Smartin]

Two videos of my car at Columbus this Summer...

The setting was wrong on the camera, so the picture is compressed a bit, making the car look a bit like a toy.

http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w20/SLD1624/?action=view&current=Adam1.flv

http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w20/SLD1624/?action=view&current=Adam2.flv

[EEE]

N I C E... nose up...

[centurion 455 ragtop]

:xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

[dewbers]

Pretty cool Adam... 14's? Nothing wrong with that. It's all stock and weighs as much as my Yukon XL. Question... how did you get the ass end raised up? Did you put airshocks in or new springs or what? It's been a quest of mine for some time.
Thanks for sharing!

[Smartin]

I had to pump up the air shocks to keep the drag radials from rubbing on the wheel openings.

[Eric B]

So you are using cheater slicks? What size? What rear axle?

[Smartin]

MT Drag Radials - 275/50/15's on 15x8 wheels. I need more backspacing to get them to fit under the wheel wells.

Stock 9 3/8 rear with 3.23 posi.

[Smartin]

I ran a 13.89 tonight...the air was awesome.

I can go to bed happy tonight :)

[centurion 455 ragtop]

Way to go Adam!!!!!:beers:

[nick rabi]

I ran a 13.89 tonight...the air was awesome.

I can go to bed happy tonight :)

Way to go Speed Racer:laugh: :beers:

[EEE]

13.89.. That is like "a fast car" nice..

[MichelHaak]

That's almost the same time as a Honda S2000 :beers: .

[dewbers]

13's in a land sled?!?! Man, that is fast.... much less in a 3,400 pound car!
Outstanding Adam! What mod's have you made to get her running that quick?
Getting an itch to step mine up (as in speed) b/c she's mainly just a cruiser!

[Smartin]

oh let's see....

- John Osborne prepped qjet
- John Osborne distributor conversion to Crane XR-i ign
- Edelbrock Performer intake port matched to the heads
- 1970 Stage1 heads ported extensively
- TA 288-94H cam
- Stock Stage1 fuel pump
- 2 1/2" dual exhaust with Walker Dynomax long case super turbo muffs
- 2500 stall convertor
- TH400 Trans-go shift kit
- Governor recalibration kit
- 15x8 rear wheels with 275/50/R15 Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials

[Smartin]

Got meats?

[Robroy]

I ran a 13.89 tonight...the air was awesome.

I can go to bed happy tonight :)

Adam,
Not only is your copper formula coupe beautiful, its fast too…
Going down to the 13’s is dam good for a car as heavy as ours!
Think it’s safe to say that we’re all proud of that result! :beers: