PDA

View Full Version : Turbo mini winning hearts, minds and races.



My96z
03-12-2006, 04:03 AM
Well finally got my 89 turbo van to the track for the first time ever.

First run of the night:

Boost set at 15PSI. Lined up against a 5.0 fox bodied stang. Heard the lope to it and I knew I was in trouble, then I thought oh well, I am in a van who is he goign to brag to when he wins. The track announcer starts talking smack saying "he's going to wal-mart to get groceries/ sombody pimp his ride" ect. I do a little burn out to clean the tires off and stage. I barely bring the revs off of idle and on the green I roll it out and stuff it, to my suprise I hook right up and put half a van on the stang but it wasnt to last long, he hooked up and ran away from me with me running a 2.46 60' 14.72@91.30 MPH to his 2.54 60' and 13.53 @107 mph. After the race he comes up and asks me what the hell do I have in the van. He said he wasnt expecting that. Then soon I had a small crowd around the van wanting to know what was up.

Run 2:

Boost set at 19 PSI. This time I get lined up with some gutted, loud 80's RX7 with a cage and some slicks. Usually those types of cars are either really fast or really slow. Again the announcer starts talking about the van, this time he is talking smack for me saying "he only has 4 cyl/ who wants a piece of the nitrous van" ect. Again I do a small burn out to clean the tires off and pull up to the line and stage. Mr.gutted RX7 does a big smoke show. This time I bring the revs up a bit more on the launch, light goes green I roll into it and stuff it about 20' out and we are off. RX7 kind of stay even out of the hole till the ol 2.5 instantly spools the super 60 to 19PSI then I see him fade fast out of my peripherial. I ran a 2.36 60' and 14.57 @ 91.76 mph to his 17.75 @ 73 MPH.

Run 3:

Boost at 19PSI. By now I have tons of people around the van between runs checking it out, along with some drunk guy tring to tell my how to port heads and the benefits of running a air filter:rolleyes: As I am waiting in the staging lanes the announcer is saying "who wants to run the van for pinks?/ the mini is calling out you guys in the hemi truck club/ what V8 muscle car wants a piece of the mini van?/" Well I get to the staging lanes and there is no one next to me, I guess they are scared. I have two bolt-on LT1 Trans ams behind me that want to race each other. I pull into the burnout box and wait for instructions. The announcer starts talking so much smack to the WS6 T/A behind me, and I guess he couldnt take it anymore so he pulled up next to me. I again do my little burn out I can hear the announcer say "Who thinks the mini van is gonna smoke that pontiac?/ hey Mr Trans Am, take it easy on the van, it only has 4 cyl" On the line I bring the revs up just a bit more and on the green we are off. I instantly jump ahead of the T/A, I just kept it in "D" as in all previous runs and hold it to the boards and wait for Mr.T/A to catch me and walk by.... 1/8 mi and he is still back there, holy $hit, I might have this one... and as we cross the line it seems he is about 2-3 cars back. I ran a 2.28 60' and 14.39 @ 92.33 to his 2.63 60' and 14.63 @ 98.25.

My friends who were in the stands told me the crowd exploded. They told me everyone thought the T/A was going to win (hell I did too) but they were rooting for me. Even the little kids were cheering for me.

Once again in the staging lanes I have a crowd gathered. My buddy tells me " Man, you got a 89' mini van and I got a 03' cobra and you would get more pu$$y here than me." I had a good laugh at that one. Even some MILF came up to me and said "Thanks for bringing some respect to us soccer moms."

To top it off, on the way home on the freeway I get into a few 45 MPH rolls with a nice Benz. I pull him pretty hard all 3 times. This was a nice Benz also, had rims, lowered and couldnt be more than a year or two old and wasnt the cheap model, I couldnt see what class it was but it was pretty decent size 2 door. Stop at a light and it turns out he seen me at the track and his wife said " I spilled my drink on myself messin' with you".


All in all I was pleased with the van, had alot of fun and made a good name for turbo dodges. I wish I could have gotten to run a few more times, as my times kept coming down more and more with each run. I also want to work on getting the MPH up. I have a monster FMIC I am going to put on soon, that should help big time. That should get me solidly in the 13's and get that MPH up.

Mods are...

2.5 w/ forged wisecos, Super 60 with .63 turbine/ stock G head/ ported exh. mani/ TU 3" SV/ 3" TU DP/ Full 3" exhaust with dynomax ultra flow/ 89 toyota supra intercooler/ home made CAI/ TU 3 bar w 52lbs inj./ built tranny with stock rebuilt convertor, and thats about it.

Jeff

slasky
03-12-2006, 04:11 AM
The fact that no one expects them to be fast is the best thing about TDs. Glad you had a good time at the track already. I have another month before the one opens up here.

Tony Fields
03-12-2006, 10:23 AM
Great job at the track.......makes me proud of Turbo Minis:thumb: :thumb:



Tony

GLHSKEN
03-12-2006, 11:08 AM
What a great read!!!

mcsvt
03-12-2006, 12:24 PM
Great stuff Jeff. Glad to hear the mini is going good :thumb:

My96z
03-12-2006, 07:00 PM
Yep I had a blast. It has been a long time in coming. I was a bit dissapointed in the MPH but oh well. Hopefully when I get the 2.5" pipe kit from racing solutions I can get this FMIC in and fly!

Jeff

Turbulence
03-12-2006, 08:05 PM
Great job!

The mph is always a bit low with the vans, something about trying to get an upright 4 x 8 sheet of plywood to move fast :thumb:

Martin
90 Voyager TII best run of 14.52 @ 90 with a 2.0 60 foot.
89 Horizon soon to receive the Voy's driveline.

turbovanmanČ
03-12-2006, 08:37 PM
Awesome dude, I love those stories, :nod: :thumb:


April our track opens, hopefully, no rain.

My96z
03-12-2006, 09:31 PM
Simon, what mods did you have at the time of the 14.1 @ 95 in your sig? I think my set up is a tad bit more stout than what you had with those times ( if I remember correctly), yet you get me by 3 mph? I think now my bottle neck is the supra cooler.

Here is my cure for it...: http://yonaka.com/product_details.asp?id=567&cid=111&cn=Intercoolers

Maybe the cold Canadian air as opposed to this Texas stuff. :)

Martin, what you have in your van?
Jeff

turbovanmanČ
03-12-2006, 11:05 PM
Simon, what mods did you have at the time of the 14.1 @ 95 in your sig? I think my set up is a tad bit more stout than what you had with those times ( if I remember correctly), yet you get me by 3 mph? I think now my bottle neck is the supra cooler.

Here is my cure for it...: http://yonaka.com/product_details.asp?id=567&cid=111&cn=Intercoolers

Maybe the cold Canadian air as opposed to this Texas stuff. :)

Martin, what you have in your van?
Jeff

I would believe that core is way too big for you van Jeff, it even says smaller turbos not apply. It will make your setup laggy and probably cost you a few PSI of boost.

The setup I ran to get my sig time is-stock engine with cast pistons, minor ported head by me, back cut valves, gasket matched one piece intake, ported ex mani by me, 52mm t/b, 89 stock cam, cold air intake, stock TIII turbo, 3inch dp, no cat and Super40 muffler side exit all 3 inch, +20 injectors, stock cal, 255 fuel pump, RX7 turbo II ic, A/C intact, street tires and beefed tranny done by me with high stall converter, 22-24 psi of boost. :thumb:
Oh, it was a coldish night, :nod:

My96z
03-12-2006, 11:44 PM
Ahh I see now, your engine breathed alot better than mine.

What happened to the bigger the better intercooler theory? I figure this one will breath alot better, flow a hell of alot more and should cool better than what I have. Its smaller than a PS, but thicker. We will see, I only paid $102 for it ;)

After I get the intercooler in, I am going to attack this spare head I have. Do a home port job on it, put some MP valves in it.


Jeff

WVRampage
03-13-2006, 12:51 AM
I love hearing stories about vans beating on all the "fast cars"

BIG PSI
03-13-2006, 09:40 AM
Jeff,

Isn't it FUN, whooping on other vehicles... I Just love the LOOK that the owners give you when they are beat by a Mini Van. How about some pictures of your Mini especially the motor compartment.

WTG

Chuck

turbovanmanČ
03-13-2006, 01:31 PM
Ahh I see now, your engine breathed alot better than mine.

What happened to the bigger the better intercooler theory? I figure this one will breath alot better, flow a hell of alot more and should cool better than what I have. Its smaller than a PS, but thicker. We will see, I only paid $102 for it ;)

After I get the intercooler in, I am going to attack this spare head I have. Do a home port job on it, put some MP valves in it.


Jeff

I am going by what I have read. Bryan, aka "dave" posted a link to one expert and basically, it takes more volume to fill the IC, and the larger it is, the more of a pressure drop you get, which when running 30 psi, whats 2-3 psi, lol!

Turbulence
03-13-2006, 01:50 PM
Martin, what you have in your van?
Jeff

stock bottom end with 265,00 kms on it (~160 k miles), G head with back cut valves, stock T2 turbo, dual dsm core cooler, 2 cold start injectors, built tranny with stock stall converter. On 23 inch M&Hs.

Turbulence
03-13-2006, 01:53 PM
I am going by what I have read. Bryan, aka "dave" posted a link to one expert and basically, it takes more volume to fill the IC, and the larger it is, the more of a pressure drop you get, which when running 30 psi, whats 2-3 psi, lol!

I have heard about the pressure drop issues as well and have heard the opposite from some who have gone to beastly big intercoolers. I beleive it was Gus who said an intercooler is only too large if it drags on the ground or you can't see over it, or something like that.:)

Martin
90 Voyager TII
89 Horizon

turbovanmanČ
03-13-2006, 01:59 PM
I have heard about the pressure drop issues as well and have heard the opposite from some who have gone to beastly big intercoolers. I beleive it was Gus who said an intercooler is only too large if it drags on the ground or you can't see over it, or something like that.:)

Martin
90 Voyager TII
89 Horizon

Hahahhaa, :lol:

Shelby5150
03-13-2006, 04:10 PM
That's some great stuff!!! Good job My96z! My brother has an 89 too. We took his van to the track two seperate occasions and both times people would gather around as if it was a Lamborghini or something:lol: You should check out the videos i've got on my website www.jamperformance.com On the second video, the crowd goes crazy after spanking an import. If you get a chance to bring a video camera with you next time, send me the tape+timeslip info, and i'll fix up some movies to share on the internet :nod:

My96z
03-13-2006, 09:58 PM
I am looking to borrow a camera as we speak. I need to get some footage of this stuff. Shelby5150, I will definatley take you up on that offer! I will give you some extra cash if you could put a few CD's together for me.

Here is a link to where I got my big intercooler = no lag mindset :) I think Torqueflite hits the nail on the head... http://www.turbododge.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79434&highlight=intercooler

Thanks for the replys guys, I want to get soem street footage as well.

One more thing FYI, these $72 Fuzion HRi tires (in 225/55-16 flavor) I just put on this thing hook like a $5 whore. 2.2 60's are pretty good for a street tire with no air adjustments, stock suspension with worn out shocks and no 2 stage boost controller, I was going to make one, but I dont need it ;). With grainger set at 19 PSI, it comes fast but the tires didnt wimper. I still can brake boost more than I did, but it was my first time out and trying to get the technique down. But also got to give a plug to my tranny wizard Coy, its definatley got posi!

Jeff

GLHNSLHT2
03-14-2006, 01:39 AM
No intercooler is too big. I went from a stocker to a cummins and was able to raise the shift points by 300rpms. Torqueflite did hit it right on the head. He know's his sh!t and has been running dual stock i/c's in his tona for years. Double the flow. Half the resistance. Easy as pie to understand.

Dave
03-14-2006, 10:49 AM
Great story. That's why we love our vans. :)

What were you doing for traction that night? Sounds like street tires... impressive.