Mike has a '66 GTO, a '67 LeMans footbrake drag racer, and a '66 Catalina tow car, but he has most of his dragstrip fun in this low-buck '80 Sunbird that was built for eighth-mile racing. "I wanted a small car that was lightweight whose parts (fiberglass) were cheap and that I could build myself," Mike, a seven-year race veteran says. "I'm now going as fast as racers who have much more money in their cars." Pulled from the wrecking yard in 1995, the Sunbird is comprised nearly completely of used parts (check the Strip Specs to see how many), most of which came from Doug Kruzan of GTO Nation. Mike's fellow Palmetto chapter members refer to it as the "Goodwill Car." Mike sees it as "Fun Per Cubic Dollar." He figures he has about $9,000 in the entire project. This 37-year-old father of two girls keeps busy working for GE and running a car sales business. Mike's best time in the Sunbird thus far was cutting a 000 light and running dead on his dial-in at the Bristol Bash in 2002.
| Strip Specs |
| Year/Model: | '80 Sunbird |
| Race Weight: | 2,470 lbs |
| Curb Weight: | 2,280 lbs |
| Fuel Level: | 2.5 gals in cell |
| Type of Fuel: | Sunoco 104-octane |
| Engine: | 455 |
| Cubic Inches Before / After: | 455/462 |
| Built By: | Owner |
| Carburetor: | USED 2 Holley 660 cfm, jets No. 70/72 |
| Spacer Plate: | None |
| Intake Manifold: | USED Wenzler tunnel ram |
| Fuel System: | USED Holley Red electric pump, -8 lines, Holley reg set to 9 psi |
| Heads: | USED '68 No. 16 D-port, 2.11/1.77 Ferrea stainless valves, ported |
| Flow Numbers: | N/A |
| Pistons/Rings: | 0.030-over TRW forged flat-top with deep valve reliefs, Perfect Circle |
| Rods: | Stock cast |
| Compression Ratio: | 10:1 |
| Crankshaft: | Stock nodular iron 4.21-in stroke |
| Rotating Assembly Balanced: | Yes |
| Camshaft: | USED Ultradyne hyd., 239/247-deg dur at 0.050, 0.541/0.565, 112 LSA |
| Installed Position: | Straight up |
| Rocker Arms: | USED Crane Gold 1.65:1 roller |
| Ignition: | Delco Points dist., MSD 6AL, Blaster 2 coil , MSD 9mm wires, Champion plugs |
| Total Timing: | 36-deg locked |
| Exhaust: | USED headers 1.75-in primaries, 3-in collectors, 3-in extensions which are 18 in long that turn to exit at mid-door |
| Power Adder: | None |
| Transmission: | USED Powerglide, performance rebuild, transbrake |
| Converter: | USED Dayco, 9-in, 5,500 stall |
| Shifter: | USED Hurst Quarter Stick |
| Rear: | USED Ford 9-in, 4.88:1 gears, Moser spool and 33-spline axles |
| Brakes F/R: | USED Aerospace disc / drum 9-in Ford |
| Wheels F/R: | Cragar 15x4 / USED Cragar 15x10 |
| Tires F/R: | Goodyear 29x5x15 / 14x32x15 Goodyear slicks |
| Tire Pressure F/R: | 40 psi / 8 psi |
| Suspension Fr: | USED dual A-arm, stock springs cut, CE shocks set to 90/10, stabilizer bar removed |
| Suspension Rr: | USED ladder bars, CE coilover shocks set to 50/50 |
| Chassis Mods: | USED full tube frame, 2x3-in box tubing on the bottom then 2-in mild steel tube chassis, one-piece jig-welded front end from Jegs, standard 14-point cage |
| Interior Mods: | Lexan windows, aluminum panels, all stock items removed |
| Exterior Mods: | USED one-piece fiberglass Monza front end with split grille made from vinyl, USED glass decklid, rear bumper and tailpanel, home-made aluminum rear wing |
| Safety Mods: | Full tube chassis and rollcage, driveshaft loop, five-point harness, SFI-approved drivetrain parts |
| Paint: | Purple, Rick Thomas of Autograph Collision Repair supplied the booth. Jamie and Daryl supplied the help |
| Launch Technique: | Leave on delay box with transbrake |
| Best 1/8-mile ET, MPH Prior to Event: | 6.50 at 108 |
| STRIP TUNING LOG |
Run | Tuning | Launch RPM | Shift Point | 60-FT | 1/8 E.T./MPH | 1/4 E.T./MPH |
| 1. | Off the trailer, 8 psi in tires | 3,600 | 6,000 | 1.5 | 6.99/82.91 | 12.99/70.66 |
| 2. | 7.5 psi in tires | 3,200 | 6,000 | 1.49 | 6.59/104.49 | 10.39/129.60 |
| 3. | 10 psi in tires | 3,200 | 6,000 | 1.5 | 6.62/104.91 | 10.39/130.35 |
| Best Corrected Pass | 6.31/110.08 | 9.90/136.77 |
| Run Notes: 1) Good burnout but no traction; 2) Good burnout and it hooked; 3) Spun, too much tire pressure |