How much HP is too much?

[T-Odd]

There are at least three Bucketheads up der in NE Wisconsin I know.

My little Hecho en Mexico $1500 SBC crate engine from Jegs was advertised at 260 HP / 350 lbft even with stock cam, stock intake, Q-Jet, plain jane HEI (no performance parts at all) my bucket will spin the tires.

Take off (and this is with a grown adult passenger also) from the light about half throttle and slowly start mashing to W.O.T. after the hot rod starts to move, manually shifting First, Second... and now we're at 60 mph in less than four seconds.

Slowed down the zero to sixty a bit when I changed the rear from 4.10 to 3.43 and the tires from 27" diameter to 30.5" diamter but it still spins the tires no matter what you do.

If I had a four cyl and a stick shift I could spin them forever also, these things are just so light that anything will work and be fun.

I like high performance engines, I like shiny stuff, but my bucket doesn't have either and it's a hell of a lot faster and more fun than anything else I've ever driven (on the street that is).

 

[RocknT]

OK found this on the net I think this guy has it juuuussst about right ! lol
,,

 

[coloradotbucket]

I can usually at least double the speed limit in a short city block then some. I have a 4.10 though. My tires are 16.5 wide Mickey Thompsons but the car still burns the tires betweens shifts even at lower throttle and or speed. I haven't ever given it hell from a standstill, When I really tromp on it I am not looking down at the speedometer and usually already going.
Could a person really stomp on the gas in one these things and be looking down at the speedometer ?

 

[tfeverfred]

Colorado, I stomped on mine the other day and glanced at the speedo. It was at 60 so quick, it looked like the speedo started at 60 instead of 0!:lol: I love it! I was at a light with a ricer and I just dumped it. In no time, he was a speck in my mirror. It didn't take much effort at all. *insert crazy snicker here*

 

[coloradotbucket]

A friend of mine told me that it isn't a race if you leave behind you so far that its just a one man deal. T Buckets, or at least mine does quite well at that. You know, a whole lot of guys seem to run powerglides with high gears in the rear end - I wonder if this has a calming effect on an otherwise harsh car. For whatever the reason, my car was set up from the get go to be fast from the sound of the cam, the Holley is has on it now, the nasty shift kit in the C4, ect. As you may have seen in my other post I am currently setting up a tunnel ram intake on my 302 for the summer, but I have another motor (347) for it that should make it go like something from another planet. Judging from some others around, and even some people on this board, its not unheard of to have a T Bucket run an astronomically low quarter mile time from what I gather. The only thing I dont hear much of people actually stoplight racing these things. Mine has basically straight pipes with a silly baffle in the collector so I can get away
nothing on the street. If I were to build a bucket from scratch, I would go with black for paint, the canary yellow I have is like a cop magnet like crazy, and I think a stealthy rod is not such a bad thing. Send me a PM if you want to see link to my setup.

 

[T-Odd]

Fred, it's REALLY fun if you take off about 1/4 throttle for about the first 60 ft and keep the ricer just ahead of you... just about one tire ahead (let's 'em think they're going to kick your butt), then NAIL IT and shoot ahead two car lengths, let off and let 'em catch up and NAIL IT AGAIN!

I CONSTANTLY have the kids around here revving their engines at me in my Hoopty. I just shake my head from the left to the right about a dozen times real slow, smile, and then say to 'em "you don't want to do that."

Sometimes if there's no traffic and I'm in the right mood I'll hit it (the most I can without spinning the tires), jump out about five car lengths and let off SMILE big and say to 'em - "Told ya."

Zip up there and drop off real quick like. Only takes about five seconds to go 0-65-45 or so.

 

[LumenAl]

Fred, it's REALLY fun if you take off about 1/4 throttle for about the first 60 ft and keep the ricer just ahead of you... just about one tire ahead (let's 'em think they're going to kick your butt), then NAIL IT and shoot ahead two car lengths, let off and let 'em catch up and NAIL IT AGAIN!

I CONSTANTLY have the kids around here revving their engines at me in my Hoopty. I just shake my head from the left to the right about a dozen times real slow, smile, and then say to 'em "you don't want to do that."

Sometimes if there's no traffic and I'm in the right mood I'll hit it (the most I can without spinning the tires), jump out about five car lengths and let off SMILE big and say to 'em - "Told ya."

Zip up there and drop off real quick like. Only takes about five seconds to go 0-65-45 or so.

Now I want to go on record saying I've NEVER EVER done anything like this in my life... it's against the LAW!

:lol:

 

[Martin]

Cool, another powerglide fan :toast:
nice lookin' bucket Bro.

Vance

Years ago I had a 69 Cutlass with a turbo 300 trans, same thing as a powerglide but without the rear pump. The rear pump is cool because it makes it one of the few automatics that can be pull started. Both very strong transmissions. I think either would be a good choice for a bucket. The Olds would burn the tires from a start, and do almost 90 MPH before it would shift, with a two barrel 350. They are very popular with the dirt track racers around here though and are getting very rare.

 

[blownt]

depends on how much money ya got. Speed costs. How fast ya wanna go?

BT

 

[old round fart]

I used to like to roll up to a "hot rod" an stop with the front end with the wing at their door and watch them look over then back to see a little fat guy behind a spinning blower belt grinnin' back at them. All of the sudden they were not the cloolest hot rod around.
I could sit at a dead stop on an expressway entrance ramp and let a car get at my rear end and stand on it and get to 70 MPH before they got to my front end! That shook them up! Man I miss those days!

 

[RPM]

depends on how much money ya got. Speed costs. How fast ya wanna go?

BT

No such thing as TOO MUCH hp.:toast: