Build Sheet Rant

[chuckspeed]

<rant on>

I gotta get this off my chest.

When you're in the process of makin' yer car go faster, the very FIRST thing you wanna do is pick up a pencil and paper so's you can write down in black and white where you wanna end up - inbcluding the pieces parts that get you there. It's called a build sheet, and it's prolly the most important mod you can do to yer car - period.

The sheet can be very simple to start - say you're aiming for 10.90's @ 125 MPH. Once you have this goal, you can start picking the 'right' parts for the job. As you fill out the build sheet specifications (use a build sheet outta Hot Rod as a guide), folks at various speed shops can weigh in on your selections.

Also - the build sheet helps 'drive' your picks for parts. A 200 shot of nitrous may be the thing that gives you a stiffy, but any experienced speed part guy will tell ya you need some skins to get the rubber down AND will hafta mod the rear end to keep it alive on the juice. The sheet causes you to think about such things.

One of the most wasteful things I see is a guy who starts modding his car (sans build sheet, natch) only to find out he's picked parts that don't match. What used to be real common was a goob who wanted a rumpy cam, thinkin' this was the key to big HP. He'd shove a 6K+ full-race cam inna motor capable of drawing air to 5500 RPM, and end up with a slug of a car that a stocker could beat. Don't laugh - I've seen it in steel more than once.

The reason most folks don't use build sheets is that they tend to expose the need for more $$ to go fast than they originally thought. There is no silver bullet for speed - it all takes $$ and much thought to get it right. The build sheet helps you get to where you wanna be faster - and for less money - than doing it the 'seat-of-the-pants' way.

<rant off>

thanks for tuning in.

[Admin]

Originally Posted by chuckspeed

<rant on>

I gotta get this off my chest.

When you're in the process of makin' yer car go faster, the very FIRST thing you wanna do is pick up a pencil and paper so's you can write down in black and white where you wanna end up - inbcluding the pieces parts that get you there. It's called a build sheet, and it's prolly the most important mod you can do to yer car - period.

The sheet can be very simple to start - say you're aiming for 10.90's @ 125 MPH. Once you have this goal, you can start picking the 'right' parts for the job. As you fill out the build sheet specifications (use a build sheet outta Hot Rod as a guide), folks at various speed shops can weigh in on your selections.

Also - the build sheet helps 'drive' your picks for parts. A 200 shot of nitrous may be the thing that gives you a stiffy, but any experienced speed part guy will tell ya you need some skins to get the rubber down AND will hafta mod the rear end to keep it alive on the juice. The sheet causes you to think about such things.

One of the most wasteful things I see is a guy who starts modding his car (sans build sheet, natch) only to find out he's picked parts that don't match. What used to be real common was a goob who wanted a rumpy cam, thinkin' this was the key to big HP. He'd shove a 6K+ full-race cam inna motor capable of drawing air to 5500 RPM, and end up with a slug of a car that a stocker could beat. Don't laugh - I've seen it in steel more than once.

The reason most folks don't use build sheets is that they tend to expose the need for more $$ to go fast than they originally thought. There is no silver bullet for speed - it all takes $$ and much thought to get it right. The build sheet helps you get to where you wanna be faster - and for less money - than doing it the 'seat-of-the-pants' way.

<rant off>

thanks for tuning in.

Thanks for the rant Chuck, you being experience more, I appreciate the disclosure. :smt023

[WishIHadACamaro]

Yeah thanks chuck, im in the process of re-building, but im only on body right now...when it comes to motor ill make sure you help me whip up a build sheet.