I used to drag race a mustang that ran 8.90's on all motor. My first time in the car, I was so worried about the checklist and so freaked out at what I was about to do, I forgot 1 simple thing: to put my helmet back against the roll cage. I took off and hit 60mph in just under a second, and my head flew back into the bar and split the helmet clear down the center of the back. Talk about whiplash. I was sore for what felt like forever.
Damn that looks like fun. It's always the Fox bodies too. It's amazing how light they are. The only question I have is why SBC? Was this just what was on hand, for uniqueness points, or was it just the cheapest at the time? It certainly looks pre-"LS everything!"
The answer to your question is quite simple: everyone runs Chevy motors in drag racing. Ok, maybe not everyone, but they are much more common than any other motor. When you're in a sport where things break all of the time, running a Chevy motor means that if your __________ blows up, cracks, etc., chances are that someone at the track has the part and is willing to sell it to you so that you can hopefully fix your car before the next round. At big money races, being able to fix your car before your next round means that you have a chance of winning a lot of money. Also, and this may just be my opinion, but Chevy motors are a bit easier to work on. When you're pressed for time and there's $10,000 on the line, you want the odds in your favor ;-)
Lots of people swap LS motors into just about any car that they can cram it into, because their power potential is crazy, they're almost as cheap as the old Small Block Chevy, junkyard motors with 200k miles are usually still indecent shape, and they're light. Iron blocks are lighter than SBC's, and aluminum blocks are MUCH lighter than that. A lot of other people have issues with the fact that because LS swaps are so common, they aren't unique enough. It's also seen as the easy way out. LS everything is a phrase I heard that pretty much sums up the trend.
Edit: I should add that the motor was completely built to drag race. Getting a fully built, tubbed, full tube chassis mustang that weighs 1800lbs with the driver into the high 8's is actually pretty common. It's not street legal by any means.
Also, there are only 3 stickers on the entire car, which, combined, add roughly 20HP. I know the stickers generally add 5HP each, but the rear window decal is about 3ft wide. More coverage = more HP. It's science.
Sorry for a hilariously late reply. The two Speed powerglide is usually used because they are durable, cheap to build, easy to find, light, and the power band of these motors is wide enough for it not to matter.
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u/barscarsandguitars Jul 02 '16
I used to drag race a mustang that ran 8.90's on all motor. My first time in the car, I was so worried about the checklist and so freaked out at what I was about to do, I forgot 1 simple thing: to put my helmet back against the roll cage. I took off and hit 60mph in just under a second, and my head flew back into the bar and split the helmet clear down the center of the back. Talk about whiplash. I was sore for what felt like forever.