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Automotive
1987 Shelby CSX #694 of 750
This is my 1987 Shelby CSX that I've owned since 1998. It is number 694 out of 750 that were modified at Shelby Automobiles in Whittier, California. You can read the back story here. The car has somehow survived a move and a number of life change events, however I have not really done any serious work on it for about two decades. That has recently started to change....
The CSX: July 13, 2000
Posted on July 13, 2000.
SDAC-10 = the best time I have ever had with cars in my entire life. I finally got to put faces to some of the names that I have known for years now. The Chicagoland folks were probably the rowdiest bunch there.
The highlight was definitely the performance driving school. It was done at Michigan Speedway (NASCAR). The road course included almost a full mile of track oval, allowing me to achieve speeds of over 120 MPH! My 3rd session was in the pouring rain, which resulted in a spin-out on one lap and some hydroplaning through the cones on turn 1 on the lap after. Not long after I flew through the cones, someone smashed their nice 1987 Shelby GLHS into the wall on turn 1 due to hydroplaning as well. Big bummer.
My first trip to the drag strip went fairly well. My time slips are below. The only things I did to the car were empty the trunk and remove the muffler. I drove very consistent low-15s most for the day. The ND Computer was only giving me 13-14psi of boost (should be 16), so I borrowed a G-valve. Unfortunately, the ball was not seating and I only got 3-4psi and ran high 16s. I fixed the G-valve and set my boost to 18psi. The engine would break-up real bad above 4700 RPM. The 8th light on the A/F gauge was flashing at those speeds, so I raised the fuel pressure. I also gapped the plug down a bit. From then on, I couldn't get traction (see my 60-foot times). I finally got a run in the 14s with 20psi of boost: 14.918 sec @ 94.68 mph. I KNOW the car can do deep 14s if I could just hook it up. The treads on my tires were full of track rubber because I couldn't find a clean spot. All in all, I had a great time.
| Reaction | 60ft | 1/8 ET | 1/8 mph | 1/4 ET | 1/4 mph | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.738 | 2.507 | 9.934 | 73.53 | 15.294 | 92.04 | First run ever, 13-14psi boost |
| 0.802 | 2.477 | 9.997 | 72.59 | 15.361 | 92.03 | 13-14psi of boost |
| 1.026 | 2.451 | 10.681 | 65.57 | 16.701 | 80.49 | 3-4psi of boost |
| 0.644 | 2.537 | 10.861 | 65.02 | 16.889 | 79.77 | 3-4psi of boost |
| 0.888 | 2.638 | 9.989 | 74.73 | 15.173 | 93.94 | 18psi of boost, breaking-up above 4700 rpm |
| 0.941 | 2.529 | 9.957 | 74.27 | 15.174 | 93.33 | Still breaking-up |
| 0.580 | 2.550 | 9.945 | 74.26 | 15.174 | 93.18 | Should have been bracket racing! |
| 0.579 | 2.527 | 9.742 | 75.38 | 14.918 | 94.68 | More fuel, gapped plugs, 20psi. Best run! |
| 0.862 | 2.574 | 10.075 | 74.98 | 15.257 | 93.92 | No traction; spinning through 3rd. |
| 0.631 | 2.629 | 10.059 | 74.59 | 15.248 | 93.96 | More spinning; tires full of track rubber |
| 0.655 | 2.614 | 9.918 | 74.39 | 15.140 | 94.13 | Found a clean spot for quick burn-out |
I certainly got a lot of runs, as the track was not busy at all. I wish the track stayed open after the SDAC events for more runs. Many of the other drag racers were having car troubles and everyone seemed to have trouble with traction. Anyway, it was a blast. I'll definitely try to bring the car to more local events to work on my launch techniques.
The CSX: July 7, 2000
Posted on July 07, 2000.
After dealing with all kinds of problems with paint on that fender, I finally got the car ready. The doors are back together and everything is installed. One of the power door lock motors was frozen, so I will have to find another. I even had time to paint the upper door trim and the mirrors to match the new lower trim pieces a bit better. I also resealed the valve cover and got the A/C working (just this evening). All I need to do is wash the car tomorrow and take off!
The CSX: June 16, 2000
Posted on June 16, 2000.
The car has been sitting for a very long time. I started working on the rust on the left, front fender a few weeks ago. The Shelby Dodge Automobile Convention 10 is coming up in July 8, so I am starting a campaign to get the car ready. I need to get the power window and door lock motors installed, as well as the power mirrors (the doors are already taken apart). I also need to replace the weather stripping along the bottom of the door windows. Mechanically, the car is sound. I would like to have air conditioning for the trip as well, so I will pull the A/C heater unit to flush the crud out of the evaporator coil (the compressor was rusting, internally). I will replace the plugged heater core while it is out.
I've signed-up for all the events, which includes a performance driving school and drag racing. I won't bother with the car shows. :) The car is going to take a beating, so hopefully it will be able to make the trip there and back.
The CSX: October 19, 1999
Posted on October 19, 1999.
A few more weird things happened lately. First the long, steel fuel line on the fuel rail cracked at one of the bends, causing the rail to depressurize when I accelerated. Then I started getting very bad hesitation. it got to the point where the engine would not even want to run under any load, then would suddenly be fine. Turned out to be the ignition coil mounting bolt, which was stripped out. Now all is good and the car is flying.
The next thing that needs attention is the tires. There appears to be flat spots from a 4 wheel lockup (panic stop). It has been doing this since I bought the car. I'm not sure if the tires can be salvaged, but the vibration is very annoying at high speeds.
The CSX: October 12, 1999
Posted on October 12, 1999.
For the first time in a while, less bad news. :) I finally got the Conquest intercooler installed last week. I found some 90-degree 2-1/8" I.D. hoses for the connections under the front cross member. I found them at Trak Auto for some kind of Ford van. The rest of the plumbing consists of mandrel-bent and straight exhaust pipe. The turbo-to-intercooler run is two 2" mandrel bent pipes and some straight hose. The intercooler-to-throttle body run is two 2-1/4" mandrel bent pipes and a long 2-1/4" straight pipe. All connections were made with bits of truck radiator hose and many stainless hose clamps.
Now that this car is intercooled, I return boost control back to the logic module. So now the 16psi ND computer can do it's thing. No more pinging at 13psi either. While I was at it, I relocated the MAP sensor to the firewall right next to the brake booster. I made an aluminum heat shield to protect the sensor and solenoids from the turbo. I took great care in replumbing the vacuum lines such that critical sensors will not be effected by other vacuum devices. These include the MAP sensor and fuel pressure regulator. Now the funky fuel curve problem is gone.
The setup worked great for about a week until I started getting problems where the engine would QUIT just as I would start to accelerate. I also noticed an erratic idle speed. I have have always had a code 15, so I just unplugged the frickin' speed/distance sensor--problem solved. I don't have cruise, an automatic, or electronic speedometer, so the usefulness of the sensor is questionable anyway.
In other news, the piston slap is as bad as ever and the engine is consuming oil, though I don't notice any smoke or smell at all, nor do I see any in the coolant, etc. I loose about a quart every 1000-2000 miles. I'm sure it's just the rings. Blow-by is horrible...the dipstick isn't blowing out, but it is very tight in the tube. Oil is coming out of the oil cap and it just recently blew some RTV out of the valve cover seal. Due to the Shadow's current condition, the Shelby is now my daily driver. I hope it holds up....
