Do you want to get your car tuned for maximum performance ??? Want to make sure all that hard earned cash you put into the motor is paying off ??? Have a new combo that you want to play with, but just cant get to the track ??? Is your car performing like you think it should ??? Is your friends car kicking your butt ???

Then I have an opportunity for you !!!!

I'm trying to put together a chassis dyno tune session at Mustang Ranch in San Jose CA (tentative dates of either May 21 or June 4th)

I have a friend that lives in Nevada (he works for Summit Racing as a parts consultant, he used to work at Vic Hubbard)that does dyno tuning on all naturally aspirated musclecars etc. He comes down a couple of times a year to offer dyno tuning sessions at Mustang Ranch in San Jose. He's been tuning cars for years and know whats he's doing !!!!

But the catch is for it to be worthwhile for him to come that distance, we need to have a minimum of 3 cars total, so including mine I need 2 others to get him to come down. I have no idea about a maximum number (probably 5-6 total depending on the dyno shops schedule).

He charges $200/hr (this includes his tuning and the dyno time with AF ratio, jet changes etc, etc etc...)and says 99% of the time he can get all the tuning done in 45-60 min, including 6-7 pulls on the dyno.

Once I get a list of interested people I can set up a definitive day.

There's alot more to having a fast car than a dyno number, but its the most efficient way to tune your motor to maximum HP and TQ which then gets you closer to maximum "track tuning" and a faster ET.... why not take advantage of this opportunity ????

So if people are interested, please let me know. I can be reached directly at DRJDVM@comcast.net

And no I'm not a salesman and no, I dont get any $$ out of setting this up....

For the $200 an hour for dyno time, you could get a few people together and do a track rental and get some real performance numbers smile.gif

I wouldn't let my butt get kicked by a dynoslip..a timeslip maybe..

just ribbing you..I'm sure you'll generate some interest.

$200 is real high IMO for dyno tuning. The shop I used charges $75/hour which is dyno clock time, not wall clock time. My car went on the rollers at 8:30-9:00 and came off at about 3:00/ He charged me for a total of three hours labor which was $225. We made numerous changes and tweaks which was between 12-15 pulls.

When was the last time you tried to rent a track ???

Like I said in the post..... dyno numbers are far less important than actual ET and trap speed etc, but its a much more efficient way to get you closer to your maximum performance.Then take it to the track and fine tune it...

Alot of people dont have the time or ability to go to the track and play with the car set-up ( the nearest track to me is 2 hours away and on most nights you get 3-4 runs max). And some of us never go to the track but still want to get our cars closer to their maximum performance, so they're fun on the street.

The goal of this isnt to set-up a "bragging rights" heirarchy... that can only be done with ET's....not dyno numbers

YES I KNOW ET AND MPH ARE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT

As far as cost, I'd love to hear more feedback about others experience with other shops and their fee etc..... Now dont forget we're in CA where EVERYTHING costs more !!!

Originally posted by DRJDVM:
When was the last time you tried to rent a track?..the Oldsmobile Club I'm associated with rented my "local" track for May 7th
$90 a person,run your car all day graemlins/thumbsup.gif
They do it once a year,and Fridays are open for rentals..sometimes you can get in if you know someone too.

IMHO, both tuning methods have merit, but when you are consulting with a professional on tuning, the dyno in a shop setting clearly makes the most/best use of your time and the paid professional's time. That's why Dynos exist in the first place.

At the track it's: make a pass, make a change, wait in the staging lanes, make another pass, etc....Plus, you won't really know the HP and torque curve, only your 60ft, ET, and MPH in the traps, ...and with all of influence of the driver's variance (at least in my case) pass-to-pass on top of that, to pollute the results and have you tearing hair out because you don't really know for sure if that last change you made got you quicker or slower, which is fine and dandy if being at the track is your car's purpose, or it's your hobby, or the track is convenient for you.

But for a lot (most?) of us, that just ain't the case. For me, I'll be lucky to get there 2x a year. The dyno is convenient, eliminates huge contributing measurement variables, and because it is a calibrated measurement device, is infinately more accurate and repeatable. In my case, right now, I don't want to measure my car + my ability to launch my car, I want to measure my car. ET's and associated bragging rights, if any, can come later on.

Also, for those of us who have dyno'd their engines alone, we can measure what kind of rear-wheel HP and torque we are getting once installed in the car.

For me, in San Jose, $200 for a dyno tuning session with a professional tuner, is very reasonable. The Mustang Ranch dyno fees are between 75 and 100 bones, plus you are paying a professional person $100 for his time. Add to this the consideration of how much money I have invested in my car, and for me, it represents a good value. (And, it will be fun, too, which, I think...is why I have these cars around...)

It sounds like a great opportunity to me, so count me in!

If I wasn't a ka-billion miles away I'd be game, a dyno is a great place to get the carb and distrib dialed in. I'm about 3 weeks from running my new motor. First set of aluminum heads, I'm excited!


As far as track rentals, due to the cost of safety vehicles, staffing, etc etc..most around here don't even have an option to rent it. You come when they are open or you don't come at all...LOL

Scot

Typical dyno time is about $85 or more per hr around here. You get as many pulls as you can make in that hr but if you stop to change jets you better be fast or you'll be into that second hr before you make a second run. You also don't get any assistance other than a quick explanation of the print out for that price and bring your own tools!

I think $200 an hr is a bit steep as the tuners getting over $100 per hr ot the dyno time is more than $85 an hr but living around here I'm getting used to high and increasing prices.

I might be interested...

DRJDVM, Do you mind me asking what your buddies name is that used to work at Vic Hubbard? And by any chance do you drive a 68-69 Camaro w/ a BB?

Hi name is John Kriner

I drive a red with white stripes '69 Camaro, SB.... why ??? I live in Manteca, CA

A guy at my gym has a camaro, he used to work at Vic Hubbards. Was just wondering if you were the same person.