How do you launch your MM?

[SergntMac]

It's late in the evening, you've had a busy day, but a good day, everything worked out fine. Traffic is lean on this four lane blacktop, and you're really enjoying a peaceful and relaxing drive home in your MM.

You pull up to the red, you've got the right lane. Pulling up from behind you in the center lane, a cutie, and she's looking your way. Her smile says "nice car," her eyes twinkle "I want to see more," and then you see why. She's driving a black Sable, with dual synergistic turbothrusters from SprialMax, not just 35 % Hp increase, she's got two, for a total of 70% boost, and she thinks you're easy.

You've got two clean blocks ahead, no driveways, no side streets, no oncomming traffic, and the Crispy Creme one block back looked like an impersonator's convention. There's not a cop for miles.

Now what...how do you launch your MM against the Black Widow Sable?

[Logan]

I start screaming like a damn lunatic, smacking myself in the head, slam the button marked super magical rocket pack ignition and put the pedal to the metal.

But then, that's just me.

[SergntMac]

So you do have a sense of humor after all...Very nice.

[cyclone03]

I let her win.
This will,of course,be the bases for our relationship for the next 5 years when we divorve and never talk to each other again.....

Wait you said "what would I do" not what did I do..............

[TAF]

That is TOO :censor: funny! "Beware of chicks in modded Sables"...

[TAF]

How did Logan get damn through the sensor and we can't even write the word vacuum.

I guess it's "good to be the king"!

[Directedby]

Too funny Mac.

I'd roll down my window, tell her she has smeared make-up.

When she goes for the rear view mirror to fix herself up - I'd gun it.

[Logan]

todd... Easy answer, I control the vertical. I control the horizontal. Do not attempt to adjust your web browser. :pimp:

[LincMercLover]

Wow... that was the MOST humor I've ever seen come outta Logan! LOL!

If it were me, I'd put my niple up to the window and then ask her to show me hers. :D

[TAF]

"It's good to be the king"

[SergntMac]

Okay, maybe I was a bit overboard in the set-up here, but my question is a serious topic too. Serious to me, anyway.

I'm an old time street racer, now re-born in an MM. Think of my Sable joke as some high powered exotic car, and this moment as an important moment you need to leave behind just right. Forget the b**ch, and her Sable, and her double whatevers. Tell us how you launch your MM, when it's an important launch for you.

Here's what I do...

1) I never, ever, pull up even, anywhere. I always lay back and crawl forward. If I'm there first, I'll slip into neutral and hope to slide back a few feet, hope for the best "reluctant" stage I can get out of it. I want to be late.

2) I watch the lights for the cross traffic, yellow for them is a 3 second stage for me. I hope there isn't a dedicated turning lane to wait through, and look for one. If I'm not sure, it's no race here, maybe the next light, kinda like a second date. Cross traffic yellow should be 3 seconds, time your lights locally.

3) On their yellow, I brake and bring her to 1000 RPM or so, not much more. I don't want any telling visible body language on the stage with me. While holding, I count to myself one, two three. (find your local beat, know your intersections)

4) After I one, two three, I release the brake and accelerate by the same beat in four, five, six. By six, I'm down, out of this. I get a nice steady, sure drive into power, with little burn, or, spin, and I get there in 20-25 feet or so. I get there with all the false signals I've been taught to show, and they think they read. Body language, I've given the other guy what he asked for, a chance to be caught unaware, not sure if I'm going for it or not. And, if there is any screech from my tires at all, most likely, any cop watching us will see him first, because by now, he's trying too hard and just burning himself up while reading my bumper.

Win.

A long time ago, a guy named Joe Satmary taught me something. He said, "kid, if you don't win, don't race."

Now...How do you launch your MM?

Tag, you're it.

[RF Overlord]

Pull up to red light. Stare at guy next to me. If he looks back, give him the finger. When light turns green, floor it. Look in rear-view mirror, see blue lights. Hand cop license and registration. Go home, open mail. Insurance cancelled!?...Put car on e-bay.

[Marauderman]

RF Overlord--Don't be so sarcastic----even though your joking!!! SergnMac was REALLY SERIOUS--when he meant How do you launch your MM? What all of a sudden makes you turn from the norm to the I'll get you --you son of a dreamer...----so what can get your :censo: alls in an up roar!!! Well ..Tell us ..we all want to know---we all have a breaking point where we just loose it--so where is everyone's --that is what SergnMac is trying to get us to spell out--well..

[Marauderman]

On top of everything else..I can't spell worht a :censor:
amn--it's showing too!!!

[Mark McQuaide]

I'm just here to learn :D

[Marauderman]

Before anyone ask-I 'm the "spider to the fly"==let them think they are teasing me--get a little roaring going and then let them take off ahead
abit-just a little -- to the next light-- till they feel they have me and they then drop back to stick it to me again and then it's --SE YA! Wouldn't wanta be ya! Cause your way back now!! ON the open road-interstate-- some of the same, somewhat, except faster and very little leaway in gaining a LEAD --then --like Madden --B O O M !! AM GONE ! POOF! They don't know what has happen --caught them in my web of WTF

[RF Overlord]

Sorry...no disrespect to the Sergnt intended at all, it's just that I used to have a problem with, shall we say, highway anger management and I tended to get very :censor: 'd off at people and want to "show them WTF"...I try and behave now, so I guess to answer truthfully, I DON'T launch my MM...I just enjoy the ride...

[Billatpro]

I'm not so subdued, I never look over and I never lookem in the eye. Like sarg I have the local light sequence down pat for the paticular intersection I'm in, they arent all the same. Cross green go's yellow and I start the count, 1,2 crush the brake and throttle at the same time until the body leans so hard on the nose the the tires start to brake loose. Being stock their not not going to spin much if at all, on 3 the right foot is on the floor and the left foot is flat and against the seat. If I've timed it right the Bad Boy is already Hard in to the power band d and pullin the guts out of the drive line. If I he's pullin a stick he's smoken the hides and tryin his damndest to catch up but doesent have prayer and on the street 400 feet is all you get.
"Never give a sucker an even break" :banana2:

[Marauderman]

RF Overlord - What tamed you so ,,,it must be difficult to restrain having the MM under foot ...

[RF Overlord]

My previous reply wasn't entirely "sarcastic", it was also true. Except the part about putting the car on e-bay...the Internet didn't exist at the time.

Jokes about my age may now commence...I'll start:

"What was the switch from horse-and-buggy to the automobile like?"
"Did you get to meet Henry Ford in person?"

[cyclone03]

Well I've not found the Marauader as the best stoplight racer.Mine is stock.
But if you jump the lights you can catch a few off gaurd.
For me I hold the brake with my left foot and cover the throttle then just hit it!I don't powerbrake at all,It seems to spin just enough that it allows the RPM to climb a little quicker into the powerband.If I powerbrake then go it feels I have to pull the whole car into the powerband.What I'm saying is I think the car pulls harder from a stop with just a hint of wheelspin.YMMV

[Marauderman]

Rf Overlord==Sorry for your past misfortune--can relate somewhat---didn't mean to go there--know what I mean---

[RF Overlord]

NP, marauderman...I'm long over it...

I have nailed the Black Falcon a few times, I just try and do it out in the boonies, where no one's around...man, it feels good...

[UncleLar]

I watch the cross walk lights,easy to do in your peripheral vision,after a quick scan both ways for cross traffic.The crosswalk lights will flash a certain number of times before the traffic light turns green,then you just do a countdown and you don't telegraph your punch by obviously watching the cross traffics' light. It really helps to know your streets and how many times the light will flash before signalling WALK as your light goes green. BTW,have you ever noticed that the guy who pulls up on your right at the light and is in such a hurry to get ahead of everyone usually turns left at the next intersection.:coolman:

[ONEBADMK8]

The absolute best way to launch this car is like all electronic lock-up torque converted 4R70W's. FLASH from a DEAD idle.

With traction (which these cars have plenty of without gears) you will get the highest stall possible and the most explosive launce ever. Heres a shot of my mark launching with all bolt ons dead stock engine.

I almost got left wheel air.

http://www.lincolnmotorsport.com/tag13.jpg

Heres a great write up about this from an earlier MM&FF article on a T-Bird which has the same transmission.

http://www.lincolnmotorsport.com/mmnffarticletrans.jpg

[Bigdogjim]

SergntMac: I do not have many light to light races where I travel. What I do have are a few light leading to a short ride on x-ways. So I let them think they have dusted me till I blow by them on open highway! By them all I can do is smerk because their eye's get soooo BIG when follow close behind and then stomp on it and let the MM come to life!
Big Dog :banana2: :banana2:

[Directedby]

Buy one of these.

:up: :rasta: :up: :rasta: :up: :rasta: :up: :rasta:

Ford 427 V10

[SSMOKEM]

What ONEBADMK8 said :)

Nail it HARD from idle. With my new tire/rim/shock setup, I have no spin. The nose just lifts, the neck snaps back and I'm off :D

I would do the same in a Marauder. Of course, I would have a 3500 stall in MY Marauder, 4.10 gears, drag radials, HAL shocks all around!!

[tetsu]

Well, just hitting it from idle isnt ideal. That's the easiest way but to max the launch you need to use some brake. I try not to go ape****zit at my local lights, but on the tree I found a big advantage to using some brake. The BFGs also need to be slightly warmed. I'm still not too good at timing the R/T while using the brake though. My best real R/T without brake was a .67.... I have a bad habit of redlighting with the brake. :)

In the Spring, I'll have to spend a little time going round-and-round and work the kinks outta my technique. :)

Johnny

[schuvwj]

Sarg when we get together in Chicago for the Car Show I was wondering if we could run'm off to see the distance differance would be in a 1/4 mile between bone stock and your mods?

This would give the rest of the users a visusal gage!

Maybe someone has already done this?

[SergntMac]

I'd love to, Bill, just for gigles and grins.

Anyone thinking about a date and time for this Auto Show meet?

[schuvwj]

Originally posted by SergntMac
I'd love to, Bill, just for gigles and grins.

Anyone thinking about a date and time for this Auto Show meet?

Sarg I think you should just pick a date for the Chicago Car Show and see who else can make!
Give me a date and I'll be there! Wait was there song that went, never mind.

[Mike M]

I launch in drive at exactly 2000 rpm power braking it. At 2000 the car pulls hard out of the hole. At 2100rpm I will get a bit of wheel spin which is a waste. Best 60 foot so far is at 2000rpm.

[cyled]

That is what I have been launcing at. In my post about beating the Camaro, I was at 2000 rpm. The trick is being quick enough off the break and on the gas so you don't end up power braking or hurting your reaction time.