Does this guy sound like a liar?

[Motorhead350]

I was hanging out with this girl from another band and she brought a guy who was more into cars than music, but he is not her B/F in fact I'm the only one she told that to! Back to the point... The guy knows cars really well and said he's built a few wheel standers out of early 70s Chevy Novas. I asked how they stay up because I didn't know and stuff, but here is what I don't believe. He told me he got one of these cars to do a wheele on a public road, not standing or anything, but pretty much from what it sounds like in the first Fast and The Furious... just enough to get the front tires off the ground.

I do not know how well a car like that would hook on a street that had no prep or anything. I find it hard to believe a car could actually hook well enough to get the front end off the ground on the street. Opinions?

[BAD MERC]

Yes, enough contact patch and enough torque will carry a left from tire. I know this to be factual because my brother's Mustang II did it with a 302.

[larryo340]

I know it's different on the track, but this was a friends '67 Chevelle on D.O.T. street legal slicks at this years Hot Rod's Pump Gas Drags.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/larryo340/SKXXNnXlvJI/AAAAAAAAEdQ/uHY8oloZM98/100_1643.JPG?imgmax=576

[offroadkarter]

Its possible, your car needs to have huge cajones to do it, but its been done. Ive even seen cobras and fox body's do it on the road.

[O's Fan Rich]

I know of at least 4 Novas that can do that.

[Mike Poore]

There was a kid named Teeter in Hagerstown MD who had an Anglia panel van with a 409 Chevy motor in the back, facing rearward. A toothed flywheel was hooked by a motorcycle chain to a sprocket that drove another toothed flywheel with a bell housing/torque converter directly underneath, with the transmission hooked via a joint directly to a tubbed out chevy rear, shortened axles and sporting humongous slicks, much like TMF's. He needed wheelie bars, obviously.

It's a long answer; but yes, it's possible to do a wheelie on the street. :burn:

[BigCars4Ever]

There's a lot of other tricks to getting air under the front tires. One is the 90/10 front shocks. Almost no valving in the rebound. Another is sliding the engine and trans back. Just 4 inches can do wonders for weight transfer. Throw in fiberglass fenders, hood and front buper...move the gas tank to the trunk with the battery...and a torque monster big block and up it will go.

[gja]

My '74 Monte with its' 454 bored 60 over, dual center pump Holleys on a Victor-ram, 3/4 cam, roller rockers, TRW pistons and rods, long equal length Hookers, B&M blackmaster trickshifter.
Air under the fronts, hell yes. All the time, on the street, track, anywhere.
Some of the work was by Motion, and I gotta tell ya, they were THE shop for haulin' rides.

Edit: Almost forgot, rubber sat on Centerline mags. Even though they were BIG meat, that drivetrain chewed them like sponges.

[Motorhead350]

Wow thanks for the info everyone.

[03blackvegas]

If the goal is to deliberately make the car do wheelies, than the car is built with a bias towards that end result. Things such as engine relocation, offset wheel base, driver relocation, etc. The next thing you know it not only does wheelies, but it does it almost automatically.

[94five0]

I agree. Front end has to be light. Relocated battery, no a/c system, no frills, lighter k-member, unsprung drag shocks that allow maximum power displacement to the rear on launch... here's a buddy of mines 331ci Equipped 1995 GTS Mustang with a 150 shot.
pretty good for a non-dedicated drag car.

[Master]

My buddy used to do this with his old 55 chevy. This was in the 70s, and no one had even heard of air shocks (at least not in Cape Breton). He used to be able to gun the engine, get an oscillation going and once it was hopping he just hit it and he'd have a pretty good wheelie going. In fact, he got pulled over by the police one night when he went past them on two wheels.

[piglit50]

very poss. 3 of my friends have 5.0 mustangs and they all lift wheels on the street

[Blackmobile]

I believe 500 HP with a 5.4 engine NA :burnout:........and he's rebuilding mine :rock:


http://www.boss330racing.com/pics/car.jpg