429 cj pulling range

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Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
304
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75
Location
Austin, Texas
My Car
1971 SCJ Green
1971 CJ Pewter
1973 H-Code Copper
1967 Q-Code Galaxie
I have a stock 429 cj, everything is stock. Before I put my foot in it to hard. I would like to know at what rpm range should I be shifting. Of course I understand thing will change depending on temp on so on. What just looking for a round starting point.

Regular c-6 tranny and 3:25 gears.

What do you think?

Tim

 
With a c-6...let it shift by itself.

Or, about 4500-5000 would be max i would do manually

 
I have a stock 429 cj, everything is stock. Before I put my foot in it to hard. I would like to know at what rpm range should I be shifting. Of course I understand thing will change depending on temp on so on. What just looking for a round starting point.

Regular c-6 tranny and 3:25 gears.

What do you think?

Tim
I have just a little experience with my stock 429cj. I did not really notice the rpm's when I was using the "select shift" C6 transmission. You just kind of know when to shift. One thing for sure if you are on a slight curve not a corner but just where the car is not quite straight at around 40 to 50 mph and you put it to the floor it will kick around on you. I did this one night coming back from the Nifty Fifties cruise in. I quickly recovered but I learned just how much torque these 429's have. The car just likes to go in a straight line!

If the auto transmission is like my 73 Corvette if you leave it in low and don't shift it will just shift to the next gear by itself without moving the shifter. I assume it was built that way to keep you from destroying it. That 73 is now long gone along with lots of other cool cars I had.

 
I was kinda guessing around 5000 rpm would be close. I know it has a lot of torque but I am not to sure it would kick around at 40-50 mph.

Heck my other car is not original and I am not sure it would even do that.

Thanks I will footing my foot in it very soon.

Tim

 
The torque on a good-running 429 "kicks in" at almost any RPM if you stand on it.

It is not to be taken lightly. As Mike said already...if you think you can just punch it and steer/ drift thru a turn, you will swap ends before you realize its even happening.

Of course, having close to 1,000 lbs on the front wheels and our beloved Flintstone-era suspension doesn't help things much in the handling department either!

But...it sure puts on a good show!

 
The torque on a good-running 429 "kicks in" at almost any RPM if you stand on it.

It is not to be taken lightly. As Mike said already...if you think you can just punch it and steer/ drift thru a turn, you will swap ends before you realize its even happening.

Of course, having close to 1,000 lbs on the front wheels and our beloved Flintstone-era suspension doesn't help things much in the handling department either!

But...it sure puts on a good show!


I agree with you both you cannot drift in these cars very long, I tried many times when I was young, it just will not happen. They a straight line car only.

I was wanting to take my 71 to the track and see what kinda of times it will turn. That's why I was wanting a good shift range on a stock motor.

In my 73 that also has a 429, I start flowing the valves about 6100-6200 rpm. But, it's not even close to being stock. So I am shifting @ 6000.

 
I think it depends on the road surface as well. I was on a well traveled four lane section of Spring Cypress Rd when mine sort of taught me a lesson. No damage done and no spin around but it was coming if I had not lifted and steered out of it.

It actually put a smile on my face that so much power was there waiting on a stock 429CJ. I have so much fun with this car even when I am just setting in the garage looking at it. That is probably not something I have to explain to either of you though!

 
I think it depends on the road surface as well. I was on a well traveled four lane section of Spring Cypress Rd when mine sort of taught me a lesson. No damage done and no spin around but it was coming if I had not lifted and steered out of it.

It actually put a smile on my face that so much power was there waiting on a stock 429CJ. I have so much fun with this car even when I am just setting in the garage looking at it. That is probably not something I have to explain to either of you though!
Mike now that your retired you will have to bring it to the austin area.

Tim

 
When I lived in Corpus Christi, Tx in the mid 80s, there was an unfinished sub-division on my way to work each day. There was a long(1/2 mile) sweeping curve with no stops, and I would run that as fast as I could each day.

If I just hammered it through, understeer would severely limit speed before getting even a short way into it.

I eventually learned just through repetition to give a little "scandanavian flick" when entering the beginning of thr sweeper, and the back end would just barely want to start to come around, but keeping the gas on kept the understeer away. You actually had to continue to smoothly accelerate faster and faster just to maintain the balance through the curve. Not really "drifting...more like a pre-drift.

Kind of like the last left-hand turn the Mustang makes in DAF right before entering the alley.

You could sure feel the huge anchor-heavy CJ motor pulling you to the outside though!

 
I think it depends on the road surface as well. I was on a well traveled four lane section of Spring Cypress Rd when mine sort of taught me a lesson. No damage done and no spin around but it was coming if I had not lifted and steered out of it.

It actually put a smile on my face that so much power was there waiting on a stock 429CJ. I have so much fun with this car even when I am just setting in the garage looking at it. That is probably not something I have to explain to either of you though!
Mike now that your retired you will have to bring it to the austin area.

Tim
I certainly will. I get my trailer at the end of March. I can meet up with you at a car show. However, my wife goes to Austin on business ever couple of months. I will ride with her on one of her trips and drop by during day if that is possible.

 
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