Welcome everyone to the October 2009 installment of the GDR Race Car of the month. As you can tell already, this month's car is far from the typical car you will find at the drag strip. This month, we are featuring Jim Scheid's (aka Fuzz) 1978 Jeep CJ-7. Many of you have seen Jim run the Pro Street class at Cecil County's monthly Outlaw Street Car Shootout.
Jim's had the jeep since 1979 and has been working on it since then. Underneath the hood, you'll find an AMC 401 motor pushing right around 350HP, putting him in the 11 second range at the track. The front end is fiberglass and folds forward for extremely easy engine access. The body sits on a 4" lift, giving him a nice view of the surrounding area as he's taking a ride down the 1320. In case you were wondering, no, it's not four wheel drive; Jim has made the Jeep rear wheel drive only. The interior is simple and to the point; an aluminum dash and gauge panel, with the shifter on the TH-400 up nice and high.
Feeel free to check out this video below, where you can go for a ride with Jim in the CJ down the strip, as well as check out his dyno session at Fonse Performance. Speaking of Dyno Session, don't forget that the boys at Fonse Performance have graciously donated dyno time to all winners of the GDR Race Car of the Month award. Operating the dyno for Jim and GDR was the well experienced Scotty, always hiding from the camera but we still got some pics of him in action. Jim had no dyno numbers on the jeep before last week, so he was happy to finally put the Jeep on the rollers. Scotty and the Fonse Performance team took the time to explain the dyno results and offer some tuning suggestions on the jeep. Jim put out a max 353hp and 425 ft-lbs of torque on the dyno. Check out the sheet here.
Youtube link to the dyno session and a 1/4 mile pass
Click here for the full picture galleries
Car Information
Make/Model: 1978 Jeep CJ-7
Engine: AMC 401 .30 over
Transmission: AMC TH-400
Power Adders: None
Classes raced in: Pro Street
Quickest E/T (that you want to share with others ): 11.669 @ 112.33
GDR: Occupation / what you do outside of racing?
Jim: Mechanical / Electrical mechanic and welder. Camping and car shows when we get time
GDR: What is your earliest memory of drag racing?
Jim: My neighbor who raced at US 30 in York
GDR: What made you get into the driver's seat for the first time?
Jim: Just wanted to see what it was like, hooked ever since.
GDR: What was the one thing that made you turn a Jeep into a drag car?
Jim: when I found out I had 12:1 CR and not 9:1
GDR: What are some of the things people have told you about your Jeep?
Jim: it's sick - it’s different - insane - it runs what??? - you're nuts!!
GDR: What's your greatest accomplishment in your drag racing career?
Jim: Not being on my roof - getting my first 100 mph slip - and my first 11.99 slip
GDR: What is your favorite memory related to drag racing?
Jim: The fun and the friends I have made at the drag strip.
GDR: Where have you raced, and where is your favorite place to take the beams and nail the throttle?
Jim: I have run at Cecil County - National Trails and Norwalk in Ohio - Atco NJ - Greer Drag way / Ware Shoals Drag way in South Carolina - St. Thomas Drag way’s in Ontario. Cecil is by far my home track.
GDR: Does any of your family race or help you out on race day at all?
Jim: Just my wife Debbie (Mrs. Fuzz)
GDR: What do you enjoy most about drag racing?
Jim: Just the thrill of what I have done with the jeep so far and where I am going next with it
GDR: How much of your time a week is spent on maintenance for the Jeep?
Jim: Not much any more, a once over before a race does the trick.
Please list your sponsors, crew members, etc.. anyone or thing that enables you to keep on racing:
Just my wife with deep pockets and Rob who does my Machine work and Ken who doing me a set of heads
