Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? Yep, Paul,,, I love tools and what they can do with the right guy aholt of them.... you know,,, Buick made a turbo car that would go long distances and still hold up,,,, so can you....I say go for it... sic em.... :laugh: I just wish that I had the tools available to me that you have.... if I did ,,, I think i could come up with a single 4 alluminum manifold.....for a nailhead....:Brow: I am kicking another idea around....
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? i was tromping around the engine room and looking at some intakes that were off teardowns that the students had apart and i want to find a intake that is close and modify it to fit. i am always looking.. Paul 66lark
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? here is some updated pictures, thier is still some pieces that need to be welded but figure i would show what i had done.http://s917.photobucket.com/albums/ad19/66larkgs/66 skylark turbo nailhead/ Paul 66larkgs turbo401
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? Worked in the garage today, pass side is all welded up with the turbo fitted, drivers side header is just tacked and need to finish up on it. the setup is getting thier, i am going to pull the timing cover off to drill it for the turbo drain. Paul 66larkgs turbo401
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? found a book of experimental buick motors had a 425 tubo motor in pic was suppose to go into a 1963 wildcat had over 800 lbs torque buick didnt have a tranny that held up so scrapped idea was a carb type with bonnet:TU:
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? i am exspecting big tq numbers.. already cracked the bellhousing once and had it rewelded and installed aluminum straps with the old turbo setup. this one should make more power and spool faster. Paul 66larkgs turbo 401 nailhead
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? I don't think you're looking far enough ahead on this. It's going to be very, very expensive, and your labor cost will be almost as high for the last one as the first one. Exactly what chassis, and what accessories, transmission, etc. is this going to fit - do you know? You're going to have a huge $$$ in R&D for the first one, which has to be amortized over a large volume to make any money. If yes, you're limited to that and only that. Is this pool large enough to include lots of prospective buyers? If not, it has to be built on the car.
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? well, i know these will fit my car right know with the serpintine belt setup i am building. Its a 1966 skylark gs with a 401 and a th400. The nice part is they are the only set at the moment but why not open some doors on header fab for the dyi guy with a garage like mine who might want to make his own set. Your are right with ever car is different and i would need to do alot of r&d to make a profit. well i built these headers and parts not to make a dollar on but to spend unless hours in my garage and machine shop loving ever moment of it. uzzled: . I love fabbing and building cars!! I have offered to make templets for my brackets and to send them out for just shipping fee only to guys who are tight with cash.. to make a run of headers like these is unlikely but to make one off sets per DM is alot more likely. the nice thing is anyone putting a turbo on thier nailhead is not the normal 100point resto guy that is looking to making his car back to the way it came from the factory but someone who is looking to make a statement with taking oldd technology and bringing it too today.Unfortunitely bringing into todays tech isnt cheap.. i would love to be able to make a set for $500 but that would never happen, and most likely a $1,000 is what a turbo setup would run. The only reason i decided to turbo this motor was someone on here told me a long time that a turbo on a nailhead cant be done and a nailhead wont push my gs into the 12's. just cant be done i was told.. well i dont want 12's i want 11.50-11.80 car to keep up with sbc 406ci 53 pickup!!!!soon to be ls3 and a t76mm turbo ..EVEN MORE BIGPOWER!!!:TU: Paul 66larkgs turbo 401 nailhead
Re: is thier a market for nailhead turbo headers?? need to take some pictures of the final product all together but just building a wastegate adapter very to make it more effient. starting calling places today on jet coating and powder coating engine parts. not sure if i am going to keep the engine red or not tought decision might do everything that aluminum powder coat color. same color as the valve covers.. not looking to be orginal looking to make it eye pleasing. any opions or ideas.. Paul turbo nailhead
heres some updated pictures... i am making a wastegate adaptor flange that will bolt to the t4 turbo flange on the pass side and inbetween the turbo. once this is done i will be running the ss oil line and oil drain lines. once that is done i am just waiting on my new pulley to be made for the waterpump and than it is ready to rumble.. should i jet hot the headers or leave them stainless steel?? any opinions.. Paul 66larkgs turbo401 nailhead
Paul,,, leave the engine red,,, soft wire brush the ss headers and other parts,,, that looks real good on guns....and can be refinished by the buyer....
Not sure on the color of the car, might go dark silver or gunmetal and paint the motor same color as car. Need to see some dark silver cars and see what color the engine is painted. Going to base coat clear coat the engine. Any suggestion always appreciated. Paul 66larkgs Turbo nailhead
Paul looks real nice:beer . I will want to see these in a week or so when I get back up there...... Will call you when I have a schedule.
Managed to miss this thread. I might aswell post a picture that's relevant. It would've definitely been easier if there were any aftermarket turbo headers for sale, but making your own isn't that hard, just takes a bit of time and effort.
looks like you used the stock manifolds and had it loop back up to the hot side of the turbo. it took some time to build the drivers side on my car due to steering shaft and upper control arms. pass side took very little time but i bet i have 15-20 hours into the final set. i had 5 hours in the mock up set thier and was most likely 10 hours of tig welding and quite a bit with the mig on this last set. The next set of headers will be alot quicker.. but i learned alot by building this set. i cant wait to see how it looks powdercoated.. Paul 66larkgs turbo401
sounds great!! i am planning on bringing the car to work(voc) on sat to get it ready for paint ASAP!! i am pulling the nailhead back out on sat to powdercoat the heads, intake, crossover, everything possiable. i bought a setup and cant wait to come in and get started. Going to put some arp head studs .041 head gasket, a little gasket match port work and just some inspections and freshening up the new rebuild. Paul 66larkgs turbo 401
pulled the engine out yesterday and going to finish up detailing the engine/engine bay and final body work and paint. color is still up in the air and i am inbetween torch red with carbon fiber stripes or a gunmetal dark grey with carbon fiber hood and accents. wish i could decide.. any opinion would be great.. either way i am not haveing any chrome on this car, i will powder goat the grill, bezels and all trim. going for a modern musclecar look. I do have extra chrome just in case so i am not worried. Paul 66lark gs turbo 401
As for your previous comment, yes I did use the stock manifolds and simply looped them together due to lack of room/time/money to simply build my own. I have started however on some scetches and blueprints of new custom made headers. As for colour, I'd say Torch Red with carbon fiber stripes. Torch Red isn't that usual and I think it'll make it pop out a bit more than gunmetal. Just my 2 cents worth though.
