J I'm impressed 11.60's iron heads, bench seat, driven to and from track is way cool. looked at your pics in the V8 garage, NICE CAR!
I bought the car in my avatar in 1985 from a junkyard for $100. Built a +.030" 455 with forged pistons, did not balance the shortblock, stock rod bolts, non file fit rings, whatever double roller timing chain that was available at the time, measured compression at 9.25 to 1, KB 118 camshaft, 1970 Stage 1 heads with stock springs (they're still on the engine), slight bowl work, 72 steel rockers, B4B, 850 Holley (4781) or a worked over 72 800 QJ, open element air cleaner, blue pump mounted at the rear bumper, 7/16" fuel line, KB 1 7/8" headers, 2 1/2" full exhaust with Hemi mufflers (bought from the Chrysler dealership) for the street, open exhaust at the track, Stinger S-4 ignition (16* initial, 20* mech. at 3,000 rpm, backing down to 32* at 5,500), AC R43TS plugs, SP 400 with a GM-1 (V-6) converter, 3.91 gears, stock suspension, rear bar, stock power front disc brakes, alum. drums on rear, Monroe Gas-Matic shocks, manual steering, 8 point bar, fiberglass buckets with the rest of the stock interior intact, radio, wipers, heater, door panels, rear seat, etc... stock GS hood, steel bumpers. I cut the door beams out of the doors, removed front inner fenders, battery in trunk, dual electric fans with 4 row copper/brass radiator, dual remote oil filters, stock floor shifter, 15 x 3.5" front & 15 x 8.5" rear Centerline Draglite alum. wheels, 28.5" x 10" rear slicks & Moroso front runners. Car weighed 3750 lbs. without driver. Was driven everyday as a go to work and play car on the weekends for many years. Around 100K miles on the drivetrain. Best time of 11.70 @ 115 mph (before the rollbar). But when the track official came over to give me the speech about a rollbar was required under 11.99, I had him sign my time slip, and then put a bar in the car. Mileage in the 15+ mpg range with the QJ and around 12 mpg with the Holley. It didn't attract too much attention except for the rear bars going over the rear seat and its slightly lowered stance. But was a real blast to drive on the street. I don't recall if a day went by without nailing the throttle at least once to or from work.
Nice cars gentlemen, I feel like a total slacker. I'm embarrased to have to use aluminum heads to get there. Im painting them red for sure now.
Sorry to go off topic how hard was it to cut out the door beams? Did the dual oilfilters effect your oil presure at all?
The door beams were easy to remove. I drilled out the spot welds on each end and then cut the beams into smaller pieces with a sawzall and pulled 'em out. An airsaw or cutoff wheel would be a simple way also and wouldn't leave the small holes at the ends of the inner door frame. With the large dual filters I never had any problems with oil pressure. I don't remember where it went through the lights at, but the engine is still together today and was running strong when I pulled it for the new engine to take its place. I mounted the filter housing where the battery used to sit. I had tight bearing clearances at .0015" for both mains and rods.
455 +.030, TRW pistons but otherwise stock bottom end, all balanced 1967 430 heads with Stage 1 valves, fully ported Compression is a true 10.1 to 1 SP1 intake, port-matched to heads Poston 113A cam Holley 950HP carb Regular headers and 2.5" x-pipe exhaust system 3.73 rearend, 8.5" 200-4R trans, fully prepared with 2600 rpm stall converter Nothing fancy really. Just a good solid build. Car weighs 4050 lbs. with nothing in trunk and 1/4 tank of gas.
How much estimated horsepower/torque do you feel is needed to get into the 11's? I know that rear end gear ratios has quite a bit to do with it as well. Tim
Kick71, thanks for the compliments. Tim, I think 470 to 480 HP can get a 3600 lb.buick with driver in to the high 11.90;s with a tight rear suspension and air bags, 3.73 to 4.10 gears and 3000 convertor, and I even use a 350 trans for years with a shift kit. Have to have sticky tires, ET street;s or slicks, maybe M/T drag radials. Years ago I dipped into the high 11.80;s with the SP-2 cam (501-501 lift, 235-245) 115 centerline on a 111 intake centerline with 9.9-1 comp. with a 2800 B&M convertor in the same car mentioned on the previous page. On the average mid 11.90;s in the heat all day on 93 octane. The lastest motor mentioned also runs on 93 pump gas with 3-4 gals. of 110 mixed for drag use, the tight quench really helps. :3gears:
Guys keep in mind with all this said, that good heads and fuel system must be applied to a good combo, I also use holley;s 850-1000 cfm, just my peference.
I had my car on the chassis dyno at Norwalk about 4 years ago. It came back as 376 hp and 496 tq at the rear wheels. Also, my combo has a totally stock fuel system with a Stage 1 fuel pump. I believe and feel that the car is laying down at the end of the quarter mile some what. I've been debating on putting an electric pump back at the tank and seeing if that would help. But I still have the stock fuel lines. So I would probably have to increase the main feed to have it do much good.
Did you ever block the fuel return line? I have been told that will bump your fuel pressure a poud or two. I am curiuos to see if you tried that. i will be trying it on mine. I made a little shut off valve to put on the return line. Have not hooked it up yet cause I am waiting till I run at the track with the Q-jet on it. Couple of local empty street test mine seemed to lay down a little at top as well. I know when my combo was dynoed it was starving for fuel a little at higher RPMs with Q-jet and Holley worked better. I know I am not in the 11's league like you guys but mid 12's I think.o No:
I would like to hear more chassis dyno numbers from cars running in the deep 12's and high 11's. Thanks Tim
Steve, I went 11.33 late last fall. Only 7 passes so far. 3900# all stock interior. No AC. Suspension is all stock except for HR Parts upper and lowers (non-adj) 3:73's, 8.5 10 bolt, Coan 10" 4000 464 12:1, TA Stg 1 aluminums (320-I 230-E) SP-1, 1000hp no spacer Cam is TA's 290-08hl All passes were through the exhaust (3" to rear, no X) Best 60' 1.64 on a Hoosier 11.5 27" QT Pro. Hope this helps and good luck with you combo, I know you've had a rough go of it. Jim
Thanks Jim, Its interesting to hear real world feedback. Im going to get this thing together. Its become an obsession.
Nice cars and setup's everyone! :TU: I'd like to see some lower 11's combo's on pump gas... any with iron heads? I've heard of it before, never seen any real specs on that before though... o No:
I've never blocked the return line. I got PM'd by Larry who told me about others who have put a Holley Blue pump in the stock 3/8" fuel line with good results. So I'm going to give that a try. Perhaps I'll also put a valve on the return line also and see if that helps. It's all kind of for naught anyway because as soon as I get some real time (more than a couple of hours on a Saturday) I'm going to rebuild the stock engine and put my current engine in the Regal.
Don't confuse pressure with volume. I think it's well documented that the stock Stage 1 pump can't reliably feed a 500 hp engine, and that many people don't even know they have a problem at the top end in a quarter mile run.
