Well Peter, Back then I was running consistent 15.0's all day long with over 350+ runs on the SBB engine, propelling this boxed framed convertible, which is much heavier than a coupe or sedan to 90 mph. In the early days I drove to many events, including an over 1,000 miles (each way) to & from Bowling Green with the 2 speed & 4:30 gears screaming! All I had was a KB Mark II cam, KB149 converter, stock ST300 transmission, stock exhaust manifolds, stock cast iron intake, Hayes Stinger/S-4 ignition, 4:30 posi. Nothing fancy, but would run all day long consistent times. As far as your "huge slicks" comment, again nothing fancy just a pair of 14 inch x 28 x 9 M&H Racemasters (mounted on chrome reverse wheels) as recommended by tire Guru Marvin himself when I picked them up in Watertown, Massachusetts, back in the late 70's, early 80's. Nothing much was available for the little 300 cubic inch powered 1965 Buick Special that I bought in my Senior year of high school for $115.00 (in 1976) Also, BTW, Pops Kennedy was running a 401 nailhead, quite a different animal. Thank you to the people that had positive things to say (including Jim Bell himself), about a car that's been a part of my life for over 40 plus years. I've met a lot of great Buick friends over all these years because of "Shang". She's may not be the quickest, but, she's been a consistently fun adventure. I'll post some recent time slips when I get a chance. (including the recent back-to-back .000 reaction time slips at age 60) Now running 13.7's /99 mph Thanks again for the memories.
Jim, no no the truly funny part wasn't meant as a knock to the car at all, it was meant for the times in the day that's why I "quoted" Phillp66's post and put these "" and mentioned pops got a 14.21 out of a 300" as it's nice little motor. Why huge slicks was yes my ignorance at not looking to see they where on reversed rims and not all that big, and thinking why at 15+seconds were they needed. Thats all on me as Pop's was running 7 in wide slicks I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way. I also don't believe we didn't cross paths as I live in Brookline and worked in Watertown in the early 80's and daily drove my 66GS It would have been nice to know you, and talk Buicks.. The only person back in the day that knew Nailheads was a guy who worked at Pauls Clutch and Machine's. I don't remember his name as it was so lng ago. You blew away Pops 300" record
No need to edit Jim, now i'm thinking others took it the wrong way with my wording I would never knock someones pride and joy... Well maby in my head as I "think it" when I see a stock Honda that has been lowered to 1/2 inch of the ground and is bouncing horribly after running over pebbles and has the usual obnoxious exhaust. Your in MA and maby you will come across this 500 something series Mercedes in cherry red that has the 40+ inch wheels on it. The guy cut the wheel wells, quarters and everything!!
And some more Shangri-La from the 1981 GS meet at Island Dragway! This was just the second GS meet in the USA, being held just a few months after the first GS Nationals in Bowling Green. I was 19, driving my 66 GS up to the meet at Great Meadows NJ, on some twisting rural backroads getting closer to the track, when I passed Shangri-La going the other way, the car full of guys hooting and hollering as our two Buicks passed each other! Had a fantastic time there, met some great guys and saw some great cars. What blows me away is that many of the guys and cars there, nearly 40 years ago, are here on V8Buick. Jim's Car, with Mike 'No Lift' in the background leaning on his 455 powered 65 GS: My 66 GS. My first pass ever down the 1/4 yielded a disappointing 14.46 (we thought it was a 12 second car... oh the reality!) Bob Quigg's 66 GS and Marco's 70 4 speed vert: Black/Gold GSX now owned by Brad: Is this John G and his GSX? Setting up for a group pic: Those were great days! Great to see many of us there followed the same path through our lives with our Buicks.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Also digging the long hair.. Just like my hair in my 1980 high school yearbook pic! Walt, that's the Saddle Mist Q-jet car? It probably felt like 12, 13 second car till it ran out of steam at 4400 rpms or the 1000 ft mark. I don't have to tell you about the weather sensitivity of these Nailheads, They should open drag racing tracks in the winter for specificly for the Nailhead powered cars.
^^ No, the gold 66 was parted after an accident a few years later. I found the blue car 2 weeks later, it got the drivetrain from the gold car. A 14 second street car in 1980 was a good runner... It took knowledge and experience to optimize a combo for lower et's. That was harder to do in the pre-internet days when all we had were the Hot Rod/Car Craft articles to teach us. Even harder when you had a Buick.
Yup, 14 seconds is not a slow car. It's just I think they are so strong up to 1000 ft. or 1/8 mile track without much mods and as they come off factory line. Sometimes my postings come across wrong i'm thinking now. 14.46 is a nicely tuned Nailhead.. I'm just stuck on how much my GS didn't like the hot or warm weather, and never knew what it was going to run on any certain day, that's all So the gold car had a 425 that's in the blue one now or was the 425 swapped in later..
Here are the pics I mentioned a while back of Carmen Faso racing his (then) GS Convertible in upstate NY. Circa 1982. This is my blue 4 spd car after it went from original blue to imron black to triple white. And now she's back to original blue. I believe this car was running high 12's in the day. Some shots of Ivo and the Wagon Master too. Pat
Thanks for sharing these memories, exciting! Gives me goose bumps and initiative to get out in the shop and play! I have a 65 gran sport under construction, noticed u used spacer plates under dual quads? Did that add anything to bottom line? Thought I read raising the intake or adding spacers on the nailhead was waste of time and money?
Using spacers under the manifold is a waste of time. I have proven it. Same with tunnel rams. Now spacers under the carb. can add volume to the plenum of the intake & can help in certain circumstances/situations.
Guys, that was Carmen's car then with the dual quads and spacers, etc. You'll have to ask him about that. Now that I have it and it's restored, it is retired from racing
