Thanks, KO. I just ordered a new master/booster combo from AutoZone for $118 (the $18 is a core charge). So it is cheap. I was looking in the shop manual and the pics of the master cylinder in the book look nothing like the one NAPA sold me last year. So who knows, maybe I have something wrong. Worst case scenario I'm out $100 and know for sure I need the hydroboost. I'll post next week after I swap out parts. I'd love to be able to bring up the RPMs against the booster and load the chassis on the line without rolling through the staging beams. I'll be watching your site daily looking for updates on the Riv. Looks like it's going to be reet. You ever in the Philly/NY/DC area??? How about Englishtown???????
Oh, BTW, Kevin, check out this thread on the BPG board. I'm telling you, we have a blast at our BPG events... http://www.buickperformancegroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6010 Just register there like you did here...
No problem - I'm not trying to sound like a Hydro sales person, but I'm a believer, and whenever I can spare someone some headache I'll do it. Do you have any sound files / videos of how your car idles and runs?
We all appreciate any help you can give, KO. Strap yourself in and go for a run in my back seat. Register and login first: http://www.buickperformancegroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5984 Please report back and tell me what you think. I'm shifting at a measly 5 grand and ran 13.35 with almost no load on the convertor at launch (rolls through the beams).
I'd love to go to Atco, but I have a feeling we'll still be wiped out from SEMA at that point. Your car sounds great, what cans / pipes do you run?
I run the full TA shorty exhaust. I think they are Dynomax muffs - can't recall if they are short or long case. Whatever is in their catalog. I'm surprised they are still on the car... this thing barely makes it over driveway aprons, it's slammed so low. The muffs are pretty beat up. Yeah, Atco is a throwback. Still looks like it did back in the 60's. And one fast track!
You know Mike T at TA Perf. used my '69 Riv as the mock-up for the headers and exhaust for Rivs? That was a long time ago... I'd like to have a car that is quiet - very quiet - and still makes killer power. Yours sounds great. - KO
Really? Judging by all the problems myself and many others have had getting that kit to fit, I questioned whether they mocked it up on an actual car, or just guessed. I think it is their vendor that is the problem though.
A company called Tube Tech in Corona, CA had my car for 3 weeks... I was promised the first set of headers, and they never gave them to me... and they cracked a manifold putting the system back on! So I don't know how the fit was. The car had my stock exhaust and 500 more miles on it when I picked it up.
Kevin, I think you have me confused with another Dale. But thanks for asking. :laugh: Bummer you didn't get a perfect exhaust system out of the deal.
uzzled: uzzled: WHAT! That is so uncool on so many levels. The system fit OK, but not the 2 head pipes. The driver's side fit OK but hung too low, and the passenger side headpipe was too low and about 10" too long! I had to cut a section out of it and band aid it together to drive it to a custom shop and have head pipes made. They rarely scrape the ground now... I'm juiced about your project, KO. I was just telling someone about a bit I read in HRM a while back... the article was about pressure washing that Biscayne you guys did. It said something like... "Despite being severely mauled by Captain Morgan last night, Kevin Oeste stopped by to lend a hand..." Funny stuff. Severely mauled indeed.
Ahh yes, that was the day we shot Ro's Bicayne with DP 90 on the underside... I was really hangin' bad that day. Oof. As for the pipes, it was a drag... but that's old news. We'll be bending some new stuff this time. We're excited, too... just gotta make all the pieces fit the puzzle. - KO
Every Sunday before Thanksgiving it is Ford vs Buick at Atco. There are always a lot of both brands there and the Buicks certainly surprise a lot of people when they hold their own. I believe it was last year that Bob Quigg drove his 66 NAILHEAD 4-SPEED to an 11.98. That nailhead was built and tuned by Tom Telesco and both hail from Connecticut. While I enjoy all car mags, very few space it given to people who manage to get their car to run excellent times while they are not pristine street cruisers. Bob's Skylark is a perfect example. Here's the kicker: while Tom is getting along in years, and I believe both he and Bob are in their 60's, I'm almost positive that Bob power shifts that 4 speed. No top loader there, just a 60-something "old dude" that runs an antique 4 speed into the 11's. Also, Tom's 64 Riv (which he purchased NEW in '64) has been a street racer since 1964! Tom has since retired the car to around town status since 40+ years of racing has finally tweaked the frame. Tom's Riv is STOCK, and with Tom's expertise it ran its best time ever at Atco last fall - a 13.99! Bud, if you attend any Buick events next year, you'll meet the best and most interesting people you're ever likely to meet. We've got personalities out the wazoo. How about Long Island street racers that would block traffic on the interstate long enough to run a gamblers race? How about women who power shift 4 speeds and are as consistant as an automatic trans? Wait until you see John Schmidt's new 1999 Riviera twin turbo tube-chassis car! He's got bugs to work out, but it will make those who wear blinders spit their coffee all over their laps. And as always, my spring picnic (usually around the 2nd weekend in May) usually hosts about 30 cars and, while mainly a BPG event, we have had car lovers from the area bring Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs as well. And ALL are invited. We all laugh so hard our sides hurt. Then as everyone leaves they deposit steaming piles of rubber in my driveway. We always run among our best times at Atco in November as the track is nearly sea level and the air is almost always cold and dry.
Wow, it sounds like an awesome time. We just can't do it this year thanks to SEMA blowing the budget, but maybe next year. I'd love to shoot video of these cars laying down some numbers to show the rest of the world that there are more than Chevys out there. On another note, we learned of some new parts resources coming for Rivs while at SEMA - stuff that isn't public knowledge yet, and most likely won't be available until '08, but you're going to be excited about it. There was a surprising amount of interest in our '68 Riv project from a variety of manufacturers, so we may help develop some parts using the car and V8TV. It's going to be cool!
