Personally, I'd just like to see a basic budget street/strip build. Q-Jet or Thermoquad (TQ preferably, I've got one sitting on the shelf waiting for a rebuild), good torque cam, full-length headers, and stock bottom end. Okay, maybe an intake, but please do a TQ carb. And maybe just a mild port job on the heads. But, on the cheap! Like that 455 that Freiburger dropped in that beater '65 Skylark Wagon eons ago...
I would also like to see a budget build. Everyone thinks that it's soooo expensive to build a Buick 455. I would like you to show what can be done with stock heads (with some bowl blending and port work) a B4B intake or TA performance SP1, worked Q-jet or 950 holley, forged 10:1 short block, and a good fast ramp medium-sized cam (238-248 duration) full length headers, msd, typical bracket motor tweaks. In my opinion, this is where the 455 REALLY shines- the ability to make a lot of power and torque with stock type parts. If you wanted to take it a step further, this is what I would like to see: 10.5:1 shortblock- wiseco forged 22cc dished pistons- 0 decked Bulldog or TA heads- UNPORTED straight out of the box, stage 1 configuration oiling modifications (lots of detailed info on here and trishieldperf.com) stock rods with ARP bolts or 6.635 eagle H-beams with stock crank turned to chevy size definitely test various fast ramp cams. If you want to really get my interest, find a way to fit a set of the newer beehive type springs to a 455 head. I haven't seen that done yet, but I've read they are supposed to have a lot better valve control with a typical street/strip cam with fast ramps. ________ Hot box vaporizers
I love the idea of a stock/mild rebuild with good rod bolts, cam bearings, oil mods, pistons, and machine work. Start with the stock heads, then work them, then throw on some of the new Edelbrock heads with the SBC rockers. Swap cams as you go. Maybe do some mild head work. Tech articles that are do-able for the average street-roddin' guy are great. $10,000+ engine jobs are interesting, but to the majority it is like reading a real estate article on how to buy a big house in Hawaii or something. Thanx for asking us & thanx for doing a Buick article!
My family has had GS's since the late 60's with grandpa...... We've had subscriptions to all the magazines since the 70's..... We've been neglected...... :Smarty: If you'd really like to do a cool issue, Include the 350 motor in your plans......like a budget, 375 HP SBB Focus on the BBB , but GS's came with SBB also. Ya can't forget us......... Include some Buick GS history, 3 or 4 cars and their owners... EXPLOIT US A LITTLE!! It may get more interest sparked.... may lead to other aftermarket companies producing more parts for us. These cars are the best of the A bodies.....IMHO :TU:
Cc 455 OK, so from what I am hearing, you want a stock short block with '70 heads as a baseline, then port the heads, then run the three aftermarket heads back to back with a Q-jet. Do you want to see it with more compression after that? As you likely know, it has around 8.5:1 in that era and the beef '70 engine has 10.0:1 or so. What say you? Thanks for the feedback. CC will try to spend the money so you dont have to. How about three combos. Street. Street/Strip. Track Only. douglas
The Buick cleaned up in the big block shootout years ago. I think it did so based on the strength of the TA heads. I'd like to see you revisit that test, using the Edelbrock heads on the Buick. That would even up the comparison, I supsect, because all the other engines had to use Big E heads. I'd also like to see out-of-the-box comparasons done with the TA/Edelbrock/Bulldog heads.
That'd be cool. Instead of starting off with the stock 8.5's try to find some 70's or just get some aftermarket pistons. Play with headgasket thickness to get your compression (think you guys did an article on that once). I don't think you'll have to go searching to find 70 heads to get your baseline. Just use the 73's. Maybe a little port work and backcut the stock valves. Block off the exhaust crossovers and the air injection ports. A Q-jet would be great. Being that the motor is a 73 it should be an 800 CFM, unless the previous owner ditched it. But after writing this, I'd still like to see a ground pounder with a bunch of expensive parts and a solid cam. After thinking about it though, I don't think that's the CarCraft way. Cheap is good.
21st Century direction Hi There. By way of introduction, I am the owner of Tri-Shield Performance, (which owns V-8 Buick.com). I have to confess that I had not even read my own board here for a while, considering the time of year, and the volume of work going on right now in the shop. Imagine my surprise when I read your post.. I think it's a great move on your part to solicit the opinion of the masses here. As the owner and head engine builder in what is the countries largest Buick GS only restoration/street performance/race car shop, I have had the opportunity to build just about every combination imaginable with the 455 engine. From stock resto motors to Pro-Charged street engines, to full out tunnel rammed race motors, so coming up with something new for you guys to do, took a little thinking. At TSP, we have learned the great value of dyno testing, and have had the great opportunity to work with Ron Quarnstrom of R&R Performance for many years. Superflow considers Ron the most prolific independent dyno tester in the country, and we have benefited greatly from his experience. As to a motor for testing.. here is my idea: Most of us are well aware of the potential of various cylinder heads, intake manifolds ect.. and certainly a few of us can look at numbers and specs, and pretty much tell you what an engine is going to make in power and torque. So doing a bunch of parts testing, while maybe being of passing interest to your non-Buick readers, might not navigate any uncharted waters for the faithful here. But, here is a new idea for you. With the recent dramatic increase in fuel prices, I see a new alternative fuel on the market now, with an interesting side benefit for us performance minded folks. That fuel is E-85. With it's 104 octane rating, and reduced price in relation to Pump Premo, a motor built specifically to take advantage of the octane of this ethanol based fuel would be interesting. The concept to me would be raise the mechanical compression ratio, to attempt to duplicate the power of a 'saurous-fueled engine for street cruising, and then be able to pump in some dino-fuel and make a carb change on special occasions, to all the sudden have yourself a race engine. We have found conclusively that with alum heads on the 455, with 92 octane pump premo, the thermal characteristics of the heads allow us to run 10.7 to 1 compression, even with short camshaft timing. I believe that with the Ethanol based fuel, mid level camshaft timing and aluminum heads, compression could be run out to as high as 12-1. The Buick 455 is a perfect motor to test this in, since it's a torque monster to begin with, and as we know, compression is all about torque. The requirements for carburetion for E85 vs. race gas would be interesting, as well as a comparison of the power outputs with each fuel. I would think that this type of testing would also have a broader based appeal to your readers, as they can take the differences in carb and power, and apply it to their favorite make. For the 455, here are the specs for consideration. Dino fuel benchmark- 600 HP E-85 power ? Here is that 600 HP pump promo motor, with all the specs and dyno sheets. I would take this motor, and bump the static compression ratio to around 12-1. http://www.trishieldperf.com/level_2a_engine.htm As a bonus for you mag guys, what guy could resist a cover picture of a hottie with a gas can, standing in a corn patch? :eek2: JW
Stage 2 the Up Town 455!! Hey Doug Really appreciate your interest in our pride and joy of Buicks!! I just got off the Dyno at Burbank Speed and Machine with my 500cuin. stroker with the Stage2 Alum heads!! Currently being installed in my 69 Skylark. Also in work is my second build for my 70 GS convertable. There are many BBB being built in the LA area from mild to wild!!! If you like just pm me for my engine specs. for the CC article. :beer
e85 big block I think Jim is right on the E-85 thing. I was in fact just talking with my buddies the other day about this. I think E-85 is the wave of the future in the US (hopefully the stock market does also :Brow: ), and there are some great benefits to it.\ (higher octance, renewable, cost). One of the major problems is that the cars that run it are flex-fuel, and are set up for gas and don't take advantage of the extra octane. I think a big block buick built specifically for e-85 would be outstanding. I for one would read it, and I'd think that would be quite a conversation piece even for those remotely interested in cars. Brett
8.5:1 static CR may be a good starting point. 10:1 static CR can be easily achieved with the readily available off-the-shelf Federal-Mogul L2353F forged pistons.
You wanna se a picture of a Hottie with a gas can in her What ?!?!? ou: Sorry .... couldn't resist ou: o No: :laugh:
Or you could be one of the first to evaluate the new Bulldog iron or aluminum blocks. TA is supposedly planning an aluminum block but may not be ready in time for this particular story.
Heads My first thoughts go along with the general concensus on head comparo's and manifolds vs. headers. My only request is that the aftermarket heads aren't only compared to bone stock heads to make the advertiser's head's numbers (like Edelbrock) look that much better (like head articles usually do). Compare them to a nice set of ported head's like Gessler's (no exotic welding or epoxy) as well as a stock set.
I'd like to see what you can get out of a TA stage 2 track eliminator headed re-cammed stock shortblock with just oiling mods to start with. Design the cam around your low-compression short-block with a high-lift short duration cam designed to run under 6000 RPM. It would fit well with the average car-crafter theme of low-buck stuff. Sure it probably wouldn't last for 50,000 miles, but would be interesting to demonstrate what just heads/cam/intake can do with a stock shortblock. Please use a head other than the E-brock. We already know the flow #'s are lackluster, and if ported, they don't seem to offer any advantage over the other options cost-wise. Besides, Edelbrock can well afford their own R&D program plus mass-marketing much better than their competition in the Buick world.
Pump gas gas only would be nice for most BBB hot rodders (as far as in would guess). Thanx again for doing some Buick stuff.
hey doug any buildup should include info on the basic oil pump mods that should be made to the stock block. if you need pointers, we can refer you to a half dozen good web pages on this.
