D&S Performance Buick 455/462 V8

I thought you already have a dual exhaust on the car? Don't look for work where there is none. On top of that the x-member in the Regal goes diagonal not straight across. Get the G-Force.​

Mike Pesarchick

I'm willing to bet that "THEY" just cut a chunk out of the ORIGINAL crossmember for his car and possibly welded in a "chunk" for support; maybe not. It WAS originally an Olds 307/ 200-4R car. The TH-400 bolted in directly to the same location as the 200-4R mount.
​

 

Hey, Steve and No-Lift. :TU::TU:

The original TH200 cross member was cut for aftermarket duals w/2-1/4 duals BEFORE I bought the Regal. Meineke routed my current 3-inch duals through that cross member. I did the same on my 1st 455 Regal (Scotty built 455).

I spoke to my friend/tranny builder the other day ... he said the Camaro CM is too short length-wise.

He told me to just get a 1968-1970 Chevelle cross member (TH400 equipped) ... they fit directly into G-body vehicles, and has 2 humps for dual exhaust already. He has done it a few times up to this day (his friend's g-body Pontiac in my Youtube video has a Chevelle's TH400 cross member holding up his TH400 with no balance issues/clearance issues at all. :TU:

I found one on Ebay for $90 ... great condition. That $220 aftermarket cross member isn't necessary for my set-up.
I have know about them for years now.


Also, my 4-year old Meineke 3-inch dual exhaust system has crimps in every bend. Also, Meineke did NOT install the 3-inch x-pipe I placed in their hands ... I still have it. I am getting the mandrel bent 3-inch system from Flowmaster for my Birthday. It exits like the 1987 Buick Grand National exhaust does.

My only concern regarding my Buick at this point is ... installing the fuel pressure regulator I bought next week, and see what happens regarding the sometimes engine shut off after coming off the gas pedal after a 3200-rpm tire shock launch.

Johnnylark suggested via phone call, that I check fuel pressure without the relay in the Carter electric 100-gph pump ... to see how much the TA mechanical is pumping :TU:. That's apparently the only issue my Regal has, aside from in need of a wheel alignment ...Thank God.

From day-1, I had planned on getting a true 3-inch mandrel bent exhaust system ... as soon as the car was "running much better and more reliable that before." No worms created here. :TU:

Regarding my dash cluster saga, my girlfriend is getting me the speedometer, vacuum and fuel level gauges for me for CHRISTMAS.



:3gears:

 

I hope the tranny builder mentioned that you will need to weld a bracket on one of the sides of the frame for the Chevelle x-member to work. A straight across x-member will not work without it. The factory Regal x-member goes diagonal side to side and that is why the G-Force goes diagonally. The Chevelle probably does work AFTER you add a support bracket to one side. Look into this before you spend your money. I just modified the factory cross member on my Regal for the dual exhaust. You only have to do one side because the side where the cat. converter was is plenty open.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-1987-G...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

If you have an electric pump and a mechanical pump and the electric pump is off the mechanical pump will have a hard time pulling fuel through it under higher HP use. Pressure may be good at idle/cruise but after you get on it probably will drop too much. I don't know if a quick get on its counts but I would do the pressure test and see what it does. I know on mine under normal conditions it would work fine but under duress such as a fast pass around somebody it would starve the engine. As long as the mechanical pump is pumping decently a good running electric pump will pass plenty of fuel. My Regal ran 11's with nitrous with only a 7 psi Carter electric and Stage 1 factory mechanical. No regulator. Factory 3/8" lines also. Held 5 lbs. no problem all the way down the track. A regulator only holds fuel back, it does not increase fuel flow. If you have too much pressure you need it. If you don't have enough pressure you don't need it. I would worry if you get on it for a stretch and the electric is turned on and the pressure drops below 4 psi. Something is wrong then.

As far as the exhaust goes it seems to me you are just looking to spend money on things that will make little to no difference. I would have to say that dual 3" "kinked" exhaust lands somewhere between mandrel 2.5" and mandrel 3" exhaust. You will never feel the difference on the street doing burnouts or launches. The x-pipe is probably worth some small amount. If you have it have it installed. Nothing you're talking about to the exhaust will make a noticeable seat of the pants change when you're driving around town.

 

Morning, No_Lift. :TU::TU:

Thanks again for valuable info. My buddy JohnnyLark told me the same thing yesterday regarding my current 3-inch kinked exhaust system ... his is same as mine ... and his Skylark ran 11's always/recently at the track. My exhaust x-pipe was never installed by Meineke, and a few guys say all it does is affect exhaust note and helps a bit regarding back pressure. They suggested I save my time and money. I was listening to/believing those Muscle Car/Turbo magazines with their reviews regarding mandrel-bent is way better. I know better now. :grin: Believe me ... I can't afford to spend $$ unnecessarily. My buddy Greg Hearn told me that ... "If it doesn't make your car FASTER or SAFER ... don't buy it."




I was misled regarding MANDREL BENT = faster, but the Chevelle x-member for $90 for better balance/vibration control falls under safety. I currently have the TH200 x-member with slot cut out before I bought the Regal 307. I just left my tranny builder a voice-message asking about the brace welding for use with the Chevelle's x-member in G-body cars. If it's required ... it will cost me nothing because my other buddy owns a iron works shop near my house.

I always had 6-psi of fuel pressure from the Carter electric pump UNTIL the dyno-shop installed the two sleeves (red arrow) for the TA mechanical fuel pump. I always got an immediate drop to 3-psi ONLY when the gas tank was virtually empty. I have not allowed the tank to get less than 1/2 empty since that time over 2 years ago.



Ever since they installed the 2 sleeves on the TA Street Strip Mechanical fuel pump (making it WORK finally) ... I get between 7-11-psi of fuel at random.

The reason for the Carter ... years back, I had to move my Regal from Tyrone's shop driveway ... TA mechanical pump bolt sleeves took @ 5 days to reach my house ... the Carter electric arrived in 24-hours. The dyno shop installed the bolt sleeves a few years after the Carter electric had my Regal running.

How did you modify your x-member on your Regal?


:3gears:

 

I did basically what this guy did but with 1/4" angle iron and a much narrower cut out area. Only about 5" across. Right where the header/exhaust had to go through. This is the x-member that goes with the T350 like mine was and the cut out area sits diagonal from side to side so the opening actually is diagonal to the crossmember. Not straight like they did in this picture. A 200R4 crossmember would go fairly straight across where the cutout needs to be made.

 

Thanks much, No_Lift.

That's exactly how my current "200" x-member is holding up my TH400, with the 3-inch driver side dual exhaust routed through it. It missed the TA Long Header collector by a few inches easily.



So this is GOOD, correct?

 

I never answered and yes Buick Power is my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8P51HmBYsjIy2oO-9Z0C7g?view_as=public

A couple of things though. In October I changed out my 290-08HL cam to a Howards cam that is slightly bigger in specs and is on a tighter 108* lobe center. Boy does it work great and my power brakes are still working OK. Not too good when cold but when it warms up they work fine. I have as yet to install a remote vacuum canister. I already have 4.10 gears in the back. The 2.73's were only for the Texas Mile.

I finally got around to loading up some more videos and here's a couple. Two of my car getting a little air under the tire and setting new personal bests just the other day at Cecil County in some outstandingly good air. Notice in both runs I'm having a hard time staying hooked up. The other two are of my friend Charlie's '78 Regal 455 at the Buick East Coast Regionals also at Cecil but in mediocre September air. That's him driving it and he's 75 so he has decided to sell it and it is a real steal for somebody looking to build/buy one. There is an ad for it on the board plus I decided to start a new thread right here in the Regal section. Something to get the juices going. Notice how even when you are at the track and have a well set up combination ET's can vary noticeably when things aren't just right so you can imagine what you are up against checking things out on the street.

https://youtu.be/W3zxwLcJQWw

https://youtu.be/MYlJC5Yhksw

https://youtu.be/webaoNhSQ_M

https://youtu.be/cAM1VrU3OUs

 

... guess who I met today?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4ZgYZVF62E


:TU:

 

Hey, No_Lift. :TU::TU:

Thanks much for the info ... annnd the VIDEOS.

I added them to my Facebook page.



:3gears:

 

... what's the compression of the 455 in the Regal, and what gears does it have out back? That thing took off like a rocket.

:3gears:

 

... LOW-11's for your Century; VERY nice indeed! :TU::TU: Tire-pull was SWEET! What do you have for rear traction assist?
...

 

... regarding the Regal; this guy on Facebook asked, "Gerald Starks Is this Charlie Klaugers old car?"

o No:

 

... here's Larry "The Wizard" at the track;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHCda-t_Jls



:3gears:

 

... my new custom dash cluster plans;







My Christmas gift; wasn't supposed to open till Christmas Day ... JohnnyLark convinced me to open the Summit box and check them out. LOL


I plan on retaining factory turn signal indicators.



I can't cut this circuit board if I want the factory turn signal indicators.


Notice how much higher the Autometer's speedo-cable port is in comparison to the factory hole in the dash cluster back/bezel?



To use the factory opening in the bezel to be used with the Autometer speedometer, I need to install it protruding @ 2-1/2 inches out from factory dash cluster frame/cover. I will also need to cut out small areas where the yellow arrows point.

The plastic tabs need to be cut/removed from the (light blue) dash cluster's bezel in order for a perfect fit.



This way, when completed ... factory turn signal indicators will be retained, as most of the factory dash cluster's face plate assembly.
Special thanks to JohnnyLark for his time/text photos/input in helping me get this idea to work.

:TU:

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016.

:3gears:

 

Happy New Year to you & yours too.... been a while since I have been looking around here....

 

For Sale;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3VYm8jRhys


:3gears:

 

... plexiglass base plate for my custom dash gauge cluster is done; it gets covered in blue carbon fiber adhesive to match Regal's interior on Tuesday.




I ordered the new fuel level sending unit yesterday after getting the plexiglass from Home Depot, and in @ 2 weeks time, I will order new fuel tank w/straps, and speedometer cable. Then Ralph gets the Buick. My new adjustable fuel pressure regulator will finally be installed at that time as well.

I also asked Ralph to install my A/C delete box w/heater blower relocation port ... and new heater core ... FINALLY. ray:

Then ... "TRACK-DUTY."
:3gears:

 

Looks like a really nice dash unit and should compliment your interior nicely. One thought and a suggestion I might have. I guess you have either A-pillar or under-dash gauges for your other functions like Oil pressure, water temp, battery, fuel pressure, etc. I'm wondering why you chose to put the vacuum gauge next to the speedo? It's not nearly as important while driving as some of the other functions so, why not put one of those other gauges next to the speedo where it's right in your field of view while driving? My choice would be either the fuel pressure or coolant temp gauge. Just a thought. Good luck with the rest of the project.

 

Thanks much. It's been 5 years since the A-pillar housed my oil pressure and coolant temp gauges ... not going to bother relocating them (I'm a lefty I feel comfortable seeing them on my left ... better for my viewing). My fuel pressure gauge on the hood is not the isolator type; not recommended for inside vehicle use. I got the vacuum gauge because of issues regarding my power brake vacuum.

It's too late for me to start changing things around now.
Thanks much for your advice.

:TU::TU: