for Buick small block LOVERS let the flaming begin.

My Heavy 73 Regal is a very surprising street car. 350, 30 over. 9.6cr, Comp Cams 268H, stock 73 heads very light porting, Poston Intake, Q-Jet 800cfm, Hooker Super Comps, TH350 w/shift kit ($300.00 rebuild) 2,500 converter, 3.42 gears. I have no idea what it would dyno and really dont care. On the street, light to light it continues to surprise a lot of people. It's not the fastest car out there, but it does work very well for a heavy car, 350cid. And there's no shame at all with my Regal. As far as the dollar amount invested in the drivetrain....it's about $4,000.00.

 

It's a vacuum secondary, yes there opening, no idea what the cams installed it. It's just strange, when you say lucky to hit 15's, and I'm thinking the same thing, but I've seen guys on here with stock 2 barrel 350's in the 70's body style which is a little heavier, with 2.9 something and 3.08 gears without a posi go low 15's. I'm just trying to figure out whats so messed up with my motor/car/trans that it would be this gutless as it is. I'm just trying to get it to perform how it should, I shouldn't have to spend any more money on it.

 

The low comp 350's run like crap(they like compression) and Im guessing your putting out in the low 200's at the flywheel. Ive helped somebody else in the same situation as you. He had a low comp 350 TA intake,headers, holley 650, slight head work, 3:55 posi. It sucked ass and pulled 16's.
First we had to put alot more timing than everybody says you need with a buick. A msd worked wonders also. The carb needed the lightest vac spring to work right. The plenum divider needed to be cut a inch. The cam timing was way off (you need to check it). The heads needed to be cut and pushrods made( now thier is the guy making sbc rockers work). Be carefull of the stock flexplate on the 350. They break pretty easy.
If you dont have the money for a new cam or dont want to, buy a NOS kit and throw it on there. If it blow later down the road you can use the kit on a new motor. Its the best bang for the buck.
I went thru 3 350's before I went big block and 4 big blocks since.

 

Also when we milled the heads we found a thin head gasket to help up the comp.

 

This has been an interesting thread.
To sum it up, we have a stock rebuilt low compression engine, put together by an unknown builder that has multiple gaskets that he didn't get to seal so we could assume that he was no engine builder. Unknown cam, unknown pistons, throw some headers and an intake with a too small carb on it and mate it up to a shot transmission and it won't eat up tires?
I just can't imagine why this car isn't running 11's?

Shop craigslist and find a tranny and I'll bet it performs well enough for you to be willing to get a bigger carb for it. You aren't planning on keeping that carb anyway? Sell it while you can still call it new instead of waiting until you build the 455. If your plan is to sell the 350 setup when you have the big block ready you will get better money for it if you can take someone for an impressive ride than you will with it performing the way that it is.

 

Ya, I think I might start disecting this interesting specimen this winter, I don't want to sink oodles of money into it since im building the big block as I go but I wouldn't mind getting it to run half decent, I think I might invest in one of those TCI TH400's, pretty good deal on summit, and I need it for the BB anyway. Might consider some used high comp pistons, w'ell see. Thanks for the advice guys. I think I might stick with the holley on the 350 for now because I'm going to have a q jet built for my BB which won't be cheap, so getting two of them done wouldn't be great for my pocket book.

 

forget about the tc1 transmissions
if you want somthing that's built to last and had an awsome warrenty check out
http://www.trishieldperf.com/transmissions.htm

 

Indeed screw the tci tranny why not rebuild the Th350??I did mine last winter only about 500 for parts or soo.Just a thought.

 

Instead of buying the tranny. Go to the junk yard or paper. Buy a 455 and th400 and be done with it. I bought my first BBB setup that way for $400 bux out of a wrecked GS. Even worn out it was better money spent and faster for cheaper. Think of the money you can make off of the SBB stuff you have. You would problably be money ahead.
I say this because I dont think you have SBB in your head.:TU:

 

I know someones already said this but if you want to get rid of those headers around november i'll buy them from you. also, i wouldnt quite give up on your sbb. my car as you can see from my sig is mainly stock aside from a smaller carb than yours, 2bbl, and a crappy elec. fuel pump, it runs 15.2 and is a wonderous street car. very good and drops alot of jaws. there has to be something somewhere seriously long with your car. i can spin the tires off this thing for a long time without even power braking. the other night i staged it at a red light at about 1.2k rpms, green light, launched the sucker and fishtailed it for about 20 ft... non posi. i would check more so with convertor/ tranny/ rearend before blaming the engine like others have said. ive been through tons of ups and downs with mine so far, and im going to stick with my 350 for a long time, if i do buy a 455 it will be going in another car! im just waiting on enough time off/money to pay a shop for labor, and also fixing some suspension probs on mine before i throw my poston gs 114 cam in, holley 650 DP (i want to go with a 750 holley, or qjet), 4 bbl intake of course (stock) mild street/strip porting to the heads, headers, and 3 inch x pipe. be looking at 13's hopefully. 13.9. didnt mean to ramble! i might even bump up to a high comp pistons. speaking of i found out i have a 70' 350 out of a le'sabre.


- goodluck,
mike

 

Just to clarify I've already got a 455 that i'm starting to build up, and I have a line on a BUILT TH350 that will take 650 LB FT of torque from a guy on this site, which would be cool because I wouldn't even need a shorter driveshaft, the trans would just bolt in. The 455 project is going to take me a long time, so I'm gonna have some time to tinker with the 350.

 

I would get that th350, as it is already built to handle the BBB, I'm assuming it has a BOP bolt pattern, and the weight of the internals (and the overall trans weight) are less than the TH400= faster ET's


ANNND take all the other advice that you have received so far

 

All I do is put in a 100 shot of nitrous or so and I can keep up with those 455s. Beat a few of them also.:TU:

 

You haven't dialed in the 350, give it a chance. You will have to dial in your 455 also.

 

mmmmm. i dunno.ive built a lot of different engines, sbc, pontiac 400s a olds 455. an now a 350 buick. i think im pretty good with cars. im 38, been goofin with this stuff for a while. but ive had more issues tuning this motor than ever. this things KILLING me! i know its a big car, but crap! im having a hard time getting around a v6 GP!! got killer comp, 10.5 heads decked, mild port work, 268h comps cam, lifters springs,300.00 in a carb, 300.00+ in hedders an exhaust, gears, converter good ignition conversion, holley blue pump, an STILL cant hit 14s this yr. played with the timing so much, my eyes crossed!! car runs great!! just not fast!! think in on selling it, complete. top to bottom. less than 10,000 on it. shoot, id take a 1000.00. time for cubic inches, if i can get it figured out. im done, myself. last ditch effort is sept 19th, no E.T. at milan dragway. 2nd time this yr. 14s or bust. im sellin!!:rant: :rant:
8

 

Car weighs some where around 2+ tons with the driver I imagine. You are pumping probably 275-300 HP at the wheels. You wont get any better than 13.999 at 0 altitude with the wind behind you. I don't care what powerplant it is, it comes down to power to weight ratio. 300 HP can only get you so far pushing 2 tons! If you want a SBB to crack the 12 you will have to find a fiberglass shell or something real light (opel) to put it in. Just like the Nailheads, 400-450 HP is the best you will get with a N.A. motor and thats spending $$$$. I dont see a SBB out performing those numbers with out a power adder and being streetable. Seems like many guys here are comparing their 4000# cars with small blocks to a rustang w/ a 302. You are giving 750-1000# depending on set up with the same HP numbers. Of course you are going to be slower. .10 for every 100# give or take
What did that 73' run stock I'm guessing 16-17's. You are running 14's. You are way ahead of the game. You want to crack into the 12's, 3 words. . . Burton Turbo Kit. Im not chastizing you just being realistic. I chased the speed demon with my nailhead till I realized if you want to go real fast you get a BBB:TU:

 

You need at least a 373 gear to get the big car moving first. Then you use a 3500 stall convertor. I got my best 60fts with this. Then you ditch the 268 cam. I had this one ran a 14.95 with it on old motor with no mods just headers 8.5 comp. Get the GSCA Popular Mechanics cam or one that is equivalent in the Lunati cam series and that car will run in the 13's. if you have a Holley 750 on it with the TA intake a 100 shot of nitrous will knock off at least a second off your times. Yes the 455 will get you to this point easily but the 455 will use a lot more gas just to operate on your street cruises. This was why at the time I did mine I stayed with the 350. I like to cruise a lot, A lot! The 350 is a strong motor use it to your advantage. If you like to bracket race it doesn't mater what your times are the only thing that matters is that it is consistant. Mine will run within one tenth all day long.

 

That's a pretty badass cam for a cruiser. Nice!

 

I agree with you and you have run proven combo's.This is my take on ET's i always want to run quicker to me that's what drag racing is.Bracket racing is alot of fun to go rounds but i don't go many rounds usually.My car would hook more often if i took power, converter & gear out of it but i like the rush of acceleration.We have to run on bracket system or the guy with the most $ will usually win if he doesn't break cause they would be so much quicker.So I goal race and my goal was to run 10.30's on pump gas.
Jamie

 

i hear you guys. i DID have a 3500 stall in it, an was WAY too much for the street. crap, i shift at 5000 solid. i got 3.42s in it got a nice 2800 stall now. MUCH more streetable. dont get hot, nice on the e-way. all in looking for is a consistant 14 sec pass. idk if its 14.90s. car leaves GREAT! im either next to or in front of who im playing with. then pppfffffttt. second gear is a POOCH. sure it pulls, front end is up, but they pull a bit harder.12s?? hahahaha not in this car, unless a juice the crud outta it, an then BOOM. rather sell it. like i said, aug 19th is the day of reckoning. its been a good running engine, for sure, just not consistant. i dont take it to the track a whole lot, but im out every weekend, and i like to play around. do have a question about plugs. im running r 42s i believe. may be a hotter plug before the track???