Just wanted to drop a line, I am a new guy from Michigan. My friends and I are trying to put this together for less than 1500.00 and get it to run 13s. I have an early 80's malibu wagon that is getting a buick heart. I found a 68 electra that ran well, but had a rusted/wrecked frame. It is a 430-4 that runs well. Looking for any tips or cheap mods to help our quarter mile quest. Thanks Jeremiah
Cut as much weight out of the wagon as possible. make sure you have a posi rear and drag radials or slicks. Theres lots of suspension mods that can be done on the cheap or for free. 1500.00 is pretty tight budgit. I set out to go 12's for 2500.00 or less and was a 1000.00 over by the time I made it there due to Trans/ converter issues. Search the board, theres plenty of info here. and Welcome from Florida! I grew up in the Jackson Mi. area.
Could be done, but as stated, cut all the extra weight you can. And when talking about a wagon, youre already behind the 8ball. That doesnt mean it cant happen, but it wont be as easy as a motor swap and ripping out the back seats. Good luck and have fun while doing it. Should be cool when your done no matter what th 1/4 mile times are. And pi$$ them Chevy boys off too when you pop the hood. :Brow:
Here is the list of stuff I have done and accumulated to help the build. I have boxed the upper and lower control arms, one rear air bag, manual steering box, no ac/heater box, drive shaft loop, 2.25 dual exhaust, 29x9 slicks. Im not sure if the slicks are going to fit the build up yet, or really if I can stuff them in the back of the wagon with out rubbing. I believe that the car has an open 3.23 rear gears. What do you think the car would run with the stock 430 setup? My friend had the wagon set up with small block chevy and it weighed around 3200lbs. The car is a stripper model. It only has one mirror, bench seat, manual windows(fronts only-rear are fixed factory).This is the buick I am taking the engine from. I have learned you can't save em all. It has a rusted out frame.
You can sell some of that car's parts and pad your budget,I'll bet somebody needs that front emblem.Good luck with the wagon,sounds like a fun build.
I was just reading the timing sticky before I went to bed. Looked like a great start to getting the 430 tip-top. -462 Chevelle It is funny that you brought nitrous up. I have been looking at a basic sniper nitrous kit. I have never had nitrous on a car. My group of car buddies are all interested in trying out a basic kit. I came from fuel injected & turbo back ground. Im not sure about putting nitrous on a good running stock 40 plus year old engine. The 430 seems sound, I have read about not being afraid of 100 horse kits on stock big blocks. Any one have experience with a small kit on a stock bbb? If its not fast it should at least do good burn outs? What gear/convertor would you guys run? Thanks I will keep reading trying to educated myself on what makes these buicks go.
I run cast pistons stock rods stock bolts not balanced oil holes on crank chamfered no oil mods with a 100 shot the only problem I have had is thrust bearing and trans problems neither of which is nitrous related just from running it with stock trans and driving to hard all the time.
The 430 will have oiling problems that will cost you the engine if you run it bone stock.... you have to open the oil passages up to 5/8 '' and modify the pick up tube assembly and the oil pump and the timing gear cover.... be double sure you do your homework about the oiling system or the engine will grenade.... and use zddp in the oil without fail.... and build it to stock buick clearances and then ''break it in'' do not build it loose like you would a Chevy or Ford...... also do not, do not , boost the compression ratio.... the big block engines only have 4 head bolts per cyl... and are prone to popping headgaskets....the old nailheads had 5 bolts per cyl.... the crank is massive and the mains are 2 bolts but also massive,,,, if everything is right , all you need is 2 bolts... if it aint right 4 bolts aint gonna keep it together.... :Brow: Glad you are here.....:laugh:
Are the oiling issues/timing chain required on a stock swap without nitrous? We hoped this project is more of a cut and paste job, we are looking at just dropping it in as-is at first. We figured with a traction and maybe a few tricks/cam or juice 13s would be possible. I hope i didn't over estimate its potential or amount of work:idea2:. I have a habit of doing that-12 second turbo omni bad idea for dragracing! Although they are so much fun to race others with. I have been busy trying to read as much as I can about the buick quirks. I am trying to find some one that needs old electra parts to offset the wagon build, just haven't found them yet. Thanks again
Forgot the 430 had .5 oil passage you will still maybe be ok using a high gear set like a 308 so your rpms will stay down keep them under 5000
So if i keep it under 5k and drive it like it is still in the electra it should last? With the stock cam it should run out of steam way before that I would imagine? Might have to rethink this plan. I figured it would need about 300 horse to get it to run high 13s at 3400lbs? I figure traction wont be that much of an issue with the suspension mods I have done? If I use this formula to have a good gear with the tall 29inch slicks and keep it under 5k it looks like a 4.10 gear would be a good place to start. I used this formula:RPM = MPH x Gear Ratio x 336 / Tire Diameter RPM = 99 x 3.23 x 336 / 29 RPM = 3705 rpm =99x3.42x336/29 rpm = 3923 rpm= 99x 3.73 x 336/29 rpm 4278 rpm=99x4.10x336/29 rpm 4703 I wonder how it would react to so much gear with a stock convertor? Probably not well I know. What does the power band of a stock 430 look like? My initial low rpm big block mild gear combo seemed like a good idea at the time. I know cars are all about proper combination and tune. I figured that I could 95-99mph out of it with a light car- no ps ac. What would you guys mod in order to use the 430 and go 13s? I am open to suggestions, what did it take for your cars to go that quick? Thanks
The more gear you have the lower your true stall will be . The nitrous will add at least 600 rs to that equation then add converter slip and 4.10s way to much go with a 3.2 or higher gear with the 430 the nitrous will get you moving just fine. I ran 12.8s at 104 with a 9 to 1 stock eft headed 219/226 cam docs dual plane mod stock intake hooker wrap around headers q jet 4 hole spacer 2500 stall 3.73s 28x10 tire 4800 trap rpm no nitrous 3400 lbs. with nitrous best pass is 12.0 113 with a broke converer and smoked trans with no traction
From 1970 or so , the big blocks had the big oil passages,,, but before that you had to do it your self... not that hard to do.... I built a 69 430 to stage 2 specs and it held up in the bottom end.... but it would pop head gaskets if I got on it hard.... but I had 12 to 1 compression:laugh:.... if you do the oil mods, have a good cooling system, and get a good tach and redline at a reasonable figure,,, it should do allright .... I am a nailhead man but there are a lot of guys out there running the big blocks....
So from what have read and Docs advice I should mod the oil system. Guess I will have to paint it now and make it look like it isn't headed for the scrap pile. 462 Chevelle: Did you ever run it with a stock cam? How did it respond when you swapped it? How well does your car 60ft? So how does this sound: oil modded- stock 430 stock th400 323 gears posi 29 slicks 3400lbs air bag/boxed control arms 100 shot & pray for the stock pistons? My buddies are telling me to put it in stock, run it, then spray it- then pick up the pieces and put something else in it. Just a good science project
