New TA 455 Aluminum Block, What's up!

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by TA Perf, Jun 6, 2006.

  1. gsjohnny1

    gsjohnny1 Well-Known Member

    mike,

    some get upset about me asking when, but since you said it, i didnt, when can we expect the 350 parts and what are they?

    john
     
  2. stagetwo65

    stagetwo65 Wheelie King

    You'll take what he gives you, when he gives it to you, and you'll like it. Now, give him room to work, he's got important 455 stuff to do! After all, WE were here first! :bla: Man, I've been waiting a LONG time to say that to you, oh heavenly founder of the buick movement! :laugh:
     
  3. Kerry s.

    Kerry s. Is Jesus YOUR Lord?

    BRAVO MIKE!!!

    I applaud ALL of TA's efforts in bringing the best Buick aftermarket products to us! I have ALWAYS been satisfied with TA's products and friendly service. I have been a customer practically since Mike opened the doors of TA and have, over the years, purchased many things including (3) sets of STG3 heads (one set of which is still "floating around" out there thanks to the thief or thieves responsible :af: ), a pair of STG2SE's and a pair of STG1SE's not to mention many other "necessities".:Brow: Hopefully my health does not continue to keep me on the side-lines and I will be able to step up and purchase one. Mike KNOWS if I can....I WILL!:TU:

    Everyone....do not forget that TA generously offers an interest-free Layaway Plan for such BIG purchases!!!:bla:

    EZ Payment Layaway Plan
    TA Performance will help you purchase the parts that you need, but maybe cannot afford to purchase all at one time. We will allow you to make interest free payments against one or more items until the part(s) are paid for, or you are ready to have us ship the item(s) for the remaining balance. This program has worked out great for many of our customers wanting to purchase items like our cylinder heads, block girdle or engine assemblies. We will set aside the ordered part(s) in your name upon receipt of your first payment. If for some reason the part(s) are out of stock at that time, you will be guaranteed an item from the next re-order/production run. Layaway orders must be completed within 12 months. If you decide to cancel after one or more payments, a re-stocking fee will NOT be applied towards normally inventoried items. However, special ordered items will be subject to a re-stocking fee as a minimum.

    Please note that on sale items and special promotion priced items are not eligible for the Layaway program.
     
  4. gsjohnny1

    gsjohnny1 Well-Known Member

    455........must be the weight of a 350...no..... could be my house address......no........tire size on my tractor.......no.........must be something i dont know about........wonder what it could......:laugh:
     
  5. Kerry s.

    Kerry s. Is Jesus YOUR Lord?

    Mike....I realize I'm a little late to this party but one thought has come to mind....Are you thinking or leaning towards casting the blocks from the 355-T6 alloy instead of 356-T6??? :Do No:

    DART aluminum blocks are made exclusively of the 355-T6 material...

    355-T6 aluminum provides 50 degrees more heat resistance and 5,000 psi more tensile strength than the more commonly used 356 alloy. It is denser and offers greater consistency because it contains no remelted scrap. No threaded inserts are required due to the inherent strength of the material.


    PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.....:TU:
     
  6. JEFF STRUBE

    JEFF STRUBE Well-Known Member

    The one Piece rear main is a bad idea. When you have to Line Hone the Block
    the crank movies up in the Block and the rear main wants to Leak with a
    one Piece rear Main seal. We have seen it on Fords and Chevys

    Buick Motorsport Stage 2 v6 blocks use chevy 2 piece rear main seals
     
  7. alan

    alan High-tech Dinosaur

    That sounds like a good thing!



    I saw an ad where someone offers a kit to replace the late model chevy 1 piece rear seals with the old style two piece. Doesn't the crank need to be different also? :Do No:
     
  8. 462bbbcamaro

    462bbbcamaro Well-Known Member

    You are absolutely right. The people who are chomping at the bit right now for a new aluminum block are the diehard race guys like yourself who are ready to plunk down big money. I just built a whole car from scratch all mechanicals from the motor to the Moser rear, glass fenders & hood & paint etc., etc. I don't have money left this year for a block so that means I have no right to say anything at all I guess. I'm not trying to voice my little, insignifigant opinion. I'm not trying to argue with anyone and I don't think anyone else here is either. You couldn't be more right that there are far more dreamers (right now myself included) here than the 30 or so racers ready to plunk down cash. Origional blocks are rapidly drying up and the market is changing and I just want TA to be around in the future just as much as everyone else does. All I really wanted to do was just comment on the cost to manufacture sbc parts post not being relevant to this thread. The poll thing was just for curiosity, Mike is smart enough to know whats real and what isn't.
    I wonder, how many good aluminum street heads does TA sell vs. killer race heads? Again, being curious NOT an opinion.
     
  9. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    Killer Race Heads at this point will just accelerate the destruction of a stock block so that is tough to answer.......
    You can't put enough cam in one of these factory blocks to take advantage of Killer heads w/o knocking a lifter bore out.
     
  10. Buick

    Buick Ramin Ansari

    I'm guessing Mike T. will know who to listen to based on who's big-time, or a present or future potential customer. I don't think it should mean that the slower and/or "poorer" guys shouldn't chime in here. Everyone started with a slow car at some point and were smart enough or rich enough to step up. Hopefully this won't close the door on Mike's "survey".
     
  11. gymracer01

    gymracer01 Well-Known Member

    Gary has hit the nail right on the head. Yes we need killer heads, but they are no good now, I can't use the heads I have because I want to keep the bottom end together. I don't have much cam because I have already lost one block from breaking a lifter bore. I run index classes, and only run the engine hard enough to run the index. I would like to run a second faster and could easily step my stuff up to do it a few rounds, but I can't afford to spend the money I do traveling all over the country to race and be building engines every other race. Yes, I think Mike or anyone else that has been around Buicks knows what it will take to make a successful block for us. There is some different ways to go about it, but if the block is any good at all, it will get me where I want to go. So, thanks Mike for doing anything that will help.
    JIm N.
     
  12. stagetwo65

    stagetwo65 Wheelie King

    If any of you guys take offence to what I said, maybe you see yourself in my remarks. I don't know. If you're planning (not dreaming) on buying a block at some point, then obviously your opinion would count for something. As for dreamers, please explain why Mike should grab his pencil and write down the thoughts of someone who's not going to buy the product. I don't think I'm more important or better than anyone (ask anyone who knows me!), it's just that this whole "Buick racing hobby/lifestyle" is what I concentrate most of my life around. No house, no wife, no kids, no dog. Don't want 'em, don't need 'em. When I come home from a Buick event, I start looking forward to the next one! As far as dumping all the available funds (and then some) into the car and having nothing left over, it could just as easily be me you're referring to, rather than yourself. Since you seem to be planning on buying a block when money allows, why label yourself a dreamer? I'd call you a customer! I don't have the money for a block either, but when it comes out, I'll sell a kidney if I have to! I just know I'll get one, somehow!
    I stand by what I said. If a guy's not gonna buy a block, why should he have input? Why would he even feel he should?
     
  13. Doug
    do you think that if Mike only sells 30-40 blocks to the diehard racers such as yourself that he will even begin to cover the costs involved in this project? I don't. it makes perfect sense to me to make a block that appeals to as wide a market as possible and not limit your potential customers to strictly racers.. i for one would gladly buy a block instead of bandaiding a stock iron block just for the lightweight factor and peace of mind.
     
  14. TA Perf

    TA Perf Member

    Come on guys, I don't mind hearing from anyone of you. At least I know there's interest. I hope projects like this bring new life and excitement to the Buick world and yes I hope it creates dreams. Without dreams we have nothing.
     
  15. stagetwo65

    stagetwo65 Wheelie King

    I never said anything about who should be buying a block and who shouldn't. I don't want anything exotic. I want it to accept all the stock internal components as well as cylinder heads. I want the market to be as wide as possible. I want everyone to buy one! Street cars, race cars, show cars, daily drivers, whatever cars! All I said was, if you're not buying one, why comment! :Do No:
     
  16. stagetwo65

    stagetwo65 Wheelie King

    Who asked you? :laugh: Now get back to work building us a block! :laugh: And when you're done with that, get your wagon back together and come out and race with us, like you used to! :spank:
     
  17. 70ApolloStaged

    70ApolloStaged Well-Known Member

    Hi,guys. Although I'm not a noted Buick racer or even known in the Buick community outside our local area, I do have a thought or two pertaining about the new block.

    First: I build boosted and nitrous motors. I've had a Stage1 in my garage for 25 years. My "not for sale. Period" 70 Stage1 has been in my garage since 1987, so I've been a Buick man for a long time. I've also owned and currently do own a Turbo Regal. The 455 is my weapon of choice despite the liabilities of the bottom end.

    There have been several guys post "How many people really build 1000 plus HP engines anyway?" My answer would be: "You'd be surprised. There not Buicks though." All the engines and cars we do are street cars. Stupid fast ones, but they are fully streetable. I do a ton of Chevys(kinda my bread and butter for making money) and to be truthful with todays technology in turbo, nitrous and supercharging it is ridiculously EASY to crank out a grand worth of HP. A perfect example would be a 91 Camaro I put together for my little brother. A regularly driven car that sees in excess of 4500 miles a year cruising the street and track. It's a stroker 427 smallblock Chevy. Uses off the shelf standard 23 degree aluminum heads, a mild solid roller cam, 4 barrel manifold converted to EFI and has a pair of turbos on it. This car made 725hp to the wheels and 740 lb/ft of torque at only 10 psi on Amoco 91 octane. The driveline was eating 26% of the power we were making due to dynoing on soft sidewall stickies and having an overdrive trans. This motor at 26 psi makes 1500 odd hp at the crank(wheel numbers to come soon). Yes, it has an aftermarket Bowtie block, bulletproof rotating assembly etc. But the point I'm making is that this motor doesn't use exotic custom componentry short of the custom turbo stuff I had to fab. The motor is a normal configuration SBC. If the Buick community wants to step up and be taken seriously when compared to other brands in the performance arena, street and track, then we need to set our goals a little higher. With the problem areas of the 455 adressed, we could easily build "street" engines on the level playing field the brand X'ers are almost taking for granted these days.

    We should be asking the T/A guys to address the problem areas and make the block configurable for all levels but make it hold the HP. Like 2000 plus HP reliably with forced induction. If it can hold this kind of power then we could have an engine to go play with the NMCA type "street legal" racing cars that are so popular now. I know I want to go and "get some" and try to promote Buick at more than a Saturday night local bracket race and I try. My current car is a nitrous sniffing 462 and I expect to go 8's on pump gas soon. I want to go faster but I'm pretty certain my 10.75 to 1 street motor will grenade if I lean on it any harder. In todays world we don't need a bunch of exotic stuff to go fast unless you just have to do it N/A. The only people around here that stay N/A to go fast are the guy's who have to. I think their is an untapped resource in the serious "street" performance arena for the gang at T/A if they keep the block simple and don't "overengineer it" because of some die hard racers' dream list. There are some very fast Buicks out there using a ratty old production block. Seems to me the parts are mostly there, other than a really big numbers head, except for a foundation for said parts.

    I say in the beginning give us a block that will accept what guts we have now and stay together doing it. Heck, with a stronger main area most of the marginal reliability setups out there will last longer since the block won't be moving around under the parts.
    Add options to drill for Chevy or Ford roller lifters.
    Roller cam bearings(50mm is fine).
    Wet or Dry oiling.
    Big bores.
    Big strokes
    More headbolts
    Then call it a day.

    Later on, let guys buy "as cast" blocks and do the custom machining they want for the exotic combos certain guys are gonna want to build. I bet I'm not in the minority on this when I say I've already started planning my next combo based on this block. Since it'll be turbo'd, I won't need stratospheric RPM, which will allow me to do without all the exotic valvetrain componentry. Lower RPM will also allow me to "get away" with a heavier crank and rods for durability. Shoot, I can even get away with a bigger main diameter since the thing doesn't need to spin past 6800 so I can buy someones old "outdated" big journal Moldex. :Brow: But at 550 cid, two 80mm hairdriers, EFI and an intercooler, I'd eat my hat if it doesn't make 2000hp assuming I can get my Track Eliminators hogged out some more. lol. AND, be a street driven, fairly tame beasty on low boost, comparatively.

    My engine is a bit extreme power wise, for most guys, but the bottom end combo is a setup that I'd be willing to bet most guys are leaning towards when they think of a new motor based off of a stronger block.

    Whomever said use the K.I.S.S. principle with this new foundation hit it on the head. I'm with you man.

    PS: I called about this block a year ago and said I wanted one when it came out. I'm still in and will be setting up my layaway plan soon just to prove it ASAP. All I can say is please hurry. Pwetty pwease. I'm just itching to add the power my tube chassis'd streetable car needs under the hood to run 7's. Then it's Dragweek here I come!!!!!
     
  18. buicksstage1

    buicksstage1 Well-Known Member

    The excitement is in the air:Brow: If you have had the luxury of remembering or being involve with Buicks when Mike first came out with the sp1 or the first set of aluminum heads just to mention a couple of many huge improvments for buick folks then you will know that Mikes heart is in this project. The TA block will open alot of doors for many of us, Thanks TA performance for coming through again:TU: Chris
     
  19. quicksabre

    quicksabre Well-Known Member

    This block needs to be more than just a beefed up stock replacement block. That's exactly what the main girdle,etc is already out there for. This is my opinion, but it should be designed for a whole new level of horsepower, beyond what all the current bandaids allow for. As 70ApolloStaged said, 1000hp is getting quite easy to make with today's availability of computer management and forced, intercooled induction- as long as the engine can tolerate it. Many people want really, really fast street cars. This is in addition to those wanting to make even more reliable horsepower the traditional way with high flow and high RPM using killer heads that may or may not even exist yet. I would have liked to see the deep skirt bottom end, but I do realize how that starts a chain reaction of other changes. The timing chain cover would really need revised to eliminate its angled pan rail(to look like 350) even though it seems to have enough overall vertical height as it is. I don't mind that a special oil pan would be needed.
    If it ends up being more of a heavy duty replacement block, I'll still buy one because in that case you would still be able to install the bandaids to it and possibly make it even stronger. If it ends up being rated for that next level of horsepower, which is becoming quite common these days, I will definitely buy one and maybe two.
    I think someone said earlier in this thread that there had to be people out there planning future combos around this block. I am one of them. It started out as a daydream. But that combo depends on whether it is a 1000HP block, or 1500plus. My target platform is a 5000 lb fullsize.
     
  20. d7cook

    d7cook Guest

    What about a cast iron block. Chrysler sells a siamese bore cast iron block good for 4.5 bore and 4.5 stroke beefed up in all the right areas. They sell everyone they make for around $2500. Indy Cylinder Head makes an aluminum block for $5000 and they don't sell too many. My point is that making a cast iron block for half the price may mean 10 times as many are sold. It seems like the next logical step on the ladder to take.
     

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