Hey guys I'm still scratching my head to what to do to this thing, I'm just frustrated with the costs of everything, I was looking through a mag and saw a set of alum heads for a sbc for 875 bucks. I can't pull my heads and get'em ported for that!:rant: So put it this way... What would you do... You have a semi-stock Buick Skylark, roughly 3600lbs. Open 2.56 Highway gears Th-350 Trans+Shift kit Cast Iron Intake+4BBL 73 Smog motor, so its what 8.5:1(pshhh, darn eco freaks.) So you need somewhere around 350 HP to the wheels to get into what about 13.3-12.9 range? I want this on motor, no power adder... I just want a stock mustang killer... So what do I need to do?
I want this on motor, no power adder... I just want a stock mustang killer... sorry, if you've got no patience NOS would be the way to go. lord knows the block can take it.
Yeah It's a shame that the Sbc's get all the cool stuff. I'm building an Olds motor instead. My Buick 350 is just gonna rot until T/A develops some killer heads. Guinea pig discount???ray: :Brow:
But then again, Nitrous may not be a bad idea, I'm just not knowledgeable about nitrous in a daily driver, all these remote bottle openers, bottle warmers, all this new fangled technology. What happened to the the good 'ol days when it was all motor. But anyway, I'd need an exhaust upgrade before that but, that'd be do able. I just don't want to get in a street scrimage, with a lowly modded 4-banger, or a 4.6 DOHC mustang gt, and get embarrassed. I've been able to keep my foot out of it, but I know one day its gonna happen.. P.S. Looking for good used 350 parts.!
Start with the things that will need improved regardless of what you do to the motor. Go with a good exhaust system (headers back). A 2.5" mandrel system with an X-pipe would be the way to go. The headers cost more than a SBC, but everything behind them is the same regardless of what you use. Get the rear rebuilt with a limited slip and some decent gears. I'd go something like a 3.42. Rears cost the same regardless of what motor you use, and the Buick 8.5" has bolt-in axles. A mild stall converter that will work with the rear, your current motor build, and something you'd do in the future. Something that stalls in the low 2000's would be good and you could still drive it on the street (but do this after the gears). None of those things, except for the headers, are Buick-specific in cost and they'll benefit you regardless of what you do to your motor down the road.
I don't have headers on it yet, but is this overboard for a header back exhaust? Seems a little expensive. or is that about what I should expect? http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MPE%2D16610&N=700+4294908256+4294840140+4294890854+4294923429+115&autoview=sku
Chase, you might not be able to pull your heads and send them off to get them ported for $875, but you can certainly do it yourself for much less than that! Read the head porting article (several times over) by Jim Burek found elsewhere in this SBB forum, get the tools, and go for it! With some elbow grease, some good flowing exhaust and good drivetrain components (converter, LSD, gears), you can get that thing to take out most smack-talking Hemi and 5.0L Mustang owners out there, and you probably won't even have to get into the shortblock.
The price doesn't seem surprising, although I'm trying to figure out how it goes up and over the axle. One issue with exhaust is the cost to ship the systems. They're relatively heavy and bulky. You may want to find out if there are any local shops that can do mandrel bent exhaust systems with x-pipes too - especially if you find someone who has had a nice one done.
Shipping is free at Summit, but there is a $10.95 handling charge. No issue at all! If you can find a local that does mandrel bends go with them. Installing an exhaust system by yourself is hell, and you end up having to take it to a shop to get them to make it fit right anyway.uzzled: That does look like a nice system you found, as long as it fits well, it would be awesome
port heads with big valves, get mark(justa350) to build ya an "x-factor" intake ta 310 cam with 2 degress of advance, X pipe exhaust, 850 carb a 2004r or 700r4 overdrive trans ,3000 stall and 4.10 gears still a streetable car with overdrive
I agree port and SHAVE the heads to help raise compression, put a cam in it, Headers and 2.5" exhaust and get a new posi and gear 3.73 would prolly be best. It will make a huge difference.
My God... Who would have known it would cost this much to get this thing in the 13s W/O nitrous... I can see, that its most likely gonna be headers+exhaust, then nitrous, and then a rebuilt rear
... I'm just afraid I'll overwork it with nitrous on tap. the power level on the nitrous is controlled by design of your kit. you can hold the button down longer but you're not going to get any more than your "200 shot" ( or what have you ) of hp. the only thing you'll get by mashing the nitrous button all the time is a chance to refill your bottle. I can see, that its most likely gonna be headers+exhaust keep in mind that if you go with headers that pretty much precludes going to a turbo later. a super charger would still work good but you'd basically have to throw heads away and start over for a turbo. it doesn't sound like you're going to go that way but it's something to think about. if you go nitrous, make sure your fuel delivery system is running well. clean lines, new filter, etc.
yea but if you go with what your gonna need anyways it will wake up that motor some 3 series gear , the bigger the better 2200 convertor(unless you have picked out a cam that might need more) yes this convertor works well on a stock engine with some tweaks too. dual exhaust distributer recurve and bump timing up some carb -if you know how to tune a q-jet or can have someone tune it or a performance carb put in a fresh fuel filter- dont be afraid to keep clean fuel in your engine if your fuel pump is old put one in to make sure you have fuel supply look for a post on the board here from sean about porting your heads yourself it gave some directions from jim burek himself atleast read that maybe you can get a spare set of heads to try it on and save a few bucks instead of shaving your heads you could plug the 2 center antifreeze port by center head bolt then use 68-69-70 steel shim head gaskets 020 thick will bump compression
All those things that you do to the car, other than the engine, are going to be necessary anyhow. If you had the same vintage SBC, you'll still be spending that money. The difference is in the cost once you get to the motor (other than headers). Don't get too bent out of shape over compression either. Bumping it up from 8.5:1 to 9.5:1 (all else the same) may give you a few horsepower, but ultimately wouldn't be worth it. The only thing compression is going to give you is the ability to go way bigger on cam/head/intake characteristics to make more ultimate power. But if you're planning on either having your heads worked, or putting on someone else's built heads, you could just do a cleanup cut to the surface along with a set of (expensive) thinner cometic gaskets (I'm using the .027's) and get a little back. But unless you've got a motor that's going to be spinning over 6500 rpm, heads that can support a lot of flow, and a cam that provides that flow... you're not going to want 10:1 or more compression anyhow. Plus, you'll reach a point where pump gas is going to be an issue and premium is going to be expensive! Since this is a driver for you, and I'm guessing you put on a lot of miles, I wouldn't burden myself with fighting the compression. If everything else in the system is doing its job, you should be able to get away with 8.5-9:1 and reach your goals - AND run on lower octane pump gas.
What is the biggest cam you guys have used successfully on stock 71 8.5 compression? TA 212? TA 290-94H?:idea2:
http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=110669&highlight=nitrous+stock+intake http://www.compperformancegroupstor...oduct_Code=82040&Category_Code=NITROUSSYSTEMS
I bought an ebay, NOS Cheater system, I think 190$ shipped, then needed 30$ in parts. Car went 14.9 on motor, then 13.1 on a standard 100hp jetting set up on 93 pump gas. Can't beat that perfomance gain with a stick! So basically 300$ including bottle fill, I shaved almost 2 seconds off the cars time on the 100shot....
