455 FED Rail Break-In!

Here are just a few of the pics from Saturday. The day pictures are from the 6.03 run. The last blurry pic is from the launch-lift-clean drawers 6.30 pass that ended our session. It was taken from video, which I am trying to get downloaded today. We will probably put them (the 6.03 and the 6.30 were both captured) on Youtube and post a link. RB

 

Nice wheels up shot :shock: Shame that wasn't in focus! Looking good anyway, keep us informed!

 

www.youtube.com/bighead4404

You can go to this link and view the passes on YouTube. I wanted a direct link, but I'm a computer idiot (and a novice Buick builder!)... Rodney

 

Fixed the link:

http://www.youtube.com/bighead4404

Thanks for the video!

Devon

 

AWESOME!!! I WANT ONE!!!


Michael

 

Right now is a good time to buy one. The market is flooded with them, CHEAP! When we bought ours, we had to search for a nice one we could afford. Now you can get one turn-key for what we paid rolling.ou: Of course you may have to discard a Chevy motor that will no-doubt be between the rails! :TU: A 455 Buick will go where a 350 Chevy went (at least on ours it did...), but it ain't easy! It sure lets a torquey motor go to work on the track, with the light weight and huge tires... RB :Brow:

 

Due to the economy and business demands, we never went back to the track after our debut. Now we have a new Prez, and the promise of "hope" and "change", so we're goin' back!!! We cross-switched the slicks to see of the violent left-hook on launch becomes a right-hook, and the wheelie bars are on standby! I will post results and any photos and/or videos ASAP. Tomorrow afternoon we will give it another try, the weather is forecasted to be great... RB

 

The weather WAS great, and we went and ran our 455 (464") powered FED rail again. Battling a crazy left turn on launch and extreme heat/humidity last summer on the debut, we only got 2 passes in. Today, due to wrecks and oil downs, we got three passes done, all in the 5.80's (1/8mi):TU::TU::TU:, with the best of a 5.808 and a worst of 5.871 (cold engine and slight wheel spin). We were STOKED!:beers2: I will post photos and more text tomorrow, I'm beat...

 

Here are some shots of track day on Sunday. We had a cockpit camera, but it was new and we didn't really know how to use it and mount it right, so we didn't shoot any video this time.

The motor ran flawlessly, I left the timing at a conservative 34* and upped the oil pressure a bit (1/2 turn) for 40# idling and 65-70# at 3000rpm. I finally got some track info from Charles, my business parther and the driver, and he reported 95# of oil pressure in the lights, so I dropped it a 1/4 turn for the next two runs. She runs 118+mph, which I think is pretty good for a 10-10.5:1 motor with bowl ported Stg1 valved '72 heads and an 850 Holley. I want to try a 950HP carb and try some timing tricks like a top end retard, so I can run some more timing out-of-the-hole and cut back to maybe 30* on topside. The converter is super-tight, as we had it built for a twin-engined car with an estimated 900hp/1000ft.lb., and were putting about half of that out with this single 455. With only a 3.91 gear and 12.5X33 slicks, there's a lot of load on it, but I don't think we're getting 3000 transbrake-stall out of it. It sounds like a pulpwood truck leaving the line and throughout the run! The 60ft. times are weak, at 1.32-1.35, but there is no initial spin, only squirming from maybe 60-100+ft. and it spins the 33's on the shift to high (Powerglide). If we get to go again soon, I will try some different stuff and report again... RB:laugh:

 

Great stuff, Rodney...I hope you really get to enjoy some good racing!

Devon

 

Good to see it coming along. I just got back tonight from Frank Hawley's Drag Racing school in Florida, got my Super Comp License in the dragster, now I need to find something at Racing Junk to drive :laugh:

 

Awesome!:TU: There's a killer Fiat altered on R.J. right now that looks wicked! It's rolling with Hemi MoPar motor plates, 9" Ford rear, etc., but adaptable to Buick easily. It's in Texas, and the guy wants 10K, but it's a quality piece with slime green bars and a primered fiberglass body.:Comp: Slingshots like ours are common, even on Ebay, for less than 10K, sometimes running but I like rolling best. Less Chevy junk to try and sell. (Those guys are CHEAP, you can't recoup any of your investment...ou At our local tracks we are the ONLY FED there, and last time out there were 2 BB Chevy rear motor cars there. We got more attention just due to the front engine, but when people saw it was a Buick engine, they freaked!:eek2:
You'll love not having 3500-4000lb. to pull around, but it'll be hard to utilize the power steering, A/C, and power windows!!! RB

 

Yeah, a lot guys don't like the "pipe rack" cars :laugh: But it's hard to argue with the reliability and ease of going fast. I love the wind in the face and the look out the front. I bet a front engine is even cooler. The car I drove had a GM crate 572, 720 horsepower that they detune a bit for students and my best was still an 8.26 at 160.96 with a 1.19 60'. You could easily match that with a Buick. Even in that tune, we were only leaving at about 3500 r's on the trans brake. My wife got me the class for my b-day and I told her she may have created a monster, 'cause now I know what I want for Christmas p

 

Just found this thread and loved reading through the whole thing. Any chance you guys might make the tow up to Paradise dragstrip in Calhoun GA in May for their nostalgia meet? I know its a haul but it would fit right in there and I'd love to see that thing in person.

Nice work!

http://www.paradisedragstrip.net/toast/toast.asp?sub=show&action=posts&fid=3&tid=941

 

In all fairness, it's my partner Charles that does the driving that wanted to do the FED thing, but now I love it! I was going to put the 455 in a street Regal, hoping for 7.50's in the 1/8 with 3.73 gears, but some guy wanted the Regal BAD, so I sold it and had the motor on standby. Our first rail experiment ("Ancient Orange" [www.southernslingshots.com] click-"Meet The Teams"), which is a 207"WB FED, has a 13:1 383 MoPar with a solid flat-tappet cam and a tunnel ram with 2X660 Holleys, runs 8.70s at 155+ with a 1.23 60ft. (5.50s at 123+ in the 1/8) with only 395cid (.060 over), HEAVY TRW domed pistons and cast iron heads. We get a lot of respect from those guys, as they are mostly alcohol injected and/or blown, and we're carbureted on gasoline and run mid-pack with them. We have a 471" MoPar low-block stroker motor with roller cam,etc. going in our Orange car hopefully this season. I want to build a 494 Buick with Edelbrock heads (maybe T/A Stg2s, $$$ permitting) and a huge MK5HB KenneBell hydraulic .606" cam, the T/A SPX 4500 intake and a Dominator for "Black Widow" eventually, gotta have some fun now while we're raising the money... RB

 

Thanks for the link! We'll try to make it, it sure would be a suitable ride for that meet. We're out of Milledgeville, where are you at? I'm gonna MapQuest directions...

 

Hey Rodney,

I'm a city boy. Just a couple exits north of downtown Atlanta right off I-75. My 455 wiped the cam bearings and is down at Wildcat Perf in Adel GA right now. Really hope to have it back and running by then.

Here's another link. Scroll through for pics from last year.

http://www.paradisedragstrip.net/to...rune=-1&submit.x=51&submit.y=15&submit=Submit

 

Rodney, one of my all time favorite drag cars is a 48 Fiat altered (see pictures), and after seeing how much fun you are having, I think I am going to build one of my own for some bracket racing. It will be a little old school mixed with some new school, but I just picked up an old sprint car chassis on ebay for $50 (he scores!), and with a few frame modifications I think a fiberglass 48 fiat body will fit just fine. My 455 will be very similar to yours, except I am using speed-pro forged pistons and an SP4 cam. I am going to run E-85 in it as well.
I am a long way from finished (I haven't even picked up the chassis yet) but the "BUG" has bitten me too, and I can't wait to get started!

 

That is gonna be one WILD Fiat! Putting the Buick motor in will make it even more of a "crossbreed", now that Chrysler and Fiat are in business! That SP4 should really be a rumbler! I have a KB-Mk5HB that I want to run on our rail in a 464" 12.5:1 motor with TA Stg2 SE heads someday... RB

 

UPDATE: We will be taking "Black Widow" down to Reynolds,Ga's "Silver Dollar Raceway" for the (formerly?) B.O.P. event, November 6-7. This will be our first 1/4mi outing, and only our 3rd time out with the rail in 2 full years (economy!). Hopefully she'll stay together, and post some 8 second slips (150mph?)... RB