High guys, I am new member and a dye hard OLDS guy. I do have a soft spot for the GS's and the GN for sure. I was just woundering what parts to look for for a 455 BBB build up. A friend of mine is looking to build a 455 Buick and he always comes to me for general car/motor advice and I would like to have some info when he does come to me. I do know some about Buicks and have the book Poston sells, but its no Mondello Tec manual by no means. (Even though most Olds guys have a problem with Mondello his manual is about the best for any engine). Any info would be appresiated.
Just about any 455 block will do but the later models are thicker and stronger. They were built from '70-'76. The '70-'71's were red and the later ones were green. As far as heads go, '68-'69 430 heads or '70-'71 heads are the better ones of choice. If you find a '70-'71 complete engine that's a good start. But get everything from balancer to flywheel and air cleaner to pan. It's amazing how fast that crap adds up. Early '70's heads with stage 1 valves ported with not less than 9.5:1 with forged pistons is a great start. Buick BB's need at least 800cfm's too. With a package like that you can easily write your own e.t.'s. You will easily see anything from high 12's to mid 11's depending on cam selection. The cool part about Buick BB's is they are cheap to pickup and they're the lightest BB around with huge bores. As long as you pay attention to the oil system when building it, you'll have a dependable, powerful BB that'll live just about forever.
You can avoid having to enlarge the oil pickup passageway by looking for a 71-76 block. The 70 455 had a smaller diameter pickup tube and passageway. For heads -- older heads can go on a newer block - but NOT the other way around! The water holes on the deck of the block or on the heads would leak if you put newer heads on an older block. TA Performance will be coming out with their aluminum Stage 1 heads later this summer!! This would be an excellent choice! They also have Stage 2,3, and 4 heads depending on your 'need for speed'!! Check 'em out at www.taperformance.com - Mike T. has done ALOT for the Buick community. You should see a picture of his 68 Sportwagon racecar on the home page - 9.0's at 150mph!! Mike is one of the most knowledgeable and down to earth guys you could meet!! Nothing like Mondello!! As an Olds guy, I'm sure you're also familiar with 'special attention' to oiling needs! The Buick 455 is no exception, unfortunately. *Glad to have you on board - don't forget to sign your posts at the bottom...it's nice to know who we're talking to. Scott
