Big Chief heads for big block Buick

Ken,
From my perspective, if Mike produced a big cylinder head for our TA455 block, I think he would sell them coz his reputation in "Buick Land" is second to none. I can understand the questioning of a "new" guy on the Buick scene.
Personally, I would buy Buick products from TA before anyone else, period!
A Very Fast Buick will happen and I am sure you will lead the way with Nitro!
I think that Buick guys hold their coin close to their chests before parting with it for an untested, unkown sourced product to go fast. Claims of the "Best head porter ever" are simply............ crazy.
Cheers

 

Kenny,
Tom's looking for 550 cfm on full effort port. Remember, in order to sell these parts I need to cater to the needs of the many not the few. So, the new head shall bolt on an iron block and require stock lifter locations. Hopefully out of the box air will be around 400cfm without an oversize port to keep our Buick,s doing what they do best. CNC porting to get them closer to there max. Yes, I will need to produce rockers, source or make valves, head studs for both iron and aluminum blocks, need to make more cam cores for all possible profiles, headers to fit the A-body and even maybe an intake. All this is what it will take to sell more than a handful of sets. Although I do feel we will sell more than a handful. Because of the two 350 projects I have contracted with Tom he has been very generous and I worked out a long term deal with him. He is excited about all three of these projects but the new 455 head is the king pin. I may try and see if I can get Tom and ED Mosler to come to Bowling Green this year, I really think it would be great for everyone to meet the guys that have helped make things happen.

 

I am far from "new" to Buicks my look at my join date, 2008, I just choose not to run my mouth on the internet. Besides that my dad along with almost everyone of his brothers worked at KenneBell during the Buick hayday. My uncle keith even did the th400 trans that was in the TA wagon. AGAIN, now Im repeating myslef, please read the entire post before you comment. I NEVER said I was the best head porter around a customer I did several heads for and was very impressed with my work wanted to spread my name to the Buick community. If i wanted to be the next big bad buick guy I would have been talking about it for the last 6 years Ive been a member here. I have always had a love for the Buick, its in my blood, I think the cars look way better than any of the other GM cars, however, they are lacking in the engine department and I like to go fast. Speed parts a few and far between and what they do have is rather pricy compared to the Chevy counterparts. To me an engine is an AIR PUMP it doesnt know what it is. The crank in your 455 says oh jeez Im a buick time to make bottom end power, or oh Im a 302 ford if I make 500 horse it will be time to split. Now TA has come out with a block that will take the power there is a need for cylinder head to make the power. the FACT is, and you heard it from Mike himself, the 455 head is last on the list. There is going to be a 350 manifold and head first and the big block head is more of a bucket list thing than a money maker, how many years off you think that project is? here is another FACT I'AM the only one getting the number out of a stage II TE head that I have, as a matter of fact its more than any Buick head period including the few sets of stage IV heads out there. FACT Im the only one with prostock style heads ready to be put on a buick. Im not asking for some huge deposit just 5K to cover cost of castings and get started. I make more money doing what Ive been doing just porting heads then I would doing this Buick race head, another reason I never came on here and mentioned it, so get the FACTS straight before you make a comment and please dont say anything rude over the internet that you wouldnt say to someones face.

 

Sorry Mike I was only quoting from a conversation with you around Christmas time (I guess I should of kept quiet). None of this was suppose to be out of the bag but apparently my nephew Doug snapped a few pics, that was not suppose to happen. :af: oops! As far as the "best head porter around" Jordan never said that or claims that. (an over zealous nephew again) He did a "lot" of work on the solid heads and they were Stage 2's. I don't know if a solid casting would be the same as a S4 solid???? What is your goal Mike on a 350 head flow? Leave a lot of material so guys could really raise the port. If we ever finish the intake we will give the 350 head a shot and keep you posted. Thanks, Mike and of course I will buy whatever I can from TA to help keep things going. My move is really bigger than I thought. I think Jordan's main point was that if someone wanted a BBB head with 600+cfm for any monster motors he could get extra castings now. By the way how long would it take to get one of your in the design 455 550cfm heads SOLID! See where i am going???? Love all you Buick guys, yeah you too Doug!

 

HHmmmm....I'm starting to think life's too short to build a high HP Buick N/A.


Anyone want to buy a block?

 

Gary I hear ya!!! It is not easy building any high HP Buick motor...N/A or Power Adder! Some days I wonder what in the world am I doing messing around keeping my car Buick powered.ou:

 

I know what you guys mean! Think Ill scrap the whole Buick race head idea. No sense in coming out of pocket and machining a head just to make fancy bookends out of them later since everyone is talking and no one is buying...... eh I tried....

guess if there was a real race head out there wouldnt be anything to complain or talk about lol

 

I have to admit that I am confused here.. now granted, as soon as this turned into "my weenie is longer than your weenie" thread, I started skipping whole posts, but I think I have followed the gist here enough to understand what we are talking about.

Your adapting a BBC Big Chief head to a BBB


Cool.. but as the Nike Ad Campaign says..

Just do it.

You told me you already had one customer.. great, one job to work all the kinks out with, and get your feet wet.

Expecting that anyone, let alone a bunch of anyones, is going to send you a check for 5K... is getting way ahead of yourself. This year or next is irrelevant to a Buick racer, we are used to waiting.

The TA block was talked about for 15 years, in process for another 5, and most of them are still sitting around waiting to be built.

And for good reason. You have to understand everything about the project to assure it's success, and what you are going to get away with at 750 HP, vs 1200+, is two different things. I know, I built the first production Tomahawk at 750 HP, and we "got away" with some stuff in that one. But have since gotten smarter on that engine, and are ready to take the next step.

So the smart Buick racer is not in any huge rush here. Don't equate a lack of deposits with a lack of interest. You have to prove the concept first, and justify the expenditure.

You have explained the concept, and assured us that your capable of doing it.. that's great.

Now show us product to buy.

JW

 

Very understandable JW but I for one would be sick of waiting. If I had a 7k block in my garage I would want it running in my car, not sitting on the stand. I said before I won't be able to get castings till next year if no one jumps now. I'm not one to talk big and 20 years later produce a product. If people want the heads come get em if not stay off the Internet crying about not having any. I do have a customer for a prostock style head but I wanted to let the community know that a symmetrical and big chief style heads is not only possible but available now not in another 20 years. So guys either jump now or wait yet another year... Up to you I got plenty of work on the floor without trying to help out the buick guys


i honestly thought you guys would be sick of waiting and jump all over this opportunity..... Guess not


i never intended or wanted to make this a dick comparison conversation but I would rather show people that I know what I'm talking about and be perceived as an a$$ hole than let someone try to make me out to be a moron but a really nice guy

 

Mike

For me, Personally I would build my own headers and likely have a sheet metal intake done.

Heads and a cam core would be my first purchase.

Gary

 

Ok I'm going to buy the castings myself and modify them to fit the new buick block NO port and no valve angles. Those would be done specific to the combination. Would anyone be interested in these heads? I don't want to start if they're are no buyers and everyone is waiting for the TA stuff. I would just like to see if there are even a few people seriously interested and ill have castings in a few weeks

 

I think you have the idea when combining these two thoughts you shared along with what Jim Weise suggested. SHOW everyone you're not a moron and you will be regarded as the nice guy that knows what he is talking about. How can it get better than that?

 

I dont want to spend 5K on heads I cant sell to prove that I know what Im talking about. lol

 

Apparently no one else wants to either .. not that you can't but it is a huge leap of faith and wallet with the only credability coming from some relatives

At least, that's how this outsider looking in sees ito No:

 

I guess Ill just have to risk it.... worst case Ill have a bad ass pair of door stops :laugh:


the reason only relatives are vouching for me is because theyre the only ones ive done buick heads for! Doug and Ken have both have head work done by other people now they only come to me, I had to fix kens stage II TE heads from "a good head guy" same guy screwed up a set of stage IV heads and lost em 30+ cfm... theyre vouching because Im legit not because Im related

 

... If Doug or ken hadn't stepped in to give you cred I would be expecting you're next post to contain the Nigerian moneygram account we could wire the 5k to. :laugh::Brow::laugh:

 

Hahahaha now that's funny..... I'll have castings done in a few weeks

 

Did someone say "Stage 4" ?!?!