What's the matter Sean, pull the post away, yeah I am bitc*** about it you have been on hear for over 6 years telling us about what you have and it has not hit the track yet. yeah I am being a prick about it but really I am a very nice person in person and I just love racing. I just get tired of hearing about what is never being done. The reason I started this post in the first place. I am a true racer. I went to every Buick Nationals at Norwalk and entered it since 1994 and only have missed the last 5 years because I had been laid off from so many jobs. I am going to start number 4 in two weeks and this has been in the last 2 years. Printing is taking a real crap now and more shops have closed up than I can count. I will be there in 2015 so bring on those 350's and if that intake gets ready before then I may change cam and put the intake on. I would put the motor together and show us how the turbo system is and blast that 10 sec run we want to see and quit making a new excuse as to why it isn't done. Like waiting for the TA heads. Sorry dude that's the way it is. Don't get mad, get the job done!
Guy, I think I met/raced with you at the first BPG event in Salem? I've driven my '69 GS California to Bowling Green twice back in the 1990s and even had Sonny Seal wanting to crank up my timing and dial my carb in for max effort! I told him "Thanks" but I need to drive it 900 miles back home! Drove it to the one GSCA event at National Trails and won four rounds in their street program before missing the tree by .001 and going red. Won my class (PS/X) seven straight years at the MuscleCar Shootout at Brainerd Intl Raceway beating every Chevy and Olds 350 I ran against. I even got to meet Jason Line at the Keewatin Drag strip in an old mine pit in northern MN. Jason was still working for his dad and they were dialing in a customer's engine in one of their cars. He worked on the quadrajet in my brother's '72 GS to try and cure an issue with it falling on it's face at the top of each gear. The next year he was working with Joe Gibbs racing building stock car engines so I missed out on having him help me with a 350 build. When I started running the car bone stock with the 2.73 open rear it ran 16 flat at 88mph and I got it down to mid 14s and mid 90mph with the numbers matching motor adding a small cam, headers, trans shift kit, and a 3.23 posi. Had well over 100 passes on it and thousands of miles when I decided to pull it and build another 350. I wanted to run 13s and 100mph or better. I met one of those goals, and still plan on meeting the other! I got that engine down into the mid 13s with a TA290 cam and 3.23 gear with street tires, and had lots of fun beating up on big blocks. One event at Rock Falls Raceway I was watching a guy running a nice Mopar with a 440 on drag radials, he was running mid/high 13s. I was still running my street tires but figured if I could get it to hook and cut a good light he couldn't get past me on the top end. I worked my way through the staging lanes so that I would get paired up with him. I nailed the tree and ran a 13.6 at 99 and I could hear him coming but he couldn't get past! Drove back into the staging lanes and he pulled in behind me. Came up and said I had a nice running 455! I opened the hood and said "Thanks, but it's just a 350!" He said FU and walked away! Then family and life took over, like you I still have the car, just haven't been racing it on the track. Don't be too hard on Sean, he's done well promoting the 350 on this site and I look forward to both his book and his timeslips! Some day I'll be back at the Buick events and my '69 will be driven to the event and raced hard! No trailers unless I break it bad!
Guy,. You know our story about the untouched 350 short block for the high school nationals with good heads and all the other basic go fast stuff.. I was impressed with my first serious 350 build without breaking the bank... Even though I've run many a 455, I know now the 350 can hold its own.. Best ET- 850 Holley,.- 13:24 at 102.2 """" """- 750 Holley,.- 13:26 at 101.2 The car is Lot of fun to drive....
Mine was together.. Beat the piss out of it. No one died. Sold it for that reason mainly. A guy in AZ owns it and can't be happier. 7.67 w 2.0 60Ft and no one heard it. It was much faster on the street than the Drag times may appear. Sean has the NA engine that I was building. It should rock..
Here is my 350 on the track at BPG My BFGs let me down on traction.. Hence the cloud of time-slip killing smoke..
So who is in the Midwest area. I have a 65 special that needs work. Derek is building my 350. Who can donate some stuff to see this thing run Buick day Norwalk 2015. V6 now with 2 speed switch pitch.anyone have some used parts laying around and help with a cheap paint job and see if we atleast get 12s. Who is in. Let's get a crazy SBB running.
I do remember meeting you there that was a while ago. I guess time flies when you are having fun. Glad you still have the car, come back soon. I have the same problem when racing some of those 440's and such. 350, no way, it's not a 455. You are right I should back off on Sean I just want the guy to get the car together and quit waiting for TA to make parts. I know he wants to get the book done but he should put together what he has now go to the track, run some real good times then he can finish the book. At that point, sell some and when TA get the heads done he can use the money from the first book to buy the heads, run it get results, then take the money left over and write a revision, put into a second book and sell that. It is all about marketing. Don't just write one book write several and update each based on your track results. This is what will sell parts and then everyone will benefit. Ok, sorry Sean for being so hard on you but you do have enough parts to get done and go to the track. You do not need the TA intake you have the X-factor, good rods, and pistons, and heads do not wait any longer we are not getting any younger here.
I do know about you and have been waiting to hear more from you on your runs at the track. Very impressive runs with the car. Maybe in the end we can all get to Norwalk for a 350 shoot out. Then we can all run heads up with out the bracket crap.
Those BF'Gs do suck I had them before. The Mickey Thompson drag radials are a lot better. But they are a lot more expensive now. I was thinking about trying the Hoosier Quick times but do not know how good they are. Maybe if someone has been using them can give some input.
Guy.,, we haven't raced the car anymore but we've been driving it some,,, It would be cool to get together at norwalk and race and discuss combo's,..
I hope it can happen that would be fun. I think I counted about 9 or ten here that have a 350 that is race worthy. There might possibly be 5 more, ok I will go 7 that is in the works or have never ran at the track. Less than 25 is really sad for the 350 Buick. This is why we have a hard time getting parts made. I am talking about running engines today. I know there are some drag racers that are in the drag class at the track but they really do not drive on the street.
Too many cheap Buick guys . " I can't build then engine until ta make the head cause I don't know the specs". Well call ta then. They are going to make it a compatible swap to any running engine or its purpose if slim. Stop making excuses .I went all out and ordered custom pistons from Scott Brown and he is getting special headgaskets made for me as we are at 3.900 bore. If you guys are not afraid. Try eagle 6.460 hj Chevy rods. Lighter stronger has 1.889 bearing for .100 extra stroke. Then get Scott to customize the pistons to your needs. Site says no extra charge for changes
I know that Guy is trying to motivate me with the jabs, thats okay... When I got into the Buick hobby I had no responsibilities, bills, or payments so it was easy to throw money at projects.... These days both money and time are less abundant being that i now own 2 houses, an acreage, and have a baby on the way... Its not an excuse, it is just the fact that my priorities are different than they were before... I am lucky though because i have everything i need to complete the Skylark and fix up the 75 Regal, i just need to get it done... I wanted to build a massive shop with a lift this summer but with a baby on the way that got postponed.... So i re did the 26x26 attached so i can build my Skylark there... I will get things together, and each day i get at least a little bit done towards my goal.... I only have one chance to produce the book, and it will be after my car is done.... I have been in contact with TA and will order pistons once i know the head specs... To prove i am busy: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238537
X2 The days of throwing thousands of $$$ at the 350 in my parent's driveway, while in high school, are long gone and missed. I've been on this forum for 7.5 years??? Now I feel old.
The intake should be out this year. We're waiting on the foundry to cast the first run of intakes, they are moving slower than we would like. I'm going to estimate to the conservative side and say heads probably wont be out until next year.
Ok, I will let you slide with that excuse, that one slows down everyone. It looks like TA is committed on getting the job done so that is a good thing. Yep, I am trying to get some motivation going here to build some hot 350's, I know they will kick more butt than people think.
Everything I'm doing to my 350 will be done in the garage. Not sending out to have decks shaved, heads ported, cylinders honed, valves angled and all that jazz. I will be doing everything I can do on my own, with my limited expenses and knowledge and then go from there. When I'm happy with it then I'll test it on the track.
What are you doing with your 350? Kinda sounds like you don't really know what you're doing, no offense. If you need any help I'm not to far from Royal Oak and might be able to drive down to lend a hand or some advice after I'm finished with Andy's sbb 380 stroker engine. Derek
Actually it sounds like a few Buick guys. Cheap. I have gone this route and had a disappointment everytime. Don't cheap out on valve job or you will be doing the job a second time. Lapping valves with worn guides won't last. This is how Chevy engines get stuck in Buicks. Guys don't do it right then cry the blues and buy chevy
