Once again the Buick GS comes through. Let me set this up. Lets go back to 2001. Brother in law has his freshly rebuilt 69' Cuda with built up 400 smogger punched to 426Cu IN. I lived about 12 hours away so we never got together until that fall and met at Mission Raceway in the Vancouver area. Cuda goes down 3 out of 3 runs. The family is shaken. How could that Big car beat that little Red Cuda. Two more years go by and the Buick beats the Cuda 2 more times. Would the average person be convinced that the Buick was indeed a force to be reckoned with? One would think so. But not in the Mopar camp. Now fast forward to last weekend. Venue; Port Alberni Regional Airport. A once a year gig where the airport runway gets decorated with a Christmas Tree and the racing begins. The Cuda is now sporting a small NOS kit and the hype is that it is now invicible. Admittedly he did lay down a faster pass earlier in the day with an 11.58 . I sand bagged all day to let him build his confidence then told him he was going to red light like he did last year and the Buick was going to coast to the win. Thats when he tipped his hand and told me he was going to make sure he didn't red light, take his time out of the hole, then run me down at half track. I failed to tell him that I had my heads ported and revamped my fuel system this Spring. Burnout Box, Pre Stage, Stage. Lights come down on the Sportsman Tree. Big time hole shot . Buick reaction .035. to the Cuda .154. Sixty foot Buick 1.68 to the Cuda 1.70. At half track I could see the Cuda on my Quarter but he could not reel me in. Buick: 11.70 to the Cuda: 11.81. Family and friends gathered as we parked at the pits. Many still not believing what they had just witnessed. Questions like "was the nitrous not working?" and "did you break something?", could be heard as the brother in law cursed me down for sand bagging all day. A great feeling of satisfaction came over me and I couldn't even muster a retort just a huge grin. Good Times!!!. You know though, as an epologue to this race the excuse book was out and the Mopar camp is still in denial and just wait until next year. I don't think the Buicks will ever get to their true place in the 'Circle of Power' but man its fun trying to put them there!!
Awsome kill:TU: Seems like the ol excuse book comes up whenever a Buick wins. I don't think Buick will ever get the respects that alot of other cars get...but it doesnt bother me. I think its cool to beat someone and watch them scramble for excuses to explain why a tank of a buick beat themou: lol, anyways nice kill:TU: :beer :3gears:
Thanks for your replies. Sorry if some of it was confusing. I guess I read too many magazine articles and now write like them. Oh well, a kill is a kill and thought this one worthy of the Buick board. Thanks again. Tom
Gee some one should start a poll on their site to get back at those Buick guys by not letting them win against a mopar.....oh wait :laugh:. Patrick
GREAT Kill Tom !! But....you may have your hands full next year. Sounds like the kind of guy who's not gonna let it rest with a BUICK win
Great story! Sounds like it will be "The Neverending Story" Next year when he has every power adder available installed and every drivetrain performance piece available to mankind, propose to race backwards! :grin:
You know you are going to feel real bad about yourself. Whe next year in an effort to beat you he hits the button on a 250 shot of squeeze and things go real bad for him. You are going to feel bad real bad.. or maybe not.
Guys, I have met Tom in person and he is one of the nicest people I know....but I've never seen him on the racetrack!! :laugh: :laugh: Good stuff. Fantastic times too... later Tim
UPDATE.....Vern you are such a psychic! Just got a report that the Cuda is a hurtin unit! Blue smoke emanating from the rear of the car. Sounds like the nitrous has taken it's toll. As a sidebar The Buick duplicated the Cuda's best time last month At the BOP meet in Bremerton WA. 11.58@ 115.77 MPH.
Great kill on the Cuda. Watch it though, I have a friend that sounds eerily like your whippin' boy. You may beat him 50 times but if he gets you just ONE time suddenly he's King of all time and he'll tell everyone. 'Course he'll conveniently forget to mention the 50 butt whoopins. I say stick a small shot on there(around 125hp)and make sure he stays in your taillights. :Brow:
Who builds a 400 mopar anymore? Don't get me wrong, I love Buicks but I have more experience with Mopars. My first car was a '69 Charger R/T with a '73 motor home block 440cid. I went through that block about eight times until I realized that it and the Buick 455 share alot in common. They are both very long stroke motors with very well designed heads. Hate to say it but the 400 Chrysler motor was a big mistake period. They should have kept the 383 cid and reworked their emissions system. The only way I know of a 400 mopar being able to keep up with a Buick 455bbb is to run a 440 crank and rods in a 400 block. This basically is a destroked 440 setup. By doing this you have the ability to rev the engine much higher because the the rod angle is less severe. The side loads on the piston are reduced considerably and the frictional loses are also reduced. Sorry, not trying to ruffle any feathers just imparting some info. I wish we had the aftermarket backing the Mopars have! All the same great multiple Kills!
70 Apollo Staged. I know exactly what you're saying. All I ever hear is " The Cuda has a faster ET" My argument has always been it doesn't matter what you run in qualifying or test and tune , the prize money is in the race. Custom 125: I never really did get into the make up of that engine. It may very well have the 440 crank and rods. I think you'd have to bore it out too much to make another 26 cubic inches in a 400. I'm really not sure if he knows what was done to the engine. I do know that it is a pretty strong runner though. I really try not to show my appreciation though> It just encourages him. lol I will now have to find out what he did do. How may more cubes would you get with the 440 crank and rods in the 400? Thanks for your replies
I am not up on my Mopars. Is there two versions of the 400? I thought the 400 was a big bore short stoke and when a 440 crank is used you get the somewhat common 451ci stroker. Custom 125 It may be a relative term but I alwayse thought of the Buick 455 as a short stroke motor as far as big blocks go. The Olds & Pontiac 455s had a longer stroke, the Cad 472 & 500 had longer strokes, even the Chevy 454 had a longer stroke.
this is what i get for posting after drinking. Vern, I the similarities i noticed between the Buick motor and the Chysler motor where between the 455bbb and the 440mbb. The main difference is that the Buick has the higher rod to stroke ratio. The most effective combo of off the shelf parts from mopar that can come close to this is 440 crank/rods in a 400 block. Yes that only gives you roughly 452 cubes but is this guy being honest with tom. You mention the Pontiac and Olds 455 but niether have as high a rod to stroke ratio as the Buick 455. You can have all the crank throw in the world and it won't do any thing for you without the rod, and vice/versa. Oh by the way since I still hang with a few of these chuckle heads on occasion: many a mopar freak will tell you they are running 426 cubes with the hopes someone will think they are running an early Hemi or Max Wedge. Of course these are the same guys that refuse to open their hoods when someone that knows mopars comes around. Sorry Tom not trying to take anything away from your kill story thread. No matter what Tom we know you kicked his cuda on motor alone. Congrats :TU:
