Thanks for the suggestions. I occasionally use the car as a daily driver, so it has a full interior (carpet is aftermarket with the thinner backing, not heavy at all). I am actually putting the missing a/c compressor and condenser back in, so I'll be gaining back about 41 lbs. The fiberglass hood that will be installed should make that a wash though. I'm sure in good fall air there's a 13.6x in it. I won't ice down the intake, etc. as I bracket race the car and those conditions are not repeatable between rounds since we occasionally have to hot lap. I'd rather run the same number 100 times than have a one pass wonder. For anyone that needs the full combo: Stock 80k mile 1972 shortblock, stock 1972 heads with new valve springs Comp 260H cam, installed straight up TA intake, unported Dual electric fans, 3-core copper rad (going to aluminum in a couple weeks) Holley 750 vac secondary, tuned for a/f ratio in 12.5 range at WOT atop 1" 4-hole spacer Hooker headers into 3" Pypes stainless exhaust Recurved stock distributor with Mallory points eliminator kit, MSD coil Rebuilt TH350 with 3400 (rated stall) torque converter, shift recovery is 3800 RPM 3.73 gears, used GM posi unit from Monzaz, longer wheel studs all around 26" MT ET Street Radials (275-50-15) rear and MT Sportsman S/T 225/60/15 front on Centerline wheels UMI lower rear control arms, stock uppers with 1 1/8" rear swaybar slightly higher than stock rate, longer TRW rear springs 3740-3770 lb race weight with driver depending on fuel level, all steel body
Artie,,,, Go to the wrenching secrets section and print out my list of cheap tricks.....Yaccy, Walt, and Devon are rIght on... if possible remove the asphalt pads that are between the floor and the carpet, they are just sound deadner and will make the floor rust out....and it is heavy, it is in the trunk, under the front carpet and under the rear carpet,,,,it is heavy and wt reduction is the most over looked speed secret out there... Cold air to the air cleaner is worth 8% of the total hp out put according to Buick,,,, did not see where you recurved the dist. but that is a good mod,,,, run 180 deg thermostat,,,, put a toggle switch in the field circuit so you can kill the alt, when you are making a pass...remove the choke assembly from the carb for increased flow.... also, try running the air cleaner can assembly with no element in it to see if there is an increase inpower.... enlarge the inlet to the air cleaner.... champher or slightly round edges envolved in fuel intake and air intake systems.... cut off all bolts that stick thru parts to where there is just one thread showing...i run air lift air bags in the rear of my GS and they keep wheel hop away... and can be preloaded to the rt. rear.... move the battery to the rt rear of the trunk....
Definitely not a stupid question, it took some work to get to this point. The tires help, but are not the only reason it hooks. A few posts up, I mentioned that I was experimenting with the rear springs. My car works best with a slightly stiffer, longer spring in the back combined with the stock front springs. The front suspension is all rebuilt stock. The rear suspension is what made the biggest difference, UMI lower control arms with a 1 1/8" rear swaybar. The car leaves level thanks to the swaybar, and the poly bushings in the arms let the suspension work instead of deflecting like the rubber bushings.
I did a lot of that already, except for trying the cold air. When I first got this car it weighed about the same without driver as it does now with me in it
I ordered the Spectre cold air kit today from Jegs while it was on special for 99 bucks. Track results will be on the 25th at my next points event :TU:
Ive been running an open element filter like you told me but the gtech shows 15ft llbs of tq increase and 10hp with the stock gs cold air cleaner. Also seems to raise my powerband some.
Well sealed, the GS air cleaner/hood may at least draw cooler outside air while the open element air cleaner draws hotter underhood air. Getting the cooler air and making use of your forward motion (ram) may get you the best gain. Devon
your not going to much faster, even with the cam, unless you build a zane style engine. any more requires porting the heads and intake and a single plane intake. stock port heads really suck. if we meet up, i'll let you drive our car. you will be amaze at the difference
Would you get anymore bottom end torque from a 2.5" exhaust system & an H or X pipe? 3" seems rather large for a 350. Having said that 1.7-1.8 60 foot times indicate pretty good low end torque now.
I took off the Flowmaster "American Thunder" 2.5" mandrel bent system with h-pipe and replaced it with this system earlier this year. There was almost no difference at all between the 2 systems. I ran the Flowmaster system last year for a full season.
Great thread!! Just posted my own "350 Performance Questions" because for some reason this thread don't pop in a search. Either way lots of great tried and true info!!:beer
I might be interested in the flowmaster system that you removed if the price is giveaway dirt cheap.. I don't have an exhaust for the project car yet.
I sold it back in March when I put the new system on, I am limited on storage space right now (no garage). Everything that comes off the car gets sold or scrapped pretty quick unless it's pretty small. The exhaust looked like new(still had the stickers on it), sold it to a local guy for his Chevelle for $150. The guy buys turbo Buick parts from me all the time, him and his son both have T-Types, he actually offered to buy it before I decided to switch. I had the other system here already so the deal got done pretty quick.
Interesting that you haven't noticed a difference with the exhaust, even with a stock build. Lots of people have tried to convince me that 3" is too big for my car.
I had to custom make an air cleaner assembly to get the hoses around the AC in my '76 Century w/455. It was a little tight at the back of the compressor but I've since improved that with a 1" shorter belt on the comp. which opened up the back area a little bit better. Right now I have them going to the inner fender area and coming back to the grill so the hose is over 7' long but I'll be working on that down the road. The driver side won't be too hard to run by the side of the radiator but the passenger side will be a tough nut to crack with the battery there.
There have been dyno and track tests proving a mild 350 is faster on straight headers vs 2.5" duals so the 3" duals can not hurt.
Just to revive this a little, I'll see if some Koni SP-1s will make a difference on the front. I got them off the board a while back so I figured I might as well try em out. I'll be running next weekend at Island depending on the weather. Last time at the track a couple weeks ago, I burned a plug wire and the car fell off a bit, new wires are here so that issue is resolved. A friend gave me a stock L82 vette dual snorkel air cleaner that clears everything, so I may use that to make my cold air setup. The longer plugs picked me up .6 MPH and .05 ET, not much but every bit helps. My BBB project is on hold as the race car is sucking me dry to get finished. I'd try another cam in this thing, but doubt I'd get much with the stock heads and low compression. If I could find a pair of heads to get done I may try that out as well.
