For those of us with limited budgets, I would like to see some ideas of the best and cheapest combinations out there. This would include engine and chassis details, and ET's or HP numbers. So, what did you get out of that stock short block and untouched iron heads?:Brow: Please include cam and compression details, if possible. Also how much $$$. Steve
I apologise, but I have no good information to give you, aside from this: Taking weight off your car is the cheapest way to make it go faster. - Freed
http://www.buickperformance.com/EngineBuild.htm here's a link to a few examples of what you were looking for. I'll post my combo after hitting the track this weekend, hoping for 13's with a stock 76 455 in a 67 gs.
Seriously, though... It does wonders for things. I played with Excel a little on the formula: Assuming a 400 horsepower car Weight 1/4 mile ET 4400 12.95468403 4300 12.85578945 4200 12.75534949 4100 12.65330233 4000 12.54958207 3900 12.44411841 3800 12.33683619 3700 12.22765492 3600 12.11648827 3500 12.00324344 3400 11.88782048 3300 11.77011156 3200 11.65 3100 11.52735931 3000 11.402052 2900 11.27392822 2800 11.14282414 2700 11.00856017 2600 10.87093874 2500 10.72974174 2400 10.58472745 2300 10.43562692 2200 10.28213953 2100 10.1239276 2000 9.960609889 1900 9.791753372 1800 9.616863112 All other things being equal, of course. Food for thought. - Freed
BBB are not cheap, main and rod bearing were nearly $120 and the shop that did my heads had to order in the cutter to install the dual springs, they had never done a modified buick before, thats just some of the suprises i ran into. for me cheap and fast dont go together, but i like to keep my cars looking stock as possible. i know if i stuck my drive train into a gutted out nova,and with 10" slicks it would do 10's, lighting your car is the cheapest way to go fast, just my 2 cents
weight I hear you on the weight issue, are you saying that I'm doing it the hard way a 4500 lbs + ?? All kidding aside, How fast do you want to go? How much money do you have? Power takes dollars and there is no other way to do it. That being said, Nitrous Oxide is relatively cheap and it is very :grin: very:grin: very:grin: fun. Just pray your stock 165,000 mile bottom end holds up.:eek2:
Im working on a 280Z/455 project. I know that isnt what you were talking about, but I think the 455 will really move the 2500# Z!
heres what I did for a car to just mess around in. It was a 67 lark that I piced up for $300 not running and it had ok inter. body was good but no power plant. I found a running 74 225 and pulled the motor and trans for $475. I got on the computer and for the next 4 months E-bay was my best friend. Pistons and rods $300 used Ebay Bearings mains and rods (STD) $54 Ebay oil pump kit (Had from some time back) Gasket kit was $167 from Ebay heads done at local shop $245 Balanced engine $195 Used Cam/lifters $120 new STG1 springs for heads $95 Hei (local bone yard) $35 Rebult Qjet $9.95 kit paint $7 Trans shift lit local swapmeet 6pack of beer(long story) New converter fro PAW $123 to front door(5-600 rpm over stock.) Used headers $147 Ebay turbo mufflers 2 1/2 used swap meet (same 6 pack) welding pipe/mufflers on car cost-let him make a couple off passes at the track:grin: there were other things like shifter and used gauges but I cant remember the cost of them. The cam was a Hemi killer on the 107 center line. The rear had a 3.23 peg leg that we put a spool in from jegs I think. the tires and other items were here and there. The motor after we got it together ran great. It ran on pump fuel. Do to the fact we used stock 74 heads. The stock intake was machined out to use nitrous on. The combo was way off as some of you might be saying but the car did run a bunch of low 13s and 105-107mph. We shifted the motor at 5300 rpm and the car ran consistant.We never did spray on the motor sold it to a kit and I dont know what ever happened to it. The total cost was about$2500.00 dollars. To tell you the truth it was mabe more then that with the tires and hose and the little misc. stuff. To this day it was one of the funniest cars I ever had. If you look around and use Ebay for some buyng and are carefull.Plus theres no hurry to get it together you can make a car run pretty good if the combo is alot closer then mine was. To give you a idea with the NOS on it the car should have gone into the low 12's or high 11's. all from a 125 none adj. kit. I hope this helped you out Doug
I had a fairly cheap combo in my Skylark when I was 18. We started with a running '71 455 out of a Centurion and totally took it apart and cleaned it at home. Put in all new bearings and freeze plugs. Bought a re-ring kit. The heads were cleaned but no machine work was done to them. We installed a Poston 113 cam, HV oil pump, Poston valve springs, stage 1 fuel pump and headers. Kept the stock pistons, intake and q-jet (other then bigger jets). With a stock TH400 and stock converter it ran 13.50 every Friday night with 4.10 gears. I later put a 100 shot of nitrous on it and went 12.8's. That was almost 14 years ago, it's had a few other motors in it since then- a '70 455 with TRW's, same cam as the first motor, Edelbrock performer, Holley 850, stock heads with a valve job and headers. In the same car with a TH 400 s/p (2800 stall) and 3.90 gears it ran 12.50 at 110 and was a blast to drive on the street. That motor is now in my Conv. with a 4-speed and 4.11's. Now, I have another 455 in it that PAE built with a TH400 s/p and PAE 5000 converter and 3.73 gears that I hope to get in the 10's next year. Ken
72 Skylark $700 70 455 out of Riv, $500 for whole car 118 cam/lifters $150 Comp cams 910 springs $75 Edelbrock $225 T-Q free, nada Pertronics ign $70 Poston headers $200 2.5 welded Ultra-Flo exhaust $175 used slicks on open rear, stock 2.56 ratio $100 air bag 20 lbs RR $30 used 2600 converter $100 13.08 at 106.8 Bruce
My cheap recipes Back in 92 I took the engine out of my 71 gs, I bought a complete PAW super stock crank kit for around $900.00, ordered a 310 cam kit from Northwest Buicks, Dave Johnson, and Stage one valves for around $550-600. Headers and intake from Poston for around $600 (later switched to SP1) and a used 850 holley $150, I did a backyard rebuilt on a t350 for $170 with a B&M shift kit, a 2800stall converter for $125. Used 3.73 rearend and bolt on ladder bars for $250.00. I think machine work was around $300 (night work by friend). I ran accel points and stock coil. With a home port job and chamber work, it went 12.80's at 107 on 275x15 general xp2000 tires. The total was right around 3300(not counting the switch to a TA intake) bucks counting fuilds and littles bolts and such. The car was stripped of all interior minus two ford pinto front seats.
I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but here goes.....I race a Front enging dragster and my girlfriend wanted to race too.....so I am building her a Rear engine dragster. I bought a 196 in wheelbase roller RED with trailer for $2000...the 455 buick engine was 200. It is a stone stock motor out of a 72 225. I mated it to a warmed over Powerglide, fabricated some headers out of SBC headers, added a Lunati cam, TA intake and 750 carb. The can is close to being done and will be ready for next season. Total weight on the car, with her in it, is 1900 lbs. I am assuming that tha engine will put out about 350 hp. I am expecting to get down the 1/8 mile at 6.75 to 7.00. This for an investment of less than 3000 dollars. As she gets used to the car, we will upgrade the performamce and hop to get her into Super Comp by 2005. Thanks:beer
My combo, 84 regal (400 dollars) already had 455 and turbo 400 trans (375) for 10inch 3800 stall converter (600 dollars) for 373 rear out of a grand national, had my friend port the heads (Free) ran 11.78 112 Priceless:TU:
I have a few things that I use on a budget which is what my project is. First, I got the block with everything but a carburetor for 200 CANADIAN dollars. Very cheap and it is in good condition. Second, the car that we will be using. A 1981-1987 Buick Regal. They can be picked up very cheap and in good condition. Not to mention that they weigh about 3200 pounds with driver and have a large amount of fiberglass parts available. For everyone here go to www.vfnfiberglass.com. They have many fiberglass parts for the Skylark-GS type cars as well. I know that some of the cars on here weigh very much and the owners would like to shed some of that. I was checking out the weight of some of the things on there and the fenders weigh 5 pounds each. But back to the budget topic. Some of the things can be picked up on this website for cheap. I have a HEI Distributor coming my way for 30 dollars and I think I have another one too. EBAY is also good for cheap, good condition parts. I have also gained much advice from my friends on this board. Thank you all and you will all be thanked when this project is completed.
