I have seen the Old Iron Heads Keith they are on a 462 in are Shop that one of are Customers Purchased From You. You Broke a Stock Rod at the GS Nat's on that Engine and went thru the Pan I was there that Year and after that the Car was on Display at the TA Performance Tent.
were you using stock rods? i would like to run a comparable time but with around 12.1 and 3400# is it doable? Cody
Hello Jeff, its been a long time. I remember that day like it was yesterday. After scattering the motor in the water box my car became a donor for other cars for the rest of the event. I was wondering if those heads were still around. Greg Gessler originally ported those heads with a touch up a few years later at Sunset Racecraft. Cody, though it is doable I would not recommend it. Many folks have gotten away with the stock rods but the problem is when (if) they come apart they tear the bottom end to pieces. You are better off investing in a good set of rods and saving yourself some headaches down the road. (especially if you are planning on turning anything over 6000 rpm) Keith
maybe if Greg sees this he can tell more whats involved with the level 5 heads. as far as what all the welding in the head is for. interesting :idea2:
Everyone has a different combo. I think you can go in the 9s with iron heads. I went 10.30s @ 127 with them and they were not at the level Greg or JW could do. Jim N.
4000 lb 71 GS Buick. TRW forged pistons .30 over, stock rods, stock crank, hemi killer cam, 9.76 to 1 compression and Gessler Level 2 Iron Heads with a TA intake, Holley 850 with 79 jets in front and 88s in back without power valve, 10" Art Carr 3200 stall convertor, 3.73 gears, no hops, air bags, 1 7/8 headers with 3 1/2 inch collector with dual 3 inch exhaust with race magnums, MSD 6t box with coil, 2 holley black pumps= 11.70's at 115 mph all day long and completely streetable. Zero issues. Never lifted a valve cover in seven years before I changed to aluminum heads and a blower.
Home ported iron heads and 10.3:1 compression, 233/248 on 112 cam, full weight 3.42 gears,drag radials and 3200 stall goes 11.4's at 118mph.
It really matters on how much you hook, because if you have 500hp and no traction? Well, High 12's is your answer. Now if you hook and have what you have, you'll should be in the 11's possible 10's. I seen Greg's heads and they flow good, but J's performance and Speire racing heads are getting more power out the Iron heads every day, but it also has a lot to do with cam and intake and header selection and of course carb too. My Uncles 1970 GS Stage 1 Skylark all stock except cam and convertor and trans and adjustable control arms went bottom 12's at full weight. The cam was a orginal Buick Stage 2 cam. Reclutched and redone valve body in trans and a Coan covertor. Cast iron manifolds by Fred Catlin and Freds Q-jet. The engine lived happily for 8 years.
I'm shooting for mid 11's with my Iron Headed motor in a full weight 1970 Skylark. The fastest Iron Headed GS I know of is Ken Montour's 1970 Stage 1 GS built by the guys at Gran Sport Autobody. Check out the video below, I get goosebumps everytime I see it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gNxMGdwHqg
It's gone faster than that. I watched it with my own 4 eyes last fall! Rumor has it that it's going to go faster yet. Stay tuned!
Well, I have to admit, This is definitley an old thread. I will also add that I totaly went away from the iron headed 455. With my combo that I put to gether, The question to my self now is... How fast will it go???:TU:
Rumor has it that Fred Catlin went 9's way back in the 70's on Iron heads, I'm sorry to bust your bubble:eek2:. That's why I always am bring his name up. He has done things we dream of doing. I want to visit his place some day, rumor has it he has a selve full of cams that he has tested and used to varify his times and heads and intakes and many other things there too.
Back in the day, Like 20 yrs ago Al Delarec went 10.45 @ 128 with iron heads with stock rods and no girdle in a 1970 GS.
70 GS, 73 or 74 455 .030 7 sealed power pistons, 1 Kenne bell piston, got from Fred since when I built this car I put an old 107 cam in it and lost a lobe after 1st gear and ran a 11.18, stock rods polished beams, stock crank, Halo girdle only, 70 455 iron heads converted to stage 1, I ported and had some bowl work done 68cc's, fitted rings, same oil ring after rebuilds, a couple of fresh ups, Harlen sharp rollers, 3500lbs, I've ran 10.77 probably with the B4B and Freds QJet or with a SP1 intake converted to fit a Dominator with alot of spacers. Now the cylinders are wore out and still run 1080's to 10.90's depending on weather, Turbo 400, short 1st gear, ATI 5000 stocker stall torque convertor, 410 gear Mosier axle. 7XR cam, too big for combo, Check out my drag Race 462 thread.
First I would say make darn sure you machine the heads so you can put a real valve spring and locators on on them, going through this very same thing on mine right now. Mine just barely dips into the high 10s with small valve 71 heads and a cast iron factory intake with the Q-Jet, so it can easily be done, actually I'm very impressed with the 455 Buick engine.
Ken Montour's car with iron heads went a 9.75 @ 134 last year. 3500 lbs, power brakes, full interior, etc. 464 stock stroke, no girdle, 750 HP and has held together for almost a decade now (trans however recently rolled a 34 element sprag). The heads are 70 castings and flow about 330. Not a typo. I have seen them and they are one-offs and have A LOT of hard work into them! The ideas that Keith and Duane come up with and implement are pretty trick to say the least. Ken's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sKAJgpfuJs
I've only been to Kearney Nebraska with that car, 2130 feet, looking for 10.80s there next week. G/SA.
