I have an nos shortblock and Dad has 1 too. I knew where 7 others were but they've been moved and not sure where they are now.
That's awsome! Do the other 7 belong to any members? I'm so curious how they put replacement short blocks together. Did they stash a bunch each model year or find the right year parts from Buicks factory and make them at that years specs? Now the OP "72 Stage1" mentioned it might be a 73 block? Curious to what the piston dish depth is..
I can say my 76 NOS short block was just that......nothing special, just a 76 production short block that got enough cos to cover 3 motor and bagged. Same super crappy 76 piston. But its a block that never seen a spark a day in its life
Early replacement short blocks may have had Stage 1 cams while later short blocks had no cam. I have worked with a short block that had 71 pistons and a Stage 1 cam. I have a short block with 75 pistons and no cam. I have seen several short blocks with the 75 pistons and no cam.
Just search Scavenger Header on EBay and it should come up. He raised the price I think to $650 just for the collector parts to add to any headers, but I know he was having supply chain problems last I talked with him.
Thanks, I knew that? Old age again. lol I have the one I bought in 69 on my 69 400 Stage2 but didn't know they still produced them. I'm also in the process of doing a 455 Stage 2, have the heads, cam, intake,(yours was an extra), oversized bearings, NOS 455 shortblock,and slip fit 2" headers, KB deep oil pan, KB valve covers. Need a correct carb.
I received these in the mail and they will be perfect for converting my NOS MT/SS headers to fit the Stage 2 heads, close as I can come to an originals set of Kustoms.
More progress however small it is, I finally delivered my parts and short block to Mike at TA Performance today. We had a good conversation and he seems pretty excited to be part of this step back in time build. He’s also onboard with me being hands-on thru the whole process since I only live an hour away from his shop, whenever I am here in Arizona. Gonna get the short block cleaned of all the cosmoline and disassembled in the next week hopefully. photo of Mike talking heads at TA.
Part Of the project is also getting the car ready to handle the power better while keeping the stock look, so on go the new L60-15’s I ordered almost 2 years ago and just received in April.
Today was the official start today with Mike at TA PERFORMANCE, as I said he was kind enough to open his shop up to me and coach me through this build. Got the Crate Stage 1 out and onto its stand to begin cleaning the cosmaline off of it, it’s a pain but it’s a start. All hand scrubbing with a steel brush and lacquer thinner seems to work best.
That piece of hardwood holding the cam in is historical. Great cleaning job, that shortblock looks brand new. Are you upgrading the main, rod and cam bearings?
