Recommendation 455 build, 11.30's-12

Hey all you buick crazy heads. I'm buying a 70 455 complete motor that has been sitting for 15 years in some guys garage. It's an SF series. Probably all stock parts from the electra. It is coming with two sets of heads.

I currently have a 69 GS 400 that runs 14.63. Pretty much all stock that I know of, just bought the car a month ago.

I've went through ppls threads on the 11 seconds. Just thought they have done their trail and error and would know what to do instead of this or that.

What should I consider buying for this 455 motor to get my car to run 11.30's-12 seconds in the 1/4 mile?
Cam
Carb
Intake
Heads
Headers
Exhaust

 

The easiest way to put that car into those times would be with a good set of heads, reasonable cam, good converter and gears.

I ran a stk bottom end 430 for awhile while waiting on a motor upgrade.....it ran 11.20/30s. I had very well ported iron heads with big valves, headers, custom grind cam from crower with only about. 500 lift. Sp1 intake, 950 holley, 4000 stall, 4.10 gears. I dont know if yours needs to streetable or not, but the gears might make that hard at 4.10s, but even taming them down still puts you in your window

 

It's got 3.55 gears in it now.

 

Yes I have read and screenshotted a couple of people's "recipes" I like to call them. Yours is one of them I have.

I don't need to go real fast, but would like to be faster than 14.60's! And keep it streetable.

 

Maybe I'll aim for 12.30's-13 seconds.

My dad mentioned to me he had a heavy 70 buick and got it in the 11's, and seemed like it was streetable from what I can remember. @dan zepnick

I'm just trying to learn what I can before bothering my dad on how he did it.

 

With 3.55 gears, a good set of heads, get a cam to take advantage of the better flow, nice intake and carb. Converter to match and you will be below 12s

When I first started I took the same block as you. Used a lunati hemi killer cam, low profile single plain intake, basic 2800 stall off the shelf conveter, 800 holley, 4.10 gears and went 12.0 on small valve iron heads that were ported by John z.

Seeing you starting from scratch I would really lean towards the stage 2 heads......about the same cost, headers same cost, but more room to grow later.

I'm beyond certain even as cast TA heads flow better than what small valve iron heads did.... so I really don't see how with those heads, a custom cam to match your combo and needs, header, intake, carb, conveter how you do get very low 12s high 11s

 

Start with some nice forged pistons.

 

Wouldn't chassis, transmission, & rear gears be yet a 3rd & 4th & 5th way way to go faster?

 

Not hard to go in the 12's with small valve unported heads at all. My son's Regal runs 12.90 on cooper cobra radials, about 9to1 compression, performer intake, launti cam, headers, Jim's 9.5 converter and 3.42 gears. Drives it everyday to work year round. 20 years ago my Skylark ran consistant 12.50's with trw forged pistons, stock small valve heads, poston 113 cam, sp1 intake, holley 850, headers, 2800 switch pitch converter, 3.55 gears and bf goodrich drag radials. Full weight car. Drove that car everywhere.

Ken

 

I guess the first question is how "streetable" do you want the car to be? I think Larry has given you several usable combos for H.P and TQ. He hasn't mentioned all of the other things he has done to the car or the money he spent to get to mid 11's. It is a big challenge with 4,000 lbs. His mid 12 car (combo) seems a much more reasonable target to me. The aluminum heads from TA are the way to go, no doubt about it. Compression is low (ish), cam can be reasonable, and if your gear is right the car will still be able to be driven anywhere. I am still pondering what to do with 589 TQ on the street. Yikes! I guess the burnouts are excellent!

 

Mid 12's Stage 1 recipe:
-TA speedpro's , 23cc dish, .007 below deck - stock rods and crank w/ .0023 mains, .0021 rods - 462 CID
-10:1 CR - 71 Heads, 71 cc chambers, TA 1125 springs, competition valve job, 3/8 stems, bowl clean up at ridge and valve guide. Orange Crush HG's
-70 Iron intake, plenum opened as Performer, B4B, center divider in place - gasket matched to heads for port alignment
-71 540 Quadrajet - 75 jets/44 rods primary, CE secondary rods, C hangar - bleeds and specs to Ruggles #3 - 1/2 inch 4 hole spacer.
-Stock 71 distributor tuned to 36 total, in by 3000, 12 initial with 10 in B1 vacuum advance - Pertronix III ign/Ignitor II coil -
-Camcraft 218/230 cam, 110 LSA, installed straight up, 8.0DCR. Johnson flat tappet hyd lifters, 68-69 rocker arms, adj pushrods -
-67 iron ex manifolds with 2.3" flanges.

850 rpm idle w/ 17 inches vacuum, 15 mpg at 55-60 mph, revs to 5500. 414 hp @ 5100, 501 tq at 3700 with manifolds, 434/516 with headers.

Ran 12.72 @ 106 in a 1500ft DA with a 4000 lb GS, 3.73 gear, 2800 9.5 converter, manifolds/full exhaust and stock 235/15 Cooper street radials first time out, totally green.

If you read close, this whole set up is nothing special - not much compression, not much intake CFM, not much cam. No speed parts to speak of. I'm willing to be I'll squeeze another .2-.3 out of it later this month with better fall air.

 

At least streetable for the next couple years to show off the car to family, then it can become anything

 

Ask your dad! He wont be bothered, a kid and his dad working on cars? Who could get mad?