What's the bottom line on true duals?

could i go to 2 and then bump it up to 2 1/4 after the xmember?

 

Plenty of room here.

 

Certainly, but I think this would be a waste.

If you're keeping the manifolds a 2" mandrel system will serve you well. Does the 2 1/4 add enough performance to justify the headaches? You'll really feel the difference with headers and good flowing exhaust when you go stage 1 with some port work. For now, it sounds like you're just trying to get the 455 combo off the ground.

When you upgrade to headers then do the X-member and put on a new exhaust. 3.5" is quite easy with the right X member, (See above pic!) :TU:

 

... I Used The Stock Th200 Crossmember With My 87' Regal/buick455/th400 Combo, Which I Had To Slide @ 3-4 Inches Back On The Driver's Side. The Frame Bracket (driver's Side) Had To Be Split Open To Slide The Crossmember "between" The Frame Bracket That The Crossmember Bolts Onto. When I Went To Meineke, They Made The "cut-out" For Duals On The Driver's Side Of The Crossmember. I Beat-the-hell Out Of That Car With No Problems/drivetrain Movement Till The Day Some Ass-hole Stole It From Me.

I Still Have Allll The Notes On My 1997 Project 455/regal.

 

I used a G-Force. had to pund the floor up a bit to get it in though... :-/
have 3 inch all the way from the headers though.

 

Mine came with the stock one modified. The mod was taking a piece of c-channel wide enough to pass the exhaust and chopping the cross member to fit the c-channel in the right location. Probably a 1 hour job with a stock crossmember a welder and a short piece of c-channel.

 

I use an Iceman TH350 crossmember in my '84. It fits perfectly and provides plenty of room for 3" pipes:

http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=97374

 

anyone ever try some of this piping?

Hi all,

Any one ever try some of the Dr Gas Frame clearance tubes to get around the stock crossmember? http://www.drgas.com/store/product.php?productid=3&cat=0&page=1 might be a cheaper alternative.

Thanks

 

Yes you can use headers; just make sure the TH200 4-speed cross-member is cut/modified AFTER the headers are installed. The ONLY reason I couldn't use my TH200 x-member is because it was already cut/modified with duals when I bought the '87 Olds 307 Special-T Regal ... that was 2-inches off (the cut-out in the x-member) with the Buick 455.

 

Here's a pic I located of my issue with the TH200 X-member already having been cut for the Olds307 that was originally in the Regal with aftermarket duals. The ONLY issue I had (the TA long header's collector ended @ 4-inches BEFORE the cross-member) was NOT having an original stock/uncut TH200-4-speed X-member ( and God I tried every junkyard/friend/g-body parts-place I could think of to find a stock TH200 cross-member).
Hope this helps a future project.

 

:TU:
My OCD & I located this better photo showing that the Olds 307 V8 dual exhaust cut-out just DON'T line up with a Buick 455 stock exhaust manifolds nor TA Performance's Long-Style Headers.

Again, I meet with BRUNO to get his stock/uncut GN X-member this weekend ... and drive my Stage-1 Regal to Meineke next Friday morning. :TU:

 

... I also noticed that the TH400's vacuum module/vacuum line is FRENCH-KISSING the headers , so I need to "handle" that issue before getting it on the road.

 

I have the Jegs x-member for the tranny with duals and it boltd right in. Best bang for $129.

Jon

 

... my 1987 455 Stage-1 Buick Regal's true 3-inch duals with TA Performance long-style competition headers with 3-1/2-inch collectors used with factory TH200 X-member ... already cut for the prior Oldsmobile 307 V8 that was in the Regal when I bought it. The system has great back-pressure.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN4O1IKia7Q



I hope this helps and saves someone MONEY. :TU::TU: