Ol' Fart's Firebird Fantasy

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Yeah, I like the looks of both those combos. But on the GTO SS deal, I'm figuring that because of all the noise Bill Rink has made with it, that it will soon get hit with a big refactor.

Now, about the wagon. You think it is close enuff to a '77 to convert and pass tech with it ?

Yes..I think you would need to change the whole nose...or as some would say "doghouse".
The tail lights, and the rear bumper..
The VIN is irrelevant.

[oldskool]

OK guys, I need some help here with some info that may help me and others. I just got involved in a tranny discussion. The OP wanted to know which tranny to run behind his 700hp Pontiac, a TH400 or a Glide. He was afraid the Glide would slow him down. I suggested a TH350, and posted 3 links with TH350's rated at 800hp +.

But one guy basically said the TH350 is junk and won't stand 700hp. I even posted the link of a guy telling about his Turbo Action TH350 that had held up for 3 seasons with 1000hp. But there are a lot of unbelievers.

I assume that lots of you SS guys are running TH350's with somewhere in the neighborhood of 700hp. So I need posts that I can copy and paste, with some of ya'll telling about your sucess with a SS TH350 tranny.

So, can anybody give me some directions on how to find such info on this site ? Thanks !

[oldskool]

Breaker !

I interrupt this thread to call attention to a nice lookin '72 Grand Prix. Has a 400 Pontiac with some good parts in it, TH400 with brake, and a 12 bolt rear end. Car has a lot of other good parts on it. Has run 11.70's. Check it out.

http://www.racingjunk.com/Complete-R...ACE-READY.html

[Tony Corley]

Looks like a good candidate to convert to a stocker from the pictures. Sell what you can't use off of it and install your stuff. Why haven't you bought it yet, lol?

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Tony Corley

Looks like a good candidate to convert to a stocker from the pictures. Sell what you can't use off of it and install your stuff. Why haven't you bought it yet, lol?

Nope, the '72 400 has a 310hp factor. The 455 is only 315. It would be better. But those 455 heads had press-in studs and no end exhaust manifold bolt holes. And I don't have a set anyhow.

A '75 GP with a 455, factored at 300hp looks pretty good. And they show the 5c heads are legal on it. These heads are almost identical to the 6x heads that I have. And they have screw-in studs and all 6 exhaust bolt holes.

But, I just noticed that NHRA does not list any accepted replacement piston for the '75-'76 455's. They must be oddballs of some kind--maybe a bevel around the edge, or no valve reliefs. Anyhow, a barely under car at a divisional will most likely not be torn down to check the pistons. And I assume that if somebody requested it, NHRA would probably allow the same pistons they have listed for '70-'74 455's, since there would be no big performance advantage.

[Tony Corley]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Nope, the '72 400 has a 310hp factor. The 455 is only 315. It would be better. But those 455 heads had press-in studs and no end exhaust manifold bolt holes. And I don't have a set anyhow.

A '75 GP with a 455, factored at 300hp looks pretty good. And they show the 5c heads are legal on it. These heads are almost identical to the 6x heads that I have. And they have screw-in studs and all 6 exhaust bolt holes.

But, I just noticed that NHRA does not list any accepted replacement piston for the '75-'76 455's. They must be oddballs of some kind--maybe a bevel around the edge, or no valve reliefs. Anyhow, a barely under car at a divisional will most likely not be torn down to check the pistons. And I assume that if somebody requested it, NHRA would probably allow the same pistons they have listed for '70-'74 455's, since there would be no big performance advantage.

I meant buy it and sell any of the running gear you can't use. You could easily recoup $1000 or more in parts sales, and have a chassis basically ready to drop your stuff in. If you don't have the required heads, I'm sure someone else does. You are letting the minute details get in the way of racing, lol. Not too mention the '72 is way more cool than a '75. As mentioned earlier, years ago I had a 71 Monte Carlo SS 454, which obviously this is the Pontiac equivalent body style. Would hook in mud.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Tony Corley

I meant buy it and sell any of the running gear you can't use. You could easily recoup $1000 or more in parts sales, and have a chassis basically ready to drop your stuff in. If you don't have the required heads, I'm sure someone else does. You are letting the minute details get in the way of racing, lol. Not too mention the '72 is way more cool than a '75. As mentioned earlier, years ago I had a 71 Monte Carlo SS 454, which obviously this is the Pontiac equivalent body style. Would hook in mud.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying. And I like the GP body style. But I don't have several thousand layin around. I gotta use what I have. So, if I use a GP body, it'll have to be a cheap junker that I can strip down and start from scratch.

And although I like the GP body, it is not my favorite Pontiac. I have 2 bracket cars, so I'm not in any hurry. I'm gonna keep doing the research and figure out what I think would be a good combination to build, considering the parts I have, cost of buying a body, etc, etc.

Here's my order of preference in bodies:

(1) TJ

(2) Bird

(3) '69-'72 A-body

(4) Ventura 2

(5) Wagon

(6) '69-'77 GP

[goinbroke2]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Nope, the '72 400 has a 310hp factor. The 455 is only 315. It would be better. But those 455 heads had press-in studs and no end exhaust manifold bolt holes. And I don't have a set anyhow.

A '75 GP with a 455, factored at 300hp looks pretty good. And they show the 5c heads are legal on it. These heads are almost identical to the 6x heads that I have. And they have screw-in studs and all 6 exhaust bolt holes.

But, I just noticed that NHRA does not list any accepted replacement piston for the '75-'76 455's. They must be oddballs of some kind--maybe a bevel around the edge, or no valve reliefs. Anyhow, a barely under car at a divisional will most likely not be torn down to check the pistons. And I assume that if somebody requested it, NHRA would probably allow the same pistons they have listed for '70-'74 455's, since there would be no big performance advantage.

That head doesn't have two ears snapped off?? There are no outer manifold bolts??
Wtf were they thinking? Unless the flange on the header is 1/2" thick or something, how would that not leak?

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by goinbroke2

That head doesn't have two ears snapped off?? There are no outer manifold bolts??
Wtf were they thinking? Unless the flange on the header is 1/2" thick or something, how would that not leak?

Here's a couple of ways they do it.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Yes..I think you would need to change the whole nose...or as some would say "doghouse".
The tail lights, and the rear bumper..
The VIN is irrelevant.

I just checked out the differences real close. Would need an entire front cap. Hood, fenders, and nose--all different. It appears the '77 Grand Safari shares the front cap with the Bonneville and maybe the Parisienne.