Pontiac 455 hp reduction

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by oldskool

Sorry, but that makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

I can name several Pontiac engines that were increased by NHRA, then later reduced by NHRA.

So, are you trying to say that once NHRA has increased the hp, they can't later come back & reduce it ?

That is the way the rule works now. If a certain combo gets HP then it is never eligible for a reduction. I was told that first hand when I tried to get a reduction on my combo. That Pontiac combo was not eligible by the rule as written.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

That is the way the rule works now. If a certain combo gets HP then it is never eligible for a reduction. I was told that first hand when I tried to get a reduction on my combo. That Pontiac combo was not eligible by the rule as written.

WOW ! 1st time I ever heard that. So, EXACTLY when did this rule take effect ?

Cause I'm positive that I know of factors that were increased, then reduced a couple of years later, & this was in very recent history.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

And, who's to say NHRA couldn't just change that new rule ? How many rules have they changed ????????

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by oldskool

WOW ! 1st time I ever heard that. So, EXACTLY when did this rule take effect ?

Cause I'm positive that I know of factors that were increased, then reduced a couple of years later, & this was in very recent history.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

And, who's to say NHRA couldn't just change that new rule ? How many rules have they changed ????????

If I remember correctly it was about 3 years ago the change was made. Lonnie Grim did say they could use discretion on the HP ratings.

[Dave Reuland]

More info on the 73 GTO raced by Mick Leiferman. His brother Dennis, who was a tech at the Pontiac dealership in Madision SD, along with his cousin, Tom Geppert, bought a new 73 455SD Formula Firebird 4 speed and raced it in D/S for several years at Thunder Valley Dragways in SD. They pulled the engine and bought a 73 GTO, installed the engine and an automatic trans and continued to race it in the midwest. Dennis told me that Pontiac never built a SD GTO but NHRA had it in the book so they were going to do it. After two or three years, they sent the car to Mick who raced it for several years before pulling the engine, changing the cam and installing the engine into a light weight Firebird and running S/G. Dennis sold the original Firebird Formula SD in1978 and found it again around 2005 and proceded to restore it. Dennis passed away a few years back but his wife has kept the car at the family farm in Kimball SD.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by Glenn Briglio

Car isn't deleted. Combo with aluminum head gets deleted because gm never made it. Nhra made the mistake of putting it into their books.

Meant combination. I understand they actually built the body.