Ol' Fart's Firebird Fantasy

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

A Lemans or Grand Prix is the way to go with the 7M5 455. No need to run a GTO. A wagon would be fine, just need a bit of gear for it. Maybe a shorter cam duration wise

Yeah, I'd like a 2-door Lemans. But since they are lighter, they'll have to go a little quicker. The base models will run F or G. Higher models will run G or H. I like the idea of adding some weight to the rear. So, of these, I'd like to run the H/SA combo. That index is 12.15. So you'd need to run a 12.00 flat in hot weather. That sounds doable, without a high dollar engine.

The weight would be 11.5 x 315 = 3622.5 lbs.

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2068

http://www.classracerinfo.com/NHRA_Classes.aspx

Another engine that I think might work is the '70 360hp 455 with #64 heads. According to the classracerinfo site, it was just refactored to 345hp. I reckin it is the highest compression 455 you could run. You can shave the heads down to 75cc, and wind up with 12.44 CR., according to the info sheet.

We ran one of these motors out of a street GTO, in 3 different bracket cars, way back yonder. It ran 12.40's and 50's with a TH400, a stock 13" converter and 3.55 gears. We ran it for 3 seasons. It won lots of races and probably logged between 600 & 800 passes total.(we went to 49 races in '78) And I think it had well over 50,000 street miles when I got it. It was my 1st 455. It made a believer out of me.

And it taught me a lot. It broke every part of the drive train, at one time or another--a Glide, a TH350 out of an 11 sec nova, several TH400 int sprags, a Buick 10 bolt, an 8.5 ten bolt(I tried to get by one race before tacking the axle tubes to the center section), and of course a couple of driveshafts. That thang was a torque monster. I had only raced 400's prior to that. I had no idea about the torque of a 455 and what it could break.

This engine should haul a '70 A-body Pontiac Stocker down the track pretty quick.

http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2050

[oldskool]

OK, if I decide to try a '72 Lemans combo. I need to know what to look for. So, right off I know that the '71 & '72 Lemans look very similar. I'll look up some pics online to see if I can spot the differences. If they are close enuff to the same, that will increase the chances that I might find a decent junker to build.

OK, I been lookin at 'em online. The only difference I've spotted is the grills. The '71 has only 1 bright strip horizontally across the middle of both grill pieces. The '72 has 2 different style grills. One style has 2 bright strips horizontally across both grills. The other type appears to have a 2-piece grill on each side. It looks like two pieces sitting on top of each other. The pics can explain it better than me.

If any of you guys know anything else that would need to be changed on a '71, to pass NHRA tech as a '72, please post that info. Thanks.

[oldskool]

Because of the high price of GTO's, I figure there are quite a few of these cars doing bracket duty. But, most of these cars are out past my meager finances at this time. And some of 'em are probably cut up too much on the inside. And there is a wide variety of hoods and scoops on 'em.

At last check, a '71 held the E/SA national record.

[Adam Strang]

My bad the 350 was not available in the GTO on `68.

Hey if you`re interested I am selling my `68 GTO F/SA car ready to go. 400 350/325 hp.

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by Adam Strang

Hey if you`re interested I am selling my `68 GTO F/SA car ready to go. 400 350/325 hp.

Hey, thanks for the offer. But if I had plenty to plunk down for a race ready Stocker, I wouldn't be doing this thread. And, as mentioned earlier, I am not a big fan of the '68 Goat. Just don't like the bumper/tail light set-up. I'm not sure why--maybe it's just me. But I love the '69 rear.

Speaking of buying a race ready Stocker, if I'd had the coins, I'da probably bought Mike Morgan's Bird. He did quite well with it at the US Nationals.

http://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=54677

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2014#indextop

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2014#indextop

http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCSt...r2014#indextop

[oldskool]

Just started cruising the net to see what's out there.

This '72 GTO is the 1st thing I saw that is interesting.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pontiac-GTO-...US_Cars_Trucks

[64wgn]

oldskool, not sure if it would work for you or not but there is a decent looking 71 LeMans wagon on Minneapolis minn craigslist now. Sorry, but I cant post a link

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by 64wgn

oldskool, not sure if it would work for you or not but there is a decent looking 71 LeMans wagon on Minneapolis minn craigslist now. Sorry, but I cant post a link

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/an...856191096.html

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/an...856191096.html

Yeah, the Bird scoops and amber headlights really give that wagon some personality, don't they ?

I'll probably have to find something a little cheaper and a little closer to home. It would cost me a grand to get a car shipped from that far away. I'm in north Louisiana.

And something else I've realized is that for Stocker purposes, I need to find a car as complete as possible, at least body and interior wise. I never worried about it in the old days. I bought all the cheap Birds and A-bodies I could find and stacked 'em up behind my shop. When it was time to put another car together, I'd just go out back and snatch what ever I needed off another car and put it on the racer.

It's hard to believe now. But I bought literally dozens of Birds and Goats, and rarely ever gave more than $350 for 'em. And some of 'em had running 400 engines, TH400 or 4-speed and posi rear. If I'da knew they would be worth what they are today, I'd be a rich dude. I bought a '70 GTO vert for $350 off a used car lot--400, 4-speed.

When I got it home TJ said we oughta take it for a spin. So, I dropped the top and we took off up the road. It turned out to be my only street ride in a ragtop--well, except for a little test and tune in a '68 Bird I built for TJ to race. I may have had to give a whopping $500 for this one--don't remember. But hey, back then they were just old high mileage cars that nobody else wanted. Times have really changed.

[Dwight Southerland]

http://easttexas.craigslist.org/cto/4796957483.html


http://shreveport.craigslist.org/cto/4841245286.html


http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/cto/4841158976.html


http://littlerock.craigslist.org/cto/4827976687.html


http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/cto/4845166129.html


http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/4840084797.html


http://carbondale.craigslist.org/cto/4828614149.html


http://northmiss.craigslist.org/cto/4835095290.html


http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/4820748901.html