Well after being down for over 4 months for a cam and head upgrade the new combo breathed to life for a few seconds last night!!! This thing is a BEAST!

The combo WAS 71 455 bored .060 over, TRW flat-tops, stock timing chain, Lunati Bracket Master II cam with 230/230 @ .050 and .497 lift installed straight up, stock HEI distributor, stock 6X-8 heads, Holley SD intake, Holley 780 vac secondary carb, Black jack 1 5/8 headers and 2.5 inch exhaust with H-pipe.

New combo is the same short block (71 455 .060 over with TRW flat tops), new double roller timing chain, Ultradyne solid cam with 255/260 @.050 degreed with HS 1.65 rollers valve lift is .611 and .633, ported/polished 6X-4 heads that flowed 258 intake and 233 exhaust with posi seals, 10 degree locks, 2.11/1.77 stainless valves, and comp 995 springs installed @ 1.7 height and heat crossovers filled, port matched Holley SD intake with water crossover removed, Holley 780 vacuum secondary, and recurved HEI distributor. It now breathes through 1 3/4 Hedman headers (it is a LOT louder through open headers than it was before) and will flow through a 3 inch X-pipe and Goerlich Xlerator mufflers.

It sounds COMPLETELY different! The idle with the Lunati cam was rough before, but this one is much more crisp.....the sound is a lot cleaner coming out of the headers, but it is definitely louder. Just from the little time it ran on the gas I poured in the car it is definitely more potent! I need to correct a very minor fuel leak before starting her up again, setting the timeing and breaking in the cam.

Can't wait to wrap up the dash swap and install all the new gauges to drive this thing!!!

We want a pic of the front wheels just raising off the pavement! Got wheelie bar?

Drew: CONGRATS on the Monster Ride!

Concerning noise, I can't speak for the Great State of Texas or your local constabulary, but, you may incure the wrath of the Sheriff with a loud car.

Yes, Harleys are the loudest consarned thing on the planet and they get away with it. In VA, I've had friends get tickets and I've had the cops giving me the evil eye but never quite give me a ticket. Just watchin' your back amigo.

We want pics/video/audio!!!

The X-pipe, mufflers, and tail pipes should quiet it down a bit. Thankfully, there really isn't a "noise ordinance" outside the city limits, but my ritzy neighbors will probably frown on the noise level if I don't tone it down pretty soon.

The Sheriff's deputy that patrols our area is a car guy, but I won't push my luck and fire it off after 9:00 PM with open headers. All the tuning will have to be done during daylight hours.

Once I get the little fuel leak taken care of and do some tuning I'll take some video....

I may even install the X-pipe before doing much tuning, but we'll see.

LOL, no wheelie bars, Jim.

I have some videos from my racin days and my favorite is the one I have of a launch at the track when my drivers side front wheel has an air gap between the pavement and the tire! To some of you wheel-standing guys, it might not sound like much but this was with street tires!

Pullin a front tire off the ground is something to be proud of. MAYBE mine will do it. All I need is one picture or video. hehehe

lets first see it run! THEN we can talk of wheelies....LOL

Congratulations Drew, maybe you can at least start the rumor in your neighborhood that the car will pull it's front end off that ground, it will make for juicy gossip at the clubhouse.

now, if all that torque dont twist your frame.....
if you are gonna be dogging it, you might want to look into strengthening your frame.

Ah yes, that's why the street tires....

Already has weld-in subframe connectors.

And, yes, the street tires will help a bit.

Bjorn, oh it runs. LOL It is friggin NASTY. My neighbor who lives down the street and around the corner came by yesterday afternoon because it was so loud while I was breaking in the cam. Nothing like wrapping the throttle and hearing it echo off the houses at the end of the street. hahaha

I need to put a tach on it and play with the timing curve as I installed a recurve kit and the timing isn't advancing as much as I was expecting. I may go back to the original weights and just play with springs.

Oh, and I need to chase down a very small water leak. I think it's a loose hose clamp, but will verify tonight.

My wife kindly asked me why it was sooooo loud. Actualy she yelled "IT IS TOO LOUD!" LOL Her opinion was overruled by my 5 year old boy who said, "THAT SOUNDS AWESOME....it's SO SWEEET!" hahaha Guess I need to put the exhaust on it before doing much more tuning.

I threw the driveshaft in it last night and debated about taking it out for a little romp. Maybe one night this week....atleast get the x-pipe on it and get the timing right.

"WHAT?!?!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU, THE EXHAUST IS TOO LOUD!!!!"

That's what "I" woulda said. :p But then again, I probably spend more time on the couch than you do.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> My wife kindly asked me why it was sooooo loud. Actualy she yelled "IT IS TOO LOUD!" LOL Her opinion was overruled by my 5 year old boy who said, "THAT SOUNDS AWESOME....it's SO SWEEET!" </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah right, your son over ruled the wife.........like that has ever happened to any of us :p

Pretty sure I'll catch up with you and your beast soon I'm feel'in the need to share a few Shiiner's

Kel

Wish I could bring my 'bird down to play with y'all and tip a few Shiners...$600 in round trip gas OUCH!

LOL, well she did immediately turn around and tell him, "No it doesn't!" LOL

It was priceless.

If I can get the gauges wired, the timing set, and the X-pipe in today or tomorrow I'll take him with me for a little shake down run tomorrow. He loves the smell of tire smoke.

Drew

Well, I finally got everything connected and operational last week so I took the car for a couple short romps Saturday afternoon....less hood.....and the exhaust is still mufflerless 3 inch X-pipe and LOUD!

I warmed the car up in the garage with the nose in while adjusting the idle. Temp was about 90 degrees and with the nose in the garage and the fans set to come on at 180 it never got over 180 idling with no airflow and the occasional blip of the throttle. I backed out of the driveway and idled out of the subdivision. Drove 1/2 mile to Home Depot and realized I didn't have the electric pump connected when I got on it a little and the motor started sputtering at about 3K rpm. I connected the positive lead to the electric in the parking lot of HD and went in to get what I needed....didn't leave it long. While inside I ran into one of my neighbors, but cut our conversation short due to the car sitting outside with no hood.

Anyway, I pull out of the parking lot and get straight....rolling about 35 I stab the throttle and the back tires BLEW up....I looked down at the tack and it is closer to 6K than I'd like, so I shifted into second and the rear tires kept spinning while I worked the steering wheel to keep it straight. HORY CLAP this thing is a BEAST!!! There is no masking it with an open X-pipe either cuz it SCREAMS. I drove on past the turn to my subdivision to some smooth quiet pavement with no traffic and decided to see if it would do it again. hehehe, I couldn't believe it broke loose like that at 35....so again I stabbed the throttle and the tires broke loose this time when I hit second I let off enough to gain traction and pushed it to the floor. It pulled HARD all the way up to 5800 rpm and was still pulling when I shifted. I glanced at the speedo and it was passing 120 and QUICKLY gaining on 130. I let off and cruised home. My wife has an 02 TA, I've driven a friends 05 Z06, and I've ridden in a friends 66 427 corvette....they are nothing. LOL This thing is BRUTAL.

The neighbor I ran into at HD showed up and asked me to take him for a ride, so fo course I oblidged. Again I kept the exhaust note as quiet as possible until we got away from the subdivision. We made our way to the same strip of pavement and again cruising 30-35 I looked at Rod and asked you ready to see what this thing can do. A guy who never seems to shut up sure got quiet after the word left his mouth. "Yeah!" I stood on it and had to work the wheel to keep it straight while she was struggling to gain traction. Those wide 295/35/18 tires started hooking as we reached the upper rpm range of first and I shifted into second....tires spin and then HOOK....car pulled HARD all the way through second and into 3rd. I let off and glanced at the speedo....120. I said, "Do you think we could get in trouble for going 120?" He says, "Holy #$@%, we were just doing 120!?"

I started making my way back to the house and got on it a little once more only to have the braided trans cooler line contact the positive battery cable. Seems I forgot to put the hold down back in place and the battery was leaning back against the inner fender. The braided line chafed the insulation and the battery grounded to the fender through the braided line...melting the teflon liner. I wrapped the line and limped it home. After cleaning up the engine compartment and splicing the lines back together I pulled it into the driveway and parked it.

Though I have to order a new trans cooler line, the experience MADE the day. I still have some tuning to do, but **** this thing is a MONSTER!!!

Sorry for the long-winded post. I'll get some video soon.

Drew

What did you use to clean the brown stain off the passenger seat? :p

LOL, luckily it didn't come to that....an hour or so after the car was parked and everything was cleaned up out of the blue he just blurts out. "**** that car is fast! I almost cr@pped my pants when you were trying to keep the car straight!"

Then it seemed like every 30 minutes or so he'd say something similar....or how much fun it was. He ended up hanging around the house for about 4 hours. I finally told him to go home.

Sounds like a monster. Can you post photos of the engine build and expecially your porting work? I know you spend lots of time on the heads. It looks like it paid off.

You should have told your friend who cr@pped his pants that the car was bone stock. "Thats the way Pontiacs were back in the day".

LMAO, I should have....

The bottom end has been together for about 3 years and has about 3K miles on it.

I have some pics from different stages of the port work and build here at the office. PM me your email address and I'll send ya some.

Can you say "POOF", there he goes

Kel

LMAO....priceless.

$12K tied up in bare metal unibody with minitubs, and roll bar.
$6K and 6 month wait for paint job
$10K for a 540 cubic inch Merlin

Getting your arse handed to you at the track by a $7K car....priceless.

I'll have to run him before he learns how to drive it.

Here's a little video to demonstrate the crisp exhaust note...

Drew

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=480720439913925047

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1827055939939894487

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4846084406326289948

NICE!

That sounds just angry! When did you get the exhaust finished? Sounds great man...

Brett!

Thanks, Brett!

Well, the X-pipe has been on it for a few weeks, but I got the mufflers and hangers on it last weekend. I am still planning to put tail pipes on it at some point, but it is driveable.

Seems I got the pipes a hair too close to the cross member because when it's idling in gear the passenger side pipe barely taps the trans cross member. I'll pull them off one night this week and tweak them a hair.

I guess your runnin on this now, huh Drew



Kel

LOL, rc fuel?

No, but I'm probably paying just as much or more per gallon than they are! Running premium pump gas with no ping. Still dialing in the motor, though.

rc fuel is nitro in disquise!!!!!