Well, for the most part the T-type was pretty much stock. All I added was a 160 degree thermostat, the 9" K&N from Kirban and the Oil breather from Kirban, also a full race shift kit that was installed in Texas when the tranny started slipping. It wasn't Art Carr or B&M. I saved the box but I don't remember the name and since the car was stolen with all my parts etc. in the trunk, I guess I'll never know. What I do know however, is that this car would pull like a monster truck! It had to be the meanest (stock) buick I had eveer been in. I even ran around with a couple GN's when I lived in Texas (We'd go and terrorize the local 5.slow gangs).
I've heard about how some cars that are supposed to be exactly the same will perform differently. I think mine was one of them. In fact, the first day I bought her, I almost wrecked. I was going to pass some slow moving traffice on a two lane road and since I was unfamiliar with the Turbo, I just mashed the pedal. Next thing I know the car is going sideways down the road and I'm crappin' myself. Luckily I let of the gas and got control and slowed down. After that incident I decided that the only way to control the "beast" was to respect the power. Of course it's funny to look back and see how many others had to learn the "hard way"
Now that I think about it, that's actually how I learned about the Buick. Many moons ago, when I was a young punk (18 or 19? Can't remember), I was trolling the streets in my slow a$$ Camaro (V-6) (Little engine means low self-esteem, must race anyone!!). (The camaro as slow as she was looked really fast, she had a big fat body kit, Iroc hood, twin exhaust tips on each side, no emblems, corvette wheels, all black.)
So, one evening I'm drivng around and as I'm pulling up to a light, I see the back end of what I assume is an SS Monte. It had these huge meats on the rear and was all black too. I figured it was all show and no go. As I pulled up, I made sure to line up exactly with the guy and while I was eyeballing his car I noticed the bump on the hood. "That's odd", I thought, "Monties don't have a bump on the hood. Oh, well it's probably an aftermarket thing." Nevertheless, I continued to prepare for my impending race. I turned off the radio and a/c, and rolled up the windows. Then, I proceeded to start building up some RPM's for a good healty launch. At that point I started to hear a funny noise. Some sort of high pitched whining. I think to myself "what the hell is that?" "Am I getting some whine off the radio?, It can't be, It's off" All this time I'm frantically looking for the source of the noise and I notice that it's not coming from my car but from the guy next to me, and it's getting louder. (keep in mind that all of this occurs in the timeframe of a stoplight) At the realization that this guy has some kind of freakin' flux capacitor under the hood, the light turns green and time stops. ( You ever see Star Trek when the captain says "engage"!?? Just like that, the light go's green and all I see is a flash of light and he's gone) with my jaw still on the floor my body is still going though the motions, I had the camaro in 1st (automatic), I take off and after a brief sit and spin session, I'm doing like 50 and slam into 2nd and the tires actually screamed (never happend before or since) , I mashed the gas and got to D and by then my digital Tach is blinking at 85 and the guy has already slowed down. I finally catch up and glance over so as to remember this car, I keep going past him and get home quickly hoping no one else has seen this beating.
After that incident I started looking for info on the buick. And when I finally got to take a test drive at a dealership it was love at first sight. Of course, back then they were too pricey for my pocket ($14k for a low mile GN!) I was jsut out of High school working at a little over minimum wage. Anyway, that was my turning point, and eventually I found my baby but, that's another story....
