Got smoked in my 66 Skylark 455 by a 95 Z28!!

[Glock23]

Im new to this site and it seems real cool!! But anyways i raced my buddy in his 95 Z28 last night and he spanked me pretty good. My Skylark has a 455 with a dual quad setup and a little porting done to the stock heads. I have 4.10 gears in the car and i have 33 in tires on the rear mounted on 15X14 draglite wheels. His car is an M6 also with 4.10 gears he aslo had the stock heads ported and installed a CC306 cam along with 1.6 Rockers bigger TB and all the other stuff you would do to a newer FI car. He is running 15X10 draglites in the rear with Hoosier quick times and front skinnies. After he helped me repair my header gasket leak I followed him home it was late and The highway we take home is pretty empty at that time of night. There is a stretch of road that is a little over a 1/4 mile long which is marked at the end by an off ramp exit sign. We both came to a short stop then looked at each other and we were off, I had him out of the whole for a short time by maybe a 1/2 car length or so shortly after that I looked and he was creaping up to my door. It seems like as soon as he hit second gear that was it, we stayed even for a little bit and then he started to pull ahead of me. I would say at the end of the 1/4 mile mark he was a little more then a 1/2 a car length ahead of me Im not sure of how fast we were going because my speedo dont work. I learned my lesson about those LT1,s once you start putting mods on them they are pretty quick cars....Looks like I have to add the N20 now for sure.

Stay Safe,
John

 

[Turbojorge]

Originally posted by Glock23
i have 33 in tires on the rear mounted on 15X14 draglite wheels.

WOW!

What kind of times do you run with this thing.

 

[Glock23]

Im not too sure rite now I would like to get it to a track and find out. I had to tub the thing out because my frame was so rotted it was the only way i could save the car. I have had the car for many, many years and the last time I went to the track I think it ran in the low 12,s to high 13,s or something like that. I havnt been to the track with the thing in about 12-13 years. I probubly have freshend the engine up about a dozen times since then because it keeps sitting in the garage.

 

[AsphaltAnihil8r]

Maybe while working on your car ,He forgot to put a plug wire back on

 

[BuickMike]

Dual Quads?

You might want to consider dropping the Offy manifold with dual quads and look into a TA Performance SP1 or Kenne Bell single plane intake with a Holley 850 or '71 Buick 455 Q-Jet. (820cfm). You'll be guarenteed to be showing your buddy your tailights

I had a friend with a '70 Skylark who finally gave up on the dual quads and went to a Holley 850 w/ the TA intake and gained over 1 second in the 1/4 mile. I used to harrass him because he came nowhere near my '68 GS with a mildly built stock appearing motor.

 

[Captain Mark]

I agree, drop that dual quad. Go with a newer set up.
Dang, that motor with a 4.10 should EASILY put you in the low 12's. At www.v8buick.com there are guys with 3.23 rear ends running 12's with mildly built 455's. You may want to go over there and start asking questions. That car can beat that Z.

 

[1970gsx]

Yes, the dual quad is killing you. Change that thing out and you will feel the difference.

 

[blackbuick87]

Originally posted by Glock23
His car is an M6 also with 4.10 gears he aslo had the stock heads ported and installed a CC306 cam along with 1.6 Rockers bigger TB and all the other stuff you would do to a newer FI car.

Isnt an M6 an LS1?

 

[BLACK6PACK]

BlackBuick87,
The M6 (manual 6 speed) could be had from 93-97 with the LT1 in the cambirds, and with the LS1 '98+. Of course the vette could be had with the LT4 in 96 with the M6 and LS1 in '97.

 

[blackbuick87]

Originally posted by BLACK6PACK
BlackBuick87,
The M6 (manual 6 speed) could be had from 93-97 with the LT1 in the cambirds, and with the LS1 '98+. Of course the vette could be had with the LT4 in 96 with the M6 and LS1 in '97.

Duh! I need some coffee. Maybe I should drink my lunch

 

[RPM WS6]

That LT1 you raced...

If he’s got heads/cam (and the CC306 is a badass cam too!), plus 4.10s and tires that can hold them, plus a bunch of regular bolt-ons, he’s gonna be running low 12s (and even high 11s if he can really drive and is willing to powershift).

 

[Captain Mark]

That Buick 455 will run 11's also. With that setup he should be.......hmmmm let's see........450-500 hp!

 

[Glock23]

Im not sure what My 455 has for HP?? But 450 to 500 seems like a bit much? What did these things have stock? My car runs good but im not sure if maybe because its big and shaped like a brick have anything to do with it. Im also going to have to do some research on what cam I have in this thing its been so long I cant remember what I put in it. All I Remember that it was close to stock. I figured that the car was probubly making around 345-385hp stock. Anyone know?? I went for a ride in My friends LT1 today and the thing is fast!!

 

[Captain Mark]

It depends on a lot of things. What year motor? Which heads? Which cam? What comp ratio.

If your running a decent cam, headers, ported heads, 10 to 1 comp ratio, switch to a single intake with a big carb (at least 800 cfm) you'll be knocking out lots of hp. OK let's be conservative, 425 to 450 hp with that setup. But with a 4.10 rear, that baby should haul a$$.

 

[BuickMike]

Cam

You are probably running something similar to the TA Performance 118 degree cam that was popular for several years. What year is the motor and heads? What pistons do you have? If you're running 10:1 compression with a good set of headers and exhaust you can run a pretty serious cam (112 degree?). Plus you have some steep gears that are just begging for a big cam. Just add a new intake and carb and you should be in the 11's. (As long as you have good fuel delivery and spark)
BTW, what tranny and converter do you have??

I think the '70 455 was rated at 360 HP and 510 lb/ft of torque. These are #'s supplied by GM and I'm sure the HP rating is low because they probably only tested the motor to around 5000 RPM's.

If you setup your motor like mentioned above, I'd imagine your HP would be well into the 400's and torque would be at 530 or more.

 

[Glock23]

I did some searching on the internet and found out that in 66 the 455 was only putting out 340HP but it didnt say anything about TQ numbers. Thats not very much seeing that its a big block car considering what the Chevy/Mopars were putting out back then. I think that Im going to take the car off the road for now and tear into the engine to see whats up and change a few things to get some more power out of it. Im going to have to do something or maybe get a nice 87 GN and do some work to that....My buddy with the 95Z is currently building a stroker 396 with about 175HP shot of N20 through a Ford 9in...so I got to do something!!

 

[BuickMike]

Actually, the 455 didn't come out until 1970. The only Buick Big Blocks available in '66 were the 401 and 425 nailhead motors. In '67, the 400 and 430 came out. These motors were identical except for the piston size. The 400 was available in the Skylark GS and the 430 came in the Riviera and Electra. (Maybe even the Le Sabre). The 400 was rated at 340hp and 480 lb/ft of Torque. The 455 is basically the same motor except for bigger pistons. In '71 the compression dropped from 10:1 to 8.5:1 ( I think), though they got better carbs and an improved oiling system. (Bigger pickup and passages.) Also, the '69 - '72 GS cars came w/ the Stage 1 option which included bigger valves in the heads and more fuel delivery. After '72 the smog laws killed the 455. Those motors have 7.9:1 compression due to different heads.

Your '66 Skylark is definately a transplant car. If it was a GS, it came with a 425 Nailhead. Since it is not, the original motor was probably a 300 V8 with a 2 speed TH300 trans.

And that concludes the Buick history lesson for today.
Hope this helps.

 

[buickman69]

Glock23, I'd take the advice given here today and start visiting:
WWW.V8BUICK.COM

By the way, I love the '66-'67 body style over the '68-72.

 

[ThikStik]

glock,
I had to reply here as Ive lived out this very scenario!
Ive got a 71 gto 455 and have a buddy with a 96 lt1, 6speed also. He has those mods except for cam. They will stoke on high end. But heres how it went down with us. With my old combo of: turbo 700 trans, 3;31 rear, comp 268 small cam and 1;5 rockers, and a 750 Qjet (small) and MANIFOLDS, I would smoke him by 2.3 carlenghts in a drag. It was a low end beast. BUT on the hiway , at a 70mph kick, the Lt1 would eek on me at about 112mph and continue to pull. My new combo, as in my signature, is barely pulling on him now. Dissapointing-as the 6 speed alone gives a more efficient powertrain which may mean my new motor is not any better than old small cammed one. Anyway-ive got to get headers.
My point, we have a similiar comparison here and You should hole shot an lt1, but on the high end , his air packing 350, manuel trans, and aerodynamics will be tuff on a hiway brawl. Wont matter in a 1/4 mile if you crank him off the line though.

 

[Captain Mark]

Hey BuickMike, I wonder if he has the 425 nailhead with the double carb factory setup. That would make more sense. If that was a built up 455, he should be screaming.