Input from those more knowledgeable...

[vetteowner]

I took the next step in looking to get into another GN... went and test drove one I found on these forums. Car was in good shape, needed some minor TLC to get it back to great shape. The car has a decent amount of work done to it which I'll list now:

stock block, .030 over, forged pistons, mild cam, home port/polish on the heads/intake, TE-44, deltagate, front mount intercooler with 3 inch piping, 009 42lbs injectors, Walbro pump, ATR headers, 3 inch downpipe and 3 inch single exhaust (all stainless) 2600 stall non-lockup convertor, max-effort 8way chip.

Thats the bulk of the performance mods... had a lot of little items done to it such as scanmaster2, hotwire for the fuel pump, converted to vacumm brakes, etc... car seemed as it was built correctly.

Questions I have for those in the know and up to date... how does the above combo sound for an overall package? Anyone running something similar and have any 1/4 mile numbers? I was only able to test it with between 12-14 lbs of boost... it did come out of the hole kind of tame (see next question) but really came on strong above 40-50 mph. It did bake the tires about 15 feet out from the launch.. so I'm sure traction would help here.

I did seem to have a problem holding the car on the line with any boost... 3-4 lbs was about all before it started to push... I'm guessing larger rear wheel cylinders and better shoes along with line lock to cure this? (everythings stock in that area now) Not sure if the convertor has any play in this?

If I were to get this car I would certainly be doing alky injection and I was thinking a larger turbo... I'm not sure how the TE-44, 2600 stall and front mount with 3 inch piping play together... is the TE44 a good size for the overall scheme of things? I would like to get the boost up higher then 14 with the alky injection and pump gas...

Thanks for the input anyone can give me!

 

[John Larkin]

The vacuum brakes are the problem with holding boost. Only real way to cure it is with a transbrake or a brake jumper valve, which is too much to get into in this thread.

Alky can get you 20 lbs of boost no problem.

As for the mods, I digress to someone more knowledgeable.

 

[vetteowner]

Thanks!

by more knowledgable, I meant anyone that's been into turbo buicks in the last 7 years..cause thats the last time I had one

Never thought about the vacuum brakes... but of course under boost you loose them... I really was hoping for an 11 second car... dunno if it will be possible with soft launches.

 

[azgn]

Baloney! Vacuum brakes are not the problem! Bad brakes are the problem....I can hold 10 lbs or better on my car with vacuum brakes (I have long shoes and a well done brake system)

Properly done vacuum brakes (without the semi-dangerous larger cylinders) will hold all the boost most tires can stand!

 

[ONLYA6]

I went 12.03@109 with a TE-44, 40lb. inj., Kenne Bell Big-Boy front mount, stock heads, stock cam and a 3000 non-L/U. That was a long time ago, I've since upgraded just about everything, but that should give you some idea on how the car would run. One question you should ask is who did all the work? It could have good parts in it, but if a dope rebuilt it, that could be problems.

Jacob

 

[John Larkin]

I get the feeling Woody doesn't agree. I got the wheels 3 clicks from locked up in the shoe adjustment. Any closer and they're gonna melt down. What have you done to cause this miracle fix? And this isn't a flame, just sincere interest. I can only hold 2psi.

 

[vetteowner]

Internal engine work was done at a shop in Houston when his father owned the car... looks as if he did a lot of talking with Connley about the setup, etc. The owner did the brake conversion and the rest of the work. He has receipts for everything, shop manuals and all the original parts.

Any other opinion on the brakes? If i could hold 8 to 10 I'd be very pleased...

 

[salvageV6]

Properly tuned and in race trim that car should have no trouble with doing high 11's.

 

[azgn]

John

hmmmm....maybe your converter isn't stalling where it is supposed to? As said, I can leave off the brakes at 10+ lbs...I normally leave off a trans brake at 4000 rpm (15-20 lbs)

my converter is a 3600 stall PI.....does make a difference

brakes/converter/turbo....all very important

 

[Nick Micale]

Originally posted by John Larkin
I get the feeling Woody doesn't agree. I got the wheels 3 clicks from locked up in the shoe adjustment. Any closer and they're gonna melt down. What have you done to cause this miracle fix? And this isn't a flame, just sincere interest. I can only hold 2psi.

Woody and lots of others do not agree. First off, the power assist being manual, vacuum, hydraulic or elec/hyd should make no difference on static holding power. All 4 wheels are applied when building boost, so all of them must be optimum for best holding boost.

Further, the master cylinder on the vac set up puts more pressure to the rear wheels than the PM which has to do with internal cyl size. Since every vac conversion I have done stops better, it can be assumed it will also holds boost better.

Woody's brakes have been carefully and exactally installed including radius fitting the rear shoes/drums [all of which are new]. Really tough for a 15 year-old brake system to do its job with worn parts.

Like he says, other factors such as turbo, converter, tires, road surface, etc, all help determine how well a car can hold boost

 

[John Larkin]

I'll open up a new thread on this. We got off track on this guy's questions.

 

[whitehot84]

I had a very similar setup to yours with the exception of a stretched intercooler and ran 11.70s. You should check that stall converter. I've done a couple of brake conversions and not seen any problems so far. That converter jus may be tight. Good luck

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by vetteowner
I took the next step in looking to get into another GN... went and test drove one I found on these forums. Car was in good shape, needed some minor TLC to get it back to great shape. The car has a decent amount of work done to it which I'll list now:

stock block, .030 over, forged pistons, mild cam, home port/polish on the heads/intake, TE-44, deltagate, front mount intercooler with 3 inch piping, 009 42lbs injectors, Walbro pump, ATR headers, 3 inch downpipe and 3 inch single exhaust (all stainless) 2600 stall non-lockup convertor, max-effort 8way chip.

Thats the bulk of the performance mods... had a lot of little items done to it such as scanmaster2, hotwire for the fuel pump, converted to vacumm brakes, etc... car seemed as it was built correctly.

Questions I have for those in the know and up to date... how does the above combo sound for an overall package? Anyone running something similar and have any 1/4 mile numbers? I was only able to test it with between 12-14 lbs of boost... it did come out of the hole kind of tame (see next question) but really came on strong above 40-50 mph. It did bake the tires about 15 feet out from the launch.. so I'm sure traction would help here.

I did seem to have a problem holding the car on the line with any boost... 3-4 lbs was about all before it started to push... I'm guessing larger rear wheel cylinders and better shoes along with line lock to cure this? (everythings stock in that area now) Not sure if the convertor has any play in this?

If I were to get this car I would certainly be doing alky injection and I was thinking a larger turbo... I'm not sure how the TE-44, 2600 stall and front mount with 3 inch piping play together... is the TE44 a good size for the overall scheme of things? I would like to get the boost up higher then 14 with the alky injection and pump gas...

Thanks for the input anyone can give me!

Doesn't sound like a bad set up, BUT, for what is done internally to the motor, it's (IMHO) under turbo'd and UNDER injectored. Even my stock motor responds wonderfully to the MSD 50 injectors, and PTE44 turbo. With all that internal engine work done, If I were looking at something like that, I'd jump rignt into the MSD50 injectors and a turbo the equivalant of a PTE53 or 54. Might take a little more converter though.
If you want to stick with the converter that's in it. Keep the Turbo, but dump the 009 injectors and move up to MSD 50's.

You'll be looking at a safe mid 11 second car. Estamates show that the 009's will be over max duty cycle by the 11.90's or so.

 

[blackbuick87]

Depending on the price this car sound like an excellent place to get back into the swing of things. If you dont think this car is fast enough you will have to pay much more for a car that does 11.0. It is hard to find someone who has taken the time to build a car right and then turn around and sell it. You are better off buying a car like this and tweaking it to your liking.