Im not talking streetable power I want to go all out drag Im gonna pull a 400 TH400 Combo from a Grand Prix. My buddy is a DSM guy and hes always talking about some dude that has a mirage going mid 11s and I want to decimate it. Im not on a definate budget becasue im just gonna buy parts as I get the money. But I do know Ill prolly never be able to aford a Blower or anything like that in the near future prolly the most expensive thing I wsa looking at is some aluminium heads If I found a good deal.

This is what I was thinking tell me what you think I should change about this projected set-up to run as fast as possible in the 1/4. Also If anyone around the Tampa Bay area has a beat up 1st or 2nd ger F-body to put this in for sale let me know.

*.060 Bore
*TRW high Dome Pistons
*Full Flow Rods like out of the 455 Sds (not sure of length I should get with those help me out there)
*Aluminuim 2.11 valve heads
*Have a competition shift kit put in the TH400
*3500 stall
*4.56 posi rear gears
*Shaving whatever heads I end up with
*Tunnel Ram with 2 say 650cfm 4bbls
*A bad *** cam (feel free to make suggestions)
* Striped car only leaving one seat.
*B&M Mega-shifter
*some kinda hood scoop or maybe no hood at all for air
*Headers and 3 inch piping
Roller Rockers
*Slicks on the rear

Think set-up would get the job done Plz make any suggestions you can.

 

Theres a nice crank that you can use that'll give ya a few more cubes. Bore the 400 30 over and it's a 455. Its like 400 bux...I'll have it soon.

 

A guy I used to work with had a Grand Prix. He was telling going much more than +.040 on the bores and the walls get too thin. It will over heat easily. Something to check out when you have the work done.

 

I will look into it further but I personaly know of a few guys who have Pontiac Blocks bored .060 over and there not too bad. Like I said its only gotta stay cool enough to get down the 1/4.

And good call on the crank thing I totally forgot about that.

 

The Edelbrock heads are the ones to get, priced pretty good for the performance people are getting out of them. I would be surprised to see you run an easy low 12 by just putting a good set of these on a Pontiac engine, assuming you had everything else setup right

Get in tough with Ken Keefer, he’s from your neck of the woods, www.pontiacdude.cc He has a firebird running pretty good, using a Pontiac engine.


The cast rods seem to be a weakest point in the Pontiac engines. The 73 and 74 SD rods are getting hard to find, but they are worth the price. Another thing you have to consider here is that the new cranks being made are for the BBC rod ends. You can't use the stock Pontiac rods. If you go with a different crank get some good rods. You can also put in a BBC 6.8in rod but that requires a custom piston.

You really don’t need anything quite this complicated. They look cool, but can be a pain to tune, and keep tuned.

Check out this site it’s written by Jim Hand, it will give you more information about a cam then you would ever want to know. Also check out his wagon
, runs in the 11’s with a Qjet

 

Well If you dont think I should go with a tunel and 2 4bbls what do you think. One 1250 Dominator on a Victor Jr. Manifold.

And I know its annoying when people ask to guess what times they would run so Im not asking for specifics but do you think I could break into the 10's If I do everything I listed?

 

A Qjet and a Performer RPM can run well into the 11's, I am going to try using one of these next year with my 455. We will see how that sorts out :-D

Otherwise a Victor with an 850 Edelbrock or 850 HP series Holley carb will run well into the 10's. You really don't need to much more of a carb to go that fast. Now if you want it to run 8's then go with the 1250.

For some fast cars check out www.classicalpontiac.com and at www.performanceyears.com they have a race car section, either of these sites would be able to answer your questions, and get real world results.

To hit the 10's you would have to work on the suspension a lot. It would have to pull 1.5 60ft times or better, unless you over powered it, and with a Pontiac engine that will be tough. Most of the fast Pontiac cars I've seen leave the line hard, but they don't seem to have the MPH that the SBC cars have. Unless it's somone that put a lot of money in their car. 11's are very possible with a combo like what you stated, but I think 10's would be tuff.

Steve

 

One thing to remember about Pontiac motors.....they make ALL their HP and torque at lower RPMs that a Chevy. Those gears are WAY too high. Jim Hand, Ken Keefer, and a number of other Pontiac enthusiasts swear by 3.55-3.73 gears. Personally, I am running a .060 over 455 with 3.55 rear gears, holley Street dominator and a Holley 780 vacuum secondary carb. Lunati Bracket Master II Cam, 6X heads, home ported and polished, roller rockers, standard crank, original rods with ARP bolts, th400 with B&M street/strip shift kit........running in the low 11's, high 10's. even with my intake and cam RPMs never go over 6000. For that matter you don't want them to go much more then 6500 even with the SD rods. It simply won't help anything, and you're more likely to break something.

I'm at my limit at .060 on the 455. For a race only block you could easily bore a 400 .060 over, hell some have gone .090+ over and filled the water jackets. I would recommend going .060 over, fill the water passages to 1/2 inch below the freeze plugs and you won't have a problem overheating.

I agree in part with the post about the Pontiacs and how they make their way down the track. Pontiacs do leave the line hard. They are torque monsters, however, you don't have to trow a LOT of money at one to make the HP. I race against a guy who basically has the saem setup as me with exception he has a BBC. HP/torque ratings are very close. His HP rating is 606 with 580ftlb torque. He's actually got MORE money in his motor than I have in mine and I'm making 590 HP and 650lbft of torque. We are always pretty close, but he can never catch up. I leave the line a littel harder than he does, but he can't POWER his way back.

Good luck!

 

Im starting to understand Engines and power fairly well but Imnot very well versed in suspension yet so would you mind expanding on that a little.

Obviosly some traction bars and maybe some adjustable shocks but what else?