Never seen that ad before or knew that they actually called out the Stage 1 as an option but I worked on a '73 or '74 back in late '80's that a customer brought in - Needed a valve job and much to my surprise it had Stage 1 heads. Car had definitely never been apart. I thought it was part of a tow package or something to that effect.
That's actually the 1974 brochure. So the 73 or 74 were Electra's and had the big valves? I think I read here that the valves weren't 2.125 and 1.75 on the big cars or Riv but bigger than the standard small valve heads.
That's pretty neat that it stated that in the brochure. It was a long time ago & I probably didn't measure them but I immediately knew they were Stage 1 heads & IIRC, the valves werw just as close to touching as any other Stage 1 head I'd seen.
I recall an article with an interview of Dennis Manner some years ago discussing the breadth of the "Stage 1" program - including years, models, modified heads and cams offered (incl the B-C-E lines), he said that the big valve heads were used in the optional high performance 455s in the big cars too, but the big cars never used the specially modified carbs, timing or more aggressive profile cams which were part of the A-body GS Stage 1 package. The modifird 455 engine referenced in many years sales brochures from the early to mid-70's likely is part of the 'U' vs. 'T' engine VIN letter designation (discussed at-length in previous threads) - one being the std. 455 offered and the other the optional big valved "high performance modified" 455 which also had a slightly hotter cam (in between the std. 455 and the A-body GS Stage 1 package of any given year).
The modified high perf big car engine was designated with a W in the vin. T was std 455, U was with dual exhaust. For 71's, you would have to be able to document the engine via buildsheet or look at the engine stampings to tell if the car was equipped with the big boy. TA code on the block, and of course confirm the VIN stamping matches.
I am pretty sure I saw it here in a chart that the big valve heads in the later years on the big cars were a little bit smaller than the 70-72 Stage1 I have a strong feeling that I saw the exhaust was around 1.685?? instead of 1.75 Can't recall the intake size. Nailhead in a 1967 has a gift of finding and posting articles and ads, I have tried for 2 days and can't find it.
Nice find.. My old brain is telling the smaller than stage 1 valves were posted on a cam thread or post were they don't call it a stage 1 cam but a HP or higher performance 455. I'm also wondering if the valve's i'm mentioning are also the sizes on the 1975 and 1976 heads even though these heads are garbage. I do believe it was 1973 or 1974 or later. I am all confused now but I do know I saw the different sizes..
Buick 400/430/455 Stock Valve size is 2.0/1.625 Stage one was 2.125/1.750 By about 73 I do believe that all Stage 1 camshafts were the same, big car or A body application, that's why they have the same engine codes. In earlier years, there was in fact different A body and full size application Stage 1 camshafts. This is all going from memory on the cams, but I recall reading an article from Denny Manner on the cam differences, for the big cars vs the Stage 1 A bodies. JW
All I could find were AMA specs for 1972: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015071673944&view=1up&seq=8
Looks like even available in 74 LeSabre.... Anyone know if there might be able to get production numbers? I looked at a 74 Electra years ago that the guy said was a factory Stage 1.....I almost laughed in his face...at the time I thought it could not be the real deal
I have not seen the Stage 1 engine as an "option" on the factory order forms that I have seen. It is not listed in the price lists either. Not everything in the factory brochures actually became factory options. Did some Stage 1 engines make their way into Electra's, etc, apparently, but I don't see how they were ordered that way.
I have have a 74 Lesabre I bought from the original owner. Guy said he special ordered it with the Stage 1 option. I have verified the car has big valve heads. Also my VIN has a W (or is it V, I forget which of the 2 my car has). From my own research on this, any Buick that came with a 455 could have had Stage 1 heads. Though with the large cars all you get is the big valves, no special cam as far as I've been able to find out.
I know i'm grasping at straws just trying to find some facts on something I read here or maby the other Buick forum but have you come across 455 heads with bigger than stock valves but not quite Stage 1 size. Like I have been posting I believe it was on 1973 or later Riviera Stage 1's. Do the garbage 1975 and 1976 heads have odd size valves maby?
