or do chevy owners REALLY like to underestimate the weight of their cars? dumb question, but how can a 1970 SS454 weigh 3300 pounds if a same-year GS350 is 3600 or more? you're talking the same size body, same frame and suspension, and basically the same interiors...and a motor that weighs 200-250 pounds more. what gives?
I think it goes for all of buick's engines.......at least I think......correct me if im wrong, but im assuming they all were, but i don't know for sureo No: -Cody
trevor - the 455 is about 600 pounds. it has about 25, maybe 50, max, on the SBC. the 350 is about 450 pounds. light. BBC is almost 700.
Wow! Thanks Dave! That means if you throw some aluminium on the 455 it's lighter than a SMC! So why does everybody, and I mean everybody always throw a chevy in any custom job they do?! (That's the million dollar question!)
i donno. i guess cost is more important than weight, power, and durability.:Brow: (you can fight me on the 'durability' thing, but jeez have i seen some hideous things with used chevy motors. horrible valve recession, deck surfaces warped with an imprint of the gasket, ect)
the engine isn't the only weight on a car. and buicks were famous for sound deadener, undercoating, heavier seats, AC, bigger bumpers, it might not seem like much taken little bits at a time, but it adds up. and the engine itself, while the block is light, has a real boat anchor for an intake and exhaust manifolds. if you took a buick and a chevy and preped them the exact same way from the frame up you could get a good relative weight comparison. most people go by "official" numbers like the NADA or manufacturers numbers, which are not uniform anyway, depending on how a car is optioned.
The difference in weight is directly proportionate to the mass of grey matter wedged squarely between the ears divided by the lack of taste to the square root of all chevy evil.:Smarty:
weight whats a SBC weight? 283, 327, 350???? I'm thinking maybe a BBB 455 in my 64 BeLair might be the trick! - Bill
Not to mention the wicked distributor-to-firewall clearance issue. "No sweat. For another grand we can notch the firewall to gain clearance. You won't mind the loss of interior space one bit..."
I will have to admit that a 350 Chevy would have fit in my 55 first series pickup much better than the 350 Buick that I chose to go with. The Buick's width up top is a draw back. We all know it is much cheaper to build a SBC too. If you sell the vehicle, it will bring more money from most people if it has a SBC in it. I wanted something different, and I have always loved Buicks, so it was a no-brainer to me to go with the SBB. Weight is a plus too. Had a big argument with my local mechanic about the Buick being lighter than the Chevy motor. He laughed and said look at the size of that thing you have. It has to weigh 100 pounds more than a SBC. So, I showed him an old Hot Rod article about weights of V8's and he continued to argue with the writer of the aritcle. Those Chevy guys will not give an inch.
well.. when an inch is all you got!:laugh: dont forget that buicks make gobs more torque than a "comparable" chevy motor. pretty common knowledge a 455 makes 500 ft/lbs of grunt over the bbc's limp 350 ft/lbs. unless you are running at high RPM where chevys' over square, short stroke can do the most good, the long stroke buick will out gun off the line, out pull, and with proper gearing, out race a chevy. to be fair olds motors are the same way but heavier than a buick. and caddie engines are monsters but there are NO parts for them. people get chevy engines because EVERYBODY makes cheap parts for them. i spent about $300 on parts including the edelbrock performer manifold and headman headers on my chevy truck, and still got a bunch of chrome to spruce it up. not a chance in hell of doing that for a buick going the same route. :ball:
A buddy of mine with a '70 Chevelle stopped at a weigh station one time to weigh his car. 3500 pounds.
Rob....the 454 Chevy's stroke is longer than a 455 Buick. But I agree that if you look at a 72 Chevelle vs GS you can see single headlights vs dual, bigger core support on GS, MUCH bigger bumpers and brackets on GS. Heck the whole front and back of the GS's is bumper! Bruce
