How hard is it?

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by lt1b4c, Oct 13, 2018.

  1. lt1b4c

    lt1b4c Well-Known Member

    How hard is it to get a buick skylark into the 5s in the 1/8th mile? Bouncing around between platform ideas between a big block buick and turbo LS.
     
  2. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    What year skylark? Just for my curiosity.

    And I think its going to cost you so much to get in the 5's. If you find a way that's not hard to get even in the 8's let me know.
     
  3. Julian

    Julian Well-Known Member


    Given what conditions or requirements? Weight, power adder? It's all relative in the end. There will be a point that both builds will be close in amount
     
  4. Ryans-GSX

    Ryans-GSX Have fun, life is short.

    In my opinion the turbo LS is going to be cheeper and more reliable.
     
  5. Julian

    Julian Well-Known Member

    Idk.. for a maximum effort, a junkyard LS engine can push 1k hp, reliability is a concern.... Go lower power requirements, I think LS might be less expensive.
     
  6. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    We'll assume we are talking about about a 3500lb chassis so you will need 750 to 800hp for a 5.80

    NA BBB if you spend wisely 8500 to 10k will get you 700hp then a 200shot on a progressive plate would get you the rest of the way without being to tough on parts.

    Turbo 350: nobody has really stepped up and done it, but i see no reason it's not easily done. It's essentially the same thing as a 231V6 with two more cylinders, stock 231 blocks go 5's like falling out of a tree now days. Solid 350 shortblock $3500 precision88mm or a BWS480 and all the stuff to go with it $5k you would have a hard time keeping it out of the 5's

    Turbo BBB: solid Bottomend no girdle needed imo, $4500 464cid or 434cid won't matter I'd go for a 430 or 400 block to be honest for more cylinder wall strength. Same as above twin T4 BW366's , 372's,369's or even the T4 475's. Blowthru carb and go 5's with less boost than the 350.

    I'd do the 350 if I was just trying to get there, more engine bay space means easier to build and wrench on plus it's so much lighter.

    LS: so many different ways to skin that car throw some rods and pistons in a 5.3 and lift the heads every 10 passes, or do it right and go with a 6bolt block and spend close to the same money as above
     
  7. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Exactly, I messed with LS stuff for 10years pretty heavily, lots of guys make lots of power with LS but keeping it together isn't always as easy as people make it seem, they will lie like crazy to make them seem like they have it under control
     
  8. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    With all the parts out there and the new parts about to be on the market in less than 10 days keep it Buick(appearing):D.
    There is a lot more to getting into the 5s than just the engine. You will need a caged car and appropriate safety equipment. You will need a fair amount of suspension upgrades and know how to use it for different track conditions.
    Will the car be cut up or running in street trim? Many things come into play here right down to wallet thickness and track location.
    That said Ronnie my 66 Wildcat GS (425 nailhead) runs in the 8s and my naturally aspirated 462 in my front engine dragster pulls me into the 4s.
    In the end you just need to make a list of what you want to do and try to stick to a plan to achieve your goals.
     
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  9. lt1b4c

    lt1b4c Well-Known Member

    Thank you everyone for the responses. There is a lot of knowledge in here. Well the deal is... I have multiple buick 350 engines, multiple buick 455s. I have never built a buick engine for performance like I have an LS. The car is a 3500lb Abody on small tire. Im trying to fit in a grudge class with my friend who has a 2800lb nova with a 632 who is running 5.70s. I have a good idea what the rest of the car needs but for power, this is where I'm at a crossroads between choosing a setup.
     
  10. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    What year? Many lighter parts are available depending on the year.
    A diet makes a big difference.
    The fact that this is an 1/8th mile car you can go real low on the rear gears also.
     
    Donuts & Peelouts likes this.
  11. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Unless that 632 runs on 87 octane he has some work to do. Hard to beat N20 for a grudge car
     
  12. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    Being an LS enthusiast I'm sure you've heard of Rick Crawford,..well Rick started with Buicks and had a 5sec all steel 71 GS long before anyone else,..it was N20 Rick is huge in the G8 world now days
     
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  13. lt1b4c

    lt1b4c Well-Known Member

    Hugger, I know of RCR for a couple years now. My daily is actually a g8 GT. I had no clue he was into buicks. Do you know what power plant he used? I'm somewhat reluctant to go the N20 route. They just raised the price locally to $8lb because of a nitrous shortage.
     
  14. lt1b4c

    lt1b4c Well-Known Member

    Car is a 1970. Not shy to cut some weight out of it, but not to the point of modifing the chassis to a tube frame.
     
    Donuts & Peelouts likes this.
  15. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

    He ran a 455 based engine, I think he may have even done a n20 350 possibly
     
  16. lt1b4c

    lt1b4c Well-Known Member

    What parts are coming soon?
     
  17. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

  18. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    I thought if you ran 6 and under you were forced to have a cage?
     
  19. ken betts

    ken betts Well-Known Member

    There are 100's perhaps 1000's of LS motors vs. Buicks racing. If one Buick blows up the whole world knows. If a hundred of anything else blows up no one notices. To race means there is an expectation of something happening. Reliability is a very subjective word. Cheaper implies less reliability. You can't build a fuel car with your lunch money and look what happens to them! Most everyone does this for fun, so lets have all the fun we can without starving to death.
     
    BuickGSrules and Julian like this.
  20. Ryans-GSX

    Ryans-GSX Have fun, life is short.

    Ken,
    My mistake. I was being overly general and not being clear about what I was I am referring to. The LS performance parts are for the most part (Not all) are less expensive due to so many vendors making parts as well as so many people buying parts for the LS motors. I believe a company that can sell 10,000 of LS parts vs a company selling Buick only part selling maybe 1,000 can get the costs of production parts down to a more affordable price. I spoke of reliability meaning that some people are getting 300,000 plus miles out of the original engines in there Trucks, SUV's & Cars. Cant say that's something I see as often with a Buick 455. We both can make cases of how a Buick is better or how a LS is better. the OP asked peoples opinions and this was my reasons for stating what I did. Ken you also pointed out having fun and I think in todays market its far easier to find a low mile LS motor in junk yard than it is to find a Buick 455. LS motors in yards are affordable and if you blow them up having fun you can get another one for less than a set of Buick aluminum heads. Guys are wanting to have fun so they are putting turbo setups onto LS motors that make a lot of HP for the money invested. I do agree with most that its kind of boring seeing a LS in cars all the time and we on V8Buick love the torque monster 455. There is a motor for every car and its all about personal preference. I think most will agree everything has its pro's and con's.
     

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