I know what you mean. I graduated high school in 1982, and the cars of the late 70’s early 80’s sucked. I was actually excited about the 84 85 302 mustangs cause I worked at a ford dealership back then and the owner said nobody buys anything but fords. So no Grand National for me. My fiancé did buy a 89 mustang LX 302 that I spec’d with the optional 3:08 rear end that was pretty fast. It kind of sucked cause I was a Buick guy as my first car was a ‘70 SkyLark and ended up being the fastest car in high school.
My son bought his 70 Stage 1 hdtp at age 16 ( 1987 ), For his birthday we bought him 2 new tires g-60 or L-60 ??? About 2 months later walking passed his car , the 2 new tires had very little tread . I asked him what the hell is going on ? He said " Dad , " EVERYBODY in school has learned not to mess with the 70 Stage 1 Bamboo Cream Buick " . What could I say !!!!!!! Today at 48 , he still has that car ! Bill
I graduated in 1980 and yup some nice muscle cars for $500 to $800. My friend bought a 66 GTO vert from the original owner for $400, another paid $1000 for a solid 70 428 Mach1 SCJ?? it had 4;30's out back. I paid $300 for my 66 GS but it was in its starting stages of frame rust. This one kills me, in 78 or 79 a kid I knew in school also got a 70 GTO for $800, bench seat, auto on the colume "didn't know GTO came with bench seats" that had 30,000 miles on it, ran strong and I would say was in a #2 shape. He beat the living daylights out of it and the motor was garbage within 1 month tops. He also shattered the rear gears. There's a good way to beat on a car and enjoy it and a bad way?? idiot WTH Other than selling a garage full of Nailhead engines and parts for $300, this one hurts.. In 91 I bought a 70 triple brown bucket auto Stage1 for $2200 and had to re sell it 10 days later for a quick $1700. My pops had passed away and was hit with inheritance tax. I knew the car for a year or two and somewhere down the line in the middle it had spun a bearing. I don't know and couldn't find out who rebuilt it or refreshed it but it ran strong and my only time driving a car down at New England Drags I managed a 13.9 with these small 195 x 14's radials..
One of my “winter beaters “ in high school was a blue “69 GTO. All original and pretty solid. Bought it for $700. Looking back it should have never been a beater car. Sure had fun with that one. Another short lived beater was a “69 Lemans again all original, orange same as the judge. 400” four speed, 373 posi. Still have that rear end. Let a friend drive it for the first time. The roads were wet and warned him to be careful, it’ll break loose pretty easy. Well he nailed it, broke loose wrapped it around a telephone pole, whipped up and ended up on a house porch. Totaled. But actually made money on it through my insurance company. Being 17 at the time that was something. Fun times!
It had the 400 four barrel ram air motor. Someone must have ordered it either for low insurance reasons or for drag racing. It was a no option radio delete car.
Wow and you still have the rear end too!! This bothers me but we never knew back then, my sister threw out a really nice 67 GS grill and hood years ago.. I had it stashed behind my home and the snob neighbors were always complaining that I made the neighborhood look like a junk yard. Just ask the MA residents about snobby neighbors, this was in Brookline.
Back to the 4 Bolt Blocks - Denny Manner and his guys were playing around with the 4 Bolt before the 455. I know a guy that has a 430 4 Bolt that has the big "X" stamped on the back of the block. He also has a 455 factory cast iron intake with a Holley square bore flange instead of the Q-jet. I live in the Flint, Michigan area and you never know what you're going to see next that found it's way out of there.
Herman pics or it doesn't exist ! Hahaha . Just kidding. Except about seeing pics . Could you post some ?
This is amazing. I keep thinking all the barn finds are done and found and everyone knows what is what and valued at in the past 15 or 20 years. Looking at Ebay and flee markets and things people sell make me lose hope that there's stuff out there still. You just never know though what some young kid or old person has in there basement or garage that has no clue to what it was or is. I'm guessing theres some Stage2 heads tucked in a corner somewhere behind a bunch of boxes. Problem is you just can't approach people and ask to look in their garage or basement
Dads 69 stage 1 the first time the cam went out in it, he said it tooks weeks to get back, the buick dealership had to have 4 cams brought in, the ones the kept getting were too small in diameter in bearings to fit his block, finially buick replaced the entire motor because all the cams they would order were too small in the bearing area to fit. Dad said the car was not as quick afterwards.
Back in 2018 at Buick’s back to the bricks, it was VERY interesting talking with all the white haired gentlemen that were on Dennis Manner’s Stg2 development team. Remember, it took a team of people on there own time to get this to happen. I had my prototype head and Kustom headers there on display and they were all over it. While all of them looking at the head and headers discussing the Stg2 program, Dennis said “listen to this guy, he knows more about this head than any of us including me”. Later after getting back looking at all the cars and taking everything in, We come back to my display to find this same very old white haired man laying on his back under my car. I kneeled down next to him, he asked me “where did you get those upper rear control arm connectors?” I said you mean the no hop bars? He said, is that what they are called now? He said “I made a couple sets for these old A body cars back in the day for local drag racers”. I had to help him up! True story!
I have no earthly clue. It was back in 70, I wasnt even a thought back then. I just remember him telling me the story, they the cams fit others motors they had there correctly, just not dads.
Did adding a exhaust to the factory stage 2 headers really kill that much power as mentioned with the factory stage 2 cam? I can't see it? who can explain it some?
I would think so there would be some power loss .... Also the factory Stage 2 cam was designed for Stge 1 heads and is not recommended for use with Stage 2 heads .
The stage2 cam was designed in 1968 well before the stage1 heads were available. I got my stage2 package in april 1969.
