Agreed but how many people call TA and talk to them abou the 350 parts? Mike started TA performance when he was racing Buick 350s and he has always known the potential..... Call him up because his wife said, see there are only a few people calling so why.....
I just hope the 455 block has a dipstick hole unlike the oversight on the last TA V6 block I built:laugh:
I would be happy to chime in here... 350 LIGHT HIGH NICKEL great engine I want the heads and intake! Just got my first BSB in my 72 lark Runs great for a 2V already, love to see how much fun it will be with proper performance parts, GO TA you guys are a blessing to all us TRI shields!
I ran a 350 for years in my '70 Skylark (Betsy) for street, then added autocross and solo II, then road race and time trials. It progressed to 11.7 compression with heads ported by Joe Lozano himself with a KB Mark 3 cam and KB roller rockers, '76 rods, TA intake, custom built headers with flat collectors for ground clearance and a Moroso 5 trap door 10 quart oil pan. It kicked a lot of butt until it burned a hole in a cheap Aries piston after about 12 years of abuse. The bearings looked excellent. For the past 8-10 years it's been sitting while I build a 464 Stage 2SE motor with dry sump. I'm not looking forward to the increased weight on the front tires. If Mike builds aluminum 350 heads and a single plane for it I will commit to buying a set also. That setup with a Procharger on E85 would be sweet and probably lighter and more durable than the BBB.
I really hope that TA plans on EFI bungs cast into the top of the intake. it's a PITA to add them later (my old offy has been a BIT!@ to add them). I'm not sure if the current SP-1 has the bungs on it. Simmilar to the SPX intake. I think adding the bungs may bring some of the 6 cyl turbo guys over to the SBB. They're used to computers with their turbos. Sorry I may not be buying it but who knows what the future will hold. just my 2 cents. -nhankins
Thanks Mike T. I have some of your parts on my car and would like to a set of Alum heads. I had a good time this past weekend Oct. 12 & 13th running at Cecil County Dragway, MD 11th East Coast Buick Regionals. Red lighted -.043 when running for the money. My car is a Rare 1982 Sport Coupe with sbb, 14.65, 92.64 on street tires. There is room for improvement, new heads along with new rubber and airflow work should show lower times and faster speeds. What dates are tentative for heads and intake? Diver
I'm planning a rebuild on mine very soon .... TA any guess on any kind of time frame these will be available ?
This is the best answer you will get at this time. Did you guys miss this post by Mike, on the previous page? o No:
I can say one thing... I am committed to my 350, and like what I see and hear about TA and Mike. Anything I buy for my engine will be TA. Think about it this way.. remember the 'buy american' slogan? And look where we are. Remember local stores and shops that specialized and had career owners/people that were experts? Look where we are now. Do the words Japan, Korea, Summitt, Walmart, Walgreens mean anything to you? Every decision we make as consumers about where and how we spend our money MATTERS. Seems there has been a serious devaluation of the U.S. .. meaning too many think Value=cheap. It doesn't. Look it up in the dictionary! So yeah, pay the guy who devoted his life to this. Not the corporations who bought the last 5 guys that cared. ::: steps down off soapbox:::: :beers2:
Since the Soap Box is vacant I will add my two cents. I believe TA is going about this wrong. Knowing that engineering dollars are at a premium would I go about making more products for a market that has competition or create a new market. What I mean by that is why make a new manifold or heads for the 455. You have TA, Edelbrock, Poston and others in this market. For every dollar you spend you will get a lower profit margin because the market is more mature. The SBB market is basically void of competition. Your choices today are Cams, Headers and an intake. It looks like there aren't that many people buying the SBB parts, but that is because there are not many choices. The lack of choices results in small $s. If the SBB is superior like we seem to think than if the parts were available you would see people putting them into other cars. Not SBCs. This would then create a market. My point is there is more money in being a leader in a new market than throwing $$$s at a more muture product with competiton. Think outside the box. Put the SBB projects in front. Soap Box is not open
Right on Matt! Simple product cycle and basic economics would suggest that SBB is untapped and prime. Push those SBB projects Mike, were here, and many other words of mouth would happen and demand be Created when were out there spanking SBC's..hehe. Mike, you of all people know the potential of these engines, Buick's are on the rise in the collector market and there are still a c**p load of these 350's out there. So as 455 cars price up in market, 350's will continue to become more desireable. It's a 'build it and they will come' scenario.
Mark, aka "Justa350", has beat T/A to the single plane, and he will likely turn a good profit depending on the dyno results. Maybe this will encourage T/A to step it up a little.:Brow:
yea i know, i'm just referring to big companies with that statment. look at the prices for forged pistons and connecting rods...1200 to 1500 for us buick guys...if we had more companies that massed produced them it'd be right around where all the chebby $tags , that;s all i ment some items are good for the smaller guy/company to make and some other items would be cheaper if big companies mass produced them in our case i'm glad the smaller guy is making a tt kit, as all the big guys sell a fricken single turbo kit for 3k! and if TA or poston ever do come up with a singleplane in, i'm betting youres will still come out a hell of alot cheaper oh and my post count...666 lol
I think it's fantastic that Mark has been willing and able to put together his X-factor intake. He's providing an excellent opportunity for those who can afford a custom 350 single plane intake, to buy one ahead of a regular Buick vendor getting it done. But due to cost factors, I think the best hope for most of us is someone like TA getting a larger production run completed. I'd love to get an intake from Mark just for the cool/rare factor, but it's not practical for me to do so.
Not likely, actually. Mark has posted $750 for his intake at this point in time, while TA's current intake offerings are less than $400. Mark's price is actually pretty darn affordable as far as custom work goes.
