Great cover shot and articles on the F.A.S.T guys in the August issue. Congratulations to you all. Nice coverage.!!!!:TU: Jim
Since the the Stage 2 engine wasn't factory installed, I doubt that it would be allowed. The organizers would have to make the final decision, though, and it probably was discussed in the past.
Only Magazine I'll buy hands down. I boycott the rest because of their lack of, and or mostly their deragatory Buick and pro chebby coverage. I'm through with that. John B.
Muscle Car Enthusiast does a lot of "Off Brand" (non chevy) stuff also. And they do the best coverage of the Stanton PSMCDR of anybody. Tom Shaw covers the entire two days and usually gets photos of every pairing. We need to support them.
The Buick Stage2 package is NOT F.A.S.T. legal. No dealer installed packages are allowed, and the steel tube "manifolds" that come with the package are a definete no-no. For the complete rules and more F.A.S.T. info and race coverage, go to the F.A.S.T. website: http://www.fastraces.org
Agred. Great mag and Steve and Tom have really done a great job covering it and were the first to do it. I think Tom wrote for Muscle Car Review (the original one) also. That was, I think, the first coverage. Unfortunately they also ran a feature on a one of none car with a fairy tale about its history and the background on the aluminum engine program at Olds. Think they just printed what the owner told them.... Beautiful car and a neat concept, actually spe3aks for itself as a beautiful resto of a what if car? The way Dan handled his actual W car with the alum engine shows a lot more class. OOPS, here come the black helicopters...gotta run... :eek2:
I'd like to see a Buick or Olds in the mix again myself. The rules are pretty wide open under the valve covers, why not build a killer stage I motor?
HMM and MCE are the only magazines I get. Pro's and con's on each, but I don't plan to let my subscription lapse anytime soon. Good article on the FAST guys and cars!!! :TU: If I didn't have two (possibly 3) cars already in the queue, then I'd look at building an Olds for FAST.
Do you think the "big guys'" heads flow more than 280 cfm? Do you think the heads must flow more than 280 to run 130 mph in the quarter? Do you think a Quadrajet cannot support a 130 mph engine?
Greg is like a Sasksquatch sighting, I hear rumors but haven't seen the black buick since its demise in Beaver Springs 2 years ago. My challenger had a little pushrodlifterlashcapcamlobe issue. No major damage, and it'll be up and running for the Canadian sled dog race in August. And I still think a Stage I Buford could be competitive in FAST.
Jim, I'm not trying to argue here -- just provide a different perspective. There are a number of guys running 10s at about 120 mph in NHRA SuperStock with the Olds 307 in cars weighing more than 3500 lbs. We're talking stock displacement, 9.4:1 compression ratio, factory heads (porting is allowed, but the runner volume can't be bigger than stock), stock valve sizes, and a Quadrajet carb. The engine rules are a lot like FAST, with the exception SS can run headers and an aftermarket intake. But that's offset by the more restrictive head modification rules, compression ratio rules, and small displacement. I'm pretty sure these guys aren't flowing over 300 cfm through those soda-straw ports. Anyway, I'm just expressing my opinion (and that's all it is) that the reason there isn't an Olds or Buick near the top of the FAST class is that no one has ever launched an all-out effort -- not that Olds and Buick face an impossible situation. I agree: the total package is the key.
Brian, I'm cool with all of this so dont take this the wrong way. Are the SS guys running trans brakes? I dont think they weigh 3500 either, but I could be wrong? And 120 is a long way from 130. My only point is the Qjet isnt the entire problem with the 455 Buick. Our 455 intake and exhaust manifolds are killing us compared to the big guys, namely Chev and HEMI. Compare the two and its easy to see. As far as an all out effort on a Stage 1 Buick, compression, cubic inches, porting of the stock pieces, roller cam etc all of this will still be restricted by the intake and exhaust manifolds because even in optimized form, they are still far behind the Chevy and HEMI pieces as they are off the showroom floor. It takes air flow to make horsepower, and our Buicks have a severe limitation in that department. And our block? Lordy, doesnt it leave a lot to be desired. Now, my comments are just that nothing more. Besides, every time I make comments like this, Gessler steps up and proves me wrong by going quicker and faster than I thought possible. :laugh:
More apples to oranges comparison here, but I don't think the Buick exhaust manifolds are as bad as you think when comparing them to a BB Chevy manifold, and I'm talking run of the mill Big Chevy manifolds, not the Vette pieces. A big rectangle port Chevy is severely choked by the exhaust manifolds, take the factory LS-6 dyno test's, I think it could only muster about 370HP through the exhaust manifolds. It took bolting on 2" primary headers to make 451HP. More apples to oranges, and completely off-topic, I think the reason you see the 450+ cubic inch motored cars running close in Pure Stock is dicatated by the exhaust manifolds. The Buick Stage1 and Olds W-30 made their true advertised HP numbers through manifolds (360 and 370 respectively) and the Mighty LS-6 makes roughly the same through exhaust manifolds.The 455HO Poncho is right there too. I would think the Olds manifolds are about the biggest turds in the bunch, but Darrell Detweilers certified stock W-30 has gone 12.60 at over 110mph,and it's a heavy car. I already know that what I posted has NOTHING to do with the topic here, but neither does comparing a header equipped Stage2 to F.A.S.T. cars with manifolds, or to compare a 307 Super Stocker to the F.A.S.T. cars. Just food for thought, and more bench racing material to chew on:TU: