I have a 72 lark I would like to make run low 12s maybe high 11s and look as wellas sound stock, I want to open the hood and it look stock. it will have a GS hood on it and has A/C and pwr steering. other then that its justa basic car. I will use the 2 1/2 exaust manifolds and want to use iron heads/intake. use a Q jet. the trans will be a modified th400 and 342 posi so I can drive the car aw wellas the wife. my biggest problem is I really dont have a cam picked out. I need someone that runs these ETs and MPH to help me. Have the numbers for the ported manifolds nd heads and carb work just not the suspention and what about a fuel pump?? just want to be fast enough that the local new mustang and camaro guys dont think easy kill. if they want to drag thats another car I have(with nitrous) just want to go to shows to work and out with the wife and not get my but handed to me by another tuned up car without him earning it. So any one out there have a stock looking/sounding build up that will get me a low 12s high 11s 110+mph build up??? Thanks Doug
I have a 455 that runs that but not stock looking. Its easy enough to get into the 12's with gearing and good tires. Not so easy to do and still have a comfortable fuel efficient driver.
Tires shouldnt be a problem I plan to run some BFG drag radials and Im not looking to get 20mpg out of the car just quiet enough they dont think theres a aftermarket cam in the car. I know with certain cams the will sound quiet just looking to hear of someone that has all these parts.looks stock and runs the numbers(low12s high11s) when you hit the gas. any ideas would be great. What cam do you run in your car? Thanks Doug
Doug, Not sure if this is the type of build you are seeking, but my '67 GS400 convertible runs low 12s, weighs 4,025 going down the track, looks and sounds stock with the exception of a set of small P235 M/T drag radials (best tires ever) and a tachometer on the steering column. The car ain't much to look at, but it is very simple, really pretty close to stock and can be duplicated by anyone. I've made about 500 passes at the track with this car over the years without a major issue. Here are the basics: '67 GS400 convertible with PS, PB, PW, P-bench seat, 4,025 lbs 455 (built back in 1994) '70 model block bored .030" over with old style Speed Pro forged pistons, decked .030" and pistons are now .016" below deck '67 model heads with Stage 1 valves and TA1125 springs, cut to 65 cc chambers, home ported and flow 274/183 @ .500" 9.98 true compression (no detonation ever with pump gas) Stock cast aluminum rocker arms but had to use adjustable pushrods due to cutting the block and heads so much '67 cast iron intake with the plenum area cut to look like a B4B (just a center divider) Stock Q-jet with .073 front jets and DA metering rods in the rear Stock Stage 1 fuel pump and stock 3/8" fuel lines (I added a small electric pusher pump, but there was zero increase in performance) Cams: I've run a few different cams, all ran about the but the current one is the most stock sounding, specs 230/245, .496"/.501", 116 LS Iron exhaust manifolds, outlets cut to 2-1/4" (I've had other curt more but they cracked, 2-1/4" is safe) 400 trans with "switch pitch" convertor from a '67 300 2-speed transmission Stock 8.2" 10-bolt with 3.55 posi 2-1/2" full exhaust with Walker #17295 mufflers. I added an X-pipe but really didn't notice a performance gain, but the car is quieter now. Suspension is all 100% stock, front sway bar connected, added a stock rear sway bar, stock replacement gas shocks front and rear. Car usually runs 12-teens @ 110 on a good day at 60-70 degree air temp Best et ever was 12.10 @111.39 but with a different cam (230/240, .496/.496, on 110 so it sounded lumpy) I think the last trip to the track was 12.19 @ 110 1/8 mile times are usually in the low 7.70 range but it has run as quick as 7.66 recently at local 1/8 mile track 60' times are usually low 1.70s, but has been as quick as 1.669 recently (on the same 7.66 run) The car is ultra consistent and regularly wins rounds at our local 1/8 mile track and right on the number. Last trip to my local 1/8 mile track it won one class and got runner up in the other. 20 years ago I never figured this engine would still be together and running today. Oh and when I had the heads off many years ago, I bolted a STOCK set of small valve, untouched '67 heads on the engine so I could continue driving the car while having the ported heads repaired. The stock heads were uncut so the compression dropped to 9.68. The car still ran 7.95 in the 1/8 12.50 in the 1/4. Last time I checked gas mileage was many years ago when driving from Atlanta to Nashville, it got about 15 mpg. There are several guys out there running quicker and faster than this clunker so maybe someone will chime in with honest details. My primary goal was very simple, pump gas car that I could drive anywhere. There is nothing trick or special about this one and with the low compression it will run on the ethanol pump gas at any station without issue.
Gary it sounds like you gave me what Ive been looking for. a real build with real times. thanks i didnt think i could run that kind of lift and it be quiet like you said. Thanks Doug PS: your car looks great
Adding the X-pipe really made the car quieter at cruising speed but it didn't affect sound at idle. It's not loud by any means. I looked and I think the only videos I have are at the track so it's at WOT and hard to judge how it sounds at idle or low speeds. The car does fool lots of folks at my track and does best on the 1/8 against the late model muscle cars because this car dead-hooks with the drag radials. To be stronger in the 1/4 it needs more hp to run more mph. I had this car on the chassis dyno many years ago a couple of times and the best it pulled was 336 hp and a little over 400 ft-lbs so it probably makes about 425 hp and 500 ft-lbs. Not very impressive but thankfully we don't race dyno sheets.
Mine is just showing the headers. No one except a Buick guy notices the SP1 intake and you can't see the Holley under the air cleaner. But it sounds like you need to talk to Greg Gessler. And you'll be needing to find a set of his heads and exhaust manifolds. But the last time any of that stuff came up for sale here was October of 2013!
Ported top.end, qjet, 3 to 3200 stall , 342, 10.5comp with a purpose built cam prob something with high 230s int high 240s ext with a wide lsa like a 116/118, x pipe and long case muffs would run low 12s with out trying on true street tires, 11's on DR's
i would say mid 11s need to be your target. hell my little brothers 2010 camaro ss 6 spd with just longtubes, cold air and tune runs 12.20s at 118 on stock street tires (with me driving)
The efficiency level of new engines are far superior to old iron look at the Coyote engine , comparing old vs new is apples and oranges, that said torque feels awesome and being the prior owner of 4 built LS cars and doing performance and upgrade work on countless others, I'll stick to my lower trap speed and will destroy 99% of all the new stuff on the street.....with torque
true true torque is king. Dont want to talk crap but 95% of new camaros at my local track(Sac Raceway) cant run low 12s with those mods and the ones running low to mid 11s have more then that and slicks. dont get me wrong LS cars run but I want my buick to look like it rolled out of a time capsule and make the LS and Ford boys earn it not just give it to them. if I was looking to race all out wouldnt have sold my pump gas mid 10s(mid9s on spray)Buick skylark. Thanks Guys Doug
The key to your build will be the heads. Your goals are NOT attainable without good heads. Aluminum heads are the fastest way to get there. Unless you can port the heads yourself, the cheapest way will be to go with the Edelbrock heads. After that, 230* of intake duration will make an easy 500 HP.
Same here, most of them run 13.5s and up. I hear about them all the time but never see them. maybe its a difference in altitude. Or the difference in 60 foot.
I think they read to much GM high Tech or other mags that say there is tons out there. there are but a very few can get them to run the numbers Doug
