Out of all the Buick drag cars here on the board

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by 10sec 455, Oct 28, 2009.

  1. Keith Smith

    Keith Smith Well-Known Member

    For me Greg Gesslers stock appearing car is the most impressive. You would just never guess the performance that car is capable of by appearance alone.
     
  2. Bobb Makley

    Bobb Makley Well-Known Member

    I believe ollie told me they started racing it in 76 but I won't swear to it
     
  3. Bruce Kent

    Bruce Kent Well-Known Member

    I don't know when they started racing the car but there are a lot of good stories that go along with it. The first time I saw it was at BG in 95 or 96. It was an all iron stage 2 engine. I hadn't met Dave or Oliver at the time but I knew of them. As the story went it was thrashing until the last minute to get the car done. They were able to make it to a now extinct drag strip north of San Diego, make one pass and take off for BG. Oliver went on to beat Jim Haas in the final round if I'm not mistaken. In its current configuration the engine went through 3 dyno sessions before we put it into the car. Water leaks, cracked cylinder, ring seal issues, etc. It made 890 hp at 6800 rpms and 745 ft/lbs of torque at 5100 falling short of our 900 target. The first outing here in So Cal hot weather with this engine it ran 9.26 at 145 with a 3200 rpm stall converter and a 1.32 60'. History has told us that a converter change should have improved the e.t. by .15 -.2 tenths. Typically we pick up .1 at BG so due the math and you can see that we potentially had a good hot rod. Unfortunately the next converter went to far and it would flash to 5800 so there was no improvement. The proper converter didn't arrive in time for the Bowling Green trip. The transmission problems at BG were due to the 1.25 60' times/wheels up launches. This would uncover the trans pick up cause it to suck air and no oil pressure to apply second gear fried the clutches. With the help of others and a trip to Nashville in driving rain to have a driveshaft shortened a th400 was put in so Bobb could continue to drive the car. But the performance was off due to the bigger/heavier transmission and having some fouled spark plugs that I didn't find until I got home. Very fun and easy car to drive with a very nasty (good) sounding engine. Gonna miss it.
    B. Kent
     
  4. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    Bruce,
    Thanks for the details.
    What was the race weight?
    Was that w/ a single caburetor?
     
  5. Bruce Kent

    Bruce Kent Well-Known Member

    Pretty sure the car weighed 3,560 with me in it. A tad more with Bobb. Single 1250 carb.
     
  6. Bruce Kent

    Bruce Kent Well-Known Member

    Are you asking what the car was sold with or what was in it at BG? At BG the engine displaced about 540 (4.380 x 4.5). The engine the car was sold with it the 464 that was in the car a few years ago that ran a 9.45. It was just freshened up by Doug Jones.
     
  7. Bobb Makley

    Bobb Makley Well-Known Member

    lmao you think it was just a tad more :error: I think one of my legs weighs what you do. LOL


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  8. Buick Dave

    Buick Dave Well-Known Member

    Think your right there Bobb.....but it is hard to tell with the reflection off that bright white skin.......:eek2:
     
  9. Dave Mongeon

    Dave Mongeon Well-Known Member

    You guys referring to this? :kodak:

    [​IMG]

    Pretty sure that one was right after we told Mike we could calm the car down with a 4 link adjustment! Guess we went the wrong way:Do No: he he






    Freds car was the one that inspired me to build my 69, had a lot of fun with Mike winding up Fred and Jim at the Holidome. I'll always remember Freds 69 running the Pontiac at one of the first Nats I attended. Great stuff.
    Freds cars always ran hard.

    Hey Mike jr, ask your dad to tell you the story about the one time he drove my 69.

    Great pics keep them coming.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. TABuickMike

    TABuickMike Michael Tomaszewski Jr

    O.O

    I like the story about what the bum (?) thought Fred Catlin looked like :Brow: :beers2:

    By the way how was PRI? I had finals that Friday so we couldn't make it :ball:
     
  11. kid coulson

    kid coulson Well-Known Member

    Man these photos and stories really bring back the memories !!
    I must correct myself, I graduated in 87 and made it to BG in 91(again I think that was the year we went) So I cant really say "I was just out of high school". I have more pics burried somewhere in the crawl space. Have not looked at them in years!! Im going to dig them out !!
    For now though let me talk about a few more cars we really liked.

    *Norm Dihle(?)- Awesome, clean steet car.
    *a early 80's(?) silver skyhawk that ran pretty hard with a FLAT hood.
    *Anyone remember the 71-72 Green cutlass with a 455 Buick in it?
    Tubbed out, ran pretty hard.
    *How about the gold datsun with the turbo v6 that would crush the locals
    on the street. Talk about a sleeper!! I forget how fast, I wanna say
    10's. ??
    *Someone had a big NASTY black wildcat. I forget his name but what a
    crowd pleaser!
    *Tweety,Little Joe,Coin,George Hall,the East coast guys,Pee-Gee,Pirnat(?)
    Man those were fun times and super cool cars !!
     
  12. kid coulson

    kid coulson Well-Known Member

  13. TABuickMike

    TABuickMike Michael Tomaszewski Jr

    Hey Dave, when are you gonna bring Nobody's Fool back out? I know someone who'll drive it :Brow:
     
  14. Opa

    Opa Torque/a 8 piston figure

  15. GS Kubisch

    GS Kubisch THE "CUT-UP" BUICK

    Pic doesn't do the car justice,It's a show piece in person.Joe Chuba's 69 GS.

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  16. Steve Reynolds

    Steve Reynolds SRE Inc

    Gary I think you're right!
    I remember that car as I pitted next to him once, and it was gorgeous!! Show quality racecar for sure! Is it still around?

    Steve
     
  17. DMoore

    DMoore Well-Known Member

    Steve

    It is still around, Joe is on the board here. I talked to him not to long ago and was talking about getting the car back out this coming year for a few races.....right Joe????
     
  18. Bobb Makley

    Bobb Makley Well-Known Member

    My bet is he is scared to race you. you are the killer around here anymore
     
  19. Staged70Lark

    Staged70Lark Well-Known Member

    Gary,

    Thanks for posting the picture of Joe Chuba's GS. The picture does not do it any justice.

    Joe is still around. He has called me when his son is playing baseball in the Greater Cleveland area. Joe, if you are reading this, I hope to see you back at the track!!
     
  20. jsevans12

    jsevans12 #'s matching 72 GS350

    I dont know if you guys know a guy named Danny Duff he and my dad used to run around together when they had Skylarks and GS. Danny had 71 or 72 GS drag car it was white with a set of weld draglites on it and raced at Ohio Valley Raceway in KY. I have pics but wont let me post them yet. But his car was prabably one of my favorite race cars because it looked stock besides the wheels.
     

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