GUYS, I NEED HELP FROM THE BOARD - PLEEEEEASE

[hannes_slanec]

Hello everyone,

I am Hannes from Austria/Europe and I am a BBBIIIGGG addict of american sheet metal.

I have an 68 Impala converible that is going to be an SS427 clone some day in the future and a less worthy Buck Electra Limited from 71´that is loaded to the top. Looks like it got everything you could order that year.

I spoke to a guy from a junkyard and sent him some pictures and he told me, he saw thousends, if not 10 000 of cars in his life but only once or twice an Electra with all that options.

It is not an collectors car but my Impala would rather leave the house then my beloved highway-yacht. I just love her to the death.

Unfortunately the conditions are not as perfect so I deciced to restore the Electra from the ground.

I would like to do a little to the engine and now you enter the game.

I have an 540BBC shortblock with Dart 320 aluminum heads that was dedicated to my SS427 Impala build, but want to go with an LS3/6l80e combo now as gas is very expensive in Austria and I drive the Imp more often, the Buick is too holy to wind up 1000 of miles. Plus, both are summer-cars and the summer is short in Austria, so I want to drive in the convertible as often as possible.

So I had the idea to put the stroker BBC in the Buick, but after some research I found out the Buick 455 is something better than the BBC. More light and very powerful.

I will resell the BBC and want you to ask what to do with the 455BBB?

My target is to build a little of an Pro Touring-ish Electra, I have a new front end kit and new shocks that adjust themself depending the way you drive (they are Monroe´s, they called it "intelligent shock absorbers without electronics" that time).

I want to install an airride and 22" disc-wheels, nothing irreversible, all easy to build back exept the airride but if it is on the right height it looks stock and will improve the ride once the car should look stock again.

No I was hoping that you guys could play with your creativity on the engine.
The 71 is what? 8,0:1......8,5:1? Quite less in any eyes.

My thoughts was towards stroking (seems not to be easy on a Buick-Engine as there are NO stroker kits and only a few cranks that are horrible expensive), or low-budget turbo charging or what ever.

For sure I will go with aluminum heads by your recommendations, TA or Edelbrock (some others too?)
The idea of a big single turbo is something very likeable to me, but mileage-wise maybe not that clever. At the stop and go traffic, which is most of the traffic the car sees in the town it will be unefficient due to the low compression. A higher static compression would be more wise if I want to have an eye on the efficiency, but tell me your sight please.

I would like to see at least 500hp but low end torque will be the more important factor and the key I think.

How much power can the 455 take and what is your concept on a 455 in an Electra and please, be precise.

Thanks for your time guys :)

[hannes_slanec]

No ideas in the BPG-Forum?

[69GS400s]

Greetings Hannes

it is very easy to build a buick 455 up to 500hp but you will need to have a good engine builder who either knows how to build a buick correctly, or who will take directions and follow them and not rely on what he knows from building say, a chevy. Either that, or have a motor built here in the states by a competent shop and have it shipped to you.

Of particular need is first to check the block properly to see if it is a good candidate, as they differ slightly when manfactured. Then, specific machining needs to be done that will increase greatly its chances of living a long life. This includes proper bearing clearences, assembly tolerences, modifications to the oiling system, proper selection of parts for what octane gas you can purchase, and quite a lot more.

You also need to have a budget in mind - if that matters little then the game can get quite more interesting. In fact, given a decent budget Im sure we could get your "less worthy" electra to embarass that impy

[hannes_slanec]

I can offer some bugdet if that is a point. I dont care if I work some more months for the engine, I dont have a wife or kids yet.
I hope you understood that the Electra is not "less worthy" to me but in the us-car history its name is not that big, for me it is a hero.

Ok, I have someone how would build the engine the "buick-way", if you can give me the hints and technics we will keep all advices.
At the moment the engine is rebuild, but is sitting more than 10 years in the garage since the Buick is very rusty. But now I want to do a real Buick-inator.
I will post some pictures of the actual car in his actual condition soon.

As for the engine:

Here we have a 71´455-4 from a 4 doored Electra Limited
When we rebuilt it I spend an Edelbrock Performer Cam and an Edelbrock Aluminum-Intake (I think it is a Dual-Plane, I will tell you soon).
I hope I can reuse at least the intake.... I dont know what the specs on the cam are, but I am sure we go with another one anyway.

Otherwise everything is stock as far as I remember.
I tell you the truth - I know it is often discussed here on the board but I would LOVE to stroke the engine. Can you imagine how a 525cid (or what the correct displacement is) Electra would run, NIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE

Horsepower is one thing, but the the displacement brings low end - torque and the Electra is a heavy yacht.
The problem is the crank, and the funny think is it is really only a crank, from TA is 3500USD, this is just a joke. For that money I get a complete BBC stroker short block in the size of 540, 565 even up to 598 and that is fully forged and balanced.

There is something like a Moldex Crank how it looks, but could not find anything in the web about it.
I am also going to convert to a 4l80e, 6l80/90 would be even nicer but I think it is not possible to connect it with a BBB.

[David G]

It's fairly pointless to compare the cost of Chevy parts to Buick parts. Buick aftermarket is very limited due to the small # of owners, compared to the Chevy customer base. Big production runs = lower cost to the consumer.

The $3500 TA crank is for high-end performance applications. Are you sure that's what you need? They have 494 stroker cranks for about $600. Someone else will have to tell you what power levels they are good to, but it seems unlikely to me you need the $3500 crank.

[hannes_slanec]

I know, the buick parts are produced in low quantities, but on the other hand, how many companies produce Chevy cranks.
There are only 2 (right?) companies that make buick cranks and and 20or more that makes BBC cranks. Means the have to share the market with the competitors.
3500 without pistons or at least rods......
But forget about that, it is how it is right? ;)

A 494 would be fine for me. Do you guys know how much the Moldex for 525cid is?

Can I reuse the Edelbrock-Intake or is it trash?

[David G]

I still don't know why you want the race-app TA crank for $3500? For a "Pro touring-ish" Electra, your words, it's really not needed, I'm sure.

[hannes_slanec]

Oh, I did not know that the TA crank is a high end race crank. The 600USD for the 494 sounds good altough I would love to come over 500cid.
The moldex seems to be 2400USD which is a lot less than than the TA, but still a big price difference to the 494cid TA crank. If there is nothing in between, I will go with the 494 TA. Would I need to bore the block for 494ci or do I get the 494cubes only by changeing the crank and rods (pistons as well?)?

[David G]

Go to www.taperformance.com/catalog.htm and download the TA catalog. Start on about page 93, tons of info and options for you there.

[hannes_slanec]

I downloaded the catalog but and will study it tomorrow.
I hope the catalog is more detailed than the website of TA, they only state the cid from the 3500USD crank, the others only have the stroke stated and I cannot calculate what cid a certain stroke would yield.

[71stage1conv]

I recommend you consider purchasing a completely rebuilt engine from TA or AMP...

[gbsean]

I recommend you consider purchasing a completely rebuilt engine from TA or AMP...

or Finishline or Stage 1 Auto quite a few options out there

[hannes_slanec]

No way, I am from Austria / Europe, the shipping would be a horror.
It cannot be so difficult for an machanic and to overhaul a 455. What is so special on them and is the tricky part?

[69GS400s]

You will need a torque plate to bore the cyl's correctly and one simmilar to align hone the bottom end for the main bearings - most machine shops do not have these.

Second and almost as important, is to adhere to the tolerences and specs that are proven to work on Buicks and NOT do what they have learned and know has worked on Chevy's over the past 30 years.

[hannes_slanec]

Ok, and where to geht the tolerances? It might be important that I dont want to build the highest spinning and most HP-producing 455 ever, I am after a very flat torque - curve and the baddest buttom end power possible, that is why I am after a huge stroker.

Big land yachts drive nice if you dont have to kick the gas pedal to the floor until it starts screeeeeeeeeeeeeming and moving. I want to press the pedal slightly and I want to feel massive torque