Originally Posted by Slick
This has been a long time coming, and I really didn't want to do it, but since MysticMissle has put my name out there, here we go.
In my earlier post, it wasn't my intention to get into minutia, nor to get into arguments with either the antagonists or protagonists. I'll leave that capably in the hands of others.
Bill, my car is a work in (very slow) progress. It will never be a race car, only a street car. With the ET it would be capable of, it wouldn't be allowed to make a pass. I won't do those things needed to make the car leave properly or be legal at a strip; that would destroy it's utility to me as a street driven pleasure performance car. To that end, it will never produce any sort of ET worth bragging about. The only data from the car might be chassis dyno numbers, and we all know what they are worth!
Mysticmissle will attest to the unphotogenic appearance of the car right now.
It wasn't my intention to become a CV-1 owner. Actually, I was thinking KRE High Ports. The Ram air V available at the time had me a bit concerned. Unproven, to say the least. In my financial position, with life's challenges, I cannot afford "unproven".
Mystic's engine came up for sale at the right time. It is a proven pump gas engine. The cam, lifters and valve springs will ultimately need to change for my application, but the deal was too good to pass up. Again, it is a proven engine. I could not have asked for a more forthcoming, honest and genuinely nice guy to buy an engine from.
He sold the engine because he wanted to go faster. My conversations with Jim, Bruce and Calvin Hill all led me to the conclusion that the motor should produce more HP than it does. There are so many examples of pump gas engines that make way more power than this 511 does. Don Johnston's unported RAV heads on a factory block with hydraulic roller making 40-50HP more with less compressionis an excellent example.
Still, for my needs, right now, it's fine.
Jim,
Please, please, please(!) take this as constructive criticism: capitalize; punctuate, check your spelling, and think before typing!
The only contact most people will ever have with you is what you write. When it is unfinished, that's how you are perceived: as a non-finisher. Your posts tell us that we are not important enough for you to take the time to present your case well. In the back of our minds, we have to think, "gosh, if this is how he presents himself to us, what about his products?" The Roland Racing website is another example of an unfinished product. Fix it, show us that you care enough to finish a project. You are clearly not an unintelligent person, do you want to succeed?
As the above pertains to your product, I am a second hand purchaser of the product, yet virtually no information is published about it. I wanted to purchase a set of spark plugs. Pretty basic, eh? No information on your site as to what plug to use. I had to text Mysticmissle and ask! What about recommendations for valve springs, cams, shaft or stud rockers? Nothing. Leads me to think: no support.
Further, please don't try to impress me with someone else's engine. Follow the Don Johnston lead. He wants to succeed. So what did he do? First he has built a stock block engine and PROVED that his out of the box heads make power. I KNOW it's expensive, but so was bringing a new product to the market. Finish it by proving it. Yourself, as the manufacturer, like Don, KRE and Allpontiac have with their own showcase pieces. If you want to succeed.
Everyone in life has detractors. We drive Pontiacs for God's sake, we are used to the laughter, name calling, disinformation, etc. Too bad. Suck it up! Prove them wrong by building what it takes to show us that you are right in your thinking. Quit whining that life isn't fair. Please remember who you are dealing with here. Not all have triple digit IQ's, yet they can type! Ignore them. Ignore the guys who are busting your balls. Too bad. Wanna make them look bad? It won't happen in a poorly worded, unfinished post in an insignificant thread. You'll make them look bad by showing the true potential of your product in a completed engine going down a dragstrip, at every Pontiac event you can get it to! Beat them yourself (not necessarily with you driving) with your product, on their turf. You WILL win customers!
You have Bill on your side, and he seems to be superb at what he does, if only he will also quit responding to the gathering mob. John Marcella has offered to help him. You've got some seriously big talent and serious egos here willing to help you. Are you a rainmaker? Take the talent willing to help you. Pay them well, listen to them and produce the best head that can be bolted to a Pontiac block, within what ever ultimate limitations your group chooses to impose.
If you are thinking, this is too expensive, then it was a mistake to have started something you won't complete. Just like the "street head" claim. There are lots of street heads out there, ones that look like Pontiac heads, fit with street car options like power brakes and A/C. They flow plenty of air and put up big numbers. Why would you introduce an almost complete topology change for a street car? It doesn't pass the smell test.
Where the Pontiac engine needs help isn't in the street realm, it's in the heads-up big horsepower arena where we are seriously outgunned. Why would you totally change the intake side but leave the Siamese center exhaust ports, knowing the disadvantage in high compression or power adder applications? Ram Air V needs new headers, why, or why wouldn't you have at least made an exhaust side which could have used a Ram Air V header???
If that's not technically feasible, then design a custom header.
Sell the headers, a variety of intake manifolds, suggested cams, etc. ,along with supporting data, on your website!
If you are financially incapable of doing the above, then take on a business partner or two. But you'll need to convince them that you are a project finisher, and can ultimately win. And this is all about winning. How bad do YOU want to win?
I have been a Pontiac guy since before 1970. I always will be. I live and breathe for Pontiac. Met and became friends with Bob Maxey around 1975. He taught me a lot. He built and finished fast, winning race cars and engines. He did have SD-455 headed moderate compression single Dominator engines running 8.80's. Maybe quicker, I don't remember. But I do remember the derision of the Chevy and Mopar guys. He never whined about their words, he kicked their asses.
I live vicariously in the successes of all the racers on this board. and I do mean that. Everyone from Lil' Jack to Dick Fulton, from Allpontiac to Butler to KRE, from Justin Shearer to Grandville455 makes me proud to be a Pontiac owner. I can't devote the time or money to building my own race car, my street car will have to do it for me.
So please, remember I want all Pontiac guys to succeed!
Pontiac to the Front! My Friends!
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