[carbking]

As usual, late to a thread.

Your original request IS possible, however: I could NEVER have afforded the process without being able to trade out a bunch, and deduct more as advertising. You do not want to know what it cost.

It also produces an engine that is an absolute handful on the street, and more so every year I age!

I did it for a reason, and not sorry that I did, but it truly is NOT a practical street cruiser.

I have now read the entire thread (twice). The pretty much stock 400 is an excellent idea (opinion).

There are other "add-ons" not yet mentioned in this thread worth considering:

(1) Gearing - a number of folks have mentioned higher ratio rear gears (helps acceleration, kills gas mileage). Possible alternative: different transmission gear ratios. Memory is fuzzy, but I think low gear in the transmission I settled on is a 2.62:1. Better acceleration than standard ratios, but still have 1:1 4th gear and I still use a 3.08 rear drive. Gas mileage is very good; engine RPM's are quite manageable at any legal speed limit.

(2) Weight reduction - most folks talk about power adders, but few talk about weight reduction. Other than alloy wheels, and aluminum-cased 4-speed (mine came that way), I cannot tell you what weight reduction is possible on your Firebird, as my weight reduction campaign was on a 1974 GTO. Without going totally crazy; it was possible to change wheels, transmission case, water pump, rear drums, intake manifold, etc. Going totally crazy resulted in aluminum flywheel, elimination of the "5 mile/hour" bumper system, and some other mods I won't talk about.

How does it run? Low gear is virtually useless if driven in anger unless one likes buying rear tires!

Consider the 400, you will be glad you did.

Jon