[70RAlll]

actually $1200 is sort of cheap compared where these items trade last year. I think I saw 4-5 trade on ebay in the $1750-$2000 range.I know I was offered $2000 for mine before Christmas. And no..."I shouldn't have sold it" which I am sure is the next comment from someones mouth.so amny of our cars have rusted out rears, having a good nos for a restoration just beats tryingto patch it up,or(if one comes available) using some chink stamped piece that will most likely not fit.. I think $1200 was a pretty good deal...

[necdb3]

I paid $1300. two years ago for one. I thought that wasn't bad and still don't. $1200 isn't bad at all.

[Transamric]

Sold a spare NOS tailpanel about a year & a half ago. Got $1500 which I thought was spot on then.
Still a mystery to me why there hasn't been a repro part for this. If they can repro a so-so quality Camaro part for that cheap, they could make a nicer made FB part & sell it for $400-500 & we'd beat a pathway to their door.

[giles]

The saddest part about the lack of repop tail panels is how people have removed good ones at junkyards. I have seen good solid cars where the last six inches of beautiful quarters have been torched off just to get a good tail panel!

[giles]

Back to the subject of 455HOs....

Originally Posted by Transamric

Chris,...my method for keeping the exhaust port paint relatively healthy, is impossible to do on a together-in-a-car deal, but FWIW, here it is. After cleaning the bare heads, I glassbead the ports till they're spotless. Then a quick rinse off with laquer thinner. Then I dry spray, fog coats of VHT High Heat White header paint. Very dry,...very light coats. Usually 5 or 6, with about 1/2 hour in between each coat. Let them sit over night, at 70 degrees plus, & then shoot my favorite brand of engine paint. I have several cans of old obsolete TRW Service Line paint for the '69-70 Metallic Blue, & I use the expensive OEM paint for '71 & '72. My '69 350HO is the longest time use I've had using this process, & it still looks good, just a bit darkened.

I decided to reproduce Ric's process as much as possible with the engine in the car...
Since the non high temp paint recently burned off of the exhaust ports, the heads had no evidence of rust. I cleaned the areas with paint pre-cleaner, and painted the port areas with VHT 1500 degree light grey engine paint (FWIW the masking job was the biggest pain in the whole process) I then shot the areas with OEMs 71 Pontiac blue engine paint (ridiculously expenseive at $42 a can from Classic Industries) and it is a pretty good match. I have about 50-60 miles on it when this picture was taken and no evidence of any further burning.

[OVERULD]

Wow: Impressive results! Let's see the same shot again in another 100 miles or so - and hopefully it will look the same.

BJ

[Transamric]

Good luck with that, Giles. I would think that the non-metallic '71-72 color may be an even stronger, higher quality paint than the '66-70, due to the lack of metallic content.
One thing that didn't occur to me till just now,....my ancient old stock of that TRW paint is probably plenty old enough to have the dreaded lead content too. Could be a higher quality paint just due to that??

[Zirconia]

Where do you set your timing for maximum power on 1971 455 HO 4-speed cars?

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by Zirconia

Where do you set your timing for maximum power on 1971 455 HO 4-speed cars?

I've found the "seat of the pants" method to be the best method in most cases.

Each engine has MANY variables that can effect maximum timing. (compression,gearing,advance rate,just to name a few)

Make sure your vacuum & centrifugal advance systems are working properly & set the curve for maximum performance.

Basically,you want to run it up a hill in third gear & let it lug a bit then put it to the floor.

If NO detonation is heard,then advance your timing another 2 degrees & give it the "hill test again.

Just keep going in 2 degree increments until your hear detonation.

Once you do,then go back 2 degrees.

If it becomes hard to hot start (slow crank),then you also will need to retard slightly.

I've been able to run 16-18 degrees initial on some of the lower compression 400's & 455's.

Obviously,the better fuel you use,the more timing you can run.

I believe you want total timing (36 degrees) all in by about 2200 rpm.

This info is based on my "street" experiece.

Perhaps one of our HO racers will give their reccommendation from a 1/4 mile perspective?

[goathead455]

I run 16 degrees initial with 18 degrees mechanical for a total of 34 degrees all in by 2800 rpm.
I also run with the vacuum advance hooked to manifold vacuum which gives 10 degrees of advance with 8 inches of vacuum.
Knowing more things about your combo like compression and camshaft would help.
I would definately recommend getting you distributor curved for your application.

[70RAlll]

Originally Posted by goathead455

I run 16 degrees initial with 18 degrees mechanical for a total of 34 degrees all in by 2800 rpm.
I also run with the vacuum advance hooked to manifold vacuum which gives 10 degrees of advance with 8 inches of vacuum.
Knowing more things about your combo like compression and camshaft would help.
I would definately recommend getting you distributor curved for your application.

i agree with goathead. One thing I would add...if you are using an original distributor, get it(or do it yourself) rebuilt. years of gunk buildup will effect the weights and advance plates function. Get everything cleaned well and lubricated so all functions work inside the distributor.Put the medium, next to weakest springs on the weights. I have a NOS 1852004 distributor shaft kit that includes the correct springs and this is what was originally used. Very few distributors have the original spring combos installed. SO often they were changed out in search of better performance.10-14 initial advance is what is needed for these engines. I would be careful going much above this. Especially if using original iron heads..unless you are trying to race you car, pretty much using stock settings will give you all the tire spinning performance you can handle-especially with the 455 HO engines. The 400's are a different story, but the 455 round port engines are plenty strong in stock form, especially so with some modern components used in a current rebuild.good luck with your project !!!

[Zirconia]

My 71 is mostly stock:
Original block, heads intake
068 cam, 3/8 polylocks
original points distributor
std bore
close ratio M22 replaced with wide ratio (2.52 1st) gears.
non original carb.

My timing was set at 9 degrees, so I bumped it up to 12. Still no pinging. Maybe I'll try 14.

Speaking of carbs, I read of an air valve modification on page 54 of Jim Hand's book How to Build Max-Performance Pontiac V-8s. In a nutshell, the mod involves reducing the size of the notches in the front of the secondary flappers of early quadrajets for more air velocity over the accelerating-well ports, those little holes in the front of the top of the secondary openings. I was skeptical about it, so I did the modification with a couple of pieces of masking tape. To my surprise, this mod made a tremendous improvement in the low end throttle response of the car. I have swapped out the large grooved flappers with a pair of later ones with the Jim Hand modification for a permanent installation.

My question is, since a few later carbs I have also have those little holes in them but no notches at all, would it help to add small notches in the air valve flappers in a later carb?

[2manyT/A'S]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...3AIT&viewitem=

This one just STINKS of SCAM!

[OVERULD]

Yep: looks like the same old gimmick - call me or email me before you hit the BIN. That car was listed on ebay not very long ago by another seller.

BJ

[1971WARBIRD]

if you went farther down the page the real owner had it on ebay.i contacted him to let him know what was going on.

[Transamric]

WOW!! Way to steal a thread! Changed the subject twice,..and on one page too.

[Transamric]

Oh, that's right. We're trying to keep up with the Super Duty thread.
NEVER MIND!! (Insert sound of Rosanna Rosannadanna laughing!)

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by Transamric

Oh, that's right. We're trying to keep up with the Super Duty thread.
NEVER MIND!! (Insert sound of Rosanna Rosannadanna laughing!)

Trying to keep up with Super Duty's???

I don't think so!

You need to do some more reading here,Rick.

455 HO's have ALWAYS been FASTER than SD's!

The SD's reputation is faster,but on the track they just CAN'T keep up with an old HO!

[74 SD455 Formula]

Originally Posted by 2manyT/A'S

Trying to keep up with Super Duty's???

I don't think so!

You need to do some more reading here,Rick.

455 HO's have ALWAYS been FASTER than SD's!

The SD's reputation is faster,but on the track they just CAN'T keep up with an old HO!

Anytime you want to run your survivor 455HO against my survivor SD-455 Formula Let me know.And dont throw that pure stock crap out at me as those cars are not pure stock,they are running within guide line's that allow them variances thus being altered.I'm talking box stock show room new.There are'nt to many guy's out there with one that are willing to run them.And for the record I do own a 72 455HO GTO.

[Transamric]

Look what I started!!
Actually, my experience on factory showroom unaltered '71-72 TA's & '73 SD's, is that with good traction, they are usually equal in quarter mile ET's. One's I or friends have owned ran 13.8 to 14.10's. Not so good traction, runs the times up to around 14.30-14.40's. Interesting to notice that rear gearing or 4-spd vs. TH400 doesn't really effect the ET's that much.
Could a SD Formula be faster than a SD TA? Depending on the Formulas options, I'd say yes! Simply a matter of lighter weight, if the Formula isn't optioned up with the same equipment that most TA's came with. 100 lbs lighter usually equals 1 tenth quicker.
BTW 74 SD Form., what part of the country are you in? I'm sure somebody is going to want to know.