[Greg Reid]

You completely distracted me with those horse pictures. That is an incredible job of duplicating the markings and coat on that miniature. Even the bottoms of the hooves. Really, really impressive.

[ponyakr]

TJ said "thanks so much, that made my day!" she's had 4 horses--the 1st 3 lived 2 be around 20 or so & spot is now 17. she's doin models of them all--2 are finished--but spot has the most show chrome. spot is just what i call him--she calls him "pokey"--short for "poka dot man". the other 3 are flicka, scooter & rascal. & last & least she's had plenty of good trail hounds, some are pictured--we called these "red poohs" lets see, there was "lil red", "roscoe p. gravytrain"(my favorite), "roxie pooh", "rosie red pooh", "rusty red pooh" & many, many others down thru the years rite up to our last 1--a big black lab named "rupert" who just passed away last summer at the ripe old age of 13.5. they all shared a common bond--they loved trail rides!

[ponyakr]

this is 1 of those subjects that has been beat 2 death--then revived & beat some more, time after time. obviously, for all out racing, a solid roller is best--no argument from anyone. for anything less, a hyd roller is probably best for those with $ 2 burn. but with just the lifters going for about $500 a pop, the roller set up is just 2 hi for the low buck street/bracket racer. so i'll only discuss flat tappet cams. sbc guys like solids, so they can rev into the 8000 range if they want 2. but since most pontiacs operate at a much lower rpm, the hyd flat tappet is more than adequate, well down into the 10 sec range. there are probably some stockers scaring the 9 sec range by now. oil requirements for flat tappets still concern some. but there are plenty of additives now 2 solve this problem. i just run diesel oils, like rotella t 15w-40--problem solved--plenty of zinc. other additives like z-max & pro-blend are probably good ins also. everybody has their favorite cam--the selection today is almost unlimited. with hi-rev type lifters, you can now rev into the 7000 rpm range, if need be--well above where most 455 street/mild bracket motors should go. i use & recommend nothing but rhoads lifters--used dozens of sets--never 1 failure. they extend the usable power range of any cam & produce more vac at low rpm. they have real snap ring retainers & won't float at higher rpms--so for me--why consider anything else? but if you are 1 of the rhoads haters, there are plenty of other choices. just make sure you don't use those with the cheap, flimsy, paperclip style retainer. i had 1 come apart at a race--not fun!

[ponyakr]

i find it almost comical on some of the drug commercials, when they give the disclaimer at the end--telling all the bad side effects & negative reactions you could experience with their drug. some even say it could cause serious physical problems that could lead 2 blindness, bleeding & even death! i say "i'm not about 2 take something that mite cause all that". well, with these commercials in mind, i now present my disclaimer for all the tech info i have & will present. "Although the parts, combinations, techniques, & methods presented here worked great for me for many years--i must warn you that they may not work at all for some of you. tho they worked great in the 1970's, its a different century now. everything is computerized--so the old school info i have presented may no longer be aplicable(may not work). so if you decide 2 try any of this stuff yourself--do so at your own risk. i assume absolutely no responsibility for the outcome of anyone's actions. results may vary! your engine may develope problems which will cause you 2 experience loss of power, erratic performance, strange noises, severe leaks, broken or prematurely worn parts, or complete catostrophic engine failure, which in some cases could lead 2 lost races, traffic accidents, breakdowns in the middle of rush hour traffic & yes, in extreme cases, even physical harm. therefore, if you choose 2 use any products or procedures mentioned here, we highly suggest that you purchase sufficient life, accident, auto & health insurance in advance. good luck & happy motoring!

[ponyakr]

i realize, probably more than anyone else, that i am not the brightest star in the sky. i wasn't even anywhere near the smartest guy at our little country hi school. i realize that there are lots of pontiac dudes on this site who are MUCH smarter than me & know far more about all things pontiac than i ever will. so, with that in mind, let me say this--the info i have & will present here is not intended 2 contradict the info from anyone else who posts on this site. these are simply MY ideas & opinions & accounts & results of my actual hands on experience with pontiacs & racing. this forum is entitled YOUR best pontiac stories. thats exactly what this is--its MY story. this is the way it was--2 the best of my recollection(as the old folks used 2 say) i've discovered that my memory sometimes doesn't agree with our written account of events as they occurred--so i'll try 2 always use those records 2 keep the facts straight & refresh or correct my memory as needed. however these records do not contain most of the tech specs on engines & details of all that was required 2 get a race car 2 the track that was capable of winning a race. so, for that info, i must rely on my memory. not sayin this is the last word & everybody should do things like i did. no, this is simply what i did that did, or in some cases did NOT work for me. it is presented mostly for entertainment value. but, i hope that something i share will help someone in some way! so please receive this material in this light & not as a putdown or 2 badmouth any other person on this site. THANKS!

[ponyakr]

now, for the cam itself--my favorite for the 455 is the cam the racin boys love 2 hate & badmouth--thats rite, its the old stand-by ra4. when used with rhoads lifters, it idles smooth, revs easily 2 5000, & will run hi 11's in a lite bracket car. & it leaves hard from an idle, even with a stock convertor. we've won lots of races & 1000's of $ with the 455/ra4/rhoads combo--so its 2 late 2 tell me it won't work--you wastin yore time! today there are lots of cams that will make more power than a ra4. in '87 we switched cams & gears 2 get out of the 10 sec range & into the 9's(1000' track) if my memory is correct, it was a cc 244/253-.525" we went from 10 teens 2 a 9.85. although i haven't used 1 yet, i like the looks of the biggest cc extreme energy cam. a bird in a hpp shootout ran real low 11's with 1 of these. this will probably be the next cam i try--with rhoads, of course. lots of guys on this site recommend crower cams. there are also some good lesser known cam co out there. you can get almost any grind you want for $150 or less. rhoads rl 9518 lifters are $116 at summit--buy matching springs & your in business. summit even has some small cams for $60. most agree, its almost like comitting suicide 2 not degree your cam. but i'm such an idiot--i never learned how. always just trusted the cam co 2 put the keyway in the rite place--& used a 4 degree advance key--& got away with it! if you choose 2 degree yours--there is certainly no shortage of info avail on the subject on this site & just about every other gearhead corner. also be sure 2 observe proper lube & break-in procedures for new cam/lifters.

[ponyakr]

i posted some of this on a thread comparing 60 & 80lb oil pumps. but i'll include it here as part of my engine building specs. in the old days, nunzi & H-O were the only pontiac guys i knew about. read where H-O said 60# was needed 2 overcome the centrifical force of the oil already in the large mains of the 455 at 6000 rpm(obviously not an exact quote) so i assumed this info 2 be accurate & ordered an 80# spring & cup kit for my melling pump. later on i decided 2 just shim the 60# spring & save $. worked just as good. some recommend .060 shim--thicker shim=more press. many now talk ugly about 80# press--infering that many parts will suffer premature failure with more than 60#. many say 60# is plenty if every brg clearance is exactly correct & if the oil viscosity is exactly correct for the clearances used. maybe thats why some shops get 12 grand for a mild 455 crate motor--gettin all those clearances exactly correct--you think? if you've got the $--buy it! for the rest of us--i'll tell you what i did. if the brg & crank looked good, i just put new brgs in it, along with a 500 caddy rear seal(for big journals) & bolted it in. if the journals looked bad, i bought a reground crank/brg kit & bolted it in. either way--who knows what the clearances were? so for a little ins, i ran 80# press, 50wt racin oil & a can of stp (the thick, slick, gooey stuff). & lo & behold it worked--never lost a 455 drag motor. either just lucky or blessed i reckin!