Member's Ride's!!!

Saturday was rained out at both regional tracks, which sucked because it got to like 22! (70F) Sunday was a shitty cold and cloudy day, like 10 degrees (50F), and we had to sit through a very short and small rain delay. They had brackets going too so the average wait between runs was over 1/2 hour - no time to heat up street tires, even at 22 psi. It was a waste of gas and money.

I did three runs with a best 13.7 @ 101.5 Mph - first run I simply floored it at 500 RPM idle and spun 3/4 of the way through 1st, got a little sideways in 2nd and finished a 13.9 @ 100. 60' was 2.18.

Second & best run I launched (if you can call it that!) at 1000 RPM, axle hopped a couple times off the draw and the car got really sideways when it shifted into 2nd to the point where I would have got off the gas had it not straightened out. 60' time was 2.11

Last run launched at around 1200 RPM, totally bounced the axle most of the way through first, got a little sideways once again shifting into 2nd, was my FIRST EVER sub-100 Mph run! :disappoin 13.9 with 2.19 60' time.

It was a shit day because I only had about 2 hours to stay and that wasn't enough time to try enough setups. I had the shiftpoints set at 6300 RPM which I think was a bit high, plus I now think I'm really losing power due to a misfire problem (one of my wires is cooked, and the opti is on its last leg) I can tell the grenadeing has gotten worse.

Anyways, this is motivation for me to strip the motor down this winter to maybe bore it out some more and stroke it, replace the entire ignition (Dynaspark opti or Northstar coil conversion, new wires), plus I still have a set of ported heads I want to finish putting 2.055 valves in. Bigger cam maybe, who knows???

BTW I posted some pics of my system in another thread if anyone's interested:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2425541


Now its time to start eBaying my worldley possessions to pay for these all this shit I need!!! :smokin:

Thanx DVS but those are still respectable times and I'm going to check out the pics. Better luck next time and give yourself more time.
John

Hi, just joined, Nice Ride. Firebirds always had the better lines, and bodies over the camaro's. And as for your Firehawk hood, unless you have documentation as an owner body panels are ridiculous to get a hold of. Of course unless you're up for stealing one.

Welcome to the forum Tamax. When you you get em post some pics of your ride here.
John

John you requested pic's, well here you have them. Car has been sitting a while, and it was a daily driver for sometime. needs paint now. havent had the time or money to invest at the moment so its in storage. but every once in a while it does some moving. enjoy the pic's.


http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/25420969Firebird2_6_-med.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/25420969Firebird2_5_-med.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/25420969Firebird_6_-med.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/25420969Firebird_5_-med.jpg

Very Nice, Love the white with blue stripes and hope you beat that stang.

My sig pretty much says it all, I've owned the car for about 8 months now, and all lot of money went to fix things that would make it driveable, like headlight motors, weatherstripping, and a lot of body work.
But, I'm doing 0-60 in 6.9 and the 1/4 in 15.9 at 92 mph. Not too shabby for an 18 year old car with 100k miles, I think :p

Not bad at all IMO either man.

Sounds like it was well maintained. But do yourself a favor dump the rapid-fire plugs. You are creating to hot a spark, go to the regular delcos like a 43 or 44ts plugs if thats the style, should be but go to a colder plug and you'll pick up some power. the combo you are running could melt the electrode or cause a misfire. give it a shot for 10 bucks.
good luck with it

Heres my 80 TA Firebird (4.9 Turbo)... this is before i bought it. but it looks relatively the same, except for the suspension, its normal now.

Pics:

http://www.caulfieldmusic.com/images/A.jpg
http://www.caulfieldmusic.com/images/B.jpg
http://www.caulfieldmusic.com/images/C.jpg
http://www.caulfieldmusic.com/images/D.jpg

Also looking for cheap ways to add horse... anyone have ideas?

1 thing, get rid of the 301. It was a nice idea on paper but to work on a 301 is just not worth it, few performance parts for that motor. Pontiac was brilliant in building its motor, except for the lifter valley area. pontiac 326-455 use many of the same parts 301 is a dinosaur all its own. Go chevy stroker or go get yourself a better pontiac motor. the 301 will just give you alot of headaches. Sorry i dont have a better suggestion man.

Not a problem, i have been debating doing the bigger motor route, can you give me an estimate on costs and the more affordable options? and what all is involved? and where i should look for a motor?

I have no knowledge or experience in motor switching, so start me at the first step of where to look and what to look for, and go from there. If you can help me out, that would be amazing... and id like to start RIGHT instead of spending money and time on this one.

well 1st things 1st. You need to decide what you want the car to do. Drag, Cruise, Show, or Hot Rod. Engine is simple, for your vehicle you have some choices Chevy or Pontiac. Both will fit in the car, both will require you to change the motor mounts on the frame but the frame is already set up to accept the mounts and the motors, the transmission being u have the pontiac should have the universal bell housing which will mate up to a chevy or a pontiac block.
chevy 350, with machine work and parts will be very cost effective and good all around motor, pontiac GREAT low end torque but costs almost double depending on how nuts u wanna go.
best pontiac block to get for you would be a 400 so many made easy to find, and parts like i said 326-455 pontiacs are pretty identical, cams, timing kit, gaskets, heads manifolds, distributor etc...

You have to simply choose what the purpose of your car is, i built for drag so gas mileage is NOT GOOD. I know alot of combos for both style engines so prices are what will come next for you. Best thing after you decide what the car is for is to set the chassis and body up for what you want rather than working around a new motor and possibly tight engine compartment. Like shifter, gauges, sensors, brakes ( possible upgrade), rear end, suspension etc...
Think like you are building from the ground up but the car u have is the shape you're working with. plan the details it will make things easier to have them in the car and ready for when the motor goes in, will also allow you to concentrate on the fine tuning and save you down time for getting out and breaking everything in.

just some of my own past words of advice, some of which i listened too and some of which i wished i had listened too :grinyes: . any more questions feel free i am always game for a good car chat.

i have a thread going already, its simply titled 80 Turbo Firebird - We can chat in there, you can be my mentor to getting this car up to par... lemme know in there what i should do, i want this for a cruising car, so not a gas hog... i just want it to have some balls, and handle really good, and be a looker... i want to catch peoples attention ya know... so lemme know options and upgrades and what you think my best plan of attack is in that thread... thanks a lot by the way.

Dont bastardise your car!!! Keep it Pontiac and you will love the power made by Pontiacs. They do not cost double that of a Chevy. You can actually make killer power for cheap with a Pontiac that will smoke a small block dollar for dollar. I have about $1200 in my engine and do mid 12s on ARCO gas with a stock rebuild. 0-60 in 3.7 seconds. If you stick with the Pontiac blocks, you wont need to change a thing. Chevy good luck since there are alot of transmisions that will only bolt to Pontiac. You may have a universal bolt pattern but then again it might not. The exhaust will bolt up to a Pontiac, and the nice thing is that it will bolt to a 326,350,389,400,421,428, or 455.These engines are all exactly the same dimensions externally. I have known people to drop in Chevys and do not like how little torque they put out compared to the pontiac block. Torque means "Power". Nothing like torque! A Chevy block will cost less initially but then machine work is machine work on either engine. You can get a full rebuild kit with forged pistons for around $450 from Summit. The lifter valley is good as long as you dont get past .600 lift on your cam. The pontiac rods are the weak link but now you can get killer rods for $200 - $400
http://img25.exs.cx/img25/4740/ResizeofP1020258.jpg
http://img25.exs.cx/img25/8063/Car20I20race20019.jpg

Pontiac rods are the best from the factory from my experience. although i did wipe out 6, 1970 HO rod's. but that was the machine shops fault, havent done that on my new one. rod strength is dependant on yr of block mostly the 68-70's are the best stock rods, but after market do provide for a better balanced motor and do stretch as much under load. i will attest to that.

The cast rods are brittle and the only really good ones from the factory and first choice are the 1973-1974 SD rods , they are forged from SAE 8640 steel and shot peened. Second choice is the 1961 -1963 These are forged from SAE 4140 and heat treated to rockwell "C" These are almost as strong as the 73-74 rods. 3rd choice is the 1959-1960 These are forged rods like the 61-63 but not heat treated . The rods are the weak link and that is why in the Pontiac family, they recommend no higher revs than
400= 6116 rpms
428=5881 rpms
455=5700 rpms unless you use a stronger rod!!!
If you use the 1973 -1974 rods then the formula will be
400=8103 rpms
428=7789 rpms
455=4549 rpms
This is based on
RPM Divided by R over (M) (S) (ILF) (F)
(R)Rod strength
(M)Mass of reciprocating parts
(S)Stroke
(ILF) Intertial loading factor
(F) Factor of safety
R/S (Rod Stroke)ratio and mean piston speed have alot to come into play. I dont know where you heard the 68-69 rods were the good ones ? They are the same as any rod other than previously noted. You can buy forged rods from CAT now that have proven a great rod for under $200 a set. Or get the H beam that are even stronger at around $350-400. Why risk a new rebuild by using 30 year old rods that have had millions of cycles on them or risk using a stock weak rod when $200 will buy you some security. Just showing you some known facts. . An aluminum rod will stretch and be useless after a short time but a forged steel rod will not unless reaching over its RPM limits continuosly.

AH, i have a better understanding of what went wrong in my 455 now, cuz i know i didnt rev even close to 5700 rpms when the motor imploded.
Thanks for the info.
You're making me want to take my 428 back out and put in new rods now.

With all the stroker kits out that are the small journals, all the 428-455s are not as desirable in my books since you can stroke a 400 to 468 and have a 3" main which is a stronger setup, plus less friction and heat.I just sold my two 428s 4 bolt main engines since I figured that more stroke is more torque and as long as I beef up the rods , a 455 will rev as good as a 428. I have 4 455s and will be building one when my stock 12 sec engine finally grenades. I already have Edelbrock heads, H beam rods, a fresh machined 455 block and all the other periphials like Dougs ceramic coated headers,mini starter etc... The only thing left is a solid roller cam and lifters and I will be shooting for 10s on pump gas.

I do have one 455 block left a 76 engine out of a safari wagon. No $$$ to do it so i keep looking for ideas on where i want it to go. 10's are also what i was shooting for. Right now I am just trying to get the rest of the vehicle in order to handle it. 10 point cage and the hotchkis leafs. had moroso's in the front but they were to light the front end was so low. changed those and trying to get the car to sit more level. Tired of 1.8-2.1 60ft times. I currently have a 428 .030 over, lunati bracket master II cam, 1.65 roller tips, and my spare #62 heads. i am still trying to get my other ones back in shape. I sucked in #7 intake valve and punched it back into the head. the machinist i deal with said he could repair it. had it done but i cannibalized the parts to get the car back up and running again.
My torque and low end too a dump when i went from the performer RPM to an original torquer manifold. gonna switch back and see how its flowing. i still need to have the exaust changed 2 1/4 is not allowing me to get the throttle response either. But you know what i mean, that neck snapping torque that you get when the secondaries open up. I miss that. its still quick, but not what it once was. i know its not the timing i have it set at 34 degrees, if i remember correctly. But i miss that snap i used to have. Engine still very fresh. about 5k miles on it. I havent had the time or money to keep it on the road last couple years. Now i am rambling. look forward to your response

I know the feeling about the money. I went from 2 incomes, down to one, then down to unemployement benefits. I then started my own company and am just doing small jobs for friends right now. I do Commercial Tenant Improvements in the highrises usually but it is slow in Seattle. I insure my car I race for about a month a year and the rest of the time it just sits. This is why I cant justify spending dollars on the E-head motor at this point. The 400 still kicks ass after 14 years. My best 0-60 ft was 1.67 but it usually is 1.79-1.82 The 1.67 time was when I staged after the other guy got the first beam on and so I hit the second bean and stalled my engine up to 3,000 and the other guy just sat there with one beam only. So I brought the Rs back down and then he hit the second beam so up the Rs went again to 3,000 . So I think I heated the trans and got a bit more slippage. I am going to try this aproach again. I am all for the low buck approach, when I do the 455 , it will be the same deal. Back yard savy!! Chat later!!

Some how we got of the sub of posting members rides so here is mine!

And sry dont know how to up load pics so just check out my cardomain site!

http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=730342&cat=25&val=1&page=1

enjoy Cam;)

Nice Firebird Cammren, Long time no see. How you been?
John

yea its been like hell with school and work but i have been doing something which when i get done will post! How u been?

Cam

Good thanks, Nothing worth complaining about.

Haha I can't believe that I'm putting mine up here, but whatever it's my baby. And no one else has my story....

So I'm 20 years old and a female, bought my first car by myself at 16... and it was a 1996 Firebird. I couldn't afford the TA insurance (long story) but anyway got my baby, and paid it off in 3 months. Eventhough it runs like hell right now (see My 1996 blows thread) I love it.

It has a mp3 player w/digital screen, new coils, ignition module, various other parts, and a hatch off of a 2000 TA cuz it looks so much better (it only cost 350 and it took me 2 hours to swap/align), and i blocked off the EGR to gain sqeak more HP, and bust those back tires loose and kill ponys. Oh yeah... I am the only driver and person who touches it

Are there any cheap mods i can make to increase HP? I go to college and can barely afford beer ;) Much less the TA I want so bad.... Just thought I had to represent for the true bird girls

Hi, sounds like you like toys! Thats great you definitly came to the right site. They people you want to talk with are Hypsi, and formula LT1. they got the specs down to a science now from my discussions with them. They good guys too.
lookd forward to talking with ya sometime. L8R

Always glad to have some more estrogen around here LE12345671, The usual bang for buck mods are gears, some headers, maybe a programmer. A ignition system, a CAI (cold air intake) system. Those 3.8's are pretty quick right from the factory though. So it doesn't require too much to make them fast.
John

my latest projecthttp://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=260330
Its in the making,so dont pick on its ruff edges,just yet

that shifter looks mighty damn sharp :grinyes: How hard is that to swap?

Nice car hotrod but do you look that pissed everytime you take pic, Just messin man but you really do look like someone just shot your dog or spilled your beer.

it was pretty easy.The major part of the sugery is some skin grafting i had to do over the old shifter hole.that shifter is mounted where a 4 inch square hole used to be,for the top load shifter to come thru the floor.So i sealed and rivited a piece of sheet metal over the hole,and bolted it right down to it.the shifter cable and linkage is available from b&m

they was unauthorized still photography.I was not given ample time to pose for my glaumor shots.needless to say i didnt pay for them

the only smile i have is a vertial smile >LMAO< get it laffin my ass off?

the only smile i have is a vertial smile >LMAO< get it laffin my ass off?
No explain it to me :screwy:
(this was only a joke please don't explain it :nono:.)

are you sure because i have a theory about verticle smile evolution.see a long time a go a ass startin smilin.............

i know this isnt a TA but i got new picks of my other project car
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/533678/8

I thought that was a Probe til I saw 240Z. Well you have your work cut out for ya. Good Luck just don't make it faster than the T/A(like thats even possible)..

I thought that was a Probe til I saw 240Z. Well you have your work cut out for ya. Good Luck just don't make it faster than the T/A(like thats even possible)..


the s13 kinda looks like a probe at first but then you get to know it and they are much better looking.

well it is very possible to make those cars fast..... if it does get a bit faster than the TA then i will have to do more work to my baby to make her faster still. its a viscious cycle

i posted this in the nissan forum too and they are giving me all kinds of crap for it. they think im a ricer. id love for them to say that wen i drive my TA.... people suck

I agree most people in general suck and did you tell them you own a T/A?

they were giving me crap calling me a ricer and all that, so this one guy goes on to tell me he only gives respect to racers not people with show cars, so i tld him to bring it cause i have a real race car with way more potential than a 240. so i expect to get alot of crap from all of them now

Looks like a great project!
Don't even let ignorant people bother you...Its a waste of time...
Good luck/skill!

i dont like ricers either.but that doesnt mean a ricer cant be a race car.a 3000gt is a ricer,but you damn sure dont see them getting made fun of,when they been modded out to 500+hp

and if it was a nissan forum calling you a ricer,just let it be known that all nissans are ricers.they are simply the pot calling the kettle black.

i posted this in the nissan forum too and they are giving me all kinds of crap for it. they think im a ricer. id love for them to say that wen i drive my TA.... people suck


At least you have a catagory, I drive American steel and I make my power from a turbo v-6. Eveyone I talk to does not consider my car to be a muscle car.

But it's funny how hemmings put my car on their top ten muscle cars to collect. :screwy:

The term muscle car originally refers to type A chevys.So a lot of cars considered muscle cars,are not on my list.
here is a link you might investigate
http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/general/musclecars-definition.shtml

notice that web page gas a dictionary now,for quick reference

You're right about driving a big heavy car thats actually made of steel. If I had to come up with criteria for a Muscle Car, having a large RWD body would be on of them (actually two). The engine would have to be pushrod (as yours is), it must produce a lot of HP (yah...), and probably most important of all - it would have to sound like a Muscle Car. And the GN was arguably the only V6 car that sounded as rumbly as any V8. Its the beauty of a sole cam/OHV setup - I've heard GN's with really neat cam profiles sound just as lumpy and rough as the BB machines.

Even if having a V8 was one of the criteria – getting checks for virtually all of the other is argument enough. I think engine sound also ties into image, and the GN, GNX, Regal Turbo's etc... always had the Muscle Car image. What else could they possibly be considered?

Maybe if the GN's were powered by turbo DOHC four-bangers then it would be more difficult to argue. But a V6 pushrod - and BIG V6 at that... no doubt about it.

What the problem is, nobody has made a new classification.Maybe you guys could call your cars somthing other than muscle car.Call them street machines or somthing thats not going to get you disrespected by those who have a car that fits into a genuine classification.

Ya, its funny how the later model Camaro's and Mustang's in the HP starved 80's and even early 90's were considered "Muscle Cars", It’s like because they were one of the few V8 powered sports cars left. Back in '67-'72 displacement in the 426, 427, 429, 440, 454, & 455 range meant muscle car for most people - 20 years later if you actually had a 350 under the hood people worshipped the ground you drove on! :grinno:

Camaro’s and Mustang’s (except the BB’s mentioned) were always referred to and marketed as “Pony Cars” – the concept of a smaller body car with a SB V8 as opposed to a larger bodied BB “Muscle Car”.

The thing I liked the most about that link you gave HotRod was in the part “strictest definition” where it said muscle cars had to be affordable. How true! I just saw a shootout on Speedvision this weekend where they took 8 of the best muscle cars from the day and just put them through everything – ¼ mile, slalom, even a burnout test! All on original factory rubber and completely stock (not sure where they found these mint condition cars – or owners who’d let them take a days shit-kicking!). BTW, the Boss429 just topped out one of the Buick’s (I think), and the Hemi Challenger finished dead last. But the thing I found the coolest was when they said unlike any other HP/performance revolution even today, the thing about the muscle car era that will never be relived was the fact that any regular Joe who had a job working at McDonald’s could go out and buy the baddest street machine in the world. MAN!!! I could only dream about owning my Camaro at 16 back in 1995…

Of all time huh.let me know who wins.i bet itll be a poncho.(better be,cause the 455sd had a 0-60 just short of a lamberginis.

Yo, Where the heck it FormulaLT1????
weather has slowed my advance on my F-Body, last weld in a bad spot, cant grind or torch it shoulda done the leafs when i was doing the subframes.

Yo, Where the heck it FormulaLT1????
weather has slowed my advance on my F-Body, last weld in a bad spot, cant grind or torch it shoulda done the leafs when i was doing the subframes.
Unfortunately I am still around, I haven't been on AIM because spyware crashed my messanger but I have been on here and yahoo. Glad at least one person would miss me if I was gone though.
John

i would miss you too :) ha ha ha

anyways about the grand national. who cares if it has a classification. it is totally badass, runs with if not better than the rest of us. sounds mean and looks like it wants to kill little kids as its rumbling down the street.

it doesnt get any better than that

well i guess thats one way to look at it¿

Whats up,can some body help tell me how do to post my pics?

hit the link near the top o' the page that says "Gallery", then hit the one that says "Upload Pics". Follow the instructions from there and yer good to go.

I went to the very top of the page and hit gallery,I did not see an upload pics button but I saw J-LO