My Buick

[MrWizard]

My Buick is actually not a Buick, just Buick powered. It's a 1988 BMW 327A Post Coupe, black trimmed in gold with original Hounds Tooth Interior save for covered front seats.
I have 2 power packs for the car, both based on Stage 1 455 Buicks.
1st is a relqatively stock, the power package now in the car, 73 Stage 1 455 Buick from a 73 boattail Riv GS. I replaced the stock cast 8.5-1 pistons with TRW forged 10-1's. The crank is the stock nodular iron and the rods are the stock forged steels with ARP blts and the recip assembly is unbalanced. The heads are the stock 73 Stage 1 heads ported with a port matched Edelbrock B4B intake topped by a 2 stage cheater wet plate system and a modified 830 cfm Holley annular discharge Race dbl pmper. Camshaft is a TA 298H "Hemi Killer" hyd. cam kit but using Rhodes lifters and TA shaft mounted 1.6 roller rockers which, like the MSD 7al3 ignition system and preped stock HEI based dist, TA 1 7/8ths" prim 3"collector headers, timing cover w/TA/Melling hgh volume hgh pressure oil pmp and adjustable press regulator, and 3500 rpm balloon plated tq conv and valve covers, are common to both engines as is the ATI Super Dampner and modified stock oil pan. The Trans for this engine is a stock short tail TH350 w/ B&M shift kit. The 2 stage nitrous cheater wet plate has a throttle micro switch activated 75hp 1st stage and an add on 175hp hand held activated 2cnd stage for a total of 250hp.
THE 2CND POWR PAC is a 70 Stage 1 455 block +.040 with Wisco 10.25-1 forged liteweight pistons, stock forged steel rods w/ ARP blts. The crank is the stock nodular iron but has been indexed, tuft rided(nitrited), polisged and balanced as has the whole recip assembly. The block has the TA ductile iron main girdle, brass freeze plus and the block water jackets are half filled with epoxy.The cam is a TA 296-08H Gibson Stage 2 cam kit but w/ Rhodes lifters. The heads are a set of 70 Stage 1's ported to Stage 2 specs+ retaining the Stage 1 exhaust confiburation w/ Ferrera Stainless steel swirl polished valves. The Intake is a TA Wildcat Kool Runner Dominator topped by an NOS 2 Stgae Dominator big shot wet plate and a Holley 1050 Dominator carb. The trans for this pwr pac is a Coan TH400 Race rvrse pattern w/o brake.
The only deletions of the car's original features are the pwr brakes, the cruise, ABS and the IRS. Front suspension is modified stock w/ hubs and rotors drilled and studded for GM 4.5 x 5 pattern. The car has a 1.25" 4130 Chrome moly 8pnt roll cage and sub frame connection system w/ Mopar Super Stock leaf spring rear suspension system for a 67-69 A-Body Hemi Cuda race car using a custon Ford 9" axle w/ Strange aluminum center section, Ford Trac-Loc Posi, Richmond 3.50 gear, Moser 31 spline axles and Wilwood 13" dual piston caliper disc brakes. The exhaust system is 3" stainless steel exhaust and tail pipes w/ X-Pipe and Flowmaster 3" ID 2chamber 40 series mufflers. Wheels are all weld drag lite classics, 3.5" x 15"w/ 26.25 tall H rated radials frnt and 10" x 15" w/ MT ET Street 26 x 10.5 x 15's plus a pair of 8" x 15" w/ BFG 255 x 60 x 15 TAadial street tires for inclement weather cruising.

[telriv]

Now that's DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!!!!!! COOL CAR!!!!!!!

[MrWizard]

Thanks a million Tom. I'm sure some of the forum members have even nicer and more unique Buicks and Buick powered hot rods, but THIS, the Bmer is my best and latest entry. The car was bought used back in 1998 and driven as a stone stock BMW327 A w/ its 2.7 Litre inline 6 and BMW 4spd OD auto rated at 205bhp believe it or not normally aspirated. The car wasn't all that quick but was able to reach an observed 145mph of its 150mph speed on a number of occassions given time and room. I drove the car like that for 2 years, the 2cnd year as i planned it out as a drag orientewd dedicated street rod.
I always wanted a Buick Powered " pony Car" type such as the F-body GM or the Challenger/ Cuda, Mustang/Cougar but since Buick never chose to built one i decided to build my own out of something that retained the kind of ride quality and ammenities that Buick's, even their performance rides like the GS/GSX and the GN/GNX were always famous for and the Bmer fit that bill nicely.
I have had , as i said, a total of 5 engines for the car, 3 strokers, one of which, a 573" al after market Stage 2 w/ aluminum heads that i never actually installed in the car since it would have taken another 5-6k to further mod the car and its chasis to get any real benifit of the thing, not to mention it would take the car completely away from what i wanted it to be, a TRUE STREET CAR, not a race car that i sparingly drove on the street and only raced. I actually built 1st a 523 and after that let loose a 535" stroker for the car on Production blocks w/ the aluminum TA Performance Heads in Stage 3 configuration. Both engines let go the same way, split the lifter valley, dropped a valve and destroyed themselves. Besides, neither of them ran as good on the mtr as the lil 464 that is currently being freshened did on spray on the mtr alone and neither would run as good on the spray as the 464 did on spray tho bioth ran better on the mtr. The reason for this was because they were always unloaded, they didn't hook for poot no matter what i did, not even on the motor.
I decided i would put the 464 back in the car and over time build the 573" stroker after market on a BullDogg Engineering block. By the time the engine was done i had nearly 14k in it and realized that i didn't want to change my car up as i had planned to b able to use it so i sold it complete save for the intake and carb and went on with the 464 useing that intake, carb and roller rocker set up from the Stroker.
The engine that is currently in the car is a std bore std stroke unbalanced Stage 1 455 from a 73 Riv GS in which i replaced the 8.5-1 cast pistons with a set of std bore forged TRW's adding the original Edelbrock B4B intake and 830CFM race carb from the 464 as well as the rocker set, valve covers etc and put it in when i pulled the 464 for some freshining and upgrades( more cam, a solid vs the old hydraulic which is also now in the 455 in the car, and a set of Stage 1 configuration TA Performance Aluminum heads Aluminum heads mildly ported).
The ultimate goal is to run low 9's hgh 8's w/o being tubbed, on pmp gas thru a 3" exhaust w/ tail pipes @ 150-155mph and retain the remainder of the cars creature comfort amenities that i did not delete. I don't expect this to be an easily or quickly otainable goal but i am determined to reach it and w/o anything really exotic as far as the engine build. I am of the firm belief that if u have the right car and enuff car w/ the pariphial equipment to take full advantage of every ounce of power u make one doesn't actually NEED a really big or exotic engine to turn some respectable ET's, nor do u need to b riding in a gutted out, tin can super liteweight RACE CAR, in fact, im adding an aftermarket cruise control and a couple of vac canisters so that i can replace the cruise and power brakes, which will leave but the EFI and ABS deleted from the car's original comfort and convieniece features.
Wish me luck guys and i wish u all the same with ur projects as far as obtaining ur goals with them if u have not already done so. Actually, i find that if its a hot rod or street rod, they are NEVER DONE until u no longer own em!!!!