"Buick Trademark(s) used with the written permission of General Motors"
 
 
Home Forums Garage Classifieds Reference


Contributed by: bob k. mando

Ancient high 10's secrets for your Buick *455*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since I gave you the Kenne-Bell write up on the 350, it's only far that I give you a little of the big brother. if anybody has old Popular Hot Rodding magazines laying around, it would be helpful if somebody could tell me February of what particular year they reviewed the Ram Air hood.

PERFORMANCE GAIN CHART FOR 455 GS
( using special KENNE-BELL equipment )

This chart was compiled to give our customers reasonably factual information on the performance gains to be expected from our products. The majority of equipment used in these tests was not "on the shelf" equipment. Many cam, piston, ring, manifold, carburation and transmission tests and modifications were performed before we finalized on the equipment that gave the results shown below.

All tests were run in our 3600 lb. 1970 GS 455 car.
TEST ET MPH CHANGE MADE
1 13.90 100.00 Stock Buick GS 455, 3.64 gears, TH-400 trans. Car was right off the showroom with no changes whatsoever.
2 13.60 100.00 Install slicks on KBDCR offset chrome rear wheels, KBDR2096-90/10 Shocks and KB147 Airlifts
3 13.50 100.00 Install 4.78 gears and KB Street/Strip Transmission Kit and clearanced engine.
4 13.00 104.00 Install KB455 4 Tube Headers ( specially made ) and .073 primary jets
5 12.40 110.00 Install KBB70S 455 Cheater Cam ( legal NHRA ) with .030" shims and stock Buick valve gear.
6 12.00 113.00 Install KB455FP Super Lite Forged Pistons and KB130 Street/Strip Rings
7 11.85 114.50 Install Edelbrock manifold with .030" metering rods and .074 primary jets
8 11.60 117.00 Install 1000 cfm Thermo Quad ( specially jetted ) and KBFLA Fuel Line Adapters.
9 11.20 122.00 Install Stage 2 heads.
10 11.10 123.00 Install Ram Air Hood ( see Popular Hot Rodding - Feb ... year unknown at this time )
11 10.90 125.00 Install KB149-B Converter and Switch Pitch Kit
12 10.70 127.00 Install KB Mark IV Cam, KB100 Lifters and KB102 Pushrods

Test 3 also includes our KB128 and KB129 Bearings ( same as Buick ), blocked heat riser gaskets and pulleys and KB Advance Curve Kit. Note the 4.78 provided relatively little increase in performance. The stock exhaust system, low compression and "weak" factory cam could not take advantage of the lower gears.

Our headers, cam, pistons and rings were installed in tests 4, 5 and 6 for a total gain of 13 mph and 1.4 seconds.

The Edelbrock manifold picks up 1.5 mph and .15 seconds in test 7.

Test 8 proves the ThermoQuad to be the best bolt on value for the engine. It works equally as well on a stock manifold with the manifold primaries enlarged to 1 1/2".

This is not necessarily the final potential of the car. Further tuning, ram air and dual quads will further add to performance. In addition, we maintain a continuous research program with our test cars and our customers in search of increased performance.