Com-Central.net

If taken as satire and self-deprecating humor, I suppose it works. As an informed source of automotive evaluation , it's like trying to get reasoned automotive analysis from Basil Fawlty.

(Who says Brit humor doesn't cross the Atlantic very well?)

- 251_Akira_IJN

Great site, I have been to it quite a bit. Seeing cars like that left to rot away sickens me.

BTW, here is my ride. 1972 GS, 455 Stage 1, 4 Speed. I wish summer was here!!!

Akira.......I think you stunned everyone wth this picture, that is a SWEEEEET RIDE!!!!! I've always loved the Skylark GS's, or heck, any GM A-body from that era. I once had a '69 Olds Cutlass 442 with a 4-speed (and a bench seat with a factory cutaway for the floor shifter!) for a short while but it was NOTHING - pretty much a clapped-out rustbucket - compared to your ride!! Man!

I remember Car Craft did a comparo big-block buildup about 2 or 3 years ago with a Chevy 454, Chrysler 440, Ford 460, Olds 455 and Buick 455 using as many equivalent aftermarket parts as possible - the Buick 455 romped everyone in the torque department! Wasn't that engine also called the "Elephant Killer" after a comparison against the Chrysler 426 Hemi where it came out on top, torquewise also?

Gorgeous machine man. Congrats!!!!!!!

Thanks for the compliment, the car really has been a labor of love. I have been a diehard Buick freak since I was a teenager in the 80s. Buicks are kind of the red headed step child in regards to GM performance cars, although, with this newest muscle car craze happening, that seems to be changing.

You are right about the Elephant Killer name. The Stage 1 was one of the fastest 4 person production cars tested in 1970. They were capable of 12 second quarter mile times with slicks right off the showroom floor. The big block Buick was and still is one of the most underated engines ever developed. The Mopar guys do seem to fear the Buicks more then most other GM products...Might be the Hemi vs Stage 1 magazine battles where the Buicks embarresed the Mopar guys back in the 80s.

Thats saying something considering the engine was developed to move 5000 pound Electras.

- 251_Akira_IJN

Thanks for the compliment, the car really has been a labor of love. I have been a diehard Buick freak since I was a teenager in the 80s. Buicks are kind of the red headed step child in regards to GM performance cars, although, with this newest muscle car craze happening, that seems to be changing.

You are right about the Elephant Killer name. The Stage 1 was one of the fastest 4 person production cars tested in 1970. They were capable of 12 second quarter mile times with slicks right off the showroom floor. The big block Buick was and still is one of the most underated engines ever developed. The Mopar guys do seem to fear the Buicks more then most other GM products...Might be the Hemi vs Stage 1 magazine battles where the Buicks embarresed the Mopar guys back in the 80s.

Thats saying something considering the engine was developed to move 5000 pound Electras.

Some data from one of my fav webpages...ultimatecarpage.com

for 1970, they have four examples of published data: (from car tests)

1970 Make/Model TIME 0-60 seconds Elapsed Time 1/4 Mile SpeedMPH
Engines Cubic Inches &Horsepower *Model Production TOPspeed Lowest Base Price$
___________________________________________________
Buick GSX Stage 1 6.9 13.70 101.2 455/360 test 1 687 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 6.5 13.80 101.0 455/360 test 2 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 5.5 13.38 105.5 455/360 test 3 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 13.95 100.5 455/360 test 4 4,479
____________________________________________________

While I don't believe 5.5 sec. 0-60 being done on street tires of the day, I have no trouble believing the 1/4 times. The speeds associated with those 13 second times suggest power pulling through the whole quarter mile. You didn't get in the 13's (or the hundreds) those days without 400+ H.P.(at the flywheel) in any kind of 'Murican sedan or pony car. Sub-six second quarters, however, were simply not achievable on factory tires...usually not even in 'Vettes or most Cobras (even the Goodyear Blue Streaks of the day), not in a sedan. Mid sixes looks about right. Serious power!

- JG300-Ascout

Some data from one of my fav webpages...ultimatecarpage.com

for 1970, they have four examples of published data: (from car tests)

1970 Make/Model TIME 0-60 seconds Elapsed Time 1/4 Mile SpeedMPH
Engines Cubic Inches &Horsepower *Model Production TOPspeed Lowest Base Price$
___________________________________________________
Buick GSX Stage 1 6.9 13.70 101.2 455/360 test 1 687 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 6.5 13.80 101.0 455/360 test 2 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 5.5 13.38 105.5 455/360 test 3 4,479
Buick GSX Stage 1 13.95 100.5 455/360 test 4 4,479
____________________________________________________

While I don't believe 5.5 sec. 0-60 being done on street tires of the day, I have no trouble believing the 1/4 times. The speeds associated with those 13 second times suggest power pulling through the whole quarter mile. You didn't get in the 13's (or the hundreds) those days without 400+ H.P.(at the flywheel) in any kind of 'Murican sedan or pony car. Sub-six second quarters, however, were simply not achievable on factory tires...usually not even in 'Vettes or most Cobras (even the Goodyear Blue Streaks of the day), not in a sedan. Mid sixes looks about right. Serious power!

Hehe and those ets you posted were in a heavy GSX, imagine how much better they'd have done in a light weight strippo GS.

I tend to agree with you in regards to the 0 to 60 times. I doubt any car back then could muster a sub 6 second time with the skinny G60s of the time....Or at least I used to think that until I started following a new drag race class called F.A.S.T. (Factory Appearing Stock Tire).

Link: F.A.S.T.

There are cars (68 427 tri Corvette) running 10.75s on G60 Wide Oval reproduction tires. A 72 Buick Stage 1 GS has won the championship 2 years in a row and ran a best et of 11.10 and 123 mph with 60 ft times in the 1.4 seconds range. That would equate to sub 5 sec 0 to 60. Really some great stuff as the cars appear factory stock, right down to the smallest detail.

Coker Tire is the company that not only reproduces the Goodyear and Firestone G60 x15s but they also have some sponsorship tied into the series. You think they have "tweaked" the rubber compound on those tires a bit?

For a real hoot, go to this 1967 link and scroll down about 2/5th to the profile on the two tires used in this 6-way muscle car test. My wife's Neon has wider meats stock that what came on on the Dodge RT 440 and the Plymouth GTX!
You'll like the data, too...

www.oldsmobility.com/r...june67.htm


HORSEPOWER/WEIGHT RATIOS

MAKE HP WEIGHT RATIO
EMPTY
Plymouth GTX 375 3545 9.49 lbs/hp
Pontiac GTO 360 3483 9.67 lbs/hp
Chevy SS396 375 3990 10.6 lbs/hp
Dodge R/T 375 4075 10.8 lbs/hp
Oldsmobile 442 360 3960 11.0 lbs/hp
Ford GTA 335 3880 11.6 lbs/hp
Cyclone GT 335 3920 11.7 lbs/hp
Buick GS-400 340 4175 12.3 lbs/hp
Rambler Rebel 200 3340 14.7 lbs./hp

CAR 1/4-MILE
TIME 1/4-MILE
SPEED TOP SPEED
(EST.)
Plymouth GTX 14.96 96.98 123 MPH
Cyclone GT 15.12 99.49 120 MPH
Pontiac GTO 15.13 96.80 130 MPH
Chevy SS396 15.28 92.00 125 MPH
Dodge R/T 15.33 92.68 126 MPH
Oldsmobile 442 15.48 91.37 121 MPH
Buick GS 400 15.58 90.36 116 MPH
Ford GTA 15.94 91.46 118 MPH
Rambler Rebel 17.94 77.38 107 MPH

For comparison, I put a Ford Grand National 427 from Holman-Moody...first with a Holley 750cfm and later with twin Holley 650's, routed through a Lincoln three-speed automatic (cast iron, NOT a C6) and ran on "street slicks"...meaning recap slicks of 7" with two grooves to satisfy The Man. All wrapped up in a '58 Ford Fairlane (about 4,500 lb's)...easily the ugliest full size Ford ever built (think Edsel, without the grill)...routinely ran low-mid twelves (and took me home a bundle of money from muscle car snobs down at Shoney's). This all in 1969-70. It had the potential to run in the elevens, on street legal tires, if I'd been serious about losing some weight (I had the full big-a$$ chrome bumpers and rear seat...everything....heavy car)

Yes, it's Chevrolet Orange...because I'm twisted.

Nothing cooler to me then a sleeper...even if it is a Ford.

My 1st car I street raced was a 64 Buick Skylark 2 door that I built up a 455 with Stage 1 valves, headers, cam, intake, Holley 950 3 barrel, TH-400 trans with a 3000 stall and a 3.08 posi rear end. To keep the "sleeper" mode I put huge 3 chamber mufflers on it to keep it somewhat quiet. I also put 300 4v stickers (original engine that came in it) on the valve covers and air cleaner. Not many people ever questioned that it wasn't a 300, even after looking at the 2 inch primary tube headers or the 950 cfm carb. LMAO

I won quite a bit more then I lost. Ahh the good ol' days.

Dodge musta been listenin' all along!

A 3.08 gear Akira? Were you racing top end?

I once owned a 67 GS... Sold it to my brother who got so many tickets he had to sell it...lol What color? Why RED of course..:D

Speaking of some of the cool cars I've owned at one time or another...

66 SS Chevelle 396
66 Dodge Charger 383
66 Dodge Coronet (426 Wedge)
67 Buick GS 401
67 Firebird 400
68 SS Camaro 396
69 Plymouth Road Runner 383
73 Plymouth "Cuda" 340

Then the family came...bills, house payments..etc...lol I still did some racing for those in the Central US that remembers US30 Drag Strip and moved into a front engine dragster (rail). Scariest thing I ever drove with the rear end gears sitting right underneath the "family treasures" and you had to use a 'chute' to stop! LOL

I sold it, built a small block Vega, than a V6 powered Chevy Luv. had some street fun and sold both of them. That was it for my 'power years'.

That era was a lot of fun, but as you get older and your family grows, it seems as if your time and money are better spent investing in their future, not to mention your future may last longer..lol

www.leftlanenews.com/2...lby-gt500/

Someone else must have been listening too. Hope this trend continues.

- EURO_Shades

Dodge musta been listenin' all along!

HO-LEEE MOLEY..........

...and a 6-speed yet......

OMG......

Now if GM can bring back de Chebelle.......'70 SS lookalike preferably.....with an LS2 under the hood.......OMG.......

Too DAMN bad Olds didn't think of this before they died, I'd kill for a retro 442..no complaints about my Stang GT though, for sure!!!!

- Shadow_Bshwackr

A
Then the family came...bills, house payments..etc...lol I still did some racing for those in the Central US that remembers US30 Drag Strip and moved into a front engine dragster (rail). Scariest thing I ever drove with the rear end gears sitting right underneath the "family treasures" and you had to use a 'chute' to stop! LOL



That era was a lot of fun, but as you get older and your family grows, it seems as if your time and money are better spent investing in their future, not to mention your future may last longer..lol

I heard that! My haunts were the now defunct Shuffletown Drag Strip at Charlotte (Newton) North Carolina, the still operating Ohio Valley Raceway (Louisville, KY) and "Thunder Valley"-Bristol, TN. Shucks, we should merge this thread with the "Not a P-51 but still a Mustang" one...lots of good pics over there (including my Camaro SS D stock class winner).
My fasted ride was a "C" Gas Dragster, not my own...

- Shadow_Bshwackr

That era was a lot of fun, but as you get older and your family grows, it seems as if your time and money are better spent investing in their future, not to mention your future may last longer..lol

here is a pic of Bush's new ride, notice all the room for the family.

I notice he still runs a spoiler and bicycle wheels!