90 Supra with Buick 455 - 1200

not mine

http://clarksville.craigslist.org/cto/3973779677.html

Don't ask dumb questions

.....like, what were you thinking?

um, because TN? Or "a v8 makes everythin' better, git' er dun."

Really, you guys are mocking a swap with frieght-train-esque torque?

Nothing wrong with that conversion, he was probably fixing everything wrong with an automatic, non-turbo Supra.

I wonder if you measure mileage in tires shredded per mile?

Deleted. I would have enjoyed that

Trans_Maro wrote: Really, you guys are mocking a swap with frieght-train-esque torque?

Buick 455 + short gears + short tires + no overdrive = wound out to go 60. But it would still take forever to get there because Buick V8s don't really accelerate well. It wouldn't notice the 2 tons of Toyota wrapped around it but it wouldn't be all that quick.

It's like when people used to put airplane V12s in drag cars. Neat idea but didn't work well in practice since the engines didn't accelerate well.

Now, if you could get some 2.21ish gears for that rearend, you might have something.

Knurled wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: Really, you guys are mocking a swap with frieght-train-esque torque?

Buick 455 + short gears + short tires + no overdrive = wound out to go 60. But it would still take forever to get there because Buick V8s don't really accelerate well.

Buick v8s don't accelerate well? hmmmm that's a pretty generic statement and definitley false for a healthy 455 if the car is setup to "accelerate well". lol.

"In 1970, the Buick 455 produced 510-lb.ft. of torque at 2,800 rpm and 350hp at 4,600 rpm. The more powerful Stage 1 produced the same torque rating, but had 10 more horsepower in 1970. At least that's what the advertisements claimed. More realistic numbers place the GSX Stage 1's horsepower at somewhere between 390 and 395hp. "

In reply to Knurled:

The Buick 455 was the only engine that put the hurt on the 426 Hemi.

This one is probably only a smogger 4-barrel version or even a 2-barrel but it will still pull pretty hard when you take it out of a 4500 lb luxo-barge and stuff it into a 3500lb sporty car.

It's still a better idea than putting a diesel in a Miata but everyone seemed to get a hard-on over that.

Also, BBB 455 are thin wall castings and weigh in roughly SBC weight. Lots of cubic inches at small block weight.

Someone should print this thread and mail it to Tommy Ivo. He may have an opinion on Buicks & acceleration.

Mm-hmm. Sure thing.

I'm thinking about an engine with a rotating assembly roughly the weight of an entire Honda engine.

Knurled wrote: Mm-hmm. Sure thing. I'm thinking about an engine with a rotating assembly roughly the weight of an entire Honda engine.

Yeah, I don't believe that either. Let me just go home and weigh the crank, rods, pistons in one of my disassembled 455s. What weight are you going by for a complete Honda engine?

Knurled wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: Really, you guys are mocking a swap with frieght-train-esque torque?

Buick V8s don't really accelerate well.

Huh?? What do you base that on??

My g body Regal with a mildly warmed 455 did a best of 12.30s in the 1/4 mile and pinned me back in the seat while doing so.

Wound out to go 60?

Ok, I'm gonna use a little trick called "math".

Tire size on a 1990 supra is 225/50 - 16. That works out ot roughly a 25" diameter tire.

Gearing is 4.30 for the non-turbo and 3.73 for turbo models (wow, turbo gearing is similar to most muscle car gearing)/

So, using my handy-dandy gearing calculator:

25" tire diameter, 3.73 gears, 60mph gives us 3007.872 rpm. Pretty average cruising rpm for non o/d automatics.

4.30 gears bump that to 3467.52rpm. High but hardly wound-out.

Redline on the 455 comes up as 5000 or 5200 depending on the configuration.

5000 rpm and 4.30 gears give a tops speed of 86.517 mph.

This all seems pretty good for a car that would probably live out it's life scaring the hell out of Honda fanboys at the stoplight 500.

In all seriousness, I don't love American engines more than I do Japanese ones but when Captain Hyperbole starts saying goofy E36 M3...

The Buick rotating assembly probably does weigh as much as a whole Honda engine. As long as that Honda is a motorcycle.

Trans_Maro wrote: In reply to Knurled: The Buick 455 was the only engine that put the hurt on the 426 Hemi. This one is probably only a smogger 4-barrel version or even a 2-barrel but it will still pull pretty hard when you take it out of a 4500 lb luxo-barge and stuff it into a 3500lb sporty car. It's still a better idea than putting a diesel in a Miata but everyone seemed to get a hard-on over that.

I didn't!

Joey

Knurled wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: Really, you guys are mocking a swap with frieght-train-esque torque?

Buick 455 + short gears + short tires + no overdrive = wound out to go 60. But it would still take forever to get there because Buick V8s don't really accelerate well. It wouldn't notice the 2 tons of Toyota wrapped around it but it wouldn't be all that quick. It's like when people used to put airplane V12s in drag cars. Neat idea but didn't work well in practice since the engines didn't accelerate well. Now, if you could get some 2.21ish gears for that rearend, you might have something.

The 455 in the 1970 Buick GS, a car with 26" tires, no overdrive and 3.73s at the tallest, is probably the best GM muscle era engine. Everybody likes the 70 GTO over the GS on account of the awesome Judge package, not because it was fastest.

Aircraft engines don't work in cars because they are deigned to run at a constant narrow RPM band, so you spend half your time shifting, or half your time trying to spool the thing. A Buick V8 makes silly power from 2000-5000 rpm, even in smogged out trim, there is still a high amount of grunt there.

Dis you guys see the pictures? If you didn't then stop debating. It was a 2barrel in a decent supra; nothing to get worked up about...lol.

In his ad he asked that no one ask any dumb questions which is what made me laugh.

Heres my 455 Regal at the track (video from previous owner who wound up buying the car back from me).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvUFHxINL9A

In reply to chandlerGTi:

I looked at the ad and I didn't see a single pic of the car without an air cleaner.

What 2-barrel was it?

The big base rochesters (which Buick, Olds and Pontiac used) flow almost 500 cfm.

We've now got two different Trans Maro's in here? Is the Matrix glitched?

Also, aren't two barrel domestic carbs given a different amount of vacuum to describe their cfm?

A Buick 455 could be decent in just about any car if you back it with a 200-4R and those 3.73 gears. Something more like 3.25's (I have no idea what the Supra third member offers as far as gearing) would probably be even better. A really well fettled Quadrajet might get pretty decent mileage on the highway as well.

Weird...

I swapped computers and ended up logging in on a long-dead account.

I believe you're correct on the airflow thing.

I just found it funny that folks on a forum that loves rotary powered anything, LS swaps and bike engined cars would poo-poo something this fun.

We love Chevy powered Z-cars but think Buick big-blocks in Supras is a bad idea?

Right...

What might be even more fun is using the TBI system from a 454 truck, which I think will bolt in place of a Quadrajet, and then use the factory ECU to control fuel or go with something like an MS.

Honestly, if you get the mix nicely leaned, this thing should pull some half-decent mileage. And still throw down half-decently when you want to from a stop.

I want to clear up that I didn't say I hated it; I just said why? If he had the stuff all sitting there (I would guess he did since I was $1200) that's one thing but a 350, 302 or LSX would be as easy and as cheap to make power.

I'm down with any swap and pretty close to anything that anyone does with a car; except that pickup sunfire thing, that wasn't cool.