Anyone working on a Pontiac FireTurd?

[Hikin Mike]

There are enough chevy powered Firebirds out there already. If it was mine, I'd look for a Pontiac 400 or 455 instead. Or even an Olds 455 which could be made to look like a stock 403 to those who didn't know the different deck heights.

Yep, ditch the SBC idea and build a Pontiac 400 or 455.

 

[chargervert]

A lot of the smog era Trans Am builds I see these days are using modern LS engines,they offer the performance those cars never had. They are bolt in plug and play for those cars.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Summit has what looks like a long block 400 for 2k. No oil pan, intake or valve covers. I have the guy talked into a 400 or a 455. I just need to find a place to get a 400 or 455. I would say this guy is not wanting a 700hp monster just something along the lines to make it fun to drive.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Summit has what looks like a long block 400 for 2k. No oil pan, intake or valve covers. I have the guy talked into a 400 or a 455. I just need to find a place to get a 400 or 455. I would say this guy is not wanting a 700hp monster just something along the lines to make it fun to drive.

I don't think a 2k genetic rebuild would be worth the effort. It wouldn't run much better then the 403 if any, nor would it have much performance upgrade potental. Some rebuilt pontiac 400s use a 8 eyebrow cast piston...they are worthless...very prone to detonation. Pontiacs gets the compression from the heads combustion chamber size....very important to know what your getting. The heads are easily identified by the markings on the top side of the exhaust ports. A 8 eyebrow piston with a big cc head would be a slug. It's the kind of engine you would drop into grandpa's Bonneville 4 door to deliver the groceries and you didnt mind the ice cream melting before you got back home.

 

[Hikin Mike]

Summit has what looks like a long block 400 for 2k. No oil pan, intake or valve covers. I have the guy talked into a 400 or a 455. I just need to find a place to get a 400 or 455. I would say this guy is not wanting a 700hp monster just something along the lines to make it fun to drive.

https://butlerperformance.com/

 

[Hikin Mike]

It's the kind of engine you would drop into grandpa's Bonneville 4 door to deliver the groceries and you didnt mind the ice cream melting before you got back home.

My Firebird has a 70 Bonneville 455 in it. I built it about 30 years ago and it's a fun car.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I bet that does run good....A 70 455 in a bonneville had about the perfect head cc for a performance pump gas build, they are really close to the #96 1971 400 heads for cc. Just helped a friend with virtually the same engine in his 70 455 gto. Really, any 455 has a lot of potential...just have to put the right heads on it. A 400 is a little more challenging to raise the compression. Its harder to get the compression up with the smaller displacent and the 67-70 400 heads are getting harder to find. The edelbrock pontiac heads have come down some in price, but still a healthy investment. That summit 400 engine is likely not much of a engine.

 

[SteveSS]

Our two 1973 Grand Am projects. The black has a 455 and the orange one has a hot-rodded 400. It has some Ram Air heads but I forget which ones. These are cars that are similar but ours are not finished

.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

My brother had a 76 grand am with a 400.. That thing was a beast back in the middle 80's damn near died in that car.

 

[SteveSS]

Our deal was mom bought one new in '73. She liked the color but didn't notice it had the 455 and every performance option Pontiac had at the time. Automatic. You couldn't get the 4 speed with the 455. The torque was amazing. I was 17 and that car was awesome. At 89 years old, Mom is still around and driving, I hope to get one done soon.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

That's pretty neat. Can't remember the last time I've seen a grand am from that era. Not sure if I have ever seen a 73 with a 455.

 

[Hikin Mike]

I bet that does run good....A 70 455 in a bonneville had about the perfect head cc for a performance pump gas build, they are really close to the #96 1971 400 heads for cc. Just helped a friend with virtually the same engine in his 70 455 gto. Really, any 455 has a lot of potential...just have to put the right heads on it. A 400 is a little more challenging to raise the compression. Its harder to get the compression up with the smaller displacent and the 67-70 400 heads are getting harder to find. The edelbrock pontiac heads have come down some in price, but still a healthy investment. That summit 400 engine is likely not much of a engine.

Years ago I ran a set of '670' heads back when gas was better. I'm now using a set of '6S' heads which is basically the California version of the popular '6X' heads that a lot of guys use on their 455. I'd like to switch to the Edelbrock heads, but I'm on a fixed income, so I can only dream.