I love those cars to bro

I like the 68 gtos

I agree

I just got my 73 TA on the road last year after having it 20+ yr. the first summer I killed a S2000 through a corner and onto the highway, a hemi charger with young guys aboard from a light and intentionally put down rubber to 2nd gear and gapped them by a few cars then hung with a LS2 auto Bette from 65ish to about 125. Stock bottom end but #96 400 heads RA III cam headers distributor curve and jetted carb with 3.08 gears. It’s quite a bit stronger than my 72 formula 400 RA III cam/heads headers dust curve jetted that went 13.50@104. Anyhoo.... lol

It's crazy how fast those old cars were if you knew how to tune them.

Yeah, Those 70 Chevelles with the LS6 Weren't all That. Just like the Street Hemi,s. Now the Hemi,s That were set-up for Drag Racing was a Different Story. Just to solve all the issues. Just Buy a FORD and don't have to worry about anyone taking you out at a Stop Light FORD POWER !!! I got to admit it i do Love those 455 Buick Engines, Torque Monsters AKA The Hemi Eater

@@scottbrooklyn2995 You have to consider the size of the engines. When an LS6 454 is slightly smaller (yes, only 1 cube) than the Buick and Pontiac, that tells you how huge these engines were. Put in a good street cam and uncork the exhaust system, and you have a serious increase over what was already serious horsepower and torque.......

@@milojanis4901 what's kinda cool at least for Pontiacs is that Butler and SD performance offers CNC ported factory heads. In the olden days you took your heads to a guy and paid through the nose have them ported. Now you can buy them off the shelf. And you know they were done perfectly by a computer. And Trick flow offers modern aluminum heads that look like old fuelie or LT-1 heads.

Did it beat the Buick stage 1 or a gto judge ram air V

yea, my dads is all stock on the outside but has 560lb-ft of torque

I miss my 70 Firebird Formula 400.

Mine too!!!

Grew up riding in a 71 formula 400. I have one now and a 73 ta. My fave too.

Has anyone realized that a firebird has always been a camaro with different lights and a Pontiac motor?

@@willivers4249 That's what makes the Firebird so likable.

Torque makes up for bad gearing. Horsepower wins the race. I know the quote you used is said to be from Shelby himself, or sometimes Enzo Ferrari. The reality is that having a car with the right gear to keep the engine in the power band is what wins races. That, and traction.

Very true!

bash5995 ... but horsepower is a theoretical number based on an equation dealing with torque and rpm.

The GSx stage 1 had "510" and like 320 or something hp which was just a straight bs

Example? Both Pontiac & Buick where known as tourqe-monsters

Can the 1969 gto judge 455 or 400 ram air V beat 1970 Buick gsx 455 stage 2

@@AlejandroP1980s No. They would runaway if they had to line up next to stage 2 GS.

If Pontiac would have released their special HO 455 in 1970/1971 in their GTO as they had planned they would have been the fastest off the showroom. But I love the Buick 455 I had an old NASCAR Engineer build me a 1970 455 from a giant Buick Electra. He did a complete head job raising the compression to 12:1 he ported the heads and did some magic to some special 4 cut valves. He would only build it if I used JE Nickle .030 pistons for $1200 instead of my wanting to build it from Kenne Belle Racing and Poston Buick racing. He took to cutting and balancing the crank and I was able to use the aluminum block stiffener from Poston and the high pressure oil pump and the chrome moly extra heavy duty fly wheel from Kenne Belle Racing Buick from California. I was able to send a 1969 Hemi Carter 850cfm carb to Poston racing in Atlanta Georgia and they sent the broken Cater to a place in Texas that only used the core and junked the rest. They built it to flow 1000cfm and they only charged $179 in 1995 to do so. I had the tranny built by a legend as well who used 1969 Corvette bearings instead of bushings and he machined an extra clutch in my racing transmission. I had to buy the B&W shift kit he used as well as the Poston 3200 stall. But again like the NASCAR guy he only charged me $2500 for all his work, the transmission guy only charged me $300 as long as I did all the install. I had a local racer build my mustang 9" and had both sides shortened to stock 1987 Buick Regal with with GM bolt pattern on Moser axles and I used the locker from the mustang or whatever Mr Holyfield put into the rear end which costed around $1000 because he did all the fab and install.

I didn't like the points because if I left the ignition on while playing the radio it would burn the points so I had to order the only year they had an HEI distributor in 1976 where we put upgraded parts to help it perform better. I was only at 650 HP but I had near 1000Ft/Lbs/Tq. I believe it was more like 800Ft/Lbs/Tq. But with all 4 tires 15x10x50 BF Goodrich low profile it still when hooking up especially when I put some old 15x15x50 racing slicks on the back it lifted the front end off the ground. I never ran it at a track as my friends had a comparable BBC in a 1970 Nova and they were banned from the track after running 140mph in 1/4 they were told that to race at the track they needed an ugly roll cage. we took pride in our vehicles interior looking stock. I even down graded to hand roll windows in my Regal. But I rather race 3/4 miles on our friends Dad's airstrip or we raced on mountain road thus we needed good anti-sway for sharp corners @120-130MPH. I did like 4 link and even though they claimed my G-Body was a full frame it needed frame connectors or simply had the front to back rails welded with steel to stop the roof metal from tweaking.

@@bayouboy6668 Yeah, Pontiac was just a little late geting out of the hole with the 455HO...that was one impressive engine! Great story on your 455 Buick...that was an awesome engine...one of GM's very best.

Awesome story Brother! I graduated from high school in 1986. Bought a 1972 Cutlass Supreme in 1987 for $900 and drove that car to California. Shagged so much Puss in that Oldsmobile, one of the best cars I ever had.

Thanks Brian. SD 455 Trans Am race is coming...

Brian, the Super Duty Trans Am video is up. We didn't forget about you !

Thanks for sharing 👍

Yes, I'm a Ford Guy since Birth, Correct about those 428CJ Cars. 335 H.P. Rated from the Factory, (yeah right) Like i said Big Ford Fan. But like you i always loved the looks of the 68-72 Novas And your Comment on the 340 Mopar, i agree 100% Back in Higher School a buddy of mine had a 69 Charger with a Mildy Built 340 That Car was insanely Fast for that Little Engine in that Big Car. That 340 Was highly underrated also. I remember popping the Hood in that Big Charger only to see that Tiny Little 340 in there, it was a Rocket !!!

The SD was the direct result of an expensive factory effort to address the weaknesses of the 455 HO and improve power in the bargain. The HO had a reputation of breaking connecting rods. The SD was re-engineered starting with significant changes to the block. The HO was an assembly of off the shelf performance components meant to be a stop-gap until the SD was ready for use and to compensate for the corporate mandated compression drop. The SD project had been on the drawing boards since 1970. The production version of the SD was watered down due to corporate squabbling, emissions, the gas crisis, the insurance industry, and politics. The resulting engine still outperformed the HO cars. I have all the old road tests to verify that (decisively). Just a basic consideration of the improved cylinder head flow and hotter cam timing of the SD should be instructive.

@@clevlandblock were the sd-455 in the 73 a better performer than the 71 and 72 H.O. 455's ? Or about the same .Just more reliable?

@@quincee3376 Do your internet research and you'll see that Pontiac meant business with the SD durability improvements: built-in provision for dry-sump oiling, high nickle content block with improved main bearing webbing, stronger rods, and stiffer crankshaft. A study of the old road tests shows that the various testers were real excited about the SD. Given the higher flow heads, hotter cam, and larger carb vs the HO, one might ask how could the SD cars not be any faster than the HO cars? The SD muffler and exhaust system had their own part numbers so they may well have been less restrictive also. The chief engineer of the SD project, Herb Adams, states in a vintage dealer promo film on You Tube that the SD makes 10% more power than other 455 engines. He may well be referring to the HO. I formerly owned a 74 Formula SD and still own a 14k mile 74 4 speed TA with the SD-455.

Trans-am.....

@@sergiojacquez2277 ✓Highway wonderland

Trans Am had higher trap speed both times.

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching !!

They were beasts! They didn't rev high, but they made wind-warping torque at low rpm.

Where did you get those numbers? My formula 400 goes 13.50@104. Same as a g8 and weighs the same. So it looks like about 380 today's hp. On an engine only dyno I bet it's not over 400. Stock hemisphere don't impress me. Way defined.

I have a 71 GS and a 455 I have laying around. Really want to put it in it.

@@nathansluss8817 the 1970 buick 455 stage 1 had those numbers. The GS stage 1 was the 3rd fastest production car all the way up until the 80s. 13.38 a stage one ran out of the factory. The other 2 cars were a shelby cobra and a 427 vette.

The '64-5-&6'S WERE ALSO POWER HOUSES, BUT WERE DIFFERENT FROM 67 on up. The Wildcats in 401 & 425 were comparable to any Chevy engine.

Fred Garvin. The 1970 Pontiac high compression 455-HO had 500lbs of torque but didn't have high flowing heads

There was a '66 Riviera with a 465 Wildcat engine (green valve covers). There was a 401 with factory equip. dual fourbarrels in '65 Rivs. There was a 445 Wildcat in '64 Wildcat Ht & convertibles, with factory 4 speed manual and posi-trac rear.

@@tallen4520 The numbers you're quoting in reference to the Buick engines are not cubic inch numbers,they're torque numbers.Most people see the "465" or "445"stickers on the air cleaner and assume it's the engine displacement in cubic inches,but it isn't.Buick done this extensively in the mid sixties,and it's a common mistake people make.

@@davidh1249 Yes; I'm aware of this.

was a 74, can't see the shaker numbers. The 74 had a 400, 455 and the SD 455 available.

h.o is just as fast as an s.d the only difference is the s.d is more durable made with stronger parts.Forged rods,dry sump oiling system etc.

justsomeguytoyou we low end torquers dont need to port heads, thats how you LOSE compression.

kinda agree. but then there are those that do everything they can to retain ABSOLUTE Stock options.

So does Long Island.

There was no SD 455 Trans Am in 1970.In fact there was no 455 engine offered in any Firebird in 1970. In 1971-1972 the 455 H.O. was available in the Formula,and Trans Am. The SD455 was available in the Formula, and Trans Am in 1973-1974.

70 Trans Am had the 400 Ram Air iv .

@@quincee3376 hey can a 1969 gto judge 455 ram air V or 400 beat the trans am and Buick gsx stage 2

@@AlejandroP1980s...No. That engine never existed.

Hemi killers

You ain't lived 'til you've experienced the old Fireball /Wildcat/ Riviera 465, from '66.

@@tallen4520 Nailhead 425. Lead sled, but a nice looker.

lol on the burning rubber, but it's true.

@mark Johnson Thanks for watching, Mark. Don’t ever sell that 71 455 HO GTO.

Actually 1976 was the last yr for the Pontiac 455 .😎👍🏻

@@roadtesttv A year later with gas prices as they are I can't afford to drive around the block. With Biden down on fossil fuels as he is old goats might soon be extinct

@@brianmanners8910 TY for the correction I just guessed if we were talking politics I would have googled before commenting

72 was the only year with fender scoop?

Tommy Olsen What are you talking about. All TA's had fender scoops

Tommy Olsen Nope.

TA: 3728 lbs buick:3752 lbs

Buick should have made a lighter car then. It is not the fault of Pontiac that the Buick was heavy.

Factory tune are low 13 sec cars?

Siu Andy nope but power tune and they are there.

I am from Hong Kong but I love them. I remember that they are 14 sec cars in factory tuned. Right?

Yeah, sadly enough, they are more like mid 14 cars. My 71 Formula 400 went from 14.6 to 13.8 with a tune and headers. Then a HO or 068 or RA III (all the same) dropped it to 13.50@104. I think that is about the limit of my engine without head porting etc. I could however, go with a 3K stall converter and 4.10 gears which I do think would put me around 12.8 or better.. but just by a little. lol

Stage One 455 Buick did 13.38 1/4 mile in Motor Trend and slightly better in Hot rod. Hr tested a 1970 Hemi Cuda that did 13.10 and a LS6 Chevelle ran 13.12 in 1970. Better check your muscle car history guys.

What are you saying? Do you think it took Ford 50 years to beat an old Pontiac and Buick?

@@markg7030 50 years is a pretty slow ET. I'll take the "old" cars.

If it doesn't blow up

05EVORS huge weight differences and lot better tires these days

Subaru and Mitsu....lighter cars, better tires and TURBO power adders.

05EVORS These cars are almost 50 years old. They are also naturally aspirated. Without a turbo and AWD for a better launch, your 4 banger POS's couldn't get out of their own way, lol.

LOL! ....No.

Bazooka Joe the Boss 9 was a serious engine. These two were weak block two bolt main wannabes. How many pro stock or NASCAR races did these two win back in the day. Dream on LOL.

I hear over the years 700hp and 7000rpm are the 2 bolt Pontiac/olds limit. and yeah Pontiac rocked nascar... maybe not in 71 lol and how many years did they make that 429 which is an exotic engine imo whereas the olds here has the same heads as a station wagon and the only thing extra about the Pontiac is the round port heads but still low compression.

sorry Joe you missed my point evidently. the boss 429 was a race engine just like Chrysler's version of the hemi head motor. with the right tune these engines would outrun just about anything back in the day. I never said Pontiac or olds never built fast street cars but their engines had limit because of the way they were built.

well, i've never seen a 455 buick with broken main caps. The fords? well, they're just fords, over-rated horsepower ratings always. Oh, that 351-400M was a real winner, a waste of cast iron. Dream on is a song by Aerosmith by the way.

24 lbs advantage whhoooooo

@@ragimundvonwallat8961 There's probably more of a difference than that in the drivers weight. So who knows maybe the Buick was lighter.

What makes you say that?

👍f

Neither was the stage one

camirocz Well since Pontiac never made a stage 1, ur correct on that aspect, but the Buick turning a 13.04 is what a stock Stage 1 would run on skinny polyester street tires.

LT1HILLINGHOE keep in mind neither car is "showroom" stock. Both have been modified within the Pure Stock rules, so both cars are faster than they would have been when new. Very few cars from the 60s to 70s ran low 13s in stock form. Driver familiarity with the car and tire compounds also account for the lower ETs. The Pure Stocks aren't interested in what a showroom car would run, but rather what these beasts were capable of if they had been "optimized" from the factory.

Well looks are in THE eye of the beholder,but your comments on Buick engines shows your ignorance. I own a 70 stage 1 4speed that is no luxury barge, but a true Buick brawler . It is not loaded down like most gs cars, it is bare bones . Your pontiacs would have their hands full with this one.

Another stupid remark ! You probably need glasses to to see which one is the better looking automobile. But then again you probably don't want to admit which one is better looking. All the G.M. cars those years were similar in style up to a certain point.

not so

Well the left lane proves that its fastest and both cars are even

camirocz yes they are. 68 GTO ran high 12s with a 400 RA IV.

@@TAWS-wq3hx Yep, ET's were pretty much what I expected.

@@jerrycallo no doubt, been there done that 💯

@@TAWS-wq3hx Never .You re dreaming. Hemi Cuda and Ls6 chevelle were the fastest at 13.04 and 13 .07 respectively. Go do your homework. RAM AIR IV IS A HIGH 13 SECOND CAR AT BEST

@@camirocz ls6? As in boat anchor 454? 😆 You CONTINUE to dream son. I know wat I'm talkin about. 68 GTO was a 12 sec flat car. lighter weight in case you missed that. Chevelle pffff with a 300 lb heavier boat anchor that put out LESS TORQUE 😆😆 you funny

chad haire with enough TORQUE they would be in the 12s

With the times shown in this video those cars are definitely stock.

i agree it was very hard to get cars under 14 in those days due to the fiberglass tires of the time

The gasoline was better back in the day but the tires were garbage. In 1995 one of the popular car magazines tested a 426 Hemi Roadrunner, (1969), an SS Chevelle (1970), and a 455 SD Formula Firebird (1973). They all ran very close times approximately 13.6 or so. They had better than stock tires and ignitions.

Oh I forgot to mention the Chevy was an LS6 rated at465 HP. If you put the tuned headers on it, you gained 85 HP boosting it up to 550 HP!