Read my engine swap thread "454 into 73 LeMans" same engine. Scares the H out of me everytime I drive it, beats plenty of real muscle cars to owners disbelief. Headers intake and honest to goodness a 600 cfm carb. Any faster and I'd be dead. Easily lays rubber for 100 feet with smoke. 50 to 80 in less than 3 seconds. Burns rubber at 1 to 2 shift, not a chirp, it burns rubber. Burns rubber easily at 30 when planted. I have to believe the headers are the key, 2" diameter, 36" long into 4" collectors down to 2 1/2" pipes.
That's a good looking wagon. Finding the parts is a lot of fun, at least in your case the car did come with 396/427 big blocks so the parts are out there and a number of members on board do have 66's with big blocks so advice and guidance is close at hand. Badging the engine as a Jet Flame 427 would be cool.
-- Edited by 73SC on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 10:07:23 PM
i'm looking at a 1984 454 ,runs good but has peanut port heads. im wondering would it be worth putting a healthy cam in it for street use or am i wasting my time buying it. how big of a cam can i go with the small heads? it already has an intake,rv cam ,valve springs and timing chain but i was thinking of one of those thumper cams just for the sound . i know it wont be the total package but i won't be driving the wagon everyday ,but i was just trying to figure out if i should stay with the stout small block or go with the big block and 4 speed
If you got a good wOrking small blOck I would stick with it. The 454 will not Likley make more then 300 hp. Which is attainable with any small block and you don't have any headaches of a retrofit. Jmo.
thanks guys! great engine swap! the wagon currently has a 6 with a 3 on the tree so i'm going to have to do some detective work on swapping in a small block or the big block with the 4 speed especially with changing it to a floor shift. i sold the acadian and plan on bringing the wagon home this weekend,it will be a bit of a project but i hope to have it up and on the road this summer yet. the fun part will tracking down all the parts.
Check out my thread on the topic of decals and engine names. This is one of my favourite Canadian Pontiac features. See my Avatar, that's he 1970 Pontiac 454 decal.
i like those air cleaner decals,very interesting i didn't realize they used different decals then chevy. are those repro's and where can i get my hands on one? i have alot of ideas for the wagon and i cant wait to get it home and start working on it. not sure if i should get it saftied first and drive it with the six this year or put it in the garage and pull it apart.
Big blocks are all we do I have 5 vehicals and they are all BBC I would not advise going with a thumper Cam in a. Low compression motor not that the Cam is likely to hurt anything but it will kill all of your power because of the rpm ratio on the Cam itself the thumper is cool but comp recommends 10 to 1 compression or more if I remember correctly if you are looking for a good every day cruzer with a "healthy sound" ;) I suggest any where from a 268 to a 296 lift good power band with a mild stall converter I have a 1984 truck motor that is stock in my 71 Monte Carlo and it has a ton of torque lots of fun I say big block it you won't regret it there is no replacement for displacement