Favorite cars...

[Shaunessy]

Besides the beloved Marauder which we all love, If you had to pick what would be your favorite car? Mine would be a 1969 Camaro, Black with white pinstripes.. :D

[jgc61sr2002]

A 1965 Corvette roadster ( wish I still had) :( or my 1st vehicle a 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Conv. ( have one not the original). :D

[FiveO]

Fox body Mustangs...I have a 1984 mint condition red GT with 58,000 original miles.

[RoyLPita]

Welcome aboard, Shaunessy. As for favorites, I like a 1967 Ford Galaxie 2 door hardtop or a 1965 Mustang Fastback. If I couldn't get a MM, I would try for a CV LX Sport or a GM LSE.

[mcb26]

Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II either year

[Dr Caleb]

1984 Ferrari 308GTB. Black. Prettiest car ever made.

[SouLRioT]

well I dont know, I do like the early mustangs and love the '67 Corvette Stingray with the stinger hood. I wish I had the Ford GT, but I have to be realistic.

[martyo]

I would tell you, but it is a secret..... :up:

[BillyGman]

That's a real tough question forme to answer Shaun, but I'll take a shot. I have a lot of "favorites", but if I had to narrow it down, well.......


Wow this is just too difficult, so the best I can do is narrow it down to three cars. The 68 Chevelle SS, the 68 Camaro SS, and I'm sure that nobody has to guess about my next "favorite" which is the one and only 2005 FORD GT!!!:banana2:

[Patrick]

Viper!!!!!!!!

[Rob1559]

Aston Martin Vanquish!

[dwasson]

Lamborghini Muira

[2003DOHC]

1970 Mustang Boss 302.

[Garfield]

`My Favorite is Big Dog Marauder:)

The Cat

[BruteForce]

Shelby Cobra

[Bluerauder]

Besides the beloved Marauder which we all love, If you had to pick what would be your favorite car? Mine would be a 1969 Camaro, Black with white pinstripes.. :D
In order of priority 'cause it is just too difficult to pick a favorite ---

1. 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, 383 or 440 cu in. Metalflake Blue. Had a friend drop me off at home after class in high school. He left $50.00 worth of rubber in front of the house. What a car --- no frills inside -- but sweet. :bows:

2. 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, 440 Hemi, All black like the one in the Bullitt movie. Loved that car; but wasn't able to get a Charger until 1974. Still liked the '68-'69 body style the best of all. :burnout:

3. 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible, 409 cu in. Red with white trim. One of the older guys down the street had one of these with "Charlie's Chariot" emblazoned on the front fenders behind the wheels. At 11-12 years old at the time, this was the absolute coolest car around and everyone knew it. Nothing like showing up for a Little League game in style in a sporty, showy, and hot convertible. :up:

Honorable mention: 1955 and 1957 Chevy Bel Air. :cool4:

[Racerx88]

Money no object, I'd buy this car back in a heartbeat. 1972 GS Stage 1. Never would have sold it had the ex not run up all the credit cards.

[merc406]

1970 Boss 429 Mustang--any color would be fine :D :rasta:

[marauder307]

'Fraid tstrat took mine, but I'm gonna say it anyway...second gen Chargers, 1968-1970. Also don't mind the 1971 model even for the body change, because it was still possible to get the good big engines (383, 440, 426) and because I was born that year.

The Mopar E-bodies are good too; used to love watching "Nash Bridges" for the 'Cuda...

The first generation Mercury Cougars. Why? Because, pound for pound, they were every bit as good as their Mustang stablemates, and I think they looked better. Sequential taillights and hideaway headlights are cool. From 1971 up, they looked progressively worse...until we get to about the mid-90's. Those were okay.

I miss my old '93 Mustang LX 5.0 hatchback. Somewhere in Daytona Beach, somebody got a good ride...and it had been all modded out...

My dream garage has: The Black Hulk, a Ford GT, Jag X-type (driver), new Mach I, any Charger '68-'71, any Cougar '67-'70 (Eliminator would be nice), and for the utility vehicle, my family's old 1966 Ford Ranger p'up. 352, 3-on-the-tree, short bed, 286,000 miles and counting. Heads have been off once, at 233k.

[MainEngDwarf]

Tough question!!!
I guess for me I can narrow it sown to 2 favorites:
1) 71 to 71 roadrunner or charger or
2) 928 s-4

[bigslim]

I loved the 66 Riv and the 72 boattail Grand Prix. If I were to hit the lottery I would have an Aston Martin Vanquish as my first car. I would have "00SLIM" on the licence plate.

[Fourth Horseman]

'65 Impala SS 409.
Oooh yeah! (http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/Red-Imp3.html)

:rock: :rock: :rock:

[JDC 302]

65 OR 66 Buick Wildcat GS

[Sactown]

favorite classic...buick 70-72 GSX 455 stage 1

[Garfield]

I would tell you, but it is a secret..... :up:
Sorry Marty cats outta the bag so to speak:burnout:

Blame the dog:argue: :uzi:

See ya!

[Bluerauder]

'65 Impala SS 409.
Oooh yeah! (http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/Red-Imp3.html)

:rock: :rock: :rock:
Darn, I missed that one on my list. Went airborne briefly in a '65 Impala SS 409, Blue with Blue interior. Long story -- belonged to the older brother of a girl I dated in Junior year of High School. Very nice back seat, too !!!

[Merc-O-matic]

1. 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible V-8 (352) 275HP
Ultramatic
Three tone paint (dark green/light green/white
with white top.

2. 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Tudor HT V-8 (390) 300HP
"Three on the Tree"
Rangoon Red with black interior

Gotta Love It! :rasta:

[TripleTransAm]

Besides the beloved Marauder which we all love, If you had to pick what would be your favorite car? Mine would be a 1969 Camaro, Black with white pinstripes.. :D


I own my favorite cars, actually...

http://www.tripletransam.com/78ta/2002/Dscf5383w.jpg

[Constable]

'69 / '70 Boss 429 Mustang
'69 / '70 Cougar Eliminator
'95 Cobra R
'70 Chevelle SS LS6

[JGaignat]

1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Collector Series, in Navy. (the first thing I'd buy if I won the lottery)

1972 Riviera

1970 Cutlass 442 convertible. A couple I worked for in high school had one of these. Talk about a tire fryer......

[dwasson]

I forgot one! Group B Lancia Stratos. The old killer 'B's were awesome.

[duhtroll]

I'm driving it.

I seriously cannot think of a car that suits me better. Style, size, power, smooth, not pretentious or overstated, and that evil look make it perfect for me. It also is the perfect look for someone who is a professional conductor and musician - the all-black look.

Example of one of those quirky yet flattering moments -

My eyes are very light sensitive. I wear sunglasses on cloudy days, or in snowstorms. I wear black alot. (white hurts my eyes) I often have to retrieve my shades from the passenger seat of the MM when I take kids outside for class.

One day when taking the HS band out to the FB field I had to fetch said sunglasses, and was squinting even though it was cloudy. One student remarks, "Geez! What are you? A vampire?"

BWAAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA AA!!!!

-A

[Blue03]

Getting down to brass tacks, my all time favorite is the one of a kind 1924 Hispano-Suiza Model H6C "Tulipwood" Torpedo. (See pics)
But coming out of the Ozone I've always liked the 1966 Shelby GT-350 Mustangs with the rear quarterr windows. Next would be the 1963 Corvette Stingray Split window coupe.
Finally I still wish I had my (first wheels)1967 Pontiac Catalina 2 door hardtop with a 400 ci motor. It probably set me up to like larger cars. I of course am just now a little partial to my MM! ;)

[BALKISSOON]

I would pick the following as my favourite cars.

2000 BMWM5
2005 Ford GT
67 Shelby GT350 Mustang
68 Shelby 500KR Mustang
70 Boss 302 Mustang
70 Boss 429 Mustang

[MarauderMark]

Yea the mustang is a nice choice

(70 Boss 429 Mustang)but i also like

69 camaro 427 yenko and the mighty

70 442 455 w-30 convertible-great family car..

oh how about the new chrysler 300c??NOT!!!! :lol:

[jerrym3]

1965 Corvette roadster, two tops, Nassau blue/blue interior, 327/350 hp, 3:70 rear end ratio

1969 Cyclone CJ428, orange, black hood stripe, black interior, 3:90 rear

Saw a Cyclone CJ428 in orange advertised on the web from one of those classic car dealers. If it had been local, I would have seriously thought about selling the 64 Galaxy and the 58 TBird and going with the one Cyclone.

[mpearce]

1965 Pontiac GTO 389 4bl

1969 Dodge Charger RT 440 Magnum

[Shaunessy]

I own my favorite cars, actually...

http://www.tripletransam.com/78ta/2002/Dscf5383w.jpgI have one word..AWESOME! love your cars.:rock: :D

[TheDealer]

Either one of mine. LOL RAY :banana2: :D

[Haggis]

Here is Merc and I taking the Mini for a test drive. After watching the Italian Job I was thinking about trading in old #8 for one. Man does she hold the corners and talk about being able to maneuver through traffic. Does anyone know if K/B, Trilogy or Dennis offer a S/C kit for one. :rock:

Well see you all at the races with my 11sec. Mini. :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Newandold]

Top 3:
1965 Shelby GT350
1993 Mustang Cobra R
2003 Mustang Cobra

[prchrman]

73 Detomaso Pantera GT5...351 Boss...

[duhtroll]

I own my favorite cars, actually...

http://www.tripletransam.com/78ta/2002/Dscf5383w.jpg


Hey TTA -

Which one's KITT?

:P

-A

[Patrick]

Money no object, I'd buy this car back in a heartbeat. 1972 GS Stage 1. Never would have sold it had the ex not run up all the credit cards.
:up: :up:

[gonzo50]

My number one pick would be the:
1970 Chevrolet CHEVELLE SS 454

Second pick would be the:
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429

[rkk]

'70 Chevy Chevelle SS with the LS6 engine.
'69 Pontiac GTO.

But I'm done with GM cars, the Marauder rules today.

[TripleTransAm]

Hey TTA -

Which one's KITT?

The one I don't own. ;)

Honestly, when the 1982 T/A came out, I was so into the 2nd gen models (1970 1/2 to 1981) that the new model came as a shock to me. Then the Knight Rider show came out and I suddenly began to love that model... however, for some reason, when I spotted one on the street, black or not, it just didn't do it for me. The back end was just not right and the front end... well, I knew the missing red oscillating beacon had something to do with it, but still... something was not quite the same.

Years later, I realized the Knight Rider cars received a totally different nose cone... totally different, and it changed over the years. Initially, it was just a matter of cutting a slot for the red light, and placing flush covers over the yellow parking lamps, along with some more obvious fog lamps. Later on, it was an absolutely horrendous pointy nose with like 6 fog lamps on it and such. The back end was covered with some sort of smoked plastic lens that ran the width of the car, covering up the stylish ribs evident on the stock 1982-1984 cars.

I didn't think it was bad looking then, but by the time I got back into T/As in 1986, the factory aero package consisted of tasteful integrated skirts, wing, and a nice (again, in my opinion) subdued nose cone. Looking back at the KITT cars, I found them just so GARISH.

So I don't see myself ever wanting to own a KITT-ified Trans Am. Tastes change as one gets older, I guess, and once I laid eyes on the monochromatic GTA when it came out in 1987, there was no looking back.

http://www.tripletransam.com/2003/ste-eustache/images/DSCF5478.jpg

[SouLRioT]

So then my question is, which one is the Bandits???

[MYSTA KANG]

1969 DODGE SUPER BEE 426 HEMI WITH 1/4 SIDE SCOOPS
1969 1/2 DODGE SUPER BEE 440 SIX PACK WITH 1/4 SIDE SCOOPS
1970 CHEVELLE SS WITH THE CORVETTE LIMITED PRODUCTION DEALER ONLY INSTALLED LS7 454! ENOUGH SAID :coolman:

[TripleTransAm]

SouLRioT,
The '78 is just a regular Trans Am, not a Black/Gold Special Edition (what is commonly referred to as the Bandit model). In fact, it wasn't originally black either... it was silver from the factory, but at some point it was repainted black (around 1987, I think). While the paint job is old and will require a reshoot in a few years, it is nonetheless the best color-change paint job I've ever seen that wasn't a 'show car' job.

In the shot I posted of my three cars, the one on the extreme right is the '78.

[Ladyhawke]

I own my favorite cars, actually...

http://www.tripletransam.com/78ta/2002/Dscf5383w.jpg


Gee Steve, that pic makes me wish that I hadn't traded my 89 GTA in when we bought the Firehawk.

Other than what's in our garage now, my favorites would be

1965 Mustang Shelby GT350
1968 Mustang GT390
1970 Mustang Boss 302
1969/70 Mustang Boss 429
1971 Mustang Boss 351
1971 Mustang Mach I 429
1993 Mustang GT 5.0
and the McLaren F1

[MYSTA KANG]

Hey TTA I am wondering which one feels stronger out of the 3 TA's you have?

[THE_INTERCEPTOR]

This is so easy!

Gimme a 1968 Hemi Barracuda. Silver with black pin stripes!!!

[TripleTransAm]

Hey TTA I am wondering which one feels stronger out of the 3 TA's you have?


They are all different... honestly.

The '78 is a torquer. Rated at 325 honest lb-ft of torque at 1600 RPM. That's about where the stall speed sits with the stock converter (or perhaps the stock converter is somewhere between 1400-1600, I'll check this weekend, when I refill the transmission :baaa: ). So it definitely moves RIGHT now, but with some unknown replacement transverse muffler (1 exit per side) and the stock single pipe, it doesn't sound all that impressive under normal driving. At fast idle, it sounds mean (~1800 RPM). At WOT, the Hoover-matic sound of the secondaries moaning wide open is truly hypnotic. I think this might be a video of my '78 undergoing repeated launches after I managed to get the secondaries working... the launches were all at about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle opening followed by something very close to WOT (but not quite, I think). Above 3500 there is not much urgency happening with the stock base 180 hp Pontiac 400... the optional 220 hp 400 would have breathed MUCH better (at the expense of that low end, though).

http://www.tripletransam.com/78ta/accel_400.rm

The GTA... well, somewhere between the accelerator pedal and the engine, there must be an electronic module that takes all my commands to accelerate and appends a "... right f***ing NOW" to the tail end of them. Coupled with the 3.23:1 diff gearing and the low-end torque-tuned intake runners, you get a real whallop off the line. One of my popular signature moves with this car when leaving a car-club social function would be to sit there and perform the world's slowest burnout. I could hold the brakes and make the tires spin at 20-30 RPM, maximum. Just sit there for a while and scratch pavement, quietly, until someone would notice smoke coming from the tires. And since hardly any throttle was necessary to make that power at low RPM, there was no engine roar to call any attention to me. ;)

No outrageous converter stall speeds here... I think it's no more than 1600 or so.

Above 5000 RPM, it's all over though. The long intake runners restrict breathing at that RPM. No problem, the low end torque makes my 5.0 liter engine feel like a bigger motor 95% of the time, and that's alright by me.


The WS6... sigh... what can I say? This thing is freaking brutal. With the equivalent of a cutout to make the LS1 a little louder than stock (which is pathetically quiet), anything above 1600 RPM is heaven, anything below is pure stealth. Without the benefit of a torque converter, my launch style is dictated by my clutch technique. A little slippage and light throttle, it's Cadillac city. A little more throttle, it's git-going-NOW-mofo! With a little more aggressive clutch work and more throttle, it's smoke city! If I launch easy and take it up to 2500 RPM or so in first, standing on the gas is pure Armageddon on 275mm tires... fishtailing, tire wailing, smoking, engine roar that is sheer Nascar caliber. And after doing all that, I'll still pull well above 21 MPG US. A freaking engineering marvel, that engine.

And that sound....
http://www.tripletransam.com/ws6-old/exh2.wav

So, yeah, they're all different. Probably why I can't sell any of them (and I hope never to be in a situation where I need to sell any of them).

[MarauderMark]

So then my question is, which one is the Bandits???



There actually was a bandit edition.if i am correct..86 or 87???

[David Morton]

Shelby CobraYeah, the Ace/Bristol with puffed up fenders and hood to accomodate the legendary 427 'cammer' . :burnout:

200 mph!

I wonder, with the Trilogy, some ground effects, a 200 hp NOS and some 2.92 gears, maybe...

Naahhh.:down:

[TripleTransAm]

There actually was a bandit edition.if i am correct..86 or 87???

Good point... in 1981 or thereabouts, some aftermarket company put together a package that included some mildly hopped-up 455 transplanted into a new Trans Am, with some LOUD "bandit" lettering to boot. Considering the most exciting engine of the day was the 301 Turbo :sleepy: this was a major step up. I recall ads with good ole Burt sitting on the door posing.

I don't think they sold very well, though.

In the 80s, again an aftermarket company tried a 'bandit' package (although this time it was either stock drivetrain or perhaps a hotted up carb'ed 350 small block Chev), but the terms 'bandit' and 'Knight Rider' are about as far apart as you can get, hence its failure to sell as well.

But there was never a 'factory bandit' package... they were all:
1976 - 50th ann. Limited Edition (black/gold)
1977 - Special Edition (black/gold) used for the first movie
1978 - Special Edition (gold/gold)
followed by
1978 - Special Edition (black/gold)
1979 - Special Edition (black/gold or gold/gold)
1980-1981 -Special Edition (black/gold only)

One day when I get around to repainting my '78, I am debating whether to do it up as a black/gold Special Edition or leave it in its current bastard child form (plain black, with the decal coloring coded from the original silver scheme). The current form 'works', in my opinion, and is certainly unique, but I have this thing for black/gold combos...

[David Morton]

Hey, Triple! Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the original 'Bandit" T/A have the 6.6L/400 cid Pontiac engine? And didn't subsequent years have that same shaker hood scoop with '6.6 Liter' on them but was in reality that 403 Oldsmobile dog?

[TripleTransAm]

Hey, Triple! Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the original 'Bandit" T/A have the 6.6L/400 cid Pontiac engine? And didn't subsequent years have that same shaker hood scoop with '6.6 Liter' on them but was in reality that 403 Oldsmobile dog?


If, by "Bandit T/A", you are referring to the black w/ gold pinstripping paint scheme (with "germanic" style lettering on the 1976-1978 cars) on the Special Editions, it was only an appearance package (albeit a very thorough one, with lots of previously chromed or plated items being gold-anodized along with tons of gold pinstriping).

The movie car itself was supposedly a 1976 model updated with the new-for-1977 nose/hood/shaker, since the movie was supposedly shot before the '77 models were out.

About the whole 6.6-litre/ T/A 6.6 issue: since my son has been popping the Smokey and the Bandit into the DVD player a lot more often lately, I've had a chance to really soak up some detail. In a lot of stationary shots, the scoop is clearly marked with 6.6-litre decals. Not what I was expecting at all.

The way it worked (mechanically) was as follows:

1976 T/As had either a 400 (180hp) base engine or a 455 (200hp) optional unit, both Pontiac engines, and the shaker (the original 'rounded' unit) had "400" or "455" decals on it.
1977 T/As had a Pontiac 400 (180hp) as base engine. High altitude or California cars came with the Oldmobile 403 (185hp). Both engines used the "6.6 litre" decal on the new squared-off shaker (which also stuck out MUCH lower off the hood). The optional 200 hp Pontiac 400 used the "T/A-6.6" decal on the shaker.
1978 T/As had a similar choice of engines except the optional Pontiac 400 was bumped to 220 hp through a new dual exhaust with resonators only. Same decal usage, except the shaker was now sticking much higher out of the hood (still the new squared-off design).
1979 T/As used the Oldsmobile 403 across the board, since technically Pontiac stopped making 400s in 1978. However, they stockpiled a bunch of the 220 hp units and stuffed them into a few '79 cars, most if not all with 4-speeds.
from 1980 to 1981, it was a mix of different engines depending on location... either a 150-ish hp Pontiac 301, a 150-ish hp Chevy 305, or a turbocharged Pontiac 301 (200 very weak hp). I believe the '79 car also received the base 301 as a credit option late in the year.


My '78 has the base Pontiac 400 (180 hp). Very torquey, but breathless above 3500 RPM or so. The 403 Oldsmobile was not a bad motor... not as brutal below 2000 RPM as the base Pontiac, but it breathed a little better in the midrange. The hi-po Pontiac 400 lost yet again in the low end (below 2000 RPM) but breathed MUCH better above 4000 RPM than the lo-po version. As such, the automatics used behind the hi-po 400s were beefed up and were equipped with a higher-stall-speed torque converter. 1/4 mile times on this motor were in the high-14 second / low 15-second range.


Keen eyes will spot the "T/A-6.6" lettering on my Trans Am. This was obviously a modification done along the years by the previous owner, probably during the repaint. Along the years, it was a popular appearance mod (replacing the 6.6-litre decal with a T/A-6.6 decal). Have no fear, it's still the wheezy 180 hp base engine. ;)

[studio460]

My Favorite Car Ever of All Time: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Hemi

P.S. When I was little, my dad bought my mom a silver '69 Plymouth Roadrunner with the 440 Hemi. I saw it in a mall parking lot about 20 years later (recognized the original plate numbers), painted yellow. My dad sure is sorry he ever sold that car.

[MICA Racing]

I gotta pick one??? Geez....there's only about 200 cars I'd buy in a heartbeat if I had the money - I guess either a '66 Caprice all black with the 427 solid lifter and a 4-speed (saw one restored not too long ago - awful badass car) or a Series II Ferrari 330GTC - there are plenty of classic Ferrari's to drool over, but the 330 is beautiful and has the V-12, and you can pick one up for around 45-60k - you can't touch the others without six-figure (even high six-figure) money.

[Bluerauder]

"...snip..."- I guess either a '66 Caprice all black with the 427 solid lifter and a 4-speed (saw one restored not too long ago - awful badass car) "...snip...
I don't remember Caprice from the '66 era. Impalas, yes. Didn't think the Caprice was introduced until the late 70's.

[RandomMan]

Tough choice:

'67 Mercury Cougar XR7 6.5 Litre
'67 Mercury Comet Capri with R-code 427(only 8 built this way, I believe)
'69 Mercury Cougar Eliminator G-Code Boss 302
'69 Mustang Boss 302
'63/4 Marauders 406 or 427 with a 4spd...mmm a convertable would be SUPER nice!!
'55 Mercury Sun Valley

Of course the mack daddy!!

'65 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C...or maybe a just a new manufacture Shelby Cobra, with an aluminum Shelby block, a set of vintage aluminum Cammer heads, some Hillborn fuel injection, and a couple of paxtons. :D (Hey might as well dream big!!!!)

-Rob

[usgecko]

Jaguar XKSS (roadgoing version of D-Type)
Lamborghini Miura SV
Ferrari 250 GTO (1964)
Dodge Charger R/T
Pegaso Z102 (anyone even heard of that one ???)
64 Corvette Stingray

[TripleTransAm]

I don't remember Caprice from the '66 era. Impalas, yes. Didn't think the Caprice was introduced until the late 70's.

Caprice was introduced in 1965.
Although, to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen one in person... only in photos.
http://home.no.net/ayla/Chevrolet/images/1965%20Chevrolet%20Caprice.jpg

According to this site (the Caprice registry), it debuted in 1965 and the "classic" part of the name was added in 1973. (Sorry, it's in Swedish).
http://www.caprice.se/historia/historia.php

[the_pack_rat]

Hey, Triple! Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the original 'Bandit" T/A have the 6.6L/400 cid Pontiac engine? And didn't subsequent years have that same shaker hood scoop with '6.6 Liter' on them but was in reality that 403 Oldsmobile dog?

As an older(traditional) die hard Olds fan ... I have to chime in here.

Other than the fact the 403 had windowed main webs(which EVERY traditional Olds V8 had from 1977 - onward) ... I never understood the dislike for this engine.

I can fully understand that some diehard Pontiac fans were pissed that their Firebird/TA's came with something _OTHER_ than a Pontiac motor ... but it seems people moaning & groaning about the Chevy 305/350 in the later years is few & far betweeen ?. Why is this !?!?!?!!?.

Me personally ... I think ANYTHING Chevy is WAAAAAY OVERRATED. The few I've ever dealt with seem to be prone to valve - tap & excessive oil usage.

GM wise ... I'd take an old Olds or Buick WAAAAAYYYYY before I'd take anything Chevy. Mind you I'm NOT blind that Chevy has made some quick cars in their history ... it's just my experience & opinion that Chevy quality was not quite up to par what Olds & Buick was. My father owned (2) Impalas that were quite frankly JUNK POS.

The 403 was NOT a bad motor ... but you have to KNOW it's limitations - I can't STRESS THAT ENOUGH !!! ... If you are going to try & beat on one at 6500 rpms every other day than you were SURELY have issues. However ... for those that respect & understand it's limitations ... you should be MORE than hapy. Windowed main webs + extended excessively high rpms = NO !!!!!!.

My biggest gripe with the Olds 403 is it's tendency to run a bit warm/hotter ... esp if you bore it out some(mine is .030 over) ... however ... a Flow Kooler water pump & aluminum F-Body radiator seem to have made this a NON-issue(sometimes I feel it doesn't run warm enough) in my G-Body Olds.

Yes ... I have some 403 experience. I have one in my 84 Cutlass(stock boring 307 LONG gone) Best thing that EVER happened to this car ... feels more like an Olds 455 w/the 3.42 Grand National rear backing it up ... the 403 was originally in a 79 T/A.

The 403 has been rebuilt in a mild form. Edlebrock Performer cam & basic head work is about it - to the best of my knowledge(bought it re-built already). The 403 has more potential w/a set of older 350 heads
on it(68-72) ... which I may do some day.

Olds motors in their day were known for healthy TORQUE at the most useable rpm range(lower - mid range).

While the windowed main web 403's may have been somewhat rpm limited ... they were NO slouches by ANY means.

However ... AGAIN ... you have to realize that Olds motos were NEVER really known for high rpms ... they generally did their work in the lower rpm range(cept' maybe for W-31 spec 350's). A high - revving Chevy like character an Olds will NEVER have(thank god for small favors).

In comparison to FoMoCo's of the same era ... there wasn't much of one at all. Most 307/350 Olds powered cars I've driven ran MUCH BETTER overall than any of the 302/351W cars of the same era.

I have my automotive likes & dislikes just like ANYONE ELSE ... but I don't believe in talking out my backside ... I try to tell it like it is ... regardless if it puts something down I really admire or not. I'm NOT brainwashed like many people are about the cars they admire(or so it seems) ... I can admit fault or short-comings on stuff I might like.(like I'm fully aware that the 403 is FAR from perfect).

PS -

I watched Steves video w/his older T/A @ was quite surprised. I would have thought that car would have pulled a bit stronger ... I did numerous "stress tests" before I yanked the 403 out of the 79 TA ... that were WAY stronger than the standard Pontiac 400(or so it seems). However ... my 403 HAS been re-built & beefed up a pinch(tho not much).

Regards,

Eric

[the_pack_rat]

Oh yea ...

Some of my "favorite" cars bot NOT all -

Some of these are more general "bodystyle" then anything else ... some of these cars/years had some pretty lame drivetrains - I generally mean or lean towards the BEST most POWERFUL powerplant for these cars - for years mentioned - if applicable -

63-65 Buick Riviera
66-69 Buick Riviera
64-72 Buick Skylark/GS.
71-72 Buick LeSabre/Centurion.
67-68 Olds Delmont 88
67-72 Olds Delta 88
64-72 Olds Cutlass/442
78-87 Olds Cutlass(F/S)
66-67 Olds Toronado
70 Olds Toronado
71-72 Olds Toronado
79-85 Olds Toronado
79-85 Buick Riviera
79-85 Cadillac Eldorado
77-85 Olds Delta 88
77-85 Buick LeSabre
67-70 Cadillac Eldorado
69-72 Pontiac Grand Prix
73-77 Pontiac Grand Prix
81-86 ? Pontiac Grand Prix
73-79 Pontiac Firebrid-T/A
77-79 Mercury Cougar
69-71 Lincoln Mark III
72 Lincoln Mark IV
77-79 Lincoln Mark V
86-92 Mark VII LSC
84-89 Lincoln Town Car Sig or Cartier
95-97 Lincoln Town Car Sig or Cartier
03-04 Mercury Marauder
00-04 Lincoln LS

And a BUNCH of Chevies ...

NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Eric < --- hates Chevies - lol

[rookie1]

I would say these two:

[TripleTransAm]

I watched Steves video w/his older T/A @ was quite surprised. I would have thought that car would have pulled a bit stronger ...


Define "stronger". ;)

I'm not sure what you were looking for in the video but I thought it was okay considering much-less-than-WOT launches through the stock 2.56:1 rear gear and just getting into the throttle enough to get the secondaries open (the purpose of the video, since the choke lockout tab was binding and was keeping the secondaries locked out until I readjusted things - hence the test runs). As far as comparing it to the 403, all the 403 equipped T/As I've experienced seemed to perform similarly to the base Pontiac 400. The main beef with the 403 seems to be the low deck which precludes using most of the performance goodies for the older Oldsmobile 400s and 455s. That's why many of the current enthusiasts seem to favor dropping in a Pontiac 400 or 455 in place of a stock 403 when it comes time for a performance build-up. Simple economics, and the reason why the abundant small-block Chevies seem to be the preferred hipo motors in most projects.

Also, the 403 block is kind of lightweight and overboring can tend to make the cylinder walls kind of thin. Something to watch for.

I may someday upgrade my 400 to W72-specs (the 200-220 hp Pontiac motor) but I'm not planning any high-RPM blasts with that car anytime soon.

Pontiac 400 torque: I once measured acceleration times between 50 and 85 mph (that's about where my speedo ends) and found that ~3/4 throttle acceleration while keeping it in 3rd gear was as quick (if not quicker) than burying the throttle and having the car kick down to 2nd! LOL!

And if you think the Chevy-motored 1982+ Firebirds don't get their share of flack... man, you need to get around more!!! :lol: Doesn't bother me, I really like the way the Tuned Port Injection works in my GTA and considering 80s technology it's fun to see 20+ mpg in mixed driving while enjoying big-inch torque immediately off the line. In comparison, my 2.56:1 geared 400 got me 10 mpg (and this was before I discovered the locked-out secondaries, although I have tuned the carb since then - but haven't had the opportunity to check fuel mileage again).

[the_pack_rat]

I guess I was just remembering how the 79 TA I had that my 403 came out of ... would pull out of the hole. Think it had 3.08 in the tail end(posi too).

1st to 2nd full-throttle shifts in that car were always entertaining ... it felt like the car was going to split down the middle(TH350 w/a shift kit). It lacked many of it's original body fastener hardware & what was still there - many were loose.(much of the body was once apart & put back together in a hurry - NOT by me).

Yea the 403's were indeed a thin-walled cylinder design ... which is one of the reasons they tend to run warm. Boreing one out beyond .030 is NOT recommended. Know of someone that ended up w/one that was rumored to have been bored out to .060 I think ... engine runs in the 220 - 240 temp range most of the time NOT good.

One of these days I'm going to put a beefed up TH2004R behind this 403 ... I'm not used to higher rpm cruises ... most cars I've ever owned were always quiet on the highway which is a trail I appreciate. However after going from an open-legger 2.14 rear gear to these 3.42's ... I hate to loose the performance increase. Considered going back to something like a 3.08 ... but think I'd rather put a 2004R in it (rebuilt TH350 w/a mild shift kit in it now) & enjoy the 3.42's.

When the trans swap is done ... I'll go with an aftermarker dual-hump crossmember ... then I'll do the full true duals. Running the Walker OEM type 83-4 Hurst Olds/85-87 442 dual outlet set up right now.

Need to play with that car more than I do ... unfortunately a black t-top car isn't something you really want to spend a lot of time in under the Florida sun ... even w/the a/c cranking. Neither is a tripple black Toro with non-working a/c at the moment either.(both best as night time cruisers most of the yr here)

And to think I just went to look at ANOTHER black on black car yesterday(no wasn't a MM - still have my heart set on DTR for that) ... & this car would be kept outdoors not garaged ... I must be crazy - lol.

On that note ...

Anybody have an extra room in south west fl ?.

I might need one if I buy another car before getting rid of something.

Eric < --- wife will be LESS than impressed I think.

:lol:

[Silver_04]

'65 Cobra Daytona Coupe
'87 Buick Grand National
'67 Fairlane
'93 SVT Mustang (red only)
'66-'70 Ford Bronco
'88 T-Bird or Cougar w/5.0

Foreign cars need not apply.

[MYSTA KANG]

Funny thing is this i dont think anyone on this thread has mentioned the 69 ZL-1 Corvette Pure stock it was recorded at doing 11.990. This time comes from MuscleCar Enthusiast Volume 2 issue 12. However weight does play a factor in drag racing!

[SILVERMARAUDER]

Fox body Mustangs...I have a 1984 mint condition red GT with 58,000 original miles.
i will second that BIG TIME! :beer: :banana: :rock: :D i am a big fox body fan! i own 6 at present two of them are ASC MCLARENS CONVERTS one has 12k and the other 59k.

[Cobra25]

Mine would be a 1969 Buick Skylark GS with a 400 cube motor. The 454 is a little better. Mid nite blue in color.