Front Springs for 1985 Regal with 350 BUICK.

[307 Regal]

Please post your weigh-in so we have a record of it here.
There's also this, which unfortunately did not load on my old laptop here, so hopefully it still works.
https://www.powerblocktv.com/episod...the-other-350-small-block-engine#.WFBFSblKoow

I do my big mods in stages, including my 350 swap, so there was a point where my stock "T-package" front suspension was still in with it. So if I can find pics of that period then I'll share them with you.

 

[MrSony]

Please post your weigh-in so we have a record of it here.
There's also this, which unfortunately did not load on my old laptop here, so hopefully it still works.
https://www.powerblocktv.com/episod...the-other-350-small-block-engine#.WFBFSblKoow

I do my big mods in stages, including my 350 swap, so there was a point where my stock "T-package" front suspension was still in with it. So if I can find pics of that period then I'll share them with you.

Cool man. And I, for one, have seen that episode at least 300 times. That is what inspired me to build a Buick, plus the fact I already had an uncut Regal. In there they say it's 100lbs lighter than a SBC, but I don't know how much that translates to front end height changes.

 

[UNGN]

""High Nickel" cast Iron is no more than 2% Nickel. Nickel makes the Iron a little tougher so the walls cast a little thinner for the same strength.. like 5% -10% thinner, not 30% thinner.

The Long stroke makes a Buick 350 deck height high, which makes for a super wide/heavy intake manifold. AL manifolds weigh 40% of Cast iron manifolds, so an AL manifold will take 30 lbs off and could get the motor just below 500lbs. Lightweight starter gets you another 8 lbs, so there a path to 470-480 (but not with the 60 lb intake manifold).

If a Buick 350 REALLY only weighed 450lbs, putting on a AL intake manifold and lightweight starter would make it only weigh 410lbs, and people would be saying "OMG!!! it only weighs 410 lb's!!!" all over the internets. Because they are are not, we can safely assume it doesn't weigh 450 lbs.

 

[UNGN]

https://www.powerblocktv.com/episod...the-other-350-small-block-engine#.WFBFSblKoow

The Power Block TV show was great. The T/A manifold "saving 57lbs" is impossible, but that TV for you. I'm sure it saves 37 lbs.

The fact that the HP peak was only 5300 RPM on a cammed, pocket ported, 10:1 Compression 4bbl V8 goes to show its a great motor for a automatic street car, but the potential is low for much more than this. Those heads look just like my 3.8L heads, which are tiny, have bad port designs and suck if I wasn't forcing 23 psi air through them.

 

[MrSony]

The Power Block TV show was great. The T/A manifold "saving 57lbs" is impossible, but that TV for you. I'm sure it saves 37 lbs.

The fact that the HP peak was only 5300 RPM on a cammed, pocket ported, 10:1 Compression 4bbl V8 goes to show its a great motor for a automatic street car, but the potential is low for much more than this. Those heads look just like my 3.8L heads, which are tiny, have bad port designs and suck if I wasn't forcing 23 psi air through them.

I've always heard, especially from Buick gurus, that Buick heads were one of the best flowing GM heads, especially during the smog era. With minimal work they can flow some serious CFM, for an oem cast iron head. And there are at least two people on record with stock block 350s running twin turbos and 1000hp. Although I'm willing to bet that the block is the only thing stock on those anymore. And I think the TA manifold is only 17lbs. I mean, c'mmon. You saw old Joe Elmore tossing that thing around like nothing.

 

[MrSony]

The Power Block TV show was great. The T/A manifold "saving 57lbs" is impossible, but that TV for you. I'm sure it saves 37 lbs.

The fact that the HP peak was only 5300 RPM on a cammed, pocket ported, 10:1 Compression 4bbl V8 goes to show its a great motor for a automatic street car, but the potential is low for much more than this. Those heads look just like my 3.8L heads, which are tiny, have bad port designs and suck if I wasn't forcing 23 psi air through them.

I've always heard, especially from Buick gurus, that Buick heads were one of the best flowing GM heads, especially during the smog era. With minimal work they can flow some serious CFM for oem cast iron heads from the 70s. And there are at least two people on record with stock block 350s running twin turbos and 1000hp. Although I'm willing to bet that the block is the only thing stock on those anymore. And if memory serves, a TA Stage 1 manifold only weighs about 17lbs. I mean, you saw Joe Elmore tossing that thing around right? Also I emailed TA Performance and they also quoted 450lbs, but they could just be reading off the same internet stuff. And the long stroke makes for awesome torque but not much else I'll admit. For the price of lets say a 450hp 350 you could just Build a 455 and hardly do anything to it and get that much. 350 Buicks are great for burnouts and land barges, or like you said a great street car engine. It may just be be, but that "Stage 1 port and polish job" looked a bit crappy to me. Or the slightly wavy intake ports just really bug me.

 

[UNGN]

You can make big numbers with a 350 because of its design you can girdle the block and keep from driving over the crack, Then crank up the boost to just below the DOTC number. Guys around here run 8 second 1/4 miles with stock block Ford 302's using the same method. That 1000 HP doesn't last very long.

17+57 = 74. Joe said it weight 67 with the carb and water neck still on it. If it only weighed 20lbs (which is totally possible) it would only save 40 lbs.not "57 lbs".

Again, if it actually saved 57 lbs people all over the internets would be saying "OMG!!!! look at my 393 lb Buick 350!!!!!"*

*450lb - 57lb for those who are math challenged

 

[403Olds]

So after 6 pages, have you decided on springs yet 😉

 

[MrSony]

I don't think I will, until I find the weight of my engine

 

[MrSony]

You can make big numbers with a 350 because of its design you can girdle the block and keep from driving over the crack, Then crank up the boost to just below the DOTC number. Guys around here run 8 second 1/4 miles with stock block Ford 302's using the same method. That 1000 HP doesn't last very long.

17+57 = 74. Joe said it weight 67 with the carb and water neck still on it. If it only weighed 20lbs (which is totally possible) it would only save 40 lbs.not "57 lbs".

Again, if it actually saved 57 lbs people all over the internets would be saying "OMG!!!! look at my 393 lb Buick 350!!!!!"*

*450lb - 57lb for those who are math challenged

http://www.taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_1235P

TA states the intake is 16lbs.