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Electra GSX Road Racer


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http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/DanJonesAerodynamics2.html

it demonstartes what I'm saying by using a flat piec of plywood...tilt it up at speed and you get lift, tilt it down and you get downforce...no need for an airfoil design :-) It was probably more important back then to look pleasing then match an airfoil...especially since the same effect was reached with just a negative angle of attack.

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John,

I think that you are right. Tom Wagner told me that our cars may have some control issues at speeds over 130 mph. He has been spending a lot of time at high speeds in a 1969 Wildcat and build a Buick 455 for a Firebird doing Bonneville.

I want to be safe. The "deflector" will help stabilize the rear when we finally exceed 160mph. We are doing some "under the car" aerodynamics as well. Thanks again.

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The Electra GSX, Faithful Pursuit, 332nd Fighter Group (Tuskegee Airmen) theme car will be at RACE FEVER on Market Street in Corning, NY 12 August 2004. We will be on the main street that will be blocked off and displays of racecars will be there for the NASCAR at Watkins Glen kick off Thursday afternoon, after 2:00pm. Buick fans are welcome! http://www.stargazettesports.com/LocalAuto/Glen/stories2003/080603_opin.html

In preparation for the big event, the Faithful Pursuit was trucked back to Machuga Chassis today for fitting of the high speed rear wing. (After many scheduling delays we are back on track, I hope.) It is based on the GSX wing and looks like it but the similarity stops there. The wing is in three sections. The two ends, that are rigidly mounted to the rear quarters were developed, painted and mounted by master body man Tim Putman.

The challenging job of integrating a funtional spoiler center section fell to racer and chassis builder Dave Machuga. It was good to be back in the shop working with him after a 4 month hiatus. He had a '66 Impala in the shop being prepared for paint, a 1969 Firebird covertible with a race ready 428 and fuel cell. He took it out and drove it after working on it for more than 6 months. I walked down to the road and measured a 110 ft patch. I'd say it was running ok. Dave's asphalt Modified racer was on stands and a couple other full road racers were there too, the regulars.

We cut a section of aircraft aluminum from a Cessna 172 wing strut. We measured out where it should go on the wing section based upon my drawings. The stands will go through the trunk. Spherical rod ends attach to a custom fabricated tempered aluminum weldment in the spoiler to provide for actuation. The actuation drive is handled by a '67 Riviera geared DC motor with dual relays on a plastic cam to limit rotation to the desired arc, about 35 degrees. Lots of measuring, I do mean lots, cutting, welding, burnt fingers, arguing, etc. Just like old times, boy I missed working with Dave!

Tim, Dave, and their people will be working hard over the next few weeks to get this latest segment of work done. We still have more chassis, brake, and electrical mods to make after this prior to our running at Watkins Glen in the fall. The striping and logo work still has to be done, RFQs for a graphic designer are out as well. Wait till you see the Buick Electra GSX mascot! cool.gif

Historical Note: 1969 & 1970 Electras were well known as sleepers in the 70s and 80s and soon gained the reputation as some of the fastest cars on the street. Over time Electras would go head to head against many "Pro Street" cars for cash and registrations. There were many urban legends about unlikely Buick Electra wins on the street. A Silver 1969 Covertible driven by "City Boy" vs a 427 Tunnel Ram Corvette. I SAW the Burninshed Brown 1969 Electra Coupe that shocked us all by beating Danny's 1968 440 GTX "Rat Trap" from Flatbush tongue.gif. Some of these "rumors" were supported with published fact about modified Electra performance. Way back when, Electra racers, typically 40 - 50 year old guys, pioneered the use of nitrous on the street and achieved a fearsome reputation. I've talked to rodders who would not race Electras, fearing a set up. Whitewalls and quiet when the deal is set, 20 minutes later its wearing slicks and pulling the wheels. 20 years ago there was even a rumor about an Electra out running a Ferrari on a NYC highway, this has not been supported. I intend to see if an Electra can indeed outrun a Ferrari and will let you know! smirk.gif

God Speed,

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In Japan and Korea doing some engineering stuff for work. Lots of interesting cars that you do not see in the states. CAR magazine has a nice article on the new Rolls Royce. Massive body shell with power to match. Its written in Korean however!

Work continues on the Faithful Pursuit spoiler and I'll check its progress when I get back to the States!

GS smirk.gif

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John,

I did do a writeup on the plane! It is about 4 hand written pages long and needs to be typed into the computer however. Since things are still pretty dynamic with the Faithful Pursuit, Electra GSX, it may still be awhile. Would you like what I have at the moment?

You have details on the Bamboo Cream 1970 Electra (455/370 SF Code) coupe from me that I lapped Watkins Glen with last month. I'll put something together on the 15.3 second 1969 Electra GS (430 /360)convertible.

Best regards,

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John,

Thanks for the article on the pilot getting his Eagle scout credentials after all these years. The Tuskegee Airmen have accomplished many things since the war and that is also a valuable achievement. The Tuskegee Airmen and the late General B. O. Davis, Jr., USAF Ret., WWII commander, were well known and respected by many people including me. There were 996 or so pilots in total, 450 saw combat. 14,000 persons were supporting the combat 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th preparing for Asia in the States.

There is perhaps little that we can do to truely honor the service of those who gave up so much in the service of the United States of America. We cannot give them back the lost wages for jobs they could not get after the war. We cannot pay back the 50 years of suffering and angish of those courtmarshalled for the Freeman Field Mutiny, fighting against the racist policies of the day. I attended the very emotional ceremony where the records of 101 officers were finally cleared in 1995 at a ceremony presided over by the assistant secretary of the Air Force and General, of the Air Force, Fogelman. Not a dry eye in the place.

I have personally witnessed the transformation of America's view of the Tuskegee Airmen as they have risen from obscurity to national renoun. They worked every day since the war for this to occur.

Before our first showing of the Faithful Pursuit back in April, two star General Mike Hall, USAF ret., executive director of the "Wings of Eagles" museum asked me how we could the Wings of Eagles best honor the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. when they came to visit. I told the general that the best thing we can do is honor the flag. In respecting our nation and the ideals laid down by the founders, that is the best way to honor the Tuskegee Airmen. After all, "...liberty and justice for all..." was what the Tuskegee "experiment" about.

General Hall did a fine job making the Tuskegee Airmen feel at home. His staff did a fine job prepping the Faithful Pursuit for her debut on 24 April 2004! My humble effort can honor them only if the Buick continues to raise the topic of the Tuskegee Airmen's accomplishments both during and after the WWII.

The Tuskegee Airmen were known as "The Red Tails" for the bright red paint on the tails of the P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. Once the big red GSX spoiler is on it will help us to better identify with the group!

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here are a few photos of the first attachement of the spoiler ends. They look pretty good. They will be red. We cut the trunk for the Cessna 172 wing struts only to find the Electra has triple walls back there! This was a tough job. The spoiler work will cost more than $2K because the trunk refinishing and the custom actuator setup. Tim asked me if I was sure I wanted to do it and I said "I've been waiting 20 years to put a spoiler like this on an Electra. Lets go!"</div></div>

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This has been a busy three weeks! Machuga Chassis & Putman Auto Sales have been tag-teaming the Faithful Pursuit spoiler job over the past three weeks! frown.giffrown.giffrown.gifThere were lots of long faces when the trunk had to be cut to get the mechanism to fit right!!! frown.giffrown.giffrown.gif Even more when the spoiler ends had to be re-done in Torch Red!!! blush.gifblush.gifblush.gif Our aircraft aluminum Electra GSX Spoiler struts, cut from a Cessna 172 high wing aircraft, were completed by Machuga Chassis while I was in Japan but needed to be finished. smile.gif I worked on them over the past few nights, stripping, sanding, and polishing. Put them back together at midnight. tongue.gif The acidic stripper burned my arms and I bet my cotton shirt will look like Swiss Cheese coming out of the wash! crazy.gif

Putman Auto Sales has been working on the spoiler itself and trucked the GSX back to their shop. Master body man Tim Putman smoothed the strut holes in the trunk and re-sprayed it while filling in the old vertical strut locations on the spoiler center section with fiberglass patches cut from a scrap 1970 GSX spoiler. He put the first primer coats on the spoiler Monday and was going to bond aluminum plates, that I cut from a template, to both ends as well. The ends will have holes in them so that spherical rod end bolts that attach to the aluminum weldment in the spoiler can link to the aluminum wing struts. We are using socket head cap screws that can be removed with a long extension. We will have to wait till after the showing to build in the spoiler actuation! tongue.gif (We have a SPECIAL surprise for you guys here!!!) shocked.gif

Today we put it all together and lay out the GSX striping. cool.gif There are a few mechanical things that have to be done as well before tomorrow's showing on Market Street in Corning for the annual <span style="font-weight: bold">Race Fever</span> festivities. laugh.gif

The car looks pretty good but the electric overdrive is not wired in, no lights, leaks tranny fluid (again) and the eletrical system still needs to rewired so you can fire it from inside the car. Lots of suspension tuning and "pylon" trials yet to do as well. tongue.giftongue.giftongue.gif

We are still on track for October 2nd & 3rd at Watkins Glen International, especially if all the above mentioned stuff can be done over the next few months! Money is short but we are scraping by and the support we have received from Machuga Chassis and Putman Auto Sales has been outstanding. They have worked hard to keep costs down and turn out a great product.cool.gif Jim Cendoma, a local corporate consultant has expressed an interest in sponsoring us. He has a lot of great ideas on how to really market products through us. Keep your fingers crossed! smirk.gif Any more sponsors out there? Ideas?confused.gif Interest is growing and the Race Fever program may help us to net local support. We still need a truck, trailer, tires, other spares, etc. for our Nevada trip to the Silver State Classic Challenge in September of 2005! <span style="font-weight: bold">Race Fever</span> wink.gifY'all come...Y' hear!!! wink.gif

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Hey!

I've seen this again and again in the airport in San Diego and never had my camera with me. This last trip I did have it and snapped these pictures. This is in terminal 1 by the stairs/escalators. Two young gents were reading the sign when I started to take the picture. No doubt dreaming of flying!

tuskegee1.jpg

tuskegee2.jpg

I wonder if they will get a picture of the airman with this tribute sign when they come in for the eagle ceremony?? That would be kinda cool!

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The Faithful Pursuit Buick was looking good for race fever...fired it up a few times for the NASCAR crowd. cool.gifLots of people were fascinated saying "I did not know Buick made an Electra GSX!" "Stripes look great!"; "Wow, that wing actually moves too!?!"; "Nice seats"; "I'll trade you my Sunbird!"; "Are those switches for two stage nitrous?"; "Beast"; "Is that a Buick engine?";"Sweeet!"; "That cam isn't stock...is it!?!" "Did you ever hear that Kathy Mattea song, 455?" (Its actually about a Olds 455 I told the guy but its still a neat song!) and other nice comments. grin.gif

I had a blast. The 50+ aged people hung around and asked questions as did the teenagers. Most everyone had a Buick story to tell about a grandma or dad who had one! The tatooed teens really liked it a lot. It was wierd like you'd think it was a large economy sized pocket rocket or something. After all, it's got to be the world's largest "G" Machine, right? It was "Beastly" and other stuff like that. wink.gif

A few really kool Buick Kats bopped by as well and we talked about TA's aluminum heads and the new Bulldog Buick hardware! smirk.gif

My thanks go to the people at Putman Auto Sales for finishing the wing, stripes, and trucking the Electra GSX to the closed off street in the "Crystal City". Also, to NOAH's ARK on Market Street who allowed our display in front of their audio video store. NOAH'S ARK loaned us a 36" TV and street sound system where we played the "Return of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc." DVD where the Electra GSX was first unveiled with the Tuskegee Airmen in April of this year. cool.gif

The owner later told me his dad had a '41 Buick, a '49 and drove a new one every year for many years! I suppose he has a soft spot for Buicks too!!! laugh.gif

Still lots more work before our first road course! tongue.gif Does the real hard work begin now?

God Speed!

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Michael,

Looking again at the photos on the trailer, I have to say that is one of the nicest colors I've seen on any car. Also, the wheels remind me of one of my favorite styles from the '60s that you hardly ever see any more--the "slotted mags" of yore. This is just a beautiful car through and through. And when someone asks "is that a Buick motor" you can be proud of the vintage iron that powers this "beast." Of course, you had no temptation to put a "crate motor" in it, but it's amazing how many people still succumb to that nonsense. The "real work" now is probably the best part--thrashing it and fixing what breaks, then thrashing it some more until it's all sorted out.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nailswede,

The Electra GSX cool.gifwill begin a shakedown with pylons first then we go to the track in October. Since we are about two months behind schedule due to a hold up on the spoiler development, we may miss our window of opportunity.

Our driver, Roy Hopkins, noted that there will be an opportunity for us to get on the track at Watkins Glen International, if we are ready, in early October.

We will try our best! You bet there will be pictures and video!!!

By the way, there were some really nice shots of your Porsche on that link! Wanna race? smirk.gif

God Speed,

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Guest nailswede

Cant wait to see more pics and a video tongue.gif

I do some tracking (no races yet) with my Porsche and i do also love Buick so i think your car is very special grin.gif

Good Luck with the progress of the car!

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Anders,

You have a nice Porsche, it looks like a nimble sports car. I have always admired the work of Dr. Ferry Porsche.

The web site is really nice too. They did a fine job for the marques including, Ferrari, Mercedes, Camaro, etc.

Good Luck,

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  • 2 weeks later...

Last Saturday the blue Buick, Faithful Pursuit, was trucked to my home. It was the first time its been back in about three years. It was great to see it in one piece after 12 years of slow progress and planning.

Undercarriage work remains, dialing it in with the components we have. The garage was cleaned out so that the next few weeks can be dedicated to preparation for Watkin's Glen road trials October 2 & 3rd.

cool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gifcool.gif

God Speed!

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Dear Faithful Buick Enthusiasts;

Here is a note that I have sent to many friends recently regarding the Grenada disaster. I have been on a radio program, the evening news here locally, and travelled 650+ miles over the weekend (not much by the standards of many Buick Road Warriors I know!)delivering food, clothing, and other materials for devaststed Grenada.

Dear Friends,

Hurricane Ivan has had devastating effect upon Grenada. As a first generation American, I still have strong family ties with Grenada and I need you to help me help them. My mother does not know the status of her home yet, two of my family members have lost roofs. We do not even know if any of our family is among the dead or injured. Communications are largely still out.

Since Thursday I have spoken to a few local groups and was on a radio program in Syracuse. Last night I talked to the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Claude B. Govan Chapter, about the tragedy in Grenada. At my suggestion, the Tuskegee Airmen are developing a fund in the name of a deceased Tuskegee Airman who was also of Grenadian descent. You will be notified when the fund is in place. Until then you can donate to the Grenadian Embassy if you wish.

As I drove to my brother's home to deliver gifts from the Tuskegee Airmen for Grenada, I was guided to Brooklyn by the "Tribute in Light" in memory of the 9/11 victims lost three years ago. I recalled how on 9/11, 45 of my fraternity brothers were killed and my Corning Council of the Knights of Columbus read all their names at a special mass in December 2001. After the mass, I had driven my Buick Riviera to NYC and left a Knights of Columbus patch at Ground zero. I also attended mass at St. Patricks Cathedral and met Fr. Mychal Judge's successor, Fr. Christoper Keenan on 31st street. That was an incredible grace and proof of God's caring to me.

Yesterday, 9/11/04 still driving the same Riviera with the memory of 9/11/01 in my heart and mind, I face a new disaster with as yet untold losses in Grenada.

Also, my road race prepped 1969 Buick Electra GSX is nearing completion after 12 years of work. The red tailed road racer honors the Tuskegee Airmen and is called the "Faithful Pursuit".

We will try to stay on track with its final road testing and race/display schedule despite the heavy effort and travel associated with work, five kids, and Grenada relief. We may have to delay our efforts in favor of higher goals!

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I just saw your message and was hoping to hear of more good news about the car, as I always check to see what is new.

Yes, I concur, the hurricane disaster is far more important than the car at this time, but hopefully, you will have time before cold weather to get some track time in.

We will stay tuned for more about the fund.

And here I sit watching the latest realty show - Benefactor. Now if they could contribute some of that effort and money would it not be great.

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Sure, I could just quit but you know me better than that! cool.gif Through the many years, 26 to be exact, this car and I have been through 2 major accidents, deaths of two of our team members, and many many financial and other setbacks. frown.gif We will slow down but never stop. cool.gif

I bet no one would have guessed this beautiful Crystal Blue Electra would have been so changed as it sat on the ill fated DeFeo Buick dealership showroom floor in 1968. When Pope John Paul II smirk.gifvisited NYC back in 1979, I think it was his motorcade that sped by just a couple of feet from me as I waited for the light. By then, the Electra was a ratty shadow of its former self tongue.gif. Two major accidents, a 1970 nose replacement(Could not find a 1969), holey mufflers, and flat black primer paint job after the accidents made this once proud American car look like an ill-conceived pile of junk. Maybe the Pope was passing out blessings as his motorcade, complete with NYPD escort, careened through the Queens neighborhood. wink.gif

The 26 year resurrection led to a photo op with the famed Tuskegee Airmen and ability to hob nob with the NASCAR crowd earlier this year. After being an ugly duckling for so many years, its wierd to hear people talk about how beautiful the car is. Perhaps the Electra GSX can be part of another fundraiser, this time for Grenada!

I think we will survive the Grenada thing too. Last week I brought down supplies to NYC for shipment, was on a radio program, a TV news program, and spoke to people about it. I am forming a committee of some of my friends here to brainstorm future actions to help with our humble response to the devastation in my parents homeland of Grenada. smile.gif

The car is one again up on jacks in my garage. The suspension has to be completely taken apart so welds, bolts, and other critical parts can be checked. The entire front suspension has been removed. tongue.gif

As you may recall, every suspension component was customized using original Electra parts where possible. The goal was to maintain the basic Buick Electra setup yet provide the highest level of strength, reliability, and tracking through consistent geometry.

Dave Machuga of Machuga Chassis modified the front suspension last year. The upper A arms were cut open further at the lower part of the "A" and re-welded with the flange closer to the outside of the arms. This gives them the appearance of looking a lot slimmer but, I trust, makes them as strong or stronger. This was handled in virtually one continuous cut by master fabricator Dave Machuga, you had to see it to believe it.

The purpose of enlarging the opening near the spring tower was allow enough room to place the shock on the outside of the spring tower. The chrome 7 valve Carrera shock has an attachement point right near the ball joint for optimum effectiveness. The other shock mount is on a tube welded to the outside of the spring tower. The shock can be adjusted up and down on this tube.

There are no hard bushings that exist for the Electra. frown.gif Energy Suspension, Inc. was kind enough to search through their massive inventory by hand to find something close to the samples I sent. They returned four black polyurethane brass cored units that could have the brass reamed out to fit. The bushings themselves required turning down as well from a height perspective. These units will finally be installed along with all new tie rod ends, ball joints, and Grade 8 bolts. grin.gif

The lower arms, removed Saturday morning, were modified to accept the shock mount near the ball joint. Also, modifications were made to accept and adjustable the high precision reaction rod as well and heady duty antisway bar. It looks a lot like the setup used for the Black Hawk.

The springs are only about 11" high or so. It is a special road racing spring with an 1,100lb rating. We developed an aluminum cap that sits on the spring and sits within the spring tower. This cap is inturn connected through a rotary union to a 1" diameter jacking bolt. This allows easy ride height adjustment from under the hood.

The car appears to corner very flat and dissassembly revealed no wierd wear, bent or cracked items. There are a few welds that need to be finished however and the various parts need to be ground, sand blasted, and coated.

If this were just a show car the current setup would work well enough to be installed "finished". We plan on competing at speeds in excess of 170mph. Our approach has to be one of caution, with installed parts checked and rechecked for any signs of abnormal wear or cracks. It made sense to get the car together, even paint it, then dissaasemble it to replace parts and check things out.

Bolts must be grade 8 minimum with adequate locking systems on all bolts. We will use a combination of good old "wiring" and modern Locktite adhesives. The goal is to assure safety and optimum stable geometry over the range of suspension adjustment and travel. smirk.gif

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  • 4 weeks later...

Faithful Buick Enthusiasts,

It is good to start working on the old Faithful Pursuit project again! cool.gif Dave Machuga welded the bottom side of the A-arms he fabbed with 1/2" square tube reinforcements. smile.gif They look almost stock from the top but are much more resistant to bending than the stock units. As you may recall, he used his skills to "cut out" part of the A arm so that our 7 valve Carerra shock could be placed outside the spring tower to enhance cornering ability! I bet you are not used to hearing such things about an Electra! I assure you that it does not take much to enhance an Electra's cornering! grin.gif

We have a really nice fit on a special feature for the rear trunk lock, the 1969 GS swing away cover! smile.gif The problem is that the body contours are different on the 1969 GS and the 1969 Electra. This was solved by a plastic part that I designed to transition neatly from the body to the lock cover. I'll get photos of that soon, I promise! smirk.gif

Best regards and may God Speed you on your way in a Buick,

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  • 4 weeks later...

Swede,

The Electra GSX is up on the stands with the suspension out and 50% of it blasted, prepped, and painted. Holes were drilled into the trunk for the 1969 "GS" swing away emblem. The spoiler will have to be removed to get access for the necessary bolt holes.

...Talked to the owner of "Trackmasters" on Wednesday WHO RACES AN AWESOME PANOZ! The Trackmasters organization arranges training at Watkins Glen International Raceway. We will get the spring schedule of the track openings so we can get some time in April/May.

We are planning to upgrade the Electra GS Convertible prototype to do some short hauling. Looking at tires, hitches, suspension options.

Meeting the president of the Experimental Aircraft Association at Corning Elmira Airport to discuss sponsorship of our "Tuskegee Airmen" themed racecar. We can use it to draw kids who are interested in aviation to EAA event.

There is still so much to do and little time! Grenada relief still is a high priority as we send supplied up to twice a month to collection centers in NYC. I bought a huge 5' x 7' Grenadian flag that I intend to fly behind the car at some point. We can perhaps raise awareness this way since a late Tuskegee Airman relative of mine was an American of Grenadian descent like me.

Best regards,

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What a cool project and a great looking track car! I just stumbled on this thread a few minutes ago and eagerly read it all. Kudos to you, <span style="font-weight: bold">BqUICK</span> for not only bringing your long-time dream to life, but also in being so generous with your time and expertise and giving the Airmen their due. Nice work, everyone involved.

I'll bet it will be a real handful at top speed, but I don't think anyone at the track will have a wider grin on his or her face than <span style="font-weight: bold">BqUICK</span>!

Thanks for sharing!

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My wife and I were busy re-arranging things in our 16 year olds room this morning. He is away at a Christian retreat for the weekend and she thought "Lets move his bed to a different place". Needless to say, we were vacuuming, removing tons of junk, candy wrappers, dishes, etc. etc. I happened to look out the window to our fenced in back yard and to my surprise, in the middle of the yard were a stack of new tires!

To my greater surprise, they were the coveted 189 MPH "ROSSO" Pirelli P-ZEROS by Pirelli. Cal Hardy and his people sent a fine set of new tires for the front of our heavy race Buick. I gave him a wish list of about 10 things 8 or so months ago and ever since then, things have been showing up unexpectedly! The last time it was a dry cell race battery!

The Faithful Pursuit needs very expensive "Y" rated tires. We currently run on an older version of Pirelli P-Zeros and a replacement set will be needed this year.

Any racing effort requires people who unselfishly give support. Spare tires, batteries, welding services, polyurethane bushings, and their time. We have received all of these things through the generosity of people who have said "I just want to see this thing go!" & "We have never done anything like this before so we will not charge you for the R&D!" Some people Like Cal are not looking for recognition and do not have products or services to market! They just love cars!

Thanks Cal and friends, God Speed!

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=PZero+Rosso+Asimmetrico

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It looks like we are running too narrow a tire on the front, given the weight and suspension setup. frown.gif Even the 235 Pirelli ROSSOs will not be quite enough. Roy likes to use 265s all the way around in his BMW road racer. He said that we should use 255s at a minimum. smirk.gif

The Electra is a lot lighter on the front end, probably 200 - 300 lbs lighter, thanks to AC delete, trunk mounted battery, aluminum intake, and headers. smirk.gif Weight distribution, speed, track characteristics will all play a role in how we actually set up the suspension and tires. The balance of the car will be confirmed with scales in Dave's shop. We will give the setup our best initial try then the track will tell us the rest this spring.

Machuga Chassis uses NASCAR B MODIFIED tires. Dave said he would let me try a set on to check the fit. The chassis was designed to handle these kind of slicks but front clearance may be an issue. shocked.gif

The NASCAR slicks are probably on the order of 275 - 335 wide. If they fit ok, we will use those for local racetrack work and save our Pirellis for the Silver State Classic Challenge. Did you know the Buick Blackhawk uses 295x 18s all the way around on Corvette suspension!?!

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Guest nailswede

Guten tag BqUICK (Thats German not Swedish wink.gif )

Thanks for given us the updates!!

I´m not an expert but i do agree that wider tires in front probably give you an faster turn-in with that Beautiful Big Blue Buick Beast.

Nascar tires is slick-tires?..i guess you should have a lot of negativ camber then because of the higher speeds when cornering and therefore more bodyroll.

I use tires with R-compound on track (Michelin Pilot Sport Cup)and they are a <span style="font-weight: bold">lot</span> faster then usual tires cool.gif

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Nailswede,

Thanks for the info on the Pilot Sports. We will be playing around with a few different combos until we get one that works for us. We need tires that can handle slight inputs at high speeds with a heavy car. The tires must be able to perform well at sustained high speeds and not loose their grip on roads that may already be 130 degrees F or hotter.

Thanks!

PS: How do you say hello in Sweedish? smile.gif

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Guest nailswede

Hej (Hello) BqUICK smile.gif

The R-tires can handle moore heat than usual roadtires and are mostly made for dry tracks.

Michelin <span style="font-weight: bold">CUP</span> and mostly other tires with R-compound is also street legal..(At least in Sweden)

Michelin CUP

pilot_sport_cup_large.jpg

Pirelli has also R-tires if you whant to stay with that brand

P-Cero Corsa

pi_pzero_corsa_ci2_l.jpg

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Hej (Hello) Nailswede,

I have selected the P-ZERO CORSA racing tires, 255/40/17 for the front. There is a RIGHT tire and a LEFT specially made for that position. Also, we will try NASCAR style slicks at Watkins Glen because they are plentiful around here and we can just borrow some from Machuga Chassis to see how they perform. smile.gif

The P-ZERO CORSAS are street legal and offer a wider tire with more grip than the P-ZEROs I currently have or the P-ZERO ROSSOs that I returned last week. smile.gif

Our champion driver, Roy Hopkins of "One Lap of America" fame, said 235s were pretty narrow for such a large car. I bumped it up to 255s on the CORSAs. The NASCAR stuff is probably on the order of 275 to over 300 mm wide which may be tough to fit on the front. We currently run 335/35/17 P-ZERO on the rear with the space for a wider tire if necessary.

Thanks for your advice, smile.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

One of my old car buddies from Flatbush is crew chief for a FWD drag ricer team. He races 1990's RWD 500++ cube Caddy's on the side. After not hearing from Don in about 20 years, he calls me and tells me there was an R&D effort underway for a successor to the the fabulous Buick 455. We talked for an hour about engine and head development work, porosity issues in the castings and other challenges. This was about 2 or more years ago. New Buick 455, I think, "Sure, sure I know all about it!" No, it was not the TA people or the Poston people, or any of the other guys who have been talking smack about designing a new block and needing $$ partners for the past 20 years! confused.gif

The Caddy performance guys Don has been working with, an outfit called BullDog, gave him the slim on a side project. Don knew the "Faithful Pursuit" back in the '70s when she was 1969 Electra, with a '70 nose, in Black primer with a new SF 455 from a '70 GS we gutted. blush.gif (Sorry GS guys!) Don called me, after bumping into another old Poncho 400 buddy of mine from the block and now after 20 years I was talking to a Caddy guy who seemed to know a bunch about this Buick project taken on by people I had never heard of. ooo.gif Roberta knew, ofcourse, but hey that's Roberta for you. She knows stuff you can't imagine! shocked.gif

My humble attempts to get information were fruitless and besides I had my own issues, my chassis man had died at around that time. crazy.gif There was no data for about a year as Don dropped out of sight again. frown.gif These "Bulldog" people could not be found. Site searches came up empty. Within the past two years stuff started popping up. Jim Burek at PAE seemed to be part of this too. It seemed for awhile like it was just another pipe dream as there were delays, issues, whatever! tongue.gif

Now, BAM! shocked.gifThe new block is here and the price does to seem bad either! $3,500 base. Okay, well suppose I buy one. What is the skinny on the the Buick V-8 block? The word on the street is that it should be a much better block but there may have been compromises that traded off traditional Buick strengths for more power handling capability. confused.gif

Lets look at the soft side first. For example, I personally liked to bragg about the light weight Buick 455, about the same as the all aluminum Z-L1. Now what do I say, I have a boat anchor chivvy with Stage "?" heads? I guess I got used to being the underdog.

Is this new block basically a Chevy with Buick heads? IF she will hold SUSTAINED WOT 900 HP for 30+ minutes we MAY be able to talk. My car weighs over 4500lbs with the aerodynamincs of a painted brick. Having the stones is not a touchy-feely "would be nice" requirement. If she blows her biscuits at 185 mph, then what! Do a Guadagno (sorry Scotty) on my roof at 185? In the Nevada desert, 100 miles from nowhere? No way!

I would like to see a statistically significant comparison of the engine's performance and reliability against my "mild" 500HP Scotty Guadagno/Pee Gee/TA Performance INTIMIDATOR in my Electra GSX "Faithful Pursuit". I want to see it stacked up against the big boys in an engine build off competition. I want to see low 8 second "stock bodied" 3,500lb GS pulls. I want incredible performance data and solid results!

I am already talking to an ex Garrett guy about a low rpm Turbo setup for the Faithful pursuits next Buick motor. By 2007 I will really need 900+ HP to sustain the goal of a 194.9mph high speed pass by 2009. I want to run the Electra GSX. mad.gif If this motor is the real deal, I need to know now! Buickracer, what do you think? (PS: Ruth says hi and to drop by when you are up this way again!) laugh.gif

http://bulldogperformance.net/buick.html

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Quick disclaimer: To view the attached pictures on v8buick, you must be a member. I might link some to this page if I can remember to do so smile.gif

Really cool that there is a new block out...it's past due!!!! Seems like they've been talkin it up for the past few years...

Roberta, any word on TA's project? Have they taken it off the backburner yet?

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