I'm hopin' one of our real sharp techs will pick up on this post, 'cause I'm not real sharp an alum heads. My understanding is that it's the heat from the compression that ignites the fuel, and steel or alum has nothin' to do with it.
I could be way wrong here!

 

Hey Ya'll thanks for the input. I appreciate any and all suggestions. keep them comeing. It would be nice if it ran on pump gas but there is an airport right down the road and I can get 100LL Blue fuel if I need it. Thanks again. Geo



"Man, I used to have a big block 390 in a 66 Galaxie I had when I was a teenager... I can still hear the idle in my head.... you just cannot beat a big block for BRUTE force! What roddin' is all about, in my books.... "

Scotty, I have a 65 Galixy 500 GT no post fastback 390 / factory 4 speed car that needs restoring but is complete with exception of the wide ratio toploader tranny, but i can get that original trany from the guy that has it.......if your interested........cheap. (with a 4door parts car too)

 

'Bout time you showed back up!
I'm goin' with 9.5:1 comp, that way I can still run pump gas.

 

Dave, I'm sort of flip/floping about it. Pump gas would allow me to drive it more reasonably. One can get some pretty impresive power out of these big blocks even with the lower comp. pistons I would imagin. nice fat headers, wide open leg burners and two gas guzzelin' 4bl's setting on top will help. what's the fattest wheels and tires that will fit on a C3? and what do you think of a BW T10 4 speed? Cheers


Oh yeah thanks for the concern. been putting lots of miles on the '87

 

George,
Personaly, I'm partial to the Muncie M-22, 4sp (Rock Crusher)! (never had a T-10)
Lee and Scotty helped talk me into a 3sp stick w/OD for the "Starship", backed by 3.07:1 rear.
Settin' up the "Starship" as a long range bomber. It'll take me 2 miles just to get 'er up to where I can go into warp drive.(OD) Flat and Fast as Hell!

My understanding is that you don't want to go more than 2" wider with the tread, than the wheel width.
The trick is finding rims that won't rub on the brake calipers, so the offset of the rims has to be to the outside.
Summit is real helpful about finding rims that fit. They have lots of choices.

If you're going with twin 4s, you won't need to think of the higher comp.
I'm goin' with a Carter AFB, they have huge secondaries, and won't stall in the turns like Hollys. You have to put a baffle kit in Hollys, to keep the gas from riding up on one side of the bowl in the turns. A little trick I learned racin' stock cars.
(I have 4 AFBs in the container) Now there's a thought, 4 AFBs on a 454, Huh?

Sounds like you're gonna build quite a BEAST, your self!
"SMOKE AND FIRE DUDE, SMOKE AND FIRE"[sm=icon_rock.gif]
(smoke from the tires, and fire from the side pipes)

 

George.... wow, dude, I am speechless here this morning. I would LOVE to build another one! I really enjoyed that car big-time. But, Mrs. TopSpeed would have me for bookends if'n I show up with another car. LOL What a killer rod you've got there, George... we raced a dude with a built 350 in his T/A back in the day in our Galaxy, and completely toasted him with the big block. Thanks so kindly, George, I really appreciate that; if it was up to me, I'd do it. 'SPECIALLY with the 4 gear in it! Wow... that would be a seriously fun car.

 

Dave, I have a pair of old thermoquads setting in the basement from an old '66 Chriscraft boat. They were settin on top of twin nickle block 283's. think they would work better than Holly's? I haven't unpaked the car yet so I'm not sure what tranny is in it, the block is 4 bolt and the heads are iron ovel port with screw in rocker studs. is that good?


Scotty, just thought I'd ask. I know what it's like when you look for a car from your youth. I have a '66 fairlane 500 two door no post, too. that needs restoration but would make a great retomod. came with a 289 but has a 351 W and old thrush leg burners now and buckets out of a camaro. it and the Galaxy need restoring so I'll let them go cheap just to get them to a good home if you are interested. I have too many projects and getting rid of one or two of them will get me brownie points with my keeper.

 

As I mentioned, I would put baffles in the Hollys. I heard that some newer ones, already come with a baffle kit installed. Thermal Quads? Oh ya, great carbs! If you go with twin 650 double pumper Holleys, you won't be disappointed. That's 1300 CFM.
I'm goin' with the AFBs, partly, because I already have 'em, and the secondarys are almost twice the size of the ones in Hollys. Off the top of my head, I don't remember the CFM of the Thermo Quads. If I had Thermos, I'd use 'em, but that's me! Everybody has their favorite combo. "I" think Rochesters are junk, Hollys and Edlebrock are good, but I prefer Carters.

My 454 has the oval port heads. The rectangle port heads are hard to find and a little pricey. If you port and polish the ovals, they will breath real fine! Personally, I wouldn't do any relieve, that's a machine shop job. Screw in studs are deffinately better than pressed in, they won't pull out, as I have heard about the press ins.
The iron heads are heavier than aluminum, but if you're concered about weight, take out your spare tire!

A four bolt 454, I'd almost bet you have a M-22 behind it already. The M-22 has an aluminum case. I had a '70 454 Chevelle, it came with an M-22. (I still have the trany!)

 

George, I'm not going to forget about this. We'll see what happens after we clear Christmas here. Man, you have NO idea how much I'd love to get those from ya. A real blast from the past. Sure, they were heavy, but if you had a big block in there, you could make 'em book just fine! My wife would absolutely start removin' bodily parts if I did this.... but a big block Galaxy with a 4 gear in it... mmmmmmmm, FUN!!!!

 

Scotty, The 65 Galaxy would be the best bet in my opinion. it is completely original and has everything it came with but the tranny. no major rust or body damage that I can find. it has been setting out behind my barn for the past year and a half so that may have changed but still would not be much. the 4 door I have was for parts because the guy told me the frame on the two door needed repairs and the frame on the four door is good and will fit. The galaxy is in better shape than the fairlane and more rare with the original bucket seat interrior and factory 390 and 4 speed. I saved them from the crusher. the 390 has never been touch so you can rebuild it the way you want. Again, I would really like to keep them but I don't know when I would get to restoreing them and I would like them to not go to waist. I hate seeing great old muscle cars rotting away or beeing crushed. They'll be here if you decide your interested. I can send you some pictures if you like. Just let me know and I'll pull it out. cheers

PS: I know what you meen about the wife....with the now 17 vehichles (11clasic muscle cars ) I have here my wife is livivd. I guess I'm obsessed, or maybe posessed.