Paydirt!
This is the part where I pic whore it up ... don't shoot. It will probably eat up a whole page of forum so I hope its not too limpwristed for you GPF-ers. Gonna try to tell this once and get it right. I have vids if you guys want to hear it.
Traded a 71 Pontiac Ventura II Sprint for this and $2500 bucks right at the turn of the century. It had a 400 with tri power then and had sat for around 18 years. Long story but the 400 was fresh and overcammed. Drove that 80K miles, six times I made "laps" on Power Tour in it. Got in the video and in HRM reader's rides both once. Also have a wicked trophy from a burnout contest with it. But that show last fall was it's first and completely a fluke that I just got to park in the show. I have made dozens of test n tune passes with it but never with the 455 that I swapped in in 2009. With the 400 my best was a 14.2@95 I think. I have that pass on video somewhere, small tires got me under 14.5 sec 1/4 mile ET. The 455 is stronger.
Anyway, now she is a weekender mainly, and GTP backup. I replaced the hood once after it got hail damage, and it has had it again since. Its an outdoor car. I built it for Power Tours but now it just putts locally and re-stripes empty two lanes at dusk. It is my strongest medicine to this day and my Dad wants to marry it. I would if I could.
The engine is a .030 over 71 big car 455 (blue one in pics, yeah needs paint) with #66 heads, Schneider cam unknown. It likes Sunoco 94 octane and 13 degrees initial timing but I run it at 11 and use E10 91 octane.
Exhaust-
Doug's 3-tube headers, 3" collectors, 2 1/2" head pipes, a 2" H, 2.5 x 30" no name glass packs, 2 1/4 tails with 3' slant cut chrome tips, all custom bent.
Intake side is an Edelbrock Performer manifold + 750 EPS carb.
Mickey Thompson valve covers.
Ignition- Summit HEI with Accel guts, plugs and wires.
Alternator is an 82 Chevy truck unit and is slightly underdriven by a March pulley from a set.
I could care less about A/C but the evap is still there. I have never even had the fenders off this car. Heater rocks with a replacement core. Good wipers too.
Transmission- is probably the original, rebuilt in the 90s by a good guy (RIP) and has well in excess of 100K on it now. Hits 2nd like a freight train caught up to ya. Its a short tail TH400 with HD 36 element sprag, TCI Trans-Scat reprogramming kit, ribbed chrome deep pan with drain and reusable hi-flow filter with a B&M TorkMaster 2000 converter. Aux trans cooler is looped with the stocker and mounted in front of rad. My car is unusual in that it has a column shift. I have stuff to change over but this works fine.
Radiator is a brass 4-row upgrade with stock shroud, recovery tank, and 16" auto-on aux fan to avoid heat soak. Mech fan is stock with standard duty clutch.
Rear axle is a swap from unknown El Camino, 1968-72. 12 bolt with 3.31 gears and positraction.
Driveshaft was built at a truck shop and balanced, uses heavy duty Spicer u-joints.
Suspension is stock but with Moog, and all Energy suspension poly bushings throughout. Moog Cargo-Coil springs all around. Monroe gas magnum shocks.
Audio is a sick older Clarion head unit with steering wheel remote. Sub output level knob on dash, 3 cu ft box in trunk with 2 JL 12s and JL amp plus 2 JL 6x9s in the speaker holes. Box speaks thru slots in rear deck. Amp is mounted to box which in retrospect is a mistake. Don't look too hard at the audio please.
Interior is stock with new headliner and carpet (from amesperf), plus one kick panel. Seats are JY grabs from an 88 Cavalier sedan. "Console" is part of a Chevy truck seat, it s removeable.
Trunk lock is shaved, has OE popper in glovebox. Shaved also all vinyl top moldings, belt moldings, bumper surround trim, rocker moldings, fender scripts. Painted bumpers are chrome underneath. Painted stainless window moldings and removed drip rail trim. Yes the grille is stock, as are the door handles.
The paint color? I started mixing car paint 27 years ago and every chance I get, I make my own color. This is no exception, I totally formulated the color from scratch by eye and experience and it did fine, even has held it's color well with little or no fade after a decade outdoors in all weather. I caals it Grape Kool-Ade.
The materials used were Lesonal epoxy primer, Evercoat Rage filler, Blue then black Sikkens Colorbuild primer, Autobase Plus color, and Autoclear III clear. Buffing- I cut it flat with 1200 as needed by hand, above the middle body line, left below that untouched. DA'ed it with 1500 then 3M's TriZact system in 3000 grit, then used Super Duty rubbing Compound and Finesse-it III polish. Went over it 3 times with the compound and polish in one day, one week after spraying. It has never needed or gotten much wax.
Wheels are Cragar "Radir" 15 x 8". Goodyear Eagle GTIIs 255/60 frt, 275/60 rear.
Sorry about the dadgum article here. But if you were wondering about specs on it, now you know. People dig this ride but I built it up not caring if they do. I really just painted it so it would be all one color but here we are.
Heres the Ventura I let go- I had a 350 4 speed and shaker hood with black wheels on it but he put a 406 6 speed and cowl hood with torq thrusts.
Here is a couple before and afters with my old Cutlass-
After ten years or more-
