1973 Buick Gran Sport Stage I STK # 1173
Stage I rings clear to all Buick fanatics around the world. Buick saw it fit to bring this Gran Sport out in 1973 and fit it with the Stage I package. Under the hood of this original GS Stage I is a 1968 Buick 400 with 10:1 compression making around 340hp with a TH400 automatic transmission. The engine and transmission were rebuilt professionally less than 3,500 miles ago. Only 728 Stage I's were produced in 1973. Inside is AC, AM/FM radio, seat belts and, tilt steering wheel. Power brakes and power steering is filled out with bias ply tires and magnum 500 wheels for a period correct look. For more details on this vehicle or to inquire about financing please call us at 704-598-2130 or e-mail sales@streetsideclassics.com.
9 Second Buick GS Stage1
This was the car's 1st 9 sec. pass. Built around the GS Club Of America's GS Street Eliminator Class rules. A real street car naturally aspirated with a complete Exhaust system,full interior etc. It is the first GS to run in the 9's using the original cast iron Stage1 heads, under the GSE rules! It is a stock stroke 455 with an .038 overbore to give it 464ci. It weighs 3500lbs and it idles smooth enough to still run the power brakes! This pass was 9.98@132.4 mph and was backed up with a 9.99@ 132.7 run.
1973 442 4 speed 350
1973 442 4 speed 350 M code. Frame on total restoration. Numbers matching and correct as close to original as possable. Texas car with no rust. A great starter car. Interior to be done this winter.
OLDSMOBILE 455 W-43 EXPERIMENTAL HEMI AND OTHER EXOTIC ENGINES - THE JOHN BELTZ YEARS PHOTO TRIBUTE
John Beltz was Oldsmobile's chief engineer in 1964 and one of the prime movers of the Toronado and 442 project. Beltz was promoted to Oldsmobile general manager at age 43 in 1969 when Harold N. Metzel retired. Beltz passed away in May of 1972 from cancer at the age of 46.
John Beltz is leaning on a dual fan 455 Olds and posing with other experimental Olds engines that never saw production.
Here are descriptions of these engines:
1. The 0W-43 all aluminum 455 with 4 valve per cylinders, four overhead cam Weber engine. With a redline of just under 8,500rpm it was originally conceived for CAN AM racing. At 3,000rpm it put out 300hp and at 6,000rpm registered over 600hp. The top output recorded for this engine in the Lansing Dyno facility was 700 real hp at 6,800rpm. Tests were run with both carbueration and fuel injection. The block was cast from Reynolds 356 alloy and fitted with pressed-in dry steel cylinder liners for the Forged-True 12.20to 1 pistons. Billet steel connecting rods by Carillo was used along with a forged steel crank. The engine weighed in at 50 pounds lighter than the production 455 motor! It was developed at the same time as the ZL-1 Chevy 427 motor.
2. The W-43 4 valve per cylinder 455 developed by JOHN BELTZ , LLOYD GILL , JOE JONES AND FRANK BALL. Rated at 500-550hp with a single Rochester Quadrajet on an aluminum manifold. Constructed with both cast iron heads and block and with aluminum-alloy block and heads 75 pounds lighter than the conventional 455 production engine. Engine featured four valves per cylinder with narrowed angles for a super efficient combustion chamber design, central spark plugs and could easily be adapted for chain for gear driven overhead camshafts. 455 engine had 4.625inch cylinder centers, a 4.125 bore and 4.250 stroke. Making use of the 3inch main bearings and 2.50 inch rod journals, the engine was fitted with a specially prepared cast crank fitted with SAE-1140 forged steel rods, forged 10.20-to-1 pistons which rode on Morraine 400 bearings. Four bolt main block boasted 2 additional 5/8inch drain holes. Four valve heads featured 1.750inch intake valves (SAE-8640 steel) with 22 degree stems and 1.375 Exhaust (214-N stainless steel) with 15 degree stems, special Stellite seats, bronze alloy guides, o ring plug tubes, 14mm spark plugs, 3/8 inch pushrods and aluminum rocker arms. (Of all the experimental Olds engines, this one came the closest to production and there are photos of this engine in street gear. MAY 71 HOT ROD MAGAZINE features some of these engines and the sadness of the Olds engineers of that time of how they would never be released.)
3. 455 dual turbocharged CAN AM ROCKET CHALLENGE. 659hp @ 6250rpm. 554lbs torque @ 6,250 rpm. Alloy block with 4 bolt mains. Forged steel crankshaft. Forged True pistons with 8.5 to 1 compression. 3inch main journals. 2.499inch rod journals. Carillo billet steel rods. alloy heads. 2inch intake valves. 1.625inch Exhaust valves. Crower roller camshaft with 555inch lift and 320 degrees duration. Dual TRW-375-E-10 turbochargers with Boost Wastegate 10and 1/2psi. Lucas fuel injection. Olds alloy intake.
Competed with big block Chevy Mclarens and Porsche Panzers in CAN AM racing circa 68-69.
This video is merely a couple of old magazine pages strung together with the exception of that blue 455 hemi which was found on the internet. Thats BRUCE MCLAREN in that green can am race car which is Olds powered. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO JOHN BELTZ IS POSING WITH SOME ENGINES FEATURED IN THE JULY 1969 ISSUE OF HOT ROD MAGAZINE AND THE BLUE OLDSMOBILE 455 HEMI WAS FEATURED IN THE MAY 1971 ISSUE OF HOT ROD MAGAZINE. The incidental music I overlayed onto this video was muted by youtube.