White Lightning - 1973 Trans Am

[IronDougal]

[QUOTE=ryeguy2006a;964040]Toby, Just want to say that you are doing a great job and that Poncho will be a beast!

Thanks bro. I think my build will stay ALL Pontiac. Not that I don't love the LSx style. I work on them all the time at my other job and think they are great. There is just something about a stock pobtiac block smashing out 600 pounds of torque. I think I am going to have to up-grade my tire budget just a little bit.

[IronDougal]

Long awaited update!!!!

We have been very slow lately. But progress is happening.
I will have engine pics on Monday and throw some body updates soon too.
The body guy is going to come by Sunday to have a look. Nose and lower valance will be ordered too.

[IronDougal]

No Pictures yet. I am however picking up the engine this coming Monday and will be assembling it throughout the week. Then I will be adding pics while the progress is happening.
The machine work killed my budget so I had to sell my race bike to fund the rest of this build. Priorities right?
A slew of goodies are in transit to finish off the engine from the guys at Butler Performance. Hopefully be here by Monday as well.

[IronDougal]

Spent the weekend putting the bottom end together. Lots of pictures; which is what we love right? I know I do.
All "Go Fast" parts were bought from the fine guys at Butler Performance. Truthfully I don't think I would go anywhere else.
Machine work done by a local shop. Boise Cylinder Head. In Boise we have one of the best Pontiac guys around, and since the do all of his work I figured they should do mine too.

Enuff of the text, let's got on to the pics.

Here is a table of goodies.




Trap doors









I ended up with these Rockers.


Hurricane / Tomahawk intake manifold.


My killer Ross Butler pistons.


Studly!!




Cammed!!!


Special CompCam. "special




ARP Studs in. Check!!

Eagle Crank in. Check!!



In and Torqued!!




Big Bore.


Structure braces in.


Ceramic coated Ross.


BOOM!!!!
Guts are in.

[IronDougal]

Canton is the best in oil pans.

This thing is $EX .





Here are a few stragglers.


The Pistons and Eagle H-beam Rods.
Teflon skirted and Ceram



The Rods were cryogenically treated.


Billett steel Mains.



Crank and Cam line boring.



So far I am waiting for the "Right" heads to come along. I know what I want, but Christmas is getting in the way of my Head budget. So they will wait until the new year.


I started working on my dash. Installing the Phantom gauges in the stock locations.




Something fun I bought a few years back.

[rohrt]

subscribing.

[IronDougal]

subscribing.

Thanks for checkin her out rohrt

[Zee]

Small world. Nice build you have going!

[IronDougal]

Small world. Nice build you have going!

Funny how that works Zee.
I gotta sat, I do love your car.

Toby...

[cdoggy81]

That will be a fun ride when done!

[rod cole]

If I may point out some things to check? The threaded plugs in the front of the block are way to deep blocking a oil passage. If youi remove them there are passages a little more than 1/2 inch in that go to the front main. From my experiance you,res are to deep. The only other thing I will suggest is pontiac race pistons have intake and exhaust reliefs that are different sized and must be installed to match head. And the cv-1 heads require different pistons. Otherwise great build and car. Rod Cole

[IronDougal]

If I may point out some things to check? The threaded plugs in the front of the block are way to deep blocking a oil passage. If youi remove them there are passages a little more than 1/2 inch in that go to the front main. From my experience you,res are to deep. The only other thing I will suggest is pontiac race pistons have intake and exhaust reliefs that are different sized and must be installed to match head. And the cv-1 heads require different pistons. Otherwise great build and car. Rod Cole

Thanks for the info Rod. I am not going with the CV-1 heads. But have you seen the new RA-V heads that have been reproduced? Very nice.
As far as the front oil passage you are speaking of: Do you mean the one that does not have a plug in it? Or the two that already have plugs in them? What is the "Fix" that you have found?

Thanks again.

Toby...

[NOT A TA]

Coming along nicely! I'll suggest you put thread sealer on the unused dry sump provision in the side of the Canton pan, mine weeped a little initially.

[IronDougal]

Coming along nicely! I'll suggest you put thread sealer on the unused dry sump provision in the side of the Canton pan, mine weeped a little initially.

Oh yes John, it will be sealed. Thank you again.

How is your car coming along? Quite the revamp you have going on there.
I was hoping for a cage in mine, but I think I am holding off for now.

Toby...

[rod cole]

The two in the front that are already installed. If you look at the front main in youre pics the other holes that intersect at the holes you see. They originate from the oil galleys you threaded and used pipe plugs in. They had cup plugs staked in originally. When you convert to pipe plugs they cannot be deeper than the cup plugs. You could try a non allen type brass plug and shorten it to .430 or less. possible oversize pipe plugs or a die and make youre own pipe plugs. Either way the engine will destruct if left in its current state. If you want a visual pull the plugs and crank and stick a wire down the angled drillings at the front main.

[IronDougal]

The two in the front that are already installed. If you look at the front main in youre pics the other holes that intersect at the holes you see. They originate from the oil galleys you threaded and used pipe plugs in. They had cup plugs staked in originally. When you convert to pipe plugs they cannot be deeper than the cup plugs. You could try a non allen type brass plug and shorten it to .430 or less. possible oversize pipe plugs or a die and make youre own pipe plugs. Either way the engine will destruct if left in its current state. If you want a visual pull the plugs and crank and stick a wire down the angled drillings at the front main.

Thanks for the info Rod.
My machine shop did that install. They mentioned the reason for doing that but I cannot remember right off. I will get a hold of them and pull those plugs to double check the depth.

Toby...

[rod cole]

Be sure and check it you're self. The machine shop does not do pontiacs often or it would not be like that. The reason for doing it is some feel the cup plugs could blow out causing loss of all oil pressure. Jim Hands book High performance pontiac has pics and probably the Rocky Rotella book does. Properly installed there will be two to three threads of the plug above the surface of the block. When playing with pontiacs you are the only one local that will know how they work by educating you're self. I have a 10.65 second pontiac tempest so I got to learn that a long time ago. Good luck. Rod

[IronDougal]

Be sure and check it you're self. The machine shop does not do pontiacs often or it would not be like that. The reason for doing it is some feel the cup plugs could blow out causing loss of all oil pressure. Jim Hands book High performance pontiac has pics and probably the Rocky Rotella book does. Properly installed there will be two to three threads of the plug above the surface of the block. When playing with pontiacs you are the only one local that will know how they work by educating you're self. I have a 10.65 second pontiac tempest so I got to learn that a long time ago. Good luck. Rod

The interesting thing is Rod, this machine shop specializes in Pontiac. My city's number one Pontiac guy has this shop build all of his race engines.

Where abouts are you located at Rod? Who does your work?

Toby...

[rod cole]

I am in oklahoma. Several different people do my machine work the way I tell them to. To understand it the thickness of the front of the block is all there is . pontiac drilled a 5/16 hole down the middle of the 1 or so inch thick block, which you can see the three different drillings in the pic of the front main,connecting the driver and pass side oil galley from the front main and put well plugs in the end of the main oil galleys so if you're plugs are bellow deck and approx .550 or more thick then the oil passage is plugged. Resulting in a cooked front main and no oil to the passenger side lifters.

[IronDougal]

I am in oklahoma. Several different people do my machine work the way I tell them to. To understand it the thickness of the front of the block is all there is . pontiac drilled a 5/16 hole down the middle of the 1 or so inch thick block, which you can see the three different drillings in the pic of the front main,connecting the driver and pass side oil galley from the front main and put well plugs in the end of the main oil galleys so if you're plugs are bellow deck and approx .550 or more thick then the oil passage is plugged. Resulting in a cooked front main and no oil to the passenger side lifters.

Gotchya Rod.
Thank you for your insight. I will pull those plugs this weekend and then talk to my machine shop Monday.

I was asking your area because my local big Pontiac guy's name is Rod, and he has a 64' Tempest also.


Toby...