78 Pontiac TransAm

[Chevynut67]

No, never heard of it until now! I'll check it out.

Cool

We'd love to have you as a member!

 

[kevm14]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stoney57:
Try popping a 220 HP 3.0L V6 - 3.5L V6 into the TA, which weighs about 3800 lbs and see how well it does. Probably not very well, Torque is what moves you. I have a 1984 Oldsmobile 98 with a stock 79 olds 350 in it, the car is fully loaded power everything weighs well over 4200 lbs and runs 15.69 @ 89 mph at the drag strip. My stock 1979 350 rocket is rated at 160 HP and 275 foot pounds of torque, low numbers made the insurance companies happy.

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Uh, something doesn't sound right. My Caprice is around the 205-220 HP mark (and over 300lb-ft torque) and at almost exactly that weight, I ran a best of 15.7 @ 85mph. 160hp in a 4200lb boat is good for 18 second 1/4 miles. Either the weight's off, the power's off, or that track was off. Some LT1 caprices, with 260hp, run low 15s to high 14s @ 89-91. My times fall in line with that. Yours don't. Hence my confusion.

 

[Schmoe]

You can't tell me that a Honda Accord that's putting out 232 pounds of torque will get spanked by T/A now. No way, no how, no chance. I agree, in the 70's, 220 HP was a big thing, but again, that was in the 70's.

 

[kenw]

Which Accord does 232ft/lbs? Best I can find is 212. (2005/3.0 v6).

which isn't shabby for a 183 cu in engine.

 

[Schmoe]

Hybird, with electric motor engaged. But even though, 212 will move your butt pretty good.

 

[kenw]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
Hybird, with electric motor engaged. But even though, 212 will move your butt pretty good.

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thanx, that v6 hybrid is looking realy nice....

my camry has 209ft/lbs with 194hp. it surprises quite a few that think the Japanese cars have no torque.

 

[Schmoe]

Yeah, but it's 30K. Accord EX V6 is about 26K. But, with gas prices jumping up, might not be a bad investment. Better get one now, because you know the price will skyrocket when fuel prices stay high. Just the way it is.

 

[Stoney57]

Originally posted by kevm14:
Uh, something doesn't sound right. My Caprice is around the 205-220 HP mark (and over 300lb-ft torque) and at almost exactly that weight, I ran a best of 15.7 @ 85mph. 160hp in a 4200lb boat is good for 18 second 1/4 miles. Either the weight's off, the power's off, or that track was off. Some LT1 caprices, with 260hp, run low 15s to high 14s @ 89-91. My times fall in line with that. Yours don't. Hence my confusion.



Yes, I know the rating of my engine is wrong, its more like 220 HP with over 300 foot pounds of torque, not sure, never had it on a dyno. All books and internet sites rate a olds 1979 350 at 160 HP. Small Block olds 403/350 have a short stroke and big bore creating decent torque. BTW I run Shell Rotella T 15W40 in it.

 

[novadude]

quote:

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Yes, I know the rating of my engine is wrong, its more like 220 HP with over 300 foot pounds of torque, not sure, never had it on a dyno. All books and internet sites rate a olds 1979 350 at 160 HP.

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I'll bet you are not running a stock "pellet" cat converter, OEM spark curve, etc... those things really killed power in the late-70s. The only good thing is that it is cheap and easy to free up horses on cars from that era!

 

[Stoney57]

The distributer actually has its original weights and springs in it, which I plan on changing out this year. 2 inch dual exhaust, and it is very free flowing.

 

[99]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
99.....are they selling them out there? Is there an online auction or something? Man, I would be willing to pay a fair price for a undamaged body and engine. I realize at this number of years, the interior will be pretty trashed, but that can be fixed.

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Sure. Most of the local "auto trader" type classifieds are online and you can check out what's available out there. Also check out the online "newspapers" classifieds for the local areas.

 

[99]

quote:

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Originally posted by Schmoe:
You can't tell me that a Honda Accord that's putting out 232 pounds of torque will get spanked by T/A now. No way, no how, no chance. I agree, in the 70's, 220 HP was a big thing, but again, that was in the 70's.

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LOL. Take your Accord and go find someone that has a bone stock 455SD T/A. Even in the smogger 70s these things still put out "huge" torque and decent power. They were THE last "musclecar" in my opinion. Anyways, it'll rip the Accord a new one without even trying. Don't even bother messing with one that has had some work done to it.

[ March 05, 2005, 01:52 PM: Message edited by: 99 ]

 

[99]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chevynut67:
No, never heard of it until now! I'll check it out.

Cool

We'd love to have you as a member!

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Awesome website! I don't know how I didn't stumble across it in the past. Love the production number and options info. Cool.

 

[99]

quote:

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Originally posted by novadude:

quote:

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Yes, I know the rating of my engine is wrong, its more like 220 HP with over 300 foot pounds of torque, not sure, never had it on a dyno. All books and internet sites rate a olds 1979 350 at 160 HP.

---

I'll bet you are not running a stock "pellet" cat converter, OEM spark curve, etc... those things really killed power in the late-70s. The only good thing is that it is cheap and easy to free up horses on cars from that era!

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No doubt. Just pulling that stock cat off and replacing it with a piece of exhaust pipe was good for about 20 horse back then. Those cats were horrible.

 

[99]

http://www.ivhs.k12.il.us/~christopherg/trans am/Table gen two.htm

 

[caprice_2nv]

I don't see a reason not to flush the trans fluid. If it goes bad after, it was going to anyways. Over a year at a dealership, we did flushes all the time, sometimes on high mileage cars with factory fluid and never had a comeback. I did a flush on my Caprice at 130k with factory fluid, and almost no difference at all in the feel of the shifts.

 

[Islandvic]

Valvoline Maxlife 10-40 in the engine

Drop and clean trans pan, install new filter, refill with Valvoline Maxlife ATF. Do not "flush" please. Install a universal drain plug, and drain/refill again after a week or so.

Drop and clean diff cover and refill with Valvoline Durablend 80-90

Use turkey baster to suck out and replace P/S fluid and the brake fluid, repeat the next week. Use Wal-Mart Super Tech P/S fluid and Dot3 Brake fluid.

Cheap and effective.

 

[Islandvic]

Valvoline Maxlife 10-40 in the engine

Drop and clean trans pan, install new filter, refill with Valvoline Maxlife ATF. Do not "flush" please. Install a universal drain plug, and drain/refill again after a week or so.

Drop and clean diff cover and refill with Valvoline Durablend 80-90

Use turkey baster to suck out and replace P/S fluid and the brake fluid, repeat the next week. Use Wal-Mart Super Tech P/S fluid and Dot3 Brake fluid.

Cheap and effective.

 

[CharBaby]

The 79's had a 220 hp 400 cid engine but the 78's had 188 hp in the 400 cid. 1979 was the last year for the 400. I've owned a 74, 77, 79, and still own a 1980 Formula that my wife an I baught brand new. These cars are still great to look at. Mine is black and the factory paint is still 3 feet deep.

 

[JohnnyO]

Replacing door hinges on those is S.O.P. on a restoration. My '68 Firebird was bad enough but the '70+ models were even worse, those long doors weigh over 200 lb. I think.