This is a "perfect" Pontiac 455. These engines are known for unusually high low end torque, their best horsepower is between ~4,200 and 4500 RPM. They "roll off" at ~4,800 RPM, and are "out of breath" at ~5,000 RPM. The bigger carb may help a little, but with their relatively small valve size and runner cross section, these just don't produce much torque on the top end. These have tremendous "off the line" acceleration, due to the torque coming in at the stall speed of the torque converter. This is the engine you want, for light to light street racing. They'll "burn rubber" all the way down the city block.
Put some Ram Air 4 heads, .030 flattops (around 11.5) on a 4 bolt 455, ran a .288/.298 .515 cam - While in 3rd gear (as the tires melted) the tack would climb so fast after 4500 that I was afraid to step down til I could put a rev limiter on the thing, but NEVER did I get the feeling that I was running a marathon with my hand over my mouth, far more like no end in sight
I owned a '72 Pontiac Grand Prix once, it had a 455 with a 4-barrel Quadrajet, and a Turbo Hydromatic 400 tranny. That thing was a beast stock. I could blow the doors off any street car out there. Amazing car, back then.
Had the same car only it was a 400 with a little bit of cam . Don't know how fast it was but it was a handful and my father always got in trouble when I let him drive it.
I had a completely stock 73 Formula 455 Firebird back in 1986 and the torque and 250 rear wheel HP was awesome! Not insane power but more than enough power to street race and eat up late model 350 corvettes and 350 Firebirds!
Love seeing the episodes with Pontiacs in them! Love and appreciate that you are a Mopar guy Nick, but I really appreciate that you’re open to all makes of engines as long as it’s muscle. Love your content!!!
Chrome, polished aluminum, anodized, they all look good on a motor. But for some reason, a simple but good factory-style paint job still looks great. Makes em look...strong too. hahaha
Should have hooked up the choke and made sure it worked right while dynoing... Would have gone 1 step larger in cam... Use Super Duty 455" 850 CFM Q-Jet... Timing marks wrong? Nick worked at Pontiac back in late 1976 when I ordered and bought my '77 Pontiac Gran Prix... mint green with white interior... 301" Pontiac V8 rated 17 MPG city and 23 MPG hiway, great numbers for those emissions slug engine 10 MPG days... Canadian 'Pontiacs' may have still been getting Chevy engines... Where's a squeegee for the water? Engine Dyno stand needs a Parking Brake to hold in proper position... Nick sounds like he has Omicron flu...
We got a 69 GTO Judge Tribute. 455 BBP on MSD ignition, bored .030 over, forged rods and pistons, heavy duty mechanical valve springs, 750 double pumper carb, billstein suspension all around, wilwood 6 piston brakes, drilled and slotted rotors, stock M40 Turbo with 3.90 gears? Rear end, just has a posi in her. Built trans, no OD aftermarket 17” factory looking wheels, about 50 grand with 0 work done by myself, all in a shop. Car is a beautiful Orbit Orange, convertible with a white top. Car was bought from an older women after her husband passed, car was complete and just needed a minor restoration, ended up doing a full Judge conversion all with authentic Pontiac GTO Judge options, from the RPM gauge on the hood, the the ralley wheels and shifter, back to the spoiler, and full Judge Drivetrain. Car dynoed just over 500WHP on the dot on the 1st run (car was warmed up) and over 570 foot pounds of torque. She lights the rears up like no tomorrow. Wrapped in sport cup 2s 275s all around, 17x8 Lemans remanufactured.
@@BuzzLOLOL POE "Pull Over Enrichment" are the two holes above the air door leading edges that supply the shot of air fuel mixture that we saw to aid a smooth transition.
Even though Nick is a huge Mopar guy,you can tell he's loves Pontiac's just as much when he talks about them. Would love to see a performance Pontiac build! Pontiac-always underrated, I say they were GMs best, but corporate politics ruined them.
Totally agree. It is said that an original Pontiac block is good for about 800 hp before stuff starts to break. Butler Performance blocks have been built to push 2500+ hp on alcohol. I'll be putting a 400 in my next car.
@@originalpunkSxE I found that Pontiac's have their own unique little rumble to them too. I could always tell them apart from a chevy or ford... etc.. Same with Oldsmobile's.
Pontiac definitely had some good ones. My friend had a 1972 Grandville with a 400 that even when it was wore out and tired could still spin the wheels on that big old boat at half throttle off the line.
Yes, just look at the block casting. It is ahead of it’s time. To me it’s the foundation. You have to spend some money to get it right. When you get them to breathe then you have it all.
My two cents: I had the same engine in a 77 Trans Am. XF 455 block, Nodular cast iron crankshaft, 1971 96 heads, Edelbrock performer int. manifold, .030 over. Crane HMV 278 (222/234 @ .050 duration), Crower steel billet connecting rods, and Norris roller stainless steel rocker arms (1.5 ratio), carburetor was an 800 cfm Quadrajet for an SD455 auto engine. On the dyno my engine recorded 430HP and 510 Lb ft torque. Later on I changed the camshaft to a HIT 292 and Edelbrock aluminum heads. After all this, I gave the car away... and I am about to cry!
I feel your pain; Back in '78, I ordered a '79 Trans Am Special edition (T-tops, blk/blk). It had 211k miles when I sold it for 2500 bucks. It still ran good, all original. Except I got rid of the smog pump, and emptied out the cat. converter. Selling is still the dumbest thing I ever did : (
My first car is a 69 GTO. I have owned it since 1983. It was setting on a Honda dealer's used car lot. Someone had traded it in on a new Accord. I often wonder if that person ever laments their choice? And a 455 with #96 heads making 430hp is no joke. While the #96's are a great head for a street car that is probably about the most you can get out of them without major porting. I have run them as well as 7K3's, #13's, 7F6's and #48's on 428's and 455's. Today it's Edelbrock or KRE's. They are both a huge improvement.
Hi Nick! I was always the oddball drag racing with a Poncho. Lol I had a 455HO 1971 Trans Am that was a stump puller. Awesome torque and coupled with the M-22 transmission it was a great car. We rebuilt the engine with all the "good stuff" after I over revved it and broke some top rings. Great memories, Nick thank you for the video 👍
My first car, bought new was a 74 SD-455 Trans Am. I did a lot of street racing with it. The 2 cars in my city that I could not beat were a 70 hemi cuda and a 69 ZL-1 Camaro called King Kong.
I tuned in for the Pontiac 455 dyno. What I also found was Nick is old school which I like and definitely knows how to tune these old engines. Plus he worked at Pontiac back in the day for 5-6 years rebuilding and fixing these engines. Awesome show and great information. Nick is a cool cat 👍
The 73 super duty had a special 800 cfm quadrajet, the rest had a standard 750 cfm Quadrajet. I had 455SD in a '73 Grandville (same motor as the 73TA), what a sleeper that was, if a 21' long tank could be considered a sleeper. If you loosen the tension screw (well hidden to those not familiar with the Quadrajet) on the Quadrajet air valves a bit you'll pick up some effective cfm, you can go until it bogs. DA secondary rods on an H hangar is pretty close with 73 main jets and 44B metering rods. You have to play with the power piston springs and secondary airvalve tension to get the most out of it without a transition bog. It's worth the tuning though.
Just disconnect the vacuum dashpot on the secondary air door... IF you have enough motor, it will INSTANTLY flop wide open and give you ALL the airflow. If it bogs, remove the engine underneath the carb, and replace it with a better one.
Nick, my guess is he wants to run the Quadrajet because he wants to use the factory air cleaner assembly with the shaker. A Holly carburetor won't work with the factory air cleaner assembly.
I built a 70' 455 XF with #64 heads back in 1998. I used a 744 cam, Holley 6213 carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Ram Air III exhaust manifolds and 1.65 roller rockers. 1969 PX Turbo 400 trans with a Chevy 12 bolt and 3.55 gears in a 70' LeMans. Car ran low 12's all the time. Sold the car in 2004 to buy a house! No regrets but it was fun to drive! Those # 96 heads on this engine Nick built come from a 1971 400. They have 96cc Chambers and 2.11 1.77 valves. Great heads for 93 octane. The #64 heads from a 70' 455 had 87cc chambers and were used for one year only, the smallest chambers for any Pontiac 455.
My stepdad did the same thing back in the 71 he pulled the original 350 engine out of his 76 SS RS Camaro and stuffed a L6 454 out of a 1970 Chevelle. That way he would have the original ongine on a stand and could still romp on it. It is happy to do so with that rock crusher Muncie behind it. He still has it and it incredibly clean. it is a monster waiting to get back on the road.
@@edward-x3s6f the 318 block is a basket case so it is coming back out of the Satellite and a 440 is taking its place in the spring. When that happens I will be looking to have it shipped. its cylinders are our of round and the blow by is nuts.
Nice 455 Pontiac, Nick. I had a 455 Pontiac in my 73 Pontiac catalina station wagon but my dad sold it in 2014. Now it's got a 350 chevy engine, little bit better gas mileage. I have a 455 Pontiac I found out of a 71 bonneville that I might build and put it back in my Pontiac wagon. 455s are great engines.
In my experience I've been in Hemi cars, Buicks 455 stage 1 and 455 HO Trans ams. They are all fast! The Buick is the sleeper killer with air. Lol. The guy behind the wheel is the difference. Love them all!
Love nexx garage appreciate it coming out on a Monday morning on a cold Monday morning it warms the soul knowing Monday morning I'll spend with Nick and George and the crew thanks a lot appreciate you sharing it God bless everybody at Nick's garage
As a point of comparison, I built a mild 428 for my 69 GTO. Mild meaning 061 heads, 068 cam, GTO iron intake, factory Q-jet. Made 455 tq and 375 hp. It was a fun street motor!!
I pulled a 65k mile 428 out of a 69 Bonneville many years ago. It had factory #48 heads and 068 cam and I put headers and a carb spacer on it. It ran a best of 13.35@105 in a 72 GTO with a TH400 and 3.55 gears. Unfortunately I should have pulled the heads and removed the ring groove at the top of the cylinders because it slowly destroyed the top rings until the car would only run 14.20's. I sold the car in 1996 but still have the 428 setting in my shop all rebuilt and waiting to go in something. As a matter of fact, the Bonneville is still setting in the field behind my dad's house. He has owned the car since new but it's far beyond rebuildable today. The 428 was a really great engine that is pretty much overlooked today. Most people think you're talking about a Ford when you say 428!
About 10 years ago when I worked with Dick Guldstrand in Burbank we had a 455 Pontiac engine built by Barringer who was good with Pontiac engines. It used the Edelbrock aluminium heads with a comp ratio of around 10 to 1. Cam was by Comp and I believe it was in the 225 230 range with around 505 510 lift. Lobe centers at 112. It was a hydraulic flat tappet intake was an Edelbtock dual plane . As I recall torque was up around 525 ft pounds. Hp was 432. Vacuum was good for power disc brakes. Power band was good from off idle to around 5300 rpm. Engine went in a 69 Firebird convertible. Car had so much torque you could let the clutch out in 4th at idle and drive it away. Nice non temperamental engine.
Love BOP’s especially Olds. Love seeing these big blocks. That’d be a great engine for highway gears and an M20 Muncie. I’m building a stump puller Olds 455 for a 67 C10, I’d be thrilled with those numbers. Nice job, Nick!!
@@BuzzLOLOL I think its hopeless. I drive economy cars. I do have a 70 Eldo I am going to put back on the road but I think it will get 14-16 mpg. I would'nt mind converting to FI.
Great looking motor! I had 3 x TAs over the years in the '80s/90's: 2 x 76 400/Autos, 1 x 76 455/4spd. My old Chilton's Manual claims the following for the 1976 455: 200HP/330ft-lbs, 7.6:1 compression ratio.
After 1970, the gas crisis ended the power of all muscle cars. Everything went downhill as all closed chambered heads got opened up till there was no compression whatsoever 😞.
Hey Nick look up the "Clinton Shaker" drag car out of Clinton, MD. Big time Pontiac man, Bob Maxey. My buddys wifes late father. Lots of my high school memories are in Pontiac GTO's, and Firebirds, last one I had was a 73 Grande Ville, awesome tork from its 455 bone stock quadrajet dual exhaust, it was such an awesome highway car! Last had it in '88. Wish I still did....take care of that voicebox!!
Those mid 70's big engines like 455's and 440's would almost run on mineral spirits the compressions were so low. I once put a 455 out of a 76 Bonneville in my 69 GTO. All I did was an Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 800, headers and Comp Cams 268 and it ran 13.9's with the stock TH400 and 3.55 gears. That's not bad for 7.6 to 1 compression. And it was my daily driver at the time so it was nice to be able to put 87 octane in it while my best friend with his 71 GS with a 10.5 to 1 Buick 455 had to go get that expensive 93 octane!!! Yeah, he was faster, but I had to get to work.
I can understand that first start feeling. Many years ago I worked for a shop as an aid and a customer had problems with his engine. After troubleshooting and discussion with the customer one of the mechanics started to look for a replacement engine and found a just rebuild one. It was bought, swapped in and then started. Run fine first but started having issues and then failed. Turned out that the guy who rebuilt it had mixed up two bolts. One was shorter to allow for oil to passage (into a cam bearing if I remember correctly).
My buddy just out of high school, had a 1970,or 71 Pontiac Bonneville,with a 455! Headers,bigger carb,true 3in pipes just past the drivers door,.That big boat did 105mph in a quarter mile. No clue the time,13s I guess.But I like 455 cu engines, alot
Rochester great carb. Reliable. Efficient. And fits right. Linkage. Hood scoop. Installation of edelbrock intake and carbs kill drive ability and efficiency. Have multiple edelbrock carbs andintakes taken off of cars sitting on shelf. Back to factory intake and carb.
Good morning! Thanks for the video! Brings back memories of my first car, a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville with the 455. It was a great engine and a fun car. Thanks again!
Nick, hot tea with lemon and honey. Honey, not sugar. Menthol cough drops. I had the same problem when I lived in North East USA. HUMIDIFER IN BED ROOM! Or.... You could move to Florida like I did and throat problem fixed. Great videos Nick, thank you.
That's a beautiful engine I love the Pontiacs but the carburetor is 735 to 800 CFM because it has a front inlet fuel fitting ..the side inlet quadra Jets are 650 CFM 👍 in the CFM rating comes from the primary bores being larger if you look down the carburetor of a side inlet and looked in the carburetor of a front inlet you'll see the difference.. I'm about to go back and watch the show ,,I love it. God bless you, stay well ✌️🤗
Neat engine, brought back memories of my Corvette blue 68 Pontiac Catalina I built with a 455 back when I was in my very early 20's. Your voice had me worried - but, reading through the comments I noticed it was just about the cold dry air in the shop, glad you are OK. Same problem here in Maine with all the intense cold this winter.
The Buick 350s sucked, as the bore was too small to do any serious breathing. The Buick 455's, on the other hand, have a MUCH larger bore and are capable of some serious power if built right
@@davelowets I think that's a bit unfair to say. The 350's aint no Formula 1 but they are amazing truck engines. You get the torque of a big block with the fuel economy of a small block. I daily drive with one and I'm very happy with how it performs.
Likely cause of your voice issues: Dry air - the colder it gets the dryer the air gets. A humidifier in the shop will reduce this problem if I'm right (or spill more water on the floor ;-) ).
Also did you know that the 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix had more horsepower than the GTO! My uncle had one and received many speeding tickets from KY State Police Troopers on Interstate 71 because he just loved to drive fast and hear the hum and feel the pure power of the 400ci 4 barrel. He loved that car. "Pontiac The Mark Of Great Cars" the official commercial slogan from tv ads and GM.
I'm a Ford guy but the Pontiac V8 was one of the genius designs of all time , with minor foundry and casting changes they went from 287 to 455 cubes. It was THE Pontiac V8 for 2 and a 1/2 decades..
Always a nice day regardless of weather conditions when Nick has something on the Dyno. And to those who are watching " Enjoy your day wherever you are " Peace.
I was running around in the streets during the time of this engine. There were always kids that were given the old family car. You could easily tell who they were. They would put a 780 double pumper on a worn out Chevy small block with the usual results. And this is how We knew who they were. There would be a spot in the middle of the hood with the paint burned off. Rookie mistake. I’m a new subscriber. This brings back good memories!
That's about what I was expecting from a 455 using #96 heads, iron intake and exhaust manifolds. That's why they are such good street engines. I have raced 455 Pontiacs since I turned 16 in 1983. While all my SBC and SBF friends were shoving in 4.30 and lower rear gears I always ran 3.55's or 3.23's with my 455's to take advantage of all that low end torque. Pontiacs suffer from what so many other standard muscle car engines from that era also suffer from, small block flow on the cylinder heads. I've run factory round port stuff which are better performers but very expensive. Today I run aluminum aftermarket heads that actually give an engine with that much displacement the air it needs. Only a Hemi, BBC or a few Fords ever had the air flow for great power back in the day. Great job though, excellent oil pressure, smooth and solid performance, just what a 3900lbs 76 Trans Am needs to be a fun car!
@@kencraig7308 If I was buying a set today I would get the Performer RPM CNC heads part number 61525. I actually am running older 60595 heads though. They have a smaller chamber because my car is a drag car so I have over 11 to 1 compression. But they use an older style combustion chamber that is slow burn like the original. The newer heads use a heart shaped chamber that is quicker burn and you can run with much less timing and also less detonation problems. I built my current 455 in 2005 so the newer design wasn't available yet. I think the KRE D ports also use a more modern chamber and if you don't already have a set of stupid expensive round port headers either the KRE or Edelbrock aluminum D port heads might be a good choice. Just to save that $300 or $400 in headers plus easier to bolt the exhaust up. As much as I love old Pontiac iron, and I do, any of the newer aluminum stuff is far superior. A set of stock Edelbrocks like the ones I use will flow right out of the box what takes a serious port job on iron heads from someone like the Butler boys. And a mild port job on the aluminum heads makes them superior to any level achievable on the iron heads. I think in this day and age iron is best for mild engines like the one Nick just built or for restorations needing correct parts. If you want a street rod or a strip machine go with the aluminum ones.
@@1967davethewave the numbers Nick achieved on that engine are about all I'm looking for to run on pump gas. Does Edelbrock have a intake and manifold that works together ? I don't have any misconception about what can be achieved with a super duty foundation but all I've got is a '73 455 out of an old Gran ville ambulance from Illinois 😂
That is the era my dad grew up in, the 60s-70s big blocks. So he knows about old school, big CI power. I recently gave him a ride in my Hellcat Redeye and I have never seen his eyes so wide open! He was thrilled and terrified all at the same time. He could not believe the HP of todays cars. Its a great time to be alive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've owned a few Pontiacs and built a few Pontiac V8s. The key to get a Pontiac V8 to run up to it's potential is getting the right set of heads. A great characteristic is that almost all the engine parts can be swapped between all the Pontiac V8s. There are a ton of different factory Pontiac V8 cylinder heads but only 4 of them are the Holy Grail which is a small combustion chamber to raise your compression along with a big intake valve along with a big exhaust valve but even on those heads you need to find someone who knows what they are doing to port the exhaust chambers if you want your Pontiac V8 to pull anywhere close to 6,000 RPM, especially a 455. A good set of aluminum heads is the way to go if you have the cash. Its getting hard to find the good Pontiac factory heads.
Nice Pontiac engine! 1970 was the only year for the high compression Pontiac 455. But Pontiac was the only GM performance division that didn't have a special high performance 450 cube engine ready for 1970. The next year '71 455HO was equipped with the higher flowing round port heads, 4 bolt mains, aluminum intake manifold and 800 cfm carb, but the compression dropped to 8.4-1. They where planning on the Ram Air 5 to be the top dog, but it was cancelled.
G.M. couldn't let any of its other divisions out-do the Chevy Corvette... 🙄 Oldsmobile had some running 455s with 4-valve D.O.H.C. heads on them, and made 600+ h.p., but that was not allowed either... 😟
Engines Nick's Garage has a stack This 455 pontiac on the dyno is back Nick and Manny already fixed the vacuum leak but Nick was dissapointed so he's got some horses to seek First he's gotta break in the cam For uprating classic muscle car V8's Nick is the man You can't get more iconic than a 73-4 GTO which is where this block is destined to go and you can't get better than Nick's Garage for a muscle car show Nick and the team do nothing half hearted Leo is helping Nick get the Pontiac started Sure with anything you build you can get some teething issues but a water leak is the last thing you need when you're ready to give it some abuse Luckily the leak is from the dyno not the block so the owner won't require a box of tissues There are a myriad of tweaks and turns Nick does the work as Leo learns To gain optimum efficiency it's gonna need more runs before it's ready for delivery Nick's Garage always does a shakedown so their clients rarely experience a breakdown Every Monday Nick's Garage is turning frowns upside down
No matter which brand the powerplant Nick is the guy who can be trusted to do the job right. I'd send him my rebuild in a heartbeat despite the fact I'm a Leafs fan haha!
Had this in my 71 Firebird with a Muncie 4 speed 10bolt rear and I got 8 miles to the gallon. I snapped a rocker arm in half on the highway on the way to the speedway on a sunday and found a garage with a chevy 350 sitting there and drilled out the smaller rocker just to get me where I was going. :)
At 5500 rpm and a 90 percent volumetric efficiency that poncho is only pulling maybe 600 CFM. The q jet is either a 750 or 800 cfm. The cam is on the small size too. It definitely isnt due to the carb being too small.
I love watching these the way Nick builds these engines and runs 'em in, and the way he checks the old trusty "Motor Manual" for the factory specs for his comparrisons, I have the same book, mine is from 68 to 74, I did have 63 to 70 but it got clipped from me by someone, but anyway some time hopefully this summer I'd love to drive my Mustang up there to Nicks shop for an ascessment and fresshening of its 302, but he's prolly way backed up with customers! I know Nick could be trusted to build a nice durable and potent mill!
I'm Mopar guy myself too. My brother has a 73 Pontiac formula 455. I like the Pontiac engines also. Good job on the engine and I hope you get your voice back 🔧👍
Carburetor to small. I was in my late teens early 20s in the Muscle Car period. Had many friends who had GMs with Qudrajets. Everyone switched them out for Holly's double pumpers. No more vacuum stalls. Same reasons we switched out the Carter's. MOPAR's Ruled. Float the Lifter? We said that if a GM didn't have a tick, it wasn't running. Great Video.
And most of those cars ran like crap after taking off original carb and intake. Carb linkage scrapped together. No more cruise control. Likely ac no longer functional. Hot start issues. Terrible idle. Vacuum leaks.
Pontiac used an 800 cfm Quadrajet on the 455 . My stock L78 used a 720- 725 cfm version. When they came out with the W72 400 in 77 they fattened up the jetting in the Qjet . Then in 78 they gave the W72 more cam , more timing , and more jetting . The W72 used cylinder heads from the 350 Pontiac V8 to raise the compression from a lowly 7.6 to 1 up to 8.1 to 1 . The 96 casting number heads for the 71 400 4 barrel GTO engine had a compression ratio of 8.2 to 1 from the factory. I had mine shaved 10 thousandths to help raise compression a little . My final build of the 69 Ram Air III short block I went .60 over . This hurt compression of the 400 . I used a Crane Ram Air IV T camshaft . The lift was. 469 and I used Comp Cams roller tip rockers in 1.6 ratio instead of the factory 1.52 . This gave a lift right around .500 . Pontiac used stamped steel 1.65 rockers on the Ram Air IV . I had wanted to use the factory # 48 heads from the Ram Air III instead of the # 96 heads . My friend that sold me the completed short block kept the heads . I was running a 3.73 10 bolt with cyclone 3 tube headers . Those 96 Cylinder heads really held things back . The late 70's Trans Am was a heavy car and could really have used the larger displacement from the 455 . I had a friend who swapped out the W72 400 in his 78 T/A for a 1970 455 from a Bonneville. He was quickly running very low 13 second 1/4 mile times from this combo . Not bad for an engine rated at only 360 - 370 H.P. They certainly are capable of running much faster . I was shifting my 400 right at 6000 rpm. I also used poly locks and set them like you would on a small block Chevrolet. This gave me a couple extra 100 rpm on top end . Today if I was building a Pontiac I would just go to either Butler Performance or one of a couple other Pontiac builders . They will build you just about anything you want . Like a big cube Poncho making 500 + or even 600 + h.p. running on pump gas .
I've seen a few of your videos now, and I noticed that you show a lot of Mopar stuff, including teardowns and builds. I'm a Pontiac guy, I found your channel looking for Pontiac videos, and while dyno runs are cool, I think a lot of us would like to see the actual builds of the non-Mopar engines. I certainly would. Pontiacs are probably the second most popular GM brand, but it would also be nice to see Olds and Buick builds, too, not just the dyno runs.
I completely understand the owner's reason for wanting a stock look. However, with the numbers matching engine safely tucked away I would be VERY tempted to at least go with a better carb and headers. The owner has already gone to considerable expense and that motor has more left.
On the street, the 455ci Pontiac comes alive so quick, it's hard to beat stoplight-to-stoplight. They just don't have that top-speed endurance with numbers coming so low in the RPM range. Still, you have to love that punch in the guts you get from 0-120mph.
I personally think the 455 Pontiac is still the best choice for a street engine, especially if it's your main transportation. Pontiac knew how to build smooth, usable torque. They will never be 426 Hemis or LS6 454's but they also don't need 4.11 gears or high stall converters. I own many cars, including big block Mopars, and they are all great but for smooth and easy cruising, and tire frying fun, my 455 powered GTO is still the best!
Hutter racing built and pulled 690hp and 550 trq out of my dad's RAV with stock block,heads,intake,carb...461 with chevy rods and roller cam at 7400. Pontiacs rock
WHAT ARE THE CASTING NUMBERS ON TOP OF THE CENTER EXHAUST PORTS? It was hard to read them in the video. Pontiac had several casting numbers over the years and there's a lot of differences between the heads over the years. Great video.
I had one of those engines w/ just 2 barrel carb, 2 speed powerglide. At just 1/2 throttle it would do 90 MPH before it hit 2nd and lots past 120 130. Delorean made sure they had lots. Wish I still had it.
Good afternoon everyone. Coffee in hand. And Nick Garage on the Big Screen. That Pontiac looks fantastic in that blue color. Sounded good to. Sorry to hear your voice go a bit horse there. Please take care of that. Best regards from SA.
Hope your voice is well again soon Nick. That was a very nice afternoons viewing. Take care all of you and thank you for the fantastic camera angles . Leo I like that crazy hair !
As you proved, Pontiacs are torque motors. To make power you need more cam and better heads. The ports are kept small to improve low end torque by keeping port velocity up. Aftermarket aluminum heads flow much better. You can port the stock heads too; SD performance, SD Performance- Pontiac Performance Specialists is a Canadian company that can do this. With an engine like this you need a much bigger cam. A Lunati 704 vs.702 would work well and have enough vacuum for brakes. You might want to order it with more lobe separation. SD performance makes excellent roller cams also. If you use a cam with less than 230 degrees on the intake, you are leaving power on the table. I like your show.
Finally some one who likes Q-JETS! I ran nothing but Q-JETS from the mid 70's to the mid 80's. I was well stocked with primary metering rods and jets as well as secondary metering rods and rod hangers, and lets not about the secondary air valve spring adjustment to control the DOOOWHOP characteristics!
Awesome! I also have a Pontiac 455/468. 1973 SD 16 round ported heads, Comp roller 51-816-9 camshaft, Ross pistons, Warrior aluminum intake w/ an old, reworked 850 Holly. Torque best at 4700 rpm = 580, horsepower at 5900 rpm at 590. Planted in a 1970 Tempest. Bold and bullet proof.
I used Isky cams in my Pontiacs. They worked perfectly and gave good power all the way through. This engine would be a good choice for a 1963 Bonneville 2 door with a 4 speed. Haven't had any problems with the Rochester carbs either. Very good stuff. Like the exhaust manifolds. Really wish you guys would drop that music stuff. All is great except for that. That engine sounded good what I could hear over the music. Oh yeah, 1st pull=nice for that Bonneville. With a set of 3:36:1 gears= go fast.
I had a 1975 grand prix sj 455 4 barrel RTS meant radial tuned suspension. The car was beautiful red and white, white seats , sunroof, and a continental trunk lid. It's was my favorite car and I'm 63. It had more horsepower than stated. It was one he'll of a car !
Pontiacs don't like a lot of ignition advance, especially 455's. Backing off the timing has the effect of richening the mixture too. With the hydraulic Voodoo cams, the 455 really likes the smaller ones with 112 degrees lobe separation and not the larger ones with 110 degrees separation. If going for a larger cam in a 455 go with wide lobe separation. The Pontiac intake beats a lot of aftermarket intakes, but the regular Performer (non-RPM) adds an easy 15 hp. The 455 responds well to larger carbs. The vacuum secondary 850 or 855 Holley isn't too much. Total timing 30 - 35 degrees and usually best 32-34 degrees. Headers help a lot, but not when cast iron manifolds are desired. Crower cam # 60916 is the magic mild 455 flat hydraulic cam. Lunati sells the best Pontiac valve springs, 10 degree keepers and retainers.
Nick ended at 36 degrees total timing which was kinda the standard on all engines back then... later Vortec engines may prefer 28 - 34 degrees somewheres...
@@BuzzLOLOL The Pontiac head chambers are machined, not cast and they don't a lot of ignition advance. Also if using a stock type carb, backing off the timing will richen the mixture, without having to locate jets for the carb.
@@BuzzLOLOL It absolutely does have that effect. Advancing timing burns leaner or requires larger jets. Retarding timing burns richer or requires smaller jets.
You sound like the Godfather because you are the Godfather of the dyno. I noticed you had the vacuum hose to the vacuum advance hooked to manifold vacuum, you should hook it to ported vacuum. Most Qjets were 750 CFM. The ones for big blocks were usually 850 CFM. There is a way to tell the difference. The one on that engine appears to be a 750 CFM. Get better soon Nick. We look forward to your videos. Take care Buddy.
This is a "perfect" Pontiac 455. These engines are known for unusually high low end torque, their best horsepower is between ~4,200 and 4500 RPM. They "roll off" at ~4,800 RPM, and are "out of breath" at ~5,000 RPM. The bigger carb may help a little, but with their relatively small valve size and runner cross section, these just don't produce much torque on the top end. These have tremendous "off the line" acceleration, due to the torque coming in at the stall speed of the torque converter. This is the engine you want, for light to light street racing. They'll "burn rubber" all the way down the city block.
12 flat's in a SD 455 works pretty well for being out of breath, ha ha ha
@@74SD455TA - SD's have better heads!
Put some Ram Air 4 heads, .030 flattops (around 11.5) on a 4 bolt 455, ran a .288/.298 .515 cam -
While in 3rd gear (as the tires melted) the tack would climb so fast after 4500 that I was afraid to step down til I could put a rev limiter on the thing, but NEVER did I get the feeling that I was running a marathon with my hand over my mouth, far more like no end in sight
Not to mention the tiny intake ports keep high end horsepower in a low band
I had a 428 bired and stroked to 500 cubes did 10.8 in the quarter mile all day long
I owned a '72 Pontiac Grand Prix once, it had a 455 with a 4-barrel Quadrajet, and a Turbo Hydromatic 400 tranny. That thing was a beast stock. I could blow the doors off any street car out there. Amazing car, back then.
Had the same car only it was a 400 with a little bit of cam . Don't know how fast it was but it was a handful and my father always got in trouble when I let him drive it.
You are the God Father of engin building....
I had a completely stock 73 Formula 455 Firebird back in 1986 and the torque and 250 rear wheel HP was awesome! Not insane power but more than enough power to street race and eat up late model 350 corvettes and 350 Firebirds!
Love seeing the episodes with Pontiacs in them! Love and appreciate that you are a Mopar guy Nick, but I really appreciate that you’re open to all makes of engines as long as it’s muscle. Love your content!!!
More to come!
From West Haven, CT. Good morning and thank you for this video.
@@NicksGarage Try a built Cad 500 from the Cadillac co. Albequerque. 1000 HP.
Ý
"my voice is getting horse, but the power is getting better.." hilarious
Chrome, polished aluminum, anodized, they all look good on a motor. But for some reason, a simple but good factory-style paint job still looks great. Makes em look...strong too. hahaha
As usual there's no better way to start any Monday off than watching and learning from you Nick!
Wow, thanks!
Should have hooked up the choke and made sure it worked right while dynoing...
Would have gone 1 step larger in cam... Use Super Duty 455" 850 CFM Q-Jet...
Timing marks wrong?
Nick worked at Pontiac back in late 1976 when I ordered and bought my '77 Pontiac Gran Prix... mint green with white interior... 301" Pontiac V8 rated 17 MPG city and 23 MPG hiway, great numbers for those emissions slug engine 10 MPG days... Canadian 'Pontiacs' may have still been getting Chevy engines...
Where's a squeegee for the water?
Engine Dyno stand needs a Parking Brake to hold in proper position...
Nick sounds like he has Omicron flu...
@@BuzzLOLOL..... I was fine the next day. I have lost my voice many times in the past. Normal for me.
Nothing better than a broom handle to listen to internals old engine builder showed me that little trick, love the show
Nick sure is the Gold Standard here in Canada! He is known from coast to coast to coast. He is a Canadian icon!
We got a 69 GTO Judge Tribute. 455 BBP on MSD ignition, bored .030 over, forged rods and pistons, heavy duty mechanical valve springs, 750 double pumper carb, billstein suspension all around, wilwood 6 piston brakes, drilled and slotted rotors, stock M40 Turbo with 3.90 gears? Rear end, just has a posi in her. Built trans, no OD aftermarket 17” factory looking wheels, about 50 grand with 0 work done by myself, all in a shop. Car is a beautiful Orbit Orange, convertible with a white top. Car was bought from an older women after her husband passed, car was complete and just needed a minor restoration, ended up doing a full Judge conversion all with authentic Pontiac GTO Judge options, from the RPM gauge on the hood, the the ralley wheels and shifter, back to the spoiler, and full Judge Drivetrain. Car dynoed just over 500WHP on the dot on the 1st run (car was warmed up) and over 570 foot pounds of torque. She lights the rears up like no tomorrow. Wrapped in sport cup 2s 275s all around, 17x8 Lemans remanufactured.
Love the overhead view of the Quadrajet showing the sequence of the Secondary POE deploying as those big secondaries come online.
Favorite part as well.
We call it 'air door'...
@@BuzzLOLOL POE "Pull Over Enrichment" are the two holes above the air door leading edges that supply the shot of air fuel mixture that we saw to aid a smooth transition.
You can watch the hood go down when the secondaries kick in
@@bigthunder2860 - LOL ! ... Q-Jet secondaries were one of GM's best inventions...
Even though Nick is a huge Mopar guy,you can tell he's loves Pontiac's just as much when he talks about them. Would love to see a performance Pontiac build!
Pontiac-always underrated, I say they were GMs best, but corporate politics ruined them.
Totally agree. It is said that an original Pontiac block is good for about 800 hp before stuff starts to break. Butler Performance blocks have been built to push 2500+ hp on alcohol. I'll be putting a 400 in my next car.
@@originalpunkSxE I found that Pontiac's have their own unique little rumble to them too. I could always tell them apart from a chevy or ford... etc..
Same with Oldsmobile's.
Pontiac definitely had some good ones. My friend had a 1972 Grandville with a 400 that even when it was wore out and tired could still spin the wheels on that big old boat at half throttle off the line.
Yes, just look at the block casting. It is ahead of it’s time. To me it’s the foundation. You have to spend some money to get it right. When you get them to breathe then you have it all.
My two cents: I had the same engine in a 77 Trans Am. XF 455 block, Nodular cast iron crankshaft, 1971 96 heads, Edelbrock performer int. manifold, .030 over. Crane HMV 278 (222/234 @ .050 duration), Crower steel billet connecting rods, and Norris roller stainless steel rocker arms (1.5 ratio), carburetor was an 800 cfm Quadrajet for an SD455 auto engine. On the dyno my engine recorded 430HP and 510 Lb ft torque. Later on I changed the camshaft to a HIT 292 and Edelbrock aluminum heads. After all this, I gave the car away... and I am about to cry!
I feel your pain; Back in '78, I ordered a '79 Trans Am Special edition (T-tops, blk/blk). It had 211k miles when I sold it for 2500 bucks. It still ran good, all original. Except I got rid of the smog pump, and emptied out the cat. converter. Selling is still the dumbest thing I ever did : (
You traded - in the T/a , for a Datsun
My first car is a 69 GTO. I have owned it since 1983. It was setting on a Honda dealer's used car lot. Someone had traded it in on a new Accord. I often wonder if that person ever laments their choice? And a 455 with #96 heads making 430hp is no joke. While the #96's are a great head for a street car that is probably about the most you can get out of them without major porting. I have run them as well as 7K3's, #13's, 7F6's and #48's on 428's and 455's. Today it's Edelbrock or KRE's. They are both a huge improvement.
Iwould be balling
Were you running headers?
I love Quadrajets! I have rebuilt and tuned them and they always treated me right.
Yes sir, I have a Qjet on a 360 AMC, swapped in a Jeep cj7. Love it!
Hi Nick! I was always the oddball drag racing with a Poncho. Lol I had a 455HO 1971 Trans Am that was a stump puller. Awesome torque and coupled with the M-22 transmission it was a great car. We rebuilt the engine with all the "good stuff" after I over revved it and broke some top rings. Great memories, Nick thank you for the video 👍
An absolute dream car!
Hemi killers!!
@@canusakommando9692 Hemi killers, really ?
I had a 1971 455 HO Trans Am for a couple of years. Great cat and handling.
Yeah bro big Pontiacs kick ass
My first car, bought new was a 74 SD-455 Trans Am. I did a lot of street racing with it. The 2 cars in my city that I could not beat were a 70 hemi cuda and a 69 ZL-1 Camaro called King Kong.
love the old pontiacs! I've owned a 65 goat, a 69 Bonneville, a 70 firebird, and 2 71 grand prix. great video Nick!
Thanks 👍
The 389 was a good running motor.
I had a '68 400 H.O. Ram Air that was a bit of a mish-mash of parts from 421 SD and 455 motors and it ran HARD.....that 'Bird was FAST
@@ssnerd583 it was either an ho or a ram air no such thing as an ho ram
I tuned in for the Pontiac 455 dyno. What I also found was Nick is old school which I like and definitely knows how to tune these old engines. Plus he worked at Pontiac back in the day for 5-6 years rebuilding and fixing these engines.
Awesome show and great information. Nick is a cool cat 👍
The 73 super duty had a special 800 cfm quadrajet, the rest had a standard 750 cfm Quadrajet. I had 455SD in a '73 Grandville (same motor as the 73TA), what a sleeper that was, if a 21' long tank could be considered a sleeper. If you loosen the tension screw (well hidden to those not familiar with the Quadrajet) on the Quadrajet air valves a bit you'll pick up some effective cfm, you can go until it bogs. DA secondary rods on an H hangar is pretty close with 73 main jets and 44B metering rods. You have to play with the power piston springs and secondary airvalve tension to get the most out of it without a transition bog. It's worth the tuning though.
just what I was thinking , glad you mentioned it :)
I had a qjet like that on my Chevy and it worked great
Effective "tuning" on an SD-455 was EPIC!
Just disconnect the vacuum dashpot on the secondary air door... IF you have enough motor, it will INSTANTLY flop wide open and give you ALL the airflow. If it bogs, remove the engine underneath the carb, and replace it with a better one.
I do love the sound of a big ol 455 Poncho !!!
Nice ride! My favorite pass time enthusiasm. 455 was my favorite!
Nick, my guess is he wants to run the Quadrajet because he wants to use the factory air cleaner assembly with the shaker. A Holly carburetor won't work with the factory air cleaner assembly.
Yes and it’s more reliable. Factory linkage. Choke etc. etc
Yes, we know. Thanks for the info. Stay safe.
I built a 70' 455 XF with #64 heads back in 1998. I used a 744 cam, Holley 6213 carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Ram Air III exhaust manifolds and 1.65 roller rockers. 1969 PX Turbo 400 trans with a Chevy 12 bolt and 3.55 gears in a 70' LeMans. Car ran low 12's all the time. Sold the car in 2004 to buy a house! No regrets but it was fun to drive! Those # 96 heads on this engine Nick built come from a 1971 400. They have 96cc Chambers and 2.11 1.77 valves. Great heads for 93 octane. The #64 heads from a 70' 455 had 87cc chambers and were used for one year only, the smallest chambers for any Pontiac 455.
My stepdad did the same thing back in the 71 he pulled the original 350 engine out of his 76 SS RS Camaro and stuffed a L6 454 out of a 1970 Chevelle. That way he would have the original ongine on a stand and could still romp on it. It is happy to do so with that rock crusher Muncie behind it. He still has it and it incredibly clean. it is a monster waiting to get back on the road.
Nice!
@@NicksGarage they are here to be driven so awesome if you can save the original engine and still have fun.
@@LunarOutlawsGarage Brian any idea on the 318 testing
@@edward-x3s6f the 318 block is a basket case so it is coming back out of the Satellite and a 440 is taking its place in the spring. When that happens I will be looking to have it shipped. its cylinders are our of round and the blow by is nuts.
@@LunarOutlawsGarage oh my , I thought you had problem solved with bottom end bearing clearances
OLD SCHOOL OLD SCHOOL HOW I LOVE OLD SCHOOL MUSCLE CARS BRINGS BACK ALOT OF MEMORIES THANKS NICK I LOVE YOUR PASSION VERY ENJOYABLE VIDEOS
Nice 455 Pontiac, Nick. I had a 455 Pontiac in my 73 Pontiac catalina station wagon but my dad sold it in 2014. Now it's got a 350 chevy engine, little bit better gas mileage. I have a 455 Pontiac I found out of a 71 bonneville that I might build and put it back in my Pontiac wagon. 455s are great engines.
Right on. Got to love a wagon.
What's the highway mpg ?(chevy 350)
What's the highway mpg? (Pontiac 455)
@@albundy8052 mpg on highway for the 350 is 16-18 mpg. 455 is 10-12.
My father worked at Pontiac motors for 40 years Joslyn Road in Pontiac engineering building he worked in the engine testing and development
An old friend of mine had a 77 trans am that he put a pontiac 455 in it. That car was a blast to drive
In my experience I've been in Hemi cars, Buicks 455 stage 1 and 455 HO Trans ams.
They are all fast!
The Buick is the sleeper killer with air. Lol.
The guy behind the wheel is the difference.
Love them all!
I am with you.
Love nexx garage appreciate it coming out on a Monday morning on a cold Monday morning it warms the soul knowing Monday morning I'll spend with Nick and George and the crew thanks a lot appreciate you sharing it God bless everybody at Nick's garage
Nick's Garage - it's like finding a pot of GOLD at the end of a COLD SNOWY rainbow. A real Treasure eh! Would love to know ALL he forgot eh!
The #48 heads on this motor are some of the best factory Pontiac heads. Small combustion chamber, big intake valves and big exhaust valves
As a point of comparison, I built a mild 428 for my 69 GTO. Mild meaning 061 heads, 068 cam, GTO iron intake, factory Q-jet. Made 455 tq and 375 hp. It was a fun street motor!!
I pulled a 65k mile 428 out of a 69 Bonneville many years ago. It had factory #48 heads and 068 cam and I put headers and a carb spacer on it. It ran a best of 13.35@105 in a 72 GTO with a TH400 and 3.55 gears. Unfortunately I should have pulled the heads and removed the ring groove at the top of the cylinders because it slowly destroyed the top rings until the car would only run 14.20's. I sold the car in 1996 but still have the 428 setting in my shop all rebuilt and waiting to go in something. As a matter of fact, the Bonneville is still setting in the field behind my dad's house. He has owned the car since new but it's far beyond rebuildable today. The 428 was a really great engine that is pretty much overlooked today. Most people think you're talking about a Ford when you say 428!
I was going to say 375hp.
About 10 years ago when I worked with Dick Guldstrand in Burbank we had a 455 Pontiac engine built by Barringer who was good with Pontiac engines. It used the Edelbrock aluminium heads with a comp ratio of around 10 to 1. Cam was by Comp and I believe it was in the 225 230 range with around 505 510 lift. Lobe centers at 112.
It was a hydraulic flat tappet intake was an Edelbtock dual plane .
As I recall torque was up around 525 ft pounds.
Hp was 432.
Vacuum was good for power disc brakes. Power band was good from off idle to around 5300 rpm. Engine went in a 69 Firebird convertible.
Car had so much torque you could let the clutch out in 4th at idle and drive it away.
Nice non temperamental engine.
455's are legends stock off the line. Strong engines, and reliability only surpassed by the Chevy 350 and the Chrysler slant six!!
@@painkillerjones6232 Weirdo, Chrysler slant six.. Bwahahahahahhahahhahahahhbwahahahahhahahah,
@@74SD455TA Blow me.
Love BOP’s especially Olds. Love seeing these big blocks. That’d be a great engine for highway gears and an M20 Muncie. I’m building a stump puller Olds 455 for a 67 C10, I’d be thrilled with those numbers.
Nice job, Nick!!
First big block was an Olds 455. Great reliable engine. Also love having spark plug wires on top of exhaust manifolds.
My 454 truck will pass everything but a gas station. 3 mpg going downhill with the wind at its back. FI.
@@rogersmith7396 - Need to rebuild for good MPG as well as HP...
@@BuzzLOLOL I think its hopeless. I drive economy cars. I do have a 70 Eldo I am going to put back on the road but I think it will get 14-16 mpg. I would'nt mind converting to FI.
@@rogersmith7396 - Be lucky if EFI gained you 1/2 MPG on the Eldo... not worth the cost...
Great looking motor! I had 3 x TAs over the years in the '80s/90's: 2 x 76 400/Autos, 1 x 76 455/4spd. My old Chilton's Manual claims the following for the 1976 455: 200HP/330ft-lbs, 7.6:1 compression ratio.
After 1970, the gas crisis ended the power of all muscle cars. Everything went downhill as all closed chambered heads got opened up till there was no compression whatsoever 😞.
@@paulb5284 .....TRUE.
@@nickpanaritis4122 Malaise era, the quality of the cars went downhill as did the horsepower.
Hey Nick look up the "Clinton Shaker" drag car out of Clinton, MD. Big time Pontiac man, Bob Maxey. My buddys wifes late father. Lots of my high school memories are in Pontiac GTO's, and Firebirds, last one I had was a 73 Grande Ville, awesome tork from its 455 bone stock quadrajet dual exhaust, it was such an awesome highway car! Last had it in '88. Wish I still did....take care of that voicebox!!
Those mid 70's big engines like 455's and 440's would almost run on mineral spirits the compressions were so low. I once put a 455 out of a 76 Bonneville in my 69 GTO. All I did was an Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley 800, headers and Comp Cams 268 and it ran 13.9's with the stock TH400 and 3.55 gears. That's not bad for 7.6 to 1 compression. And it was my daily driver at the time so it was nice to be able to put 87 octane in it while my best friend with his 71 GS with a 10.5 to 1 Buick 455 had to go get that expensive 93 octane!!! Yeah, he was faster, but I had to get to work.
I love me some Pontiac. I would love to see a seriously built big block Pontiac. That's would make a great video series.
Pontiac didn't make big block my friend
No Such Thing As A Pontiac Big Block....326-455 same physical size.
Pontiacs blocks are all the same size
Big "cube" Pontiac motor
Good morning to all! I don't why the close-ups of the an old master's hand with the music got me chocked up. Time is fleeting...... Great work!
I can understand that first start feeling. Many years ago I worked for a shop as an aid and a customer had problems with his engine. After troubleshooting and discussion with the customer one of the mechanics started to look for a replacement engine and found a just rebuild one.
It was bought, swapped in and then started.
Run fine first but started having issues and then failed.
Turned out that the guy who rebuilt it had mixed up two bolts. One was shorter to allow for oil to passage (into a cam bearing if I remember correctly).
Ouch. Thanks for the story, Rolf.
@@NicksGarage please correct me , Did you work for Pontiac Motor or a dealership ?
My buddy just out of high school, had a 1970,or 71 Pontiac Bonneville,with a 455! Headers,bigger carb,true 3in pipes just past the drivers door,.That big boat did 105mph in a quarter mile. No clue the time,13s I guess.But I like 455 cu engines, alot
Rochester great carb. Reliable. Efficient. And fits right. Linkage. Hood scoop. Installation of edelbrock intake and carbs kill drive ability and efficiency. Have multiple edelbrock carbs andintakes taken off of cars sitting on shelf. Back to factory intake and carb.
I always cringe when the video takes off the Q-Jet and puts the (sponsored) Eddy carb. on...
Good morning! Thanks for the video! Brings back memories of my first car, a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville with the 455. It was a great engine and a fun car. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing.
Good morning Nick and Crew from cold and frosty Linglestown, Pennsylvania! Always gotta start my week with Nick and Crew!
Morning! Stay warm out there, Bill.
Nick, hot tea with lemon and honey. Honey, not sugar. Menthol cough drops.
I had the same problem when I lived in North East USA.
HUMIDIFER IN BED ROOM! Or.... You could move to Florida like I did and throat problem fixed.
Great videos Nick, thank you.
That's a beautiful engine I love the Pontiacs but the carburetor is 735 to 800 CFM because it has a front inlet fuel fitting ..the side inlet quadra Jets are 650 CFM 👍 in the CFM rating comes from the primary bores being larger if you look down the carburetor of a side inlet and looked in the carburetor of a front inlet you'll see the difference.. I'm about to go back and watch the show ,,I love it. God bless you, stay well ✌️🤗
Doesn't look like a Pontiac carburetor. No notches on the secondary air valve.
Needs the Super Duty 455" 850 CFM Q-Jet...
@@BuzzLOLOL those are way over $2,000
@@nachomax1639 no such thing as a "Pontiac" carby anyway, Rochester and Carter made the carbys for a lot of different makes and models of cars.
@@dutchylt right, like there's no such thing as a Super Duty QJet. Should get out more often. Cheers!
Neat engine, brought back memories of my Corvette blue 68 Pontiac Catalina I built with a 455 back when I was in my very early 20's. Your voice had me worried - but, reading through the comments I noticed it was just about the cold dry air in the shop, glad you are OK. Same problem here in Maine with all the intense cold this winter.
Glad to see a 455 dyna test. Love your channel.
Thanks 👍. We appreciate you.
The old BOP motors had some serious guts. I have a stock 1969 Buick 350 motor in my 66 Chevy C10 and it will pull trailers over mountains. Literally.
The Buick 350s sucked, as the bore was too small to do any serious breathing.
The Buick 455's, on the other hand, have a MUCH larger bore and are capable of some serious power if built right
@@davelowets I think that's a bit unfair to say. The 350's aint no Formula 1 but they are amazing truck engines. You get the torque of a big block with the fuel economy of a small block. I daily drive with one and I'm very happy with how it performs.
Likely cause of your voice issues: Dry air - the colder it gets the dryer the air gets.
A humidifier in the shop will reduce this problem if I'm right (or spill more water on the floor ;-) ).
Thanks for that. You're right.
Nick needs a little high octane fuel in his coffee ha ha ..
Also did you know that the 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix had more horsepower than the GTO! My uncle had one and received many speeding tickets from KY State Police Troopers on Interstate 71 because he just loved to drive fast and hear the hum and feel the pure power of the 400ci 4 barrel. He loved that car. "Pontiac The Mark Of Great Cars" the official commercial slogan from tv ads and GM.
Guess is 420hp/485 torque. I was way off. Dang torque monster! Needs more cam and headers, compression (a little bit more comp). Love this build.
No headers.
I asked my client it is going to end up with a 9.6 CR. He said that would be fine.
I'm a Ford guy but the Pontiac V8 was one of the genius designs of all time , with minor foundry and casting changes they went from 287 to 455 cubes.
It was THE Pontiac V8 for 2 and a 1/2 decades..
Bon Matin/Good Morning, nice to see a Poncho up on the engine dyno. Thank-you Nick and gang.
Our pleasure!
Nick I been a car all my life I was engine machined 3 yrs we used floor dynamics which was. A Clayton model it work well but your show. Is my favorite
Always a nice day regardless of weather conditions when Nick has something on the Dyno. And to those who are watching " Enjoy your day wherever you are " Peace.
I was running around in the streets during the time of this engine. There were always kids that were given the old family car. You could easily tell who they were. They would put a 780 double pumper on a worn out Chevy small block with the usual results. And this is how We knew who they were. There would be a spot in the middle of the hood with the paint burned off. Rookie mistake. I’m a new subscriber. This brings back good memories!
That's about what I was expecting from a 455 using #96 heads, iron intake and exhaust manifolds. That's why they are such good street engines. I have raced 455 Pontiacs since I turned 16 in 1983. While all my SBC and SBF friends were shoving in 4.30 and lower rear gears I always ran 3.55's or 3.23's with my 455's to take advantage of all that low end torque. Pontiacs suffer from what so many other standard muscle car engines from that era also suffer from, small block flow on the cylinder heads. I've run factory round port stuff which are better performers but very expensive. Today I run aluminum aftermarket heads that actually give an engine with that much displacement the air it needs. Only a Hemi, BBC or a few Fords ever had the air flow for great power back in the day. Great job though, excellent oil pressure, smooth and solid performance, just what a 3900lbs 76 Trans Am needs to be a fun car!
The Edelbrock heads are good ? whats the part# if you don't mind me asking ?
@@kencraig7308 If I was buying a set today I would get the Performer RPM CNC heads part number 61525. I actually am running older 60595 heads though. They have a smaller chamber because my car is a drag car so I have over 11 to 1 compression. But they use an older style combustion chamber that is slow burn like the original. The newer heads use a heart shaped chamber that is quicker burn and you can run with much less timing and also less detonation problems. I built my current 455 in 2005 so the newer design wasn't available yet. I think the KRE D ports also use a more modern chamber and if you don't already have a set of stupid expensive round port headers either the KRE or Edelbrock aluminum D port heads might be a good choice. Just to save that $300 or $400 in headers plus easier to bolt the exhaust up. As much as I love old Pontiac iron, and I do, any of the newer aluminum stuff is far superior. A set of stock Edelbrocks like the ones I use will flow right out of the box what takes a serious port job on iron heads from someone like the Butler boys. And a mild port job on the aluminum heads makes them superior to any level achievable on the iron heads. I think in this day and age iron is best for mild engines like the one Nick just built or for restorations needing correct parts. If you want a street rod or a strip machine go with the aluminum ones.
@@1967davethewave the numbers Nick achieved on that engine are about all I'm looking for to run on pump gas. Does Edelbrock have a intake and manifold that works together ? I don't have any misconception about what can be achieved with a super duty foundation but all I've got is a '73 455 out of an old Gran ville ambulance from Illinois 😂
That is the era my dad grew up in, the 60s-70s big blocks. So he knows about old school, big CI power.
I recently gave him a ride in my Hellcat Redeye and I have never seen his eyes so wide open! He was thrilled and terrified all at the same time.
He could not believe the HP of todays cars. Its a great time to be alive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good morning Nick and George, Looking forward to some good numbers from the 455, Here we go!
Morning! Here we go, indeed. Good to have you with us, sir.
Good morning Eugene!
Good morning, how is your weather? We are still in our little ice bowl.
@@derekbowbrick6233 Good afternoon Derek, we are having a cold rainy day, but I don't mind because the rain is badly needed.
@@electronicengineer Good afternoon Fred!
I've owned a few Pontiacs and built a few Pontiac V8s. The key to get a Pontiac V8 to run up to it's potential is getting the right set of heads. A great characteristic is that almost all the engine parts can be swapped between all the Pontiac V8s. There are a ton of different factory Pontiac V8 cylinder heads but only 4 of them are the Holy Grail which is a small combustion chamber to raise your compression along with a big intake valve along with a big exhaust valve but even on those heads you need to find someone who knows what they are doing to port the exhaust chambers if you want your Pontiac V8 to pull anywhere close to 6,000 RPM, especially a 455. A good set of aluminum heads is the way to go if you have the cash. Its getting hard to find the good Pontiac factory heads.
This right here is why people are turning to ls swaps.
Nice Pontiac engine! 1970 was the only year for the high compression Pontiac 455. But Pontiac was the only GM performance division that didn't have a special high performance 450 cube engine ready for 1970. The next year '71 455HO was equipped with the higher flowing round port heads, 4 bolt mains, aluminum intake manifold and 800 cfm carb, but the compression dropped to 8.4-1. They where planning on the Ram Air 5 to be the top dog, but it was cancelled.
1970 had a 455HO at 360HP.
G.M. couldn't let any of its other divisions out-do the Chevy Corvette... 🙄
Oldsmobile had some running 455s with 4-valve D.O.H.C. heads on them, and made 600+ h.p., but that was not allowed either... 😟
Nick thanks again Great job you have done., am and old Pontiac Lover from the State of Maine USA
Thanks for watching!
Might want to try smaller secondary metering rods or try a shim under the hangers to pull them up out of the jets to flow more fuel
Good tip, Thanks.
Thankyou nick and crew for all the help from the UK
Engines Nick's Garage has a stack This 455 pontiac on the dyno is back Nick and Manny already fixed the vacuum leak but Nick was dissapointed so he's got some horses to seek First he's gotta break in the cam For uprating classic muscle car V8's Nick is the man You can't get more iconic than a 73-4 GTO which is where this block is destined to go and you can't get better than Nick's Garage for a muscle car show Nick and the team do nothing half hearted Leo is helping Nick get the Pontiac started Sure with anything you build you can get some teething issues but a water leak is the last thing you need when you're ready to give it some abuse Luckily the leak is from the dyno not the block so the owner won't require a box of tissues There are a myriad of tweaks and turns Nick does the work as Leo learns To gain optimum efficiency it's gonna need more runs before it's ready for delivery Nick's Garage always does a shakedown so their clients rarely experience a breakdown Every Monday Nick's Garage is turning frowns upside down
Wooo Roberto.. Always on record times with the superfly rhymes. Right on!
@@NicksGarage I was ready and waiting with the rhymes Monday at Nick's Garage is always good times
@@NicksGarage Tell Nick to put some honey in his lemon tea It will ease that sore throat it works for me!
Go Roberto, go!
@@robertorhymes .. OKAY. Will do. Thanks.
I had a 1974 Pontiac grandville.455.
She was a runner...
I have been seeing a lot of lifter problems on Uncle Tony's Garage channel
It's always good to see a master at work 🐱
Thanks Nick.
Unlike Tony Nick actually knows what he's doing .
No matter which brand the powerplant Nick is the guy who can be trusted to do the job right. I'd send him my rebuild in a heartbeat despite the fact I'm a Leafs fan haha!
I use to play hockey on the streets when I was young The jersey I wore was # 6 Ron Ellis of the Leafs. LOL.
@@nickpanaritis4122 That's great I remember him well !
Lol
Had this in my 71 Firebird with a Muncie 4 speed 10bolt rear and I got 8 miles to the gallon.
I snapped a rocker arm in half on the highway on the way to the speedway on a sunday and found a garage with a chevy 350 sitting there and drilled out the smaller rocker just to get me where I was going. :)
At 5500 rpm and a 90 percent volumetric efficiency that poncho is only pulling maybe 600 CFM.
The q jet is either a 750 or 800 cfm.
The cam is on the small size too.
It definitely isnt due to the carb being too small.
I love watching these the way Nick builds these engines and runs 'em in, and the way he checks the old trusty "Motor Manual" for the factory specs for his comparrisons, I have the same book, mine is from 68 to 74, I did have 63 to 70 but it got clipped from me by someone, but anyway some time hopefully this summer I'd love to drive my Mustang up there to Nicks shop for an ascessment and fresshening of its 302, but he's prolly way backed up with customers! I know Nick could be trusted to build a nice durable and potent mill!
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I miss the sound of those secondaries opening up. I have not heard it in decades.
I'm Mopar guy myself too. My brother has a 73 Pontiac formula 455. I like the Pontiac engines also. Good job on the engine and I hope you get your voice back 🔧👍
This man's work ethic should be honored for all young folks to see..... BRAVO..!
Carburetor to small. I was in my late teens early 20s in the Muscle Car period. Had many friends who had GMs with Qudrajets. Everyone switched them out for Holly's double pumpers. No more vacuum stalls. Same reasons we switched out the Carter's. MOPAR's Ruled.
Float the Lifter? We said that if a GM didn't have a tick, it wasn't running. Great Video.
And most of those cars ran like crap after taking off original carb and intake.
Carb linkage scrapped together.
No more cruise control.
Likely ac no longer functional.
Hot start issues.
Terrible idle.
Vacuum leaks.
Pontiac used an 800 cfm Quadrajet on the 455 . My stock L78 used a 720- 725 cfm version. When they came out with the W72 400 in 77 they fattened up the jetting in the Qjet . Then in 78 they gave the W72 more cam , more timing , and more jetting . The W72 used cylinder heads from the 350 Pontiac V8 to raise the compression from a lowly 7.6 to 1 up to 8.1 to 1 . The 96 casting number heads for the 71 400 4 barrel GTO engine had a compression ratio of 8.2 to 1 from the factory. I had mine shaved 10 thousandths to help raise compression a little . My final build of the 69 Ram Air III short block I went .60 over . This hurt compression of the 400 . I used a Crane Ram Air IV T camshaft . The lift was. 469 and I used Comp Cams roller tip rockers in 1.6 ratio instead of the factory 1.52 . This gave a lift right around .500 . Pontiac used stamped steel 1.65 rockers on the Ram Air IV .
I had wanted to use the factory # 48 heads from the Ram Air III instead of the # 96 heads . My friend that sold me the completed short block kept the heads .
I was running a 3.73 10 bolt with cyclone 3 tube headers . Those 96 Cylinder heads really held things back . The late 70's Trans Am was a heavy car and could really have used the larger displacement from the 455 .
I had a friend who swapped out the W72 400 in his 78 T/A for a 1970 455 from a Bonneville. He was quickly running very low 13 second 1/4 mile times from this combo . Not bad for an engine rated at only 360 - 370 H.P.
They certainly are capable of running much faster . I was shifting my 400 right at 6000 rpm. I also used poly locks and set them like you would on a small block Chevrolet. This gave me a couple extra 100 rpm on top end .
Today if I was building a Pontiac I would just go to either Butler Performance or one of a couple other Pontiac builders . They will build you just about anything you want . Like a big cube Poncho making 500 + or even 600 + h.p. running on pump gas .
Years ago I put a set of 6X heads off a 350 Pontiac motor on a 455 engine and even a 400 engine and gained 30HP since it raised the CR
AMEN ! Great to see this , 455 is one Great engine so glad to see people still using them
The old Pontiacs are truly awesome
I had a 72 455 in a 68 firebird. That thing was a low-end beast
I've seen a few of your videos now, and I noticed that you show a lot of Mopar stuff, including teardowns and builds. I'm a Pontiac guy, I found your channel looking for Pontiac videos, and while dyno runs are cool, I think a lot of us would like to see the actual builds of the non-Mopar engines. I certainly would. Pontiacs are probably the second most popular GM brand, but it would also be nice to see Olds and Buick builds, too, not just the dyno runs.
I'm glad you like the channel and appreciate the feedback on the content.
I completely understand the owner's reason for wanting a stock look. However, with the numbers matching engine safely tucked away I would be VERY tempted to at least go with a better carb and headers. The owner has already gone to considerable expense and that motor has more left.
Those manifolds flow nearly as well as headers without the clearance issues. Maybe a 7 hp loss.
D-port heads
@@thebigpicture2032
Those manifolds are too beautiful to be called manifolds. Cast iron headers is more fitting.
Quadrajet flows plenty of CFM and has good road manners, without a bunch of tuning.
@@jhoncho4x4
In a pinch you can richen up the secondary metering by just bending the hanger. Try that with a Holley.
Once again George, I'll make the call, love your cinematography 🇭🇲👍
On the street, the 455ci Pontiac comes alive so quick, it's hard to beat stoplight-to-stoplight. They just don't have that top-speed endurance with numbers coming so low in the RPM range. Still, you have to love that punch in the guts you get from 0-120mph.
I personally think the 455 Pontiac is still the best choice for a street engine, especially if it's your main transportation. Pontiac knew how to build smooth, usable torque. They will never be 426 Hemis or LS6 454's but they also don't need 4.11 gears or high stall converters. I own many cars, including big block Mopars, and they are all great but for smooth and easy cruising, and tire frying fun, my 455 powered GTO is still the best!
Hutter racing built and pulled 690hp and 550 trq out of my dad's RAV with stock block,heads,intake,carb...461 with chevy rods and roller cam at 7400. Pontiacs rock
Great video. This should be a nice street engine. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Thanks for watching!
Very nice. Have those same dyno numbers in my 73 pontiac grand am 455. 🇨🇦
WHAT ARE THE CASTING NUMBERS ON TOP OF THE CENTER EXHAUST PORTS? It was hard to read them in the video. Pontiac had several casting numbers over the years and there's a lot of differences between the heads over the years. Great video.
Email me and I will let you know. Yes, hard to read. Or call me 450-936-8100.
Casting number is 96 🙋
96 🤓
@@dihydrotestosterone ..Thanks.
I had one of those engines w/ just 2 barrel carb, 2 speed powerglide. At just 1/2 throttle it would do 90 MPH before it hit 2nd and lots past 120 130. Delorean made sure they had lots. Wish I still had it.
Good afternoon everyone. Coffee in hand. And Nick Garage on the Big Screen. That Pontiac looks fantastic in that blue color. Sounded good to. Sorry to hear your voice go a bit horse there. Please take care of that. Best regards from SA.
Cam is a smaller than RA IV cam. Making similar power isn’t bad. It’s the heads and carb holding it back.
Hope your voice is well again soon Nick. That was a very nice afternoons viewing. Take care all of you and thank you for the fantastic camera angles . Leo I like that crazy hair !
Thanks 👍
Pontiac - 455. Lady I knew in high school had one. A TA. She still has it and rebuilt the body. They are just marvelous!
Hey Nick get a humidifier for the room. That will help and drink a lot of water.
As you proved, Pontiacs are torque motors. To make power you need more cam and better heads. The ports are kept small to improve low end torque by keeping port velocity up. Aftermarket aluminum heads flow much better. You can port the stock heads too; SD performance, SD Performance- Pontiac Performance Specialists is a Canadian company that can do this. With an engine like this you need a much bigger cam. A Lunati 704 vs.702 would work well and have enough vacuum for brakes. You might want to order it with more lobe separation. SD performance makes excellent roller cams also. If you use a cam with less than 230 degrees on the intake, you are leaving power on the table. I like your show.
Customer supplied the cam for what he wanted his engine to do... I would have gone 1 step larger...
i hope you feel better soon Nick!
Much better now, thanks. Just a bit of dry air and too many stories.
Finally some one who likes Q-JETS! I ran nothing but Q-JETS from the mid 70's to the mid 80's. I was well stocked with primary metering rods and jets as well as secondary metering rods and rod hangers, and lets not about the secondary air valve spring adjustment to control the DOOOWHOP characteristics!
Good morning and happy Monday Nick and crew!
Awesome! I also have a Pontiac 455/468. 1973 SD 16 round ported heads, Comp roller 51-816-9 camshaft, Ross pistons, Warrior aluminum intake w/ an old, reworked 850 Holly. Torque best at 4700 rpm = 580, horsepower at 5900 rpm at 590. Planted in a 1970 Tempest. Bold and bullet proof.
I used Isky cams in my Pontiacs. They worked perfectly and gave good power all the way through. This engine would be a good choice for a 1963 Bonneville 2 door with a 4 speed. Haven't had any problems with the Rochester carbs either. Very good stuff. Like the exhaust manifolds. Really wish you guys would drop that music stuff. All is great except for that. That engine sounded good what I could hear over the music. Oh yeah, 1st pull=nice for that Bonneville. With a set of 3:36:1 gears= go fast.
I had a 1975 grand prix sj 455 4 barrel RTS meant radial tuned suspension. The car was beautiful red and white, white seats , sunroof, and a continental trunk lid. It's was my favorite car and I'm 63. It had more horsepower than stated. It was one he'll of a car !
Thanks Nick and crew for a nice aspirational video .and as always be blessed and love on each other like a brother
Glad you enjoyed it
Pontiacs don't like a lot of ignition advance, especially 455's. Backing off the timing has the effect of richening the mixture too. With the hydraulic Voodoo cams, the 455 really likes the smaller ones with 112 degrees lobe separation and not the larger ones with 110 degrees separation. If going for a larger cam in a 455 go with wide lobe separation. The Pontiac intake beats a lot of aftermarket intakes, but the regular Performer (non-RPM) adds an easy 15 hp. The 455 responds well to larger carbs. The vacuum secondary 850 or 855 Holley isn't too much. Total timing 30 - 35 degrees and usually best 32-34 degrees. Headers help a lot, but not when cast iron manifolds are desired. Crower cam # 60916 is the magic mild 455 flat hydraulic cam. Lunati sells the best Pontiac valve springs, 10 degree keepers and retainers.
Nick ended at 36 degrees total timing which was kinda the standard on all engines back then... later Vortec engines may prefer 28 - 34 degrees somewheres...
@@BuzzLOLOL The Pontiac head chambers are machined, not cast and they don't a lot of ignition advance. Also if using a stock type carb, backing off the timing will richen the mixture, without having to locate jets for the carb.
@@jimjungle1397 - Changing the ignition timing doesn't change A/F ratio...
@@BuzzLOLOL It absolutely does have that effect. Advancing timing burns leaner or requires larger jets. Retarding timing burns richer or requires smaller jets.
Dr. Nick, the 455 is a good motor, had one in a 1972 Buick, it would do a smoke show all the way down the street, good times, cheers.
Nice. That is what they are meant for.
That was probably a Buick 455"... different engine...
You sound like the Godfather because you are the Godfather of the dyno. I noticed you had the vacuum hose to the vacuum advance hooked to manifold vacuum, you should hook it to ported vacuum. Most Qjets were 750 CFM. The ones for big blocks were usually 850 CFM. There is a way to tell the difference. The one on that engine appears to be a 750 CFM. Get better soon Nick. We look forward to your videos. Take care Buddy.
@Car Guy daddyo You are correct sir. I don't know why I typed 850. I was watching Nick's video after a 13 hour day.