Another fast Abody

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ValiantS

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Shelby, Michigan
Here's a friends car that's seldom on the internet. It's evolved quite a bit since we've met. Recently had the paint and body done. It's a 540 with -1 heads with good parts but it's definitly a milder build with reliability in mind. He actually drives it on the street every blue moon. It's run very low 9's so far.

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One of the first big upgrades it got was a home built swapmeet-parts 451" which was a low-10 sec car thru the 3" mufflers despite many less than ideal combo. But it was done pretty inexpensively!

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Very Cool, making full use of those wheelie bars! Got any more pics of the current setup? Is he using a PowerGlide or a "leave on second" transbrake 727?
 
Very Cool, making full use of those wheelie bars! Got any more pics of the current setup? Is he using a PowerGlide or a "leave on second" transbrake 727?
I'll have to dig and post some later, but it's 2x4150's on an Indy tunnelram. It got really nicely detailed during the paint. It's also a drysump and has custom headers so, it doesnt look like the typical BB swap under the hood. It's a standard ratio 727 built locally by Joel's on Joy.
 
Definitely a member of the heavy hitter club!
Thank you all for all the props, I'll pass it along. This last year he's been talking about selling it but, I'm hoping he'll change his mind. There's still a bit more left in the car and I hate to see it not realized but, it's not mine either. Regardless, we've had some fun with the car and could probably write a book some would find entertaining. I found this pic of the car when it first had a lowly stocker 340 in it with headers an intake and Holley. It was running in the 12.7s range IIRC.

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What’s that big tank in front of the radiator?
It's the oil tank for the drysump. He made a couple changes on the suspension one outing and it carried the front short-shifting into 3rd and when he lifted it 'tickled' the pan. End of season/year so I talked him into piecing together a used drysump system. He wanted to put a vacuum pump on it and it needed a new pan either way so the cost difference wasn't deterring. (Picks up major ground clearance too!)
 
LOL It probably looks 'busy' mainly because the TR and carbs. It's still 'heavy' at 3300lbs so it takes some power to get to where it's at. One nice thing with the headers i built is being able to change the plugs quickly/easily and you don't typically get that in an Abody/B eng.
 
LOL It probably looks 'busy' mainly because the TR and carbs. It's still 'heavy' at 3300lbs so it takes some power to get to where it's at. One nice thing with the headers i built is being able to change the plugs quickly/easily and you don't typically get that in an Abody/B eng.

Yes my custom headers on my Daytona made it a breeze. On my heads up car they are fab headers but the class rules dictate it has to be a stock firewall and stock mounts for the front suspension. I knew running nitrous pulling plus was going to be a commonplace thing. Even though I never started the engine I addressed that issue and found a set of through sockets and ratchet at Harbor Freight. I wish I had this tool forty years ago. Lol
 
Yes my custom headers on my Daytona made it a breeze. On my heads up car they are fab headers but the class rules dictate it has to be a stock firewall and stock mounts for the front suspension. I knew running nitrous pulling plus was going to be a commonplace thing. Even though I never started the engine I addressed that issue and found a set of through sockets and ratchet at Harbor Freight. I wish I had this tool forty years ago. Lol
No doubt John! Custom tools help the situation. For me the plugs are the 'windows of the soul' and to not access them easily...well does it say something that I build headers?
 
Yes my custom headers on my Daytona made it a breeze. On my heads up car they are fab headers but the class rules dictate it has to be a stock firewall and stock mounts for the front suspension. I knew running nitrous pulling plus was going to be a commonplace thing. Even though I never started the engine I addressed that issue and found a set of through sockets and ratchet at Harbor Freight. I wish I had this tool forty years ago. Lol


Here’s that through socket set if any of you guys never tried one in tight spots.

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