Input needed SBC 70 Strato

[BYGDDY]

Just looking for opinions and advise, i recently bought a 1970 Pontiac Strato Chief Canadian car( drivetrain is 1970 Impala all the way!)9.1- 350, 2brl with a TH350. Car has 50000miles on it and runs flawless, hell it doesnt even leak oil....I went on a shopping spree and bought an Air gap intake, BG650 carb (vac sec), Comp thumpr cam and lifters, 64cc patriot alum heads, msd HEI, hooker long tubes, complete 3" with X pipe to a set of the new thrush fully welded two chambers, a b&m kit for the trans, as well as a 2800 convertor, and finally 373 gear for the ten bolt. I belive teh factory heads are 72cc chambers? If so what will going to 64cc do in terms of compression? Any idea what kind of HP#'s i could be looking at with this set up and how drivable it's going to be? Im hoping to get my barge to run low 13's - high 12's. The strato chief is a goofy optioned car, although it's a boat it has zero options, as in radio delete, drivers only mirror, no ps, no pb, hell under the front bench seat there isnt even carpet....so i really don't know what it might weigh. Anyways i have grown up around hot rods and 30's street rods my whole life but this is my first "real" car and first "real" build so any advice and opinions would be really appreciated.
thanks
David.

[squirrel]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

should end up with closer to 10:1 compression, should run pretty good, but it's kinda heavy to be running low 13s with that setup. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

With flat top pistons that should be in there, 64 cc heads will be around 10 to 10.25. It's hard to guess on HP numbers. What's the cam's specs? It sounds like to have parts matched up nicely, but I'm thinking 12's may be a bit of a stretch without NOS.

It's not likely you have 70cc heads from the factory. There were some with 69cc, but you rarely see those casting #'s. Most were either 64cc or 76cc. Post the casting # off your heads to be sure of what you have.

Sounds like a totally cool and different project car. Please post some pics of it and keep us updated on your progress.

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Yah it's a neat car, a face only a mother could love but just ugly enough for me to love it. The price was right, it's big enough for the whole family to ride in and with my parts selections hopefully loud and lumpy enough to make me grin lot's. And for me that's what counts, i want it to be quick, sound brutal, and be a blast to drive. Hopefully i will acheive that.

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Not to be a post whore but can anyone else see these pics? Im new to pic posting and wife was showing me how but got irratated and left, so not sure if it worked..?

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Yep, the pics are there. Unique and very cool car.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

70 is the best year catalina ever
dad had an executive safari , and we love the lasalle style nose
I would be jammin a mountain motor in that , BBC 540 and up , unless you are wealthy and indian adventures and those canted valve style pontiac heads ...
great car

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Thanks guys, great to own something that is kinda neat and unusual, Im looking forward to next summer when i can empty out the trunk full of parts i have and get everything on the car. Rebel if you could chime in i love the stance of your 65? 66? and was wondetring what you are running for rubber? Springs etc? I have new springs and shocks, will be getting ssbc(?) brake kit with 2" dropped spindles soon so that will help....let me know...thanks

[Page2171]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

That's a neat looking Pontiac. My grandfather had a '70 Pontiac similar to that (an American one, don't remember the model) that I think was the same color as Rebeldryver's '70 Caprice. What I do remember is that it had a Pontiac 400 in it and could haul.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Thanks guys, great to own something that is kinda neat and unusual, Im looking forward to next summer when i can empty out the trunk full of parts i have and get everything on the car. Rebel if you could chime in i love the stance of your 65? 66? and was wondetring what you are running for rubber? Springs etc? I have new springs and shocks, will be getting ssbc(?) brake kit with 2" dropped spindles soon so that will help....let me know...thanks

Front suspension is the stock sbc springs cut down 1 1/2 coils 1 1/2 inches, Energy bushings, and kyb shocks. Front tires are 225/60's.
Rear has custom springs that were much taller and I cut them down. They are 20% stiffer than stock. Rear suspension has boxed lower arms, Energy bushings, and kyb shocks. Rear tires are 275/60's on 8 inch rims.

Up front is CPP's disc brake set up on the stock spindles.. Very easy to install. I wouldn't cut your new springs until you get the new dropped spindles on it.

Here's a side profile shot.

That's a neat looking Pontiac. My grandfather had a '70 Pontiac similar to that (an American one, don't remember the model) that I think was the same color as Rebeldryver's '70 Caprice. What I do remember is that it had a Pontiac 400 in it and could haul.

My '70 Caprice's color is Anniversary Gold. Common color throughout GM with different names.

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

That's the exact stance im looking for, i have a set of 275/60's for the rea and a couple of options for the front, i have 235/60's or 205/70's . But yah, once i get the power brakes and spindles on i will see how it sit's. I have new replacement coils all around from moog and kyb shocks as well, i would imagine i will have to cut a coil out of thw rear but with the spindles probobly won't have to cut anything up front. For teh record i was never a big fan of the fullsize cars until several years ago i saw yours in Car Craft i belive and loved the look with the flat black and the way it sit's etc. That and the true street guy (nick scavo perhaps?) that used to run the 70(?) silver Imp and watching that giant car launch is just so cool....

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Nick Scavo ran a black 65 Impala for a while.



My Caprice has 235/70's all around. I would go with the 235's to get the rake. If your running Hooker headers, careful with ground clearance as the driver's side hangs down lower than the right for cars with single exhaust tranny cross member. I nearly tore mine off the engine. Hedman's have 1 1/2 in. more clearance. That's what I have now.

[DanStokes]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Welcome to the party! Mom is Canadian by birth although she's been here for 84 years +/-. She was 4 when her mother remarried an American citizen and they came over to live in Detroit.

I LOVE the odd (to us) Canadian versions of American cars. You know, Plymouth pickups and the like. Your Poncho/Chevy ranks right up there. Of course, it can't hold a candle to a Lada (J/K, of course). You're lucky it doesn't have a vinyl top and the rust that goes along with it!

The pics came out just fine. Thank your wife - the politics of marriage.

Dan

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Nick Scavo ran a black 65 Impala for a while.

Wow, my memory sucks, yah that's the car i was talking about, neither a 70 or silver....my bad.

[BYGDDY]

Re: Input needed SBC 70 Strato

Welcome to the party! Mom is Canadian by birth although she's been here for 84 years +/-. She was 4 when her mother remarried an American citizen and they came over to live in Detroit.

I LOVE the odd (to us) Canadian versions of American cars. You know, Plymouth pickups and the like. Your Poncho/Chevy ranks right up there. Of course, it can't hold a candle to a Lada (J/K, of course). You're lucky it doesn't have a vinyl top and the rust that goes along with it!

The pics came out just fine. Thank your wife - the politics of marriage.

Dan

Yah we do have some weird one's. I have a post on Hot Rod as well so if anyone see's it and wonders why i called it a 70 Impala it's much simpler then explaining the whole Canadian Pontiac deal. But i gotta be honest, finding parts is way simpler when you ask for 70's gm stuff then a Pontiac. Yah, no real rust to speak of, one small soft spot at then lower front drivers fender, and that's about it. The paint is original and shiny,the chrome is mint, two owners that both lived 15min away from my house so it's always been in the neighbourhood. The only complaint i have body wise is that it has the worst gap problem ever, nothing lines up, doors, fenders etc. I have a buddy that runs a body shop and he is fairly sure the car hasn't been wrecked or repainted and he thinks he can line everything up again without to much hassle. Just can't figure out how it got so screwed up? Ah well...