Olds 455 Vs Pontiac 455 Vs Buick 455

[Gary]

To the people who grew up with these motors, which one of these 455s was the best? The Pontiac 455 is what I’m most familiar with however I have never actually seen a buick or olds 455.

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[gary w]

yo straw (smirk) I went to Maple Grove Raceway 2 years in a row, back in the early 2000’s, they had a drag meet and car show. the first year I picked up a bare block on the way out, 400 Pontiac, block code YD, ’67- for free- had a “free” sign on it, a vendor abandoned it there. next year, on the way out, same thing, a complete shortblock casting YC 400 block, “FREE” sign. I loaded it up.
in the past few years, I went on a hunt for Pontiac engines in local junkyards, and now have 9 of them. in addition to another 4 here at the house. and I know where there are another 6 or more in a few different junkyards.
they aren’t hard to find, and they are affordable. I could have 6 more sitting on my porch in a week, if I wanted them, within 15 miles of my home.
to reiterate, I think the OP was referring to bone stock engines, not the aftermarket.

[gary w]

ps- that’s sad about the 455HO, I get your drift….but after building 60+ Pontiac engines since 1980, I was actually thinking of doing an Olds 455 with long 425 rods in it and custom pistons, or a Chrysler early hemi 331-354-392 family engine, with 555 heads on it, and putting it in my GTO. just for schits and giggles….why ? GM had a better suspension than Mopar or Ford, and it’s what I have. BBC engines are cool too but way too heavy and common to put in a Pontiac. I could just like to step on a 455 Olds or early Hemi, without having to buy another complete Olds or Mopar car and fix all the sheetmetal and body and interior, what a PITA. at my age time is a factor, I just don’t have the time to do any more body-off restos. I did my share and they almost NEVER pay, you’re lucky to break even on them.

[Zac Aleksovski]

I haven’t been to salvage yards that much since I got rid of my TA which was around 1984-85. Someone lost a big chunk of concrete out the back of his truck & my car and I found it for him. The TA was a 1975 so wasn’t exactly a collectors item or a power house but it was a fun car. Had a local U pull junkyard (the kind you can drain the oil out of an engine on the ground & no one would say anything) and a found a lot of my “speed” parts for that car. Got the “good” cylinder head numbers from Nunzi (man that guy was hard to understand over the phone) wrote them on a note card & scoured the bone yard. Found # 13 heads which were ’70 GP heads & intake for like $45 and found 3.42 ring & pinion for around that much. Always would take the secondary needles & hangers on the q-jets that were left for my “collection”. Ah the good old days. I need to stop ’cause I’m tearing up.

[gary w]

ahh….the good old days of the 1980’s, combing the junkyards for big valve Pontiac heads….the last and final set I scored was last year, casting 061’s from a 1967 that were in a yard for at least 30 years. everybody else passed on them cuz they are pressed studs, but do have 2.11″/1,77″ valves, and the smaller 75cc chamber. yeh been there done that and it was a great thrilling experience, and I still junkyard comb from time to time, cuz while you’re in a yard searching, you aren’t thinking of nothing else but finding something cool. great post

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