In episode #9 of Sports Car Revolution this season we are covering the Stutz drive train and accessories, appropriate since SCR is all about making your perform better.
Oaktown still has a little work to complete on the body so we temporarily took it back to Rob Neely’s garage to perform the engine swap and suspension upgrades.
Doug and Steve from Pro-Formance Unlimited flew up to tell us about the killer 455 they built for the Stutz and help us install it. Speaking of working better how does doubling the factory horse power sound!
Our #26 Blackhawk originally came with a 400 cubic inch Pontiac. A few early production cars had 428’s and by 1972 the 455 had become standard and would be the only engine offered in Stutz’s through 1976.
Stutz claimed in its promotional material that all engines were torn down in Italy and balanced and blue printed at the Torino factory. The two page brochure showing the prototype claims a “hand-tooled engine that delivers over 425 h.p.”.
The 1971-1972 brochure states, “The Blackhawk uses the 455 cubic inch General Motors block, also supplied by Pontiac. Stutz’s own factory engineers modify the engine by hand to bring the engine to maximum levels of efficiency and performance…”
Having had the opportunity to drive a 1976 and a 1971 model both performed very well, which might be due to their low mileage or perhaps Stutz really did finesse the engine before sending the cars off to the States or Saudi Arabia.
The 400 Pontiac motor had less than 35,000 miles on it but a decision was made to go with a custom built 455 big block for that extra grunt off the line.
A search of the internet led us to Pro-Formance Unlimited, a quick conversation with Doug was all it took to convince us that this was the shop we wanted to build the engine for the Stutz project.
Pro-Formance Unlimited will build a custom crate engine just for your car. They take photos and video so you can see your engine coming together on line. The personal service, enthusiasm and knowledge of Doug and his team is what sold us on Performance Unlimited.
The guys agreed to share their recipe for building a Pontiac 455, here is what went into our 450 h.p. motor:
Block 455 Pontiac
Crank Eagle Cast Steel
Connecting Rods Reconditioned I-Beam with ARP bolts
Pistons Forged Flat Top Speed-Pro
Rings Chrome Moly Speed-Pro
Rod Bearings Clevite
Main Bearings Clevite
Cam Bearings Melling
Camshaft Comp Cams
Timing Chain Double Roller
Head Bolts ARP Studs
Cylinder Head # OEM #96 Ram Air
Lifters Comp Cams Hydraulic
Rockers Comp Cams Aluminum Roller
Pushrods Comp Cams
Oil Pump Melling High Volume
Screen Melling
Gaskets Fel-Pro
Oil Pan Engine Works Chrome
Timing Cover new GM
Balancer Professional Products
Valve Covers Pro-Formance Chrome
Therm. Housing TD Performance
Flywheel Bolts Mr. Gasket
Pulleys March Performance
Balancer Bolt Mr. Gasket
Oil Pump Drive Melling
Water Pump Tuff Stuff Chrome
Fuel Pump Holley
Intake Manifold Edelbrock Performer RPM
Carburetor Holley 4150 Street HP 759 CFM Double Pumper
Distributor MSD Pro-Billet Ready to Run
Coil M3D Blaster II
Wires Taylor 8mm
Air Cleaner March Performance
http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/
The Stutz’s body work was scheduled to be completed prior to the engine install but that California body was a lot rougher than we imagined and the car had to be pulled from Oaktown with only half the body work done and no doors, trunk or hood. The missing hood, grill shell and front bumper actually made the engine install a lot easier. After a few quick measurements it was determined that the engine hoist would not have been long enough if the grill had been left on. The Grand Prix chassis was actually chosen as the basis of the Stutz because of the placement of the engine far back on the frame.
The engine came together with help from March Performance Pulleys who supplied one of their serpentine systems as well as their beautiful new Futura Billet custom air cleaner which looks right at home under the Stutz’s long long hood. Everyone at the shoot or who saw the Pro-Formance Unlimited crate engine waiting to go in commented on the March air cleaner, its heft and design.
All the chrome accessories from the alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump and huge power brake booster came from Tuff Stuff Accessories. Like March all made in the USA! Look on line what chrome accessories they have for your ride.
Northern the radiator people supplied us with an aluminum rad and electric cooling fan to keep all that Poncho power cool. Northern specializes in perfect fit bolt in aluminum radiators for most high performance street cars and trucks.
March and Northern also helped us out with the V8 Ford Focus project, see more of the Sean Hyland built monster back at the SCR home page.
YearOne has helped out with a set of GTO Ram Air III reproduction exhaust manifolds, these will be mated up to Patriot side pipes in episode #10.
The install went very quickly and after only a few hours we were ready for start up. We were a little concerned to see a big Holley with no choke but Doug assured us that he had tuned the 455 to perfection and all it needed was a little gas and she would fire up and idle like a stocker. A little louder than a stocker as there were was no exhaust system, but true to his word the powerful engine settled into a smooth idle very quickly.
All that smoke you might have seen on screen was just dust being blown around buy the blast from the exhaust manifolds.
The install went smoothly thanks to Rob Neeley and the Pro-Formance engine sounded so great that we can hardly wait to get the Stutz out on the road and the drag strip.
The internet allows you to find an experienced performance engine builder no matter where you are. The knowledge and experience of Pro-Formance Unlimited’s dedicated staff is available nation wide or world wide!
Pro-Formance Unlimited provides full documentation of your engine build up on line so can see what your engine really contains. The Pro-Formance web site has info on all their engine packages as well as video and photos of the Stutz engine being built.
http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/scr.html
http://www.proformanceunlimited.com/
http://www.marchperf.com
http://www.tuffstuffperformance.com/
http://www.northernfactory.com/
http://www.yearone.com/
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