Thanks Eric, actually it's far from done.  It needs a real exhaust system,
rear rebuilt with a posi, gears, axles, etc..., paint job, interior work,
and on and on.  Also, the short block is 30 years old and needs to be
replaced eventually with balanced/forged stuff.

There's probably as much left to do as has been done.  At least I can drive
it now!

Steve
72 Skylark Custom455

Thanks Joe,

Hopefully it'll turn some numbers at the track even with the open rear.

Steve
72 Skylark Custom455

Since the carb wasn't tuned right, and I was running the 2.56 open on street
tires (on the street), it's hard to get a feel for what it would run.

Plus, I haven't been in anything quicker than a 17 for over a year.

The heads are set up for much more lift than I'm running and a lot more rpm.
It still should be strong on the top end.  I expect to have more mph than my
ET will show (or at least hope to).

I've now had one '66 Skylark 300, one 72 GS350, one 71 GS455 and this 72
Skylark.

I've had 3 notchback 5.0's... I guess I'll be due for a Mustang again some
day.

Steve
72 Skylark Custom 455

Patrick,

The block is a '76.  The heads are '72s.  Together they'd normally yield
about 8.5:1 compression.  The heads have had a little bit of a clean-up cut
along with the larger Stage1 valves, which reduce chamber volume a little
bit.  I would estimate about 9:1 compression, but I didn't do any measuring.
The heads have had an extreme amount of port work done to them.  The intake
ports were raised about 3/8" taller.  They had to weld on a little more
metal for the gaskets to seal, and I had to use a wood chisel to enlarge the
gaskets.  The intake was matched to the heads.  Together, on a 12.2:1 motor
along with a pretty decent sized cam, they went mid 10's.  I'm just running
stock valve train in them.  The cam is a TA Performance 288-96H.  With the
stock 1.55:1 rockers it measures .499/.509 lift with 230/240 duration at
.050.  The centerline is 116 degrees, which would hopefully work well with
my somewhat lower compression.  That seems to be the case as it was pulling
almost 15" vacuum at 800 rpm through the Holley 850.  The headers are a few
year old TA 1 7/8" primary/3" collector headers.  The were given to me by
someone who had bought them to go on a 4-speed car, but interfered with the
Zbar.  I guess TA has redesigned them a bit over the years to fix that
problem.  I got them with a bit of surface rust as they had sat in a garage
for the last few years.  I had them coated with Satin Titanium from
Performance Coatings in Auburn, WA.  I like the look of them - very subtle.
Right now it's just running a new/rebuilt points distributor.  I also have
an MSD 6A for it, but that will go on later.  The trans is a built TH350
with a Continental converter.  The converter should stall in the 2600 - 2800
range with my car.  The rear is the original 2.56 open rear.  I've got
Hotchkis lower trailing arms for it, but they'll go on later too.  As of
now, it's on borrowed tires as I don't have a set for it.  The ones on the
rear are the front tires from the white 70 Skylark you see.  The fronts are
some others that he had.  The car has all drum brakes and no power assist.

The white car is Rick Henderson's.  He's the person giving me all of the
assistance on the car - and forcing me to be meticulous about things as much
as possible.  His white car was running 11.6's being driven to the track on
a 9.3:1 forged/balanced motor with 5300 rpm shift points through 3.42's with
28" tall tires.  He broke the crank in half (damn torque anyhow) and it
grenaded that motor.  He had an old 1970 motor that I had found for him
(because I had nowhere to put it myself for $100!).  It had sat outside for
years before he got it and it sat at his place for two years.  As with me,
funds to do a shortblock weren't there.  He disassembled the motor and
cleaned everything.  Then he put fresh bearings in the crank and for the
cam.  The pistons/rings were left as was.  He put his Gessler heads on it
and the rest of his supporting hardware.  Since the factory cast pistons
aren't notched, he went with a smaller cam (Comp Cams 280 grind that a
friend had- used).  He assembled everything and got a trans put together.
First time out he went 12.00 and 12.01 with it.  He may have hit an 11.9,
but he had to hit the brakes in elim's and went 12.04.

That's pretty much the story at this point.

Steve
72 Skylark Custom455

Thanks Michael,

Actually the passenger side is straighter, but it has rust through the front
fender in an area.

Steve
72 Skylark Custom455