The Red Sled vs. 1978 454 3/4 Ton Chevy
02-18-2009, 07:41 PM
#1
The Red Sled vs. 1978 454 3/4 Ton Chevy
Well, the time had to come. At age 35, my 6 year junior brother finally has a faster car than me.
I'm half proud, half disappointed.... I have a 2.4L/Auto HHR, he was in his 3/4-ton Chevy with a 454, TH400, and dual exhaust.
I spotted him ahead of me in traffic by chance on a clear night, at dusk... and we rolled up to the next light.... he was honorable and asked if I wanted to "go" and I said sure.
The light began to go red the opposite direction so I loaded up the transmission a bit and when it was green we both hole shotted it perfectly. I hung with him for exactly 3 seconds.... and the big, black 454 left me behind.
I did have an excuse in my pocket - traction control was still on - and it was a short race, maybe 400 feet... but we both burned rubber on the launch so I'm not sure TC would have made a difference.
His other car is a 1994 Buick Roadmaster with the Corvette LT1 and I know that is faster than his truck so I won't even bother.
Never have I wished I had bought the SS more..... :)
I'm half proud, half disappointed.... I have a 2.4L/Auto HHR, he was in his 3/4-ton Chevy with a 454, TH400, and dual exhaust.
I spotted him ahead of me in traffic by chance on a clear night, at dusk... and we rolled up to the next light.... he was honorable and asked if I wanted to "go" and I said sure.
The light began to go red the opposite direction so I loaded up the transmission a bit and when it was green we both hole shotted it perfectly. I hung with him for exactly 3 seconds.... and the big, black 454 left me behind.
I did have an excuse in my pocket - traction control was still on - and it was a short race, maybe 400 feet... but we both burned rubber on the launch so I'm not sure TC would have made a difference.
His other car is a 1994 Buick Roadmaster with the Corvette LT1 and I know that is faster than his truck so I won't even bother.
Never have I wished I had bought the SS more..... :)
02-19-2009, 11:26 PM
#5
Yeah, in 1974 my brother's 454 was probably mostly suitable for towing and hauling, but its been gone through... and with a 4.11:1 rear end and the tall 1st gear of the TH400 transmission... and yes, its heavy.. but it flies! Endless torque.
02-20-2009, 03:09 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-07-2008
Location: Lakenheath, UK
Posts: 826
lol i wouldn't put a stock one behind a 454 either haha, that'd be transmission suicide. there are a few companies that make some pretty tough ones though, check Pro-Built Automatics and Bowtie Overdrives, both have some stout ones. i read this somewhere, and don't remember EXACT ratios it talked about, but the 1st ratio in a 700R4 is so tall you can run a 3.23 rear and it'd be like running a TH350 with 3.92 rear or a TH400 with like 3.88 rear. a 3.56 rear with a 700R4 is like a TH350 with something like a 4.22 rear! but then you have an overdrive 4th gear to go nice and happy with your 3.23 or 3.56 rear, making for decent economy and nice low cruising RPMs. i believe one of those sites even has a stout trans called something like a 700L60 or something random like that, that is a improvements of the 4L60E transmission, in a 700R4 case, so you have a better trans, mean gearing, and no need for a computer!
02-21-2009, 07:12 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-10-2007
Location: LBC Ohio
Posts: 2,727
Man I remember my 700r4 with a 4:11 rear end in my 78 Malibu, I could pull the front tires off the ground bout an inch, 1st gear in those trannys are potent as hell, i always called it the coffee spiller gear. Second gear wasn't bad in those either but after that there wasn't as much BAM left.