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..... :)

 

Boat anchor.

 

That makes my HHR a link in the chain of the anchor. That thing got UP.

 

454s are actually quite potent. stock they might not have a ton of hp, but they're torque monsters, and if you start modding it, you're in for some real fun.

 

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.

 

you want a real crazy 1st gear? have a look at 700R4 ratios compared to a TH-350 or TH400

 

Well, I hope my brother doesn't swap one of those in behind his 7.4L engine... it would be hopeless!

 

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!

 

Younash: A true gearhead! I love it.

My blood runs Chevy Orange but you're just ON IT!!

 

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.