Anyone have any ideas as to why someone may build a 400 Chevy instead of pontiac besides price of parts and availability. I am thinking of using a pontiac block, but a guy at a garage says they are not real high perfomance engines. I am thinking forged pistons, crank, and rods, a good set of heads maybe a little porting with a little bigger cam may make it reliable and produce good hp, and torque. I will only be running the engine up to 5000 rpms roughly. Any comments would be appreciated

 

I'd say because chevys are a dime a dozen and are easy to find parts for, especially since alot of parts are interchangable with other small blocks. Either motor will put out plenty of power and reliability if they're built right. Personally I'd go for the chevy 400 too, but that's your choice. Have fun with which ever you pick

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2000 NHRA Edition T/A
Pewter Metallic
A4 3.23 Gear w/GSC's
Whisper lid, MAF Ends, Ram Air Kit, Exhaust C/O
Best 60ft:1.94
1/8th:8.381@86.03
1/4:12.963@108.44

1989 IROC-Z 5.7
Auto w/3.24 gears

 

noone makes headers for pontiac motors in 3rd gens. but if im wrong please tell me where to get some cause a 455 will be put in the bird if i can get headers.

 

i remember reading that potiac 400's are big block, not small block. i may be wrong tho.

 

they are not big blocks or small blocks they are refered to as wide blocks

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1987 Trans AM GTA
305 5SPD
Hypertech airfoil
gutted maf
kn filter
High Flow Cat,
3"Walker pipe
Dynomax Super turbo Muffler
TB Coolant bypass
Lubricated by Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic

 

The Pontiac is heavier but will run like a raped date if done right. However said that a 400 Pontiac can not be made high performance is a total moron or does not know anything about 60's GTOs and Firebirds. This cars would easily run 11's in NHRA stock.
The Pontiac and Chevy are about equal on power the only thing is the Pontiac weighs alot about 100 lbs more parts are more expensive.

 

As for headers, I'm sure someone somewhere would make some if you asked real nice ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$).

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'89 Red Formula 350- 350 .060 over forged pistons 232* @ .020 cam Performer RPM Holley 750 DP Vortec 1.94 1.50 Accel Coil and dist. Hedman shorty headers Dual Exhaust w/ cutouts 1LE WS6 suspension, wheels, and brakes, 9 Bolt 3.27 Posi Edelbrock LCA's & Track bar subframe connectors 700R4 A&A snorkel scoop Eclipse Head Unit Delco Bose Speakers 2 12" Pioneer subs w/ 400 watt/chanel amp

 

The reason people choose the Chevy 400 is do to the fact of more aftermarket speed goodies. TQ vs. TQ, they both compare really close.

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350 4 bolt main, Speed-O-Motive 383 stroker kit, re-sized rods ground for clearance,TRW Forged pistons,10.7:1 compression,HPC Coated RPM intake, Holley 750 cfm carb,World Products Sportsman II heads,2.02/1.60 valves, Comp Cam 1.6 roller rockers, Comp Xtreme 284 cam,240/246@.050 with .540 lift,Crane pushrods,ATI damper,Proform HEI and MSD6A box,HPC coated 1 5/8 headers, 2.5" exhaust with 40 series mufflers,TH350 with Hughes 3000 stall, Powertrax NoSlip Locker, 4.11 gears.

 

the guy who told you pontiac is not high performance is totally clueless about cars, all the motors i own besides f-body motors, are pontiac , and im a huge pointiac fan since most of the cars i worked on and owned were pontiacs,now im not putting chevy down, why would i since its the same company, but pontiacs are pound for pound the most torque number motor that came from chevy with a few exceptions the buick stages motors, 442 , chevells , ect, but to compare a 400 pontiac and 400 chevy , the are very different in numbers, for pontiac was a split off chevy for performace , you dont see pontiac much becuase since chevy is parent company pointiac performance died, such as lack of parts,performace parts, most of the stuff you will see for pontiac now days is for restoration, for who is fortune enough to stumble across some ram air 3 or 4 heads, and block, the 400 i pulled out of my 67 catalina was a 2 bb,290 hp, motor, built for a family car,anyhow, no noone makes headers for the swap, since ive reshearched the subject allready , like someone said i got a 455 sitting in the garage allso, but i have seen it done, dollar for dollar a pontiac motor wont go as far as a chevy motor INLESS you get a machine shop guy who grew up in the pontiac erra and knows what hes talking about ,

 

as said above the 400 is a "wide block" and I belive there 350 is as well. but, the pontiac has better heads and intake setups that they would out preform a chevy. but, I would go with a chevy just because the parts are so much cheeper. the pont. is to costly.

 

allso one more note all pontiac blocks from 350 - 455 are the same size block no difference in size only bore, like somone said no such thing as a pontiac small or big block

 

belive it or not but yes there is a differace from the 400-455 the mains are a differant size. and the 305 was a pont. eng. original. of course not as we often know it in a sbc. but as a totally differant block

 

I've never heard of a 400 wideblock, heard of 318 dodge wide block. But pontiac wideblock??? My 67 has a 400 big block and its completely stock and has lots of power. Will take my mild 355 camaro to 120 no problem. And its a boat! Build the pontiac. You want a monster or a rat. Just based on my own knowledge.

https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/rideimages/Pict0018.jpg

https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/rideimages/Pict0022.jpg

https://www.thirdgen.org/rides/rideimages/Pict0013.jpg

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1992 Camaro Z-28 5.7L auto t-tops arctic white

1967 Pontiac Catalina 2 door fastback 400 v-8 auto cameo white dark red interior

 

Pontiac 326-455 are all the same outer dimension sizes the only difference is in the 421,428, and 455 are different mains on the crank 3.25 and the 400, 389, 350, 326 are all 3.00 inch mains. Pontiacs are real tourque monsters they make alot power down low you donot have to rev them like chevy's they are a good motor and I would not trade my pontiac motor out of a true pontiac for anything but for you the 400 small block chevy would be the easier and cheaper solution to go fast

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2001 Z/28 6-speed
1978 Trans Am 400 auto

 

I agree.

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1992 Camaro Z-28 5.7L auto t-tops arctic white

1967 Pontiac Catalina 2 door fastback 400 v-8 auto cameo white dark red interior

 

72BUICKGSX do you still have your 67 Cat. Sorry guys had to ask.


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1992 Camaro Z-28 5.7L auto t-tops arctic white

1967 Pontiac Catalina 2 door fastback 400 v-8 auto cameo white dark red interior

 

I have two Pontiac 400's both out of 2nd generation Trans Ams are these a high performance block from pontiac? Does anyone know any where I can get some high perfomance stuff for them. I just think that a pontiac needs pontiac stuff you know. The guy who is giving me the engines said that he had a 400 in his old trans am that went with the car unfortunatly and he had milled the heads and block left the stock intake etc. with 3.23 rear gears and that it was real fast. Any more comments would be appreciated. James

 

yep i still got the 67 why you need parts, i got them let me know

 

Yeah I need a few. Email me with what you got thats good. Thanks.

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1992 Camaro Z-28 5.7L auto t-tops arctic white

1967 Pontiac Catalina 2 door fastback 400 v-8 auto cameo white dark red interior

 

i am in a gto car club and more than 3/4 of them will take most 3rd gens. Don't get me wrong, i have a 89 camaro, but done right, a 400 or 455 is a beast, easy 11 or 12 second car in a gto or lemans. Pontiac engine's are torque monsters. I have a 350 2 barrell in my 72 LeMans all stock, and it outran a 350 4 barrell chevelle. But I just got a 400 I am building as soon as the camaro is done

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Under Restoration:
1989 Camaro RS
350 Carbed engine
Turbo 350 tranny
3.73 gear
and other stuff

Daily Driver (till Camaro is done)
1972 Pontiac LeMans 2Door
350 V-8
Turbo 350 tranny
red with tan top

 

i don't need to say anything except 455SD,that was one of the ultimate muscle car engine

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1987 Trans AM GTA
305 5SPD
Hypertech airfoil
gutted maf
kn filter
High Flow Cat,
3"Walker pipe
Dynomax Super turbo Muffler
TB Coolant bypass
Lubricated by Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic

 

I know it's kind of off topic but I've seen several YouTubers say that due to the way the exhaust ports are on the cylinder heads it's difficult to find a set of headers that will fit an a body which I really don't see how considering I have a 1973 pontiac lemans sport coupe with a pontiac 400 and I had absolutely no problem fitting a set of heddman long tube headers on my engine. All I had to do is undo the starter, and oil filter housing and go to a shorter oil filter.

 

Good job bumping a thread old enough to drink in all 50 states!

 

If you dont do a radical build like over 6000 rpm pontiac motor dont even need headers. And if you do build a 7000+ pontiac motor good luck keeping the parts on the inside long LOL.

 

You can, but you'll need SD rods or aluminum. BUT, the Pontiac is a torque engine, so really doesn't need to spin that tight to go places. My 455HO in my '71 T/A regularly saw 5800 with factory steel rods. That was my absolute redline, though. And yes, you'll need to hand-build any long tubes for the thing in a 3rd Gen. Pontiac ran some Ram Air style exhaust manifolds that might fit, but finding a set.... wow!