Pontiac Firebird 1967-2002 - 1980 T/A needs more power!

Hey i was just wondering if anyone knew some things that i could do to the motor to get more power out of it. I know more about recent cars and the ls1 but im not sure what to do with carburated 4.9 liter or where to get parts from. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

The 301? You ditch it ASAP and drop in an LS1. Well, ok you ditch it at least, and get a bigger more reliable motor. For a temp solution I recommend a 350 Rocket, from an Olds car. You'll probably need to get the tranny with it, I don't know how interchangeable the BOP bell housing is.

Meh, people are so clueless now, you could slap on some Pontiac named valve covers and people would buy it :) Unless it's a personal thing, toss in whatever you can get your hands on. Except a 301 Turbo or a 307 (Chevy's 307 is fine, but not worth it still).

Since you have a pontiac engine in it now, just install a 400 or a 455.
It will be the easiest and most cost effective thing to do.

www.classicalpontiac.com
www.performanceyears.com

There was a Article I saw in a HPP about 5 years ago called the Go Fast 301. I might have still have it and can scan it and email it to you. But there isnt really much you can do but open up the Air Intake and Exhaust. You try to up the Carb and put a Edelbrock performer intake on it. All Fit for Pontiac 301-400-455.. Good luck

I have a very good Pontiac 400 for sale too with performance parts.

I figured installing a new motor would be the best answer. Do you think GM Performance or Jegs would be a good place to buy from or are there better places to go? Blu99T/A how much are you selling the 400 for, what kind of power is it putting down? Thanks for all the feedback everybody.

I'd go with Blu's 400 for sure. Assuming he doesn't want a boat load of money for it :) A crate motor is going to run at least $2500.

The title of this thread made me laugh when I read it.

1980 T/A needs more power!

I thought to myself, "no shit!" :jest: :devil:

If you plan on going with a crate motor Jim Butler is the leading pontiac enging builder and his company has crate motors for pontiacs...Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny for quality pontiac parts as they are becoming more and more scarce.

The title of this thread made me laugh when I read it.

1980 T/A needs more power!

I thought to myself, "no shit!" :jest: :devil: :jest: :jest: :jest: :jest:

the pontiac 350, 400, and 455 shared the same block. thats only from 1967 till 1979. the 301 is completely different. also, the 403 olds is also completely different. some parts are interchangable between the pontiac motors, while some are not. brackets and such would come down to the particular years you want to swap from.

+1 install a Pontiac 400, I agree go to the performance years forum, lots of guys have experience with those engines and replacing them

Don't all these old Pontiacs use the same size block? My brother had a Grand Prix that was supposed to have a 400. It was a big engine. Somebody told me that all of them used the same size block, which would let him re-use all his brackets and other accessories.
My Trans Am is my first Pontiac. I have always bought Chevys, but I like the styling of a 4th gen T/A.

Chevy's always been the same. Only after 82 were the Pontiac and Chevy motors shared. and Old's 307 was used sadly up till 1990 in various cars. The Buick 231/3.8 which started in like 75, was carbed till around 85 and then turned into the fuel injected 3.8 we all know of. It had a baby brother, the 3.3L. But the 3.8 finally ends its long reign in 08.

Chevy 262-400 SB, The W Big Blocks (odd ducks) were 348-427 and normal BB 396-502 (or 648ci if you buy World Motors Motown 648 heh 900hp from the crank and thats with a mild cam and iron heads).

Olds pretty much used a single style block. I think they called Olds' block a Medium block. Ran 260-455. Almost everything was a Rocket in some form. Sky Rocket, Jetfire Rocket, Super Rocket, Toronado Rocket, and even a small motor as the Rockette!

Buicks, I'm not touching that list. Nailheads were nifty though.

Pontiac is a touchy subject as far as "big block" and "small block". It's another bit of medium block stuff. Short decks and tall decks this and that. It's a whole big "can I use this part on that motor?" And depending on the years, that even comes into play :S Thats why everyone just tosses in Chevy stuff :jest: Unless you're a diehard or want to keep it numbers matching, no one can argue that throwing in a SBC or a BBC is a bad idea. You'll always find parts for them! And trannys!

326-400 same thing, 426-455 same dimensions, different crank journals bigger bore, thats basically the only difference. I think the bigger cubed blocks had more freeze plugs also.

There is no such thing as a Pontiac Small Block, they are all big. haha

ever had a engine break a chain on the cherry picker, then when you finally put it on the engine stand it bends the bar and hits the ground. yep, those freakin things are heavy!

I wonder who has the heaviest block? Think it's that Caddy 472? The 500 would have less metal and weight less. On the note of that 500 OMG!!! I checked the specs for it, and in 1970 it had 400hp and 550ft/lbs :fluffy: Can you imagine putting that into a similar year F-Body? lol

A CRAZY old guy who used to come into the auto store I worked at, told me back in the day they took the crank from a 500 and modified a 426 hemi's crank journals to take that crank. Which turned the Hemi into Frankenstein's Monster! I'll calc the cid quick.... 488cid @ 1000cc per cyl or an 8L. That's with the stock bore. JE Piston have 4.500 bore pistons for it, which cranks the cid to 547 :judge:

K I'm done sorry lol :hijack: