Words: Tommy Parry
Though the former owner of this once dilapidated Buick painted over the faded white and rust-spotted exterior, it was Terry who took this Buick from a factory fogey’s car to a gleaming dragster. Though it was Terry’s first stab at a turbo Buick, the finished product suggested it was at least his fifth. However, getting there would involve some serious destruction and vandalism.
When he picked up the T-Type with a knocking 3.8, he pulled the motor and started a rebuild. With a 291 CI block, stock rods and crank from a 3.8 turbo motor, ARP main studs and rod bolts, .030 TRW pistons, TA Performance ported timing cover and a high-volume oil pump, he had a robust bottom end. Up top, Comp roller cams and valve springs, custom pushrods, Harland Sharp roller rockers, and ported stock heads helped with the flow. With the help of a Walbro 340 pump, Accufab AFPR, and a big ‘ol Precision PT6262E, Terry netted a conservative 403 whp and 380 lb-ft on 19 pounds of boost! Not bad for a “poor man’s Stage Two.”
To handle all that force-fed grunt, Terry employed a 200R4, a CK Performance street/strip rebuild kit/shift kit, all billet parts, a TCS billet 9×11 3000LU converter, a B&M auxiliary cooler and a deep pan. That massive snail should lag for eons, but a 3200 converter got it spooled like a stock turbocharger and allowed Terry to blow the street tires off from a 40-mph roll!
In an attempt to add some glitz to the engine bay, Terry picked up a stainless radiator plate from GBodyparts, a new turbo shield and GNS carbon fiber core support braces. As freakishly quick as this car was, and even as subtly as it was presented, it needed to turn some heads at the meets and shows in its future.
This car needed to be both functional and fresh, and along with a TA Performance rear differential girdle and an RJC 3” crossflow exhaust system, Terry beautified the Buick ever so slightly with a 20% window tint, GNS LED taillights, shaved Grand National bumpers and a set of Alradco HID lights up front. No sense in moving quickly if you can’t move in style, right?
The footwork department addresses style and performance simultaneously, so Terry grabbed a new set of T wheels wrapped in sticky tires for his trips to the track. Up front, the 215/65/15 Michelin Defenders filled out the fender wells, as did the 255/60/15 Mickey Thompson drag radials in the rear. When mounted onto Kibran rear springs, Koni front drop springs and UMI upper and lower control arms, the Buick’s stance was the right sort of sporty befitting of an eleven-second car.
The glistening maroon paint, the athletic stance and the immense performance hinted at by exhaust dangling intimidatingly below turned some heads when Terry started attending shows. In fact, that combination earned him a solid third in the Modified Buick category at the Pennsylvania GM Nationals. Though thrilled with the results, Terry wasn’t going to rest on his laurels.
Next came an alcohol injection kit and a 4” intake, and to better support that added grunt, Terry added a set of Aerospace billet 4-piston brakes with 12” rotors. Additionally, Moser rear axles, Kirban frame braces, a rebuilt posi and all new body bushings helped put that power efficiently to the ground – no massive clouds of smoke every time the turbocharger spooled.
With all that power and presence, Terry’s Buick attracted plenty of attention -including the kind of attention that’s undesirable. One jealous attendee decided to pop one of the valve cover breathers and pump in a cup of fine sand. Unfortunately, Terry only realized this after a 300-mile drive when it was too late. Unfazed, he pushed on and rebuilt the motor, this time with a catch can system and fittings on the valve covers to prevent this petty vandalism in the future. You just can’t stump some people.
In fact, Terry took this as an opportunity to coax even more thrust out of the engine. With a GNI 3.625 stroker crank, Molner 6.3” rods, custom Diamond pistons, a Comp roller cam, Comp pushrods, Morel roller lifters, M & A fully ported aluminum heads, T & D rockers and GNI headers, he established a foundation for a whole lot more power. The cherry on top is undoubtedly the Precision 7168 turbo, which at 19 pounds of boost with a combination of 93 octane and methanol, generates 533 whp and 474 lb-ft at the wheels! Some people might’ve thrown in the towel, but wasn’t in Terry’s nature. Instead, he used the setback as motivation to push his build even further; for that the man deserves an award just for perseverance.
