Build up of Pete Bernards�
car
The motor started life as a Busch North series engine. It is a
274 cubic inch engine that had 13.8:1 compression and made 540 hp on the dyno with a 290 cfm
Holley carb. This motor had about 200 laps on it when I purchased it from the original
builder.
Following the purchase, new pistons were installed as well as a
complete freshening of the engine. Compression was lowered to 9:1. The block is a Stage 2,
4.1 , Crankshaft is a Buick Motor sports piece, Rods are Crower, Pistons are JE. Heads are
Buick Stage 2 pieces with Titanium intake valves and Inconel exhaust valves with K-Motion
valve springs. The intake is still the Stage 2 carbureted intake, modified for fuel
injection. The twin turbos were supplied by Precision Turbo and Engine and are powered by
a pair of Kooks stainless steel headers.
The fuel system is made up of a single Weldon fuel pump, 160#
Fel-Pro injectors, and a Fel-Pro SEFI8LO fuel management system.
The car is an 87 Buick Grand National , backhalfed with 4-link suspension, Koni
double adjustable shocks in the rear, Ford 9" third member, with 14" by 32"
Hoosiers on the rear. Transmission is a TH-400, linked to an MSE air actuated shifter
controlled by a Biondo RPM switch. The torque converter is an ATI piece. The front shocks
are from HAL and are 12 way adjustable.
Best performance to date is:
60��� ---1.299
330' ---3.549
1/8�� ---5.430
mph ---131.39
1000---7.042
���� ----8.404
mph---165.29
The car currently weighs 3000#s with driver. This winters�
plan is to shed another 250#s and head to the 7.99 et zone.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following
people for their help in making this project so successful :
Jack Cotton (Cottons Automotive Performance Center) for the trips
(read house calls) and his help in tuning the Fel-Pro system and tutoring me in the basics
of the system.
Harry Hruska (Precision Turbo and Engine) For the turbos,
injectors, camshaft selection and all his input into making this project so successful.
Randy Miranda(Precision Racing Engines, Fall River ,MA.) for
building my motor to his usual highest degree of standards.
Ken Webber (Webber Engineering, Pawcatuck CT.) for straightening
out the chassis so I wouldn�t kill myself in the condition it was when I bought the
car.
Derek Lach (<--remember that name�major league player in
2000) for his help and support, being there whenever needed, and just being a friend.
Dave Pacheco (Body man extraordinaire) for the body work and paint
and other help on the project.
Ron and Steve Gregoire of Rons Automotive in Southbridge, MA. and Steve Griner of Griner Engineering. Ron Gregoire builds the TH-400 transmissions I use, and Steve Griner has supplied the latest spragless technology valve body he developed and associated parts in my transmission. A bit of history was made on July 28th, 2000 when the first successful passes were made,in
my car, without an intermediate sprag in a TH-400 transmission in a full fledge race car.
Jacquie (wife) for putting up with all this Buick BS for the past
13 years and her love and support.
And last but not least, all the people I have met and become
friends with over the years and look forward to seeing at all the Buick events we attend
throughout the year.
Regards, Pete and Jacquie Bernard
New For 2000:
The Ford 9" rear end is being
replaced by a Mark Williams piece because the Ford 9" was twisted into
a pretzel twice!
Modular
9" Steel Tube 4 Link Housing, steel bells