1979 TA hi performance motor

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Okay, if you're sure you really want to do this with a 31k car - GROOVY Man.
I can relate, 79 400 4spd 4wdb are the best all around TA ever built !
If you plan to keep it , why not have it the way you want it.

They are bringing Strong Coin now though , 31k with #'s match is a prime candidate for shiny coins. If you rebuild the original PWH code engine instead , and just flip it.

400hp is real simple and you can do iron heads pretty easy.
Since you are okay with buying new aluminum heads (< sweet) - from that point it will only cost about $100 extra to hit around 500-550hp .
And can still go higher and higher on HP with pump gas - for more additional coins.

We need to get you hooked up with Cliff Ruggles and you guys work a plan based on your comfort zone. If he is in proximity of your logistics.

He builds incredible pump gas engines , and usually comes in with better quotes than most everyone else. Has tried and true combos that dont have to break the bank just for the sake of selling more expensive parts.

He is also a master Q-Jet builder/tuner.
It will support your HP goals no probo.

I bought a 79 4,4,4 TA from original owner in 1985
Dk Blue/Blue/Blue Bird , Non T-Top , all options except Pwr Antenna.
Sold to my youngest brother in 2002 or 03.
He'll keep it forever , and we're gonna build him something just like you are wanting to do.

If you think you will sell it in near future - you will recoup about $0 of the expenditure of the Hi-Po replacement/substitute engine.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

One more caution -
just in case you decide to buy a core engine off craigslist tomorrow -

Stay away from 400 engine blocks with Part Number/Casting Number that have a lot of 5's in the part number.
Forgot the exact part number.
And forgot the date ranges too.
Think its 1975 and 1976

Regardless - that specimen is the only bad specimen , and the only specimen with numerous 5's in the number.
So just remember the 5's.
Number located along bellhousing-to-block flange.

1979 4.4.4. TA's are such great cars, they just really need more juice.
Everything else about them is just right.

[njsteve]

If you want to review my Gramma car thread from the last couple years you can follow the swap we did from the original 160 hp Pontiac 350 to the 400 hp 455. It was easy - just bolted right into place with the same parts. There are even certain cylinder head combinations that give you a really nice 9.5 to 1 compression ratio. Our 1975 350 just happened to have that exact pair of heads on it to begin with so it ended up just being a short block swap with a 1971 455 block I found locally. I even did a shaker hood swap last month with factory parts.

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthrea...=113621&page=7

[Tracker1]

I vote stroker kit - keeps all the mods inside and 400hp easily done, otherwise follow Baron's recos. Especially on the cliff ruggles carb - no need for aluminum heads here Chuck, but maybe a street port and clean-up of the originals. The 78-79 481988XX W72 block is one of THE best Pontiac blocks for high-horse mods so no worries there.

That'll be a nice car - good luck.

P.S. The weak block Baron is referring to is the 500557 block used mid-1975 to 1977. Not a great block to build 400+ horses with. Avoid.

[9999]

Originally Posted by Tracker1

P.S. The weak block Baron is referring to is the 500557 block used mid-1975 to 1977. Not a great block to build 400+ horses with. Avoid.

I have a 557 block that I was considering using and have done some extensive research. The conclusion was roughly this:
Do not take it past 6000rpm. Keep it below 450 hp if going to ~5500rpm. If sticking at a max of 4500-5000(low-grunt street engine; torque monster), there is a reasonable chance you could get 500+hp and it would live safely.
RPM is going to be the thing that causes the weaker 557 castings to slightly contort and that would then encourage the crankshaft to fail.
I would say for anything around 400hp, a 557 block would make a fantastic replacement motor so you can preserve the original block. Thankfully they are relatively common.


Have fun with the build!

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Wow Steve you really did a number on Granny's Bird.
Seems like i remember that maybe you were upgrading that engine for your son / with your son on PY in the past.

Both of these units were mine in 1985.
Thats not me in the picture, my hair was never that long.

These 4.4.4. TA's would actually wake up quite a bit with some normal cheap easy upgrades. #1 was disabling all emission devices and cutting the scoop open, then true duals and recurving distributor. Mine was fairly swift and i really enjoyed that car.
Little brother was born in 79 , and he's proud to have my 79.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Solid info from Steve and Tracker.

The only thing i would hesitate about - is building up that #'s engine.
It is a prime piece to build , especially as a 455+ stroker.

But the way 77-79 4spd TA's have taken off , you'd ruin half the value and desirability if you broke that #'s engine.

With 400-500+ HP in one of these - YOU WILL DRIVE THE HELL OUT OF IT.
They take the road real well, it really can't be helped at that point.