[Gary H]

I was looking at the Nostalgia Pro Stock Association groups cars and it got me wondering about how many Pontiac powered Pro Stock Pontiac cars there were back in the day. A few come to mind but I'm sure that this group can come up with some more names and pictures. Bert Straus's Astre, Rudy Diephuis's Astre, and Jerry Steinbeck (sp) Grand Prix race car are the only ones I know of.

[Pigeon]

At that point in time were the Pontiac powered pro stocks using stock blocks and even stock heads?

[johnta1]

Real Pontiac blocks and heads.
I think they could be ported etc. Not sure if they could be welded or cut though.

[Stan Weiss]

My understanding was that Bert Straus' heads had the intake ports welded. Looking at the engine back then, it was clear he cut off some of the exhaust port and made a new higher exhaust port.

Stan

[steve25]

Yes I recall seeing photos of that massive Exh side work.

[mgarblik]

Interesting read. Jerry Steinbrick's Ram Air V Pro Stock car is listed. Also Animal Jim's Mamouth Mercury which we raced with the Beswick Grocery Getter Tribute car. (3-0), against the 735 Cubic Inch Monster Nitrous Mercury.

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/...sual-suspects/

[Skip Fix]

I'll bet some of the really short wheelbase subcompact Pro Stockers in the day were a handful to drive!

[Gary H]

I saw a Nostalgia Pro Stock early 70's Firebird on the Nostalgia Pro Stock web site that has Boss Bird on it. Did Arnie Beswick ever actually build and campaign a Pro Stock car?

[turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by Gary H

I saw a Nostalgia Pro Stock early 70's Firebird on the Nostalgia Pro Stock web site that has Boss Bird on it. Did Arnie Beswick ever actually build and campaign a Pro Stock car?

Arnie raced a 67/8 bird called the boss bird in pro stock w dual quads . Bill e late on ran the same set up but Rana full second faster. He was very proud of this because he had a ton of respect for Arnie as we all do.

I hav pictures of his dual quad motor and his 67/8 bird some where.
I have the Stephens RAV pro stock engine.

It was the one in the article .

The car ran 10.34 w the RAV dual quad pro stock engine and it was 100 + lbs over weight for its class. Just couldn’t get he weight out of it. The entire front subframe and all attachments were severely acid dipped to try and get weight out . I have the original headers and they are VERY heavy. Thick material probably could have got 15 lbs out there. 😂

Eckstrom would tree most guys and hang w the big hemis til top of second and they’d just walk on by. They were running 9.90 ETs. A lot of the pro stock $$ was coming from places like Brooklyn heavy Billy the Kidd step (gangsters) . Was hard to compete w the likes of those guys
There’s a video of the Stephens pro car racing the number 1 qualifier Don Carlton out there from Bee on video history of pro stock . I currently have the pro stock engine and trans in my RAIv firebird. And have the IV engine and trans out.

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by turbo69bird

Arnie raced a 67/8 bird called the boss bird in pro stock w dual quads . Bill e late on ran the same set up but Rana full second faster. He was very proud of this because he had a ton of respect for Arnie as we all do.

I hav pictures of his dual quad motor and his 67/8 bird some where.
I have the Stephens RAV pro stock engine.

It was the one in the article .

The car ran 10.34 w the RAV dual quad pro stock engine and it was 100 + lbs over weight for its class. Just couldn’t get he weight out of it. The entire front subframe and all attachments were severely acid dipped to try and get weight out . I have the original headers and they are VERY heavy. Thick material probably could have got 15 lbs out there. 😂

Eckstrom would tree most guys and hang w the big hemis til top of second and they’d just walk on by. They were running 9.90 ETs. A lot of the pro stock $$ was coming from places like Brooklyn heavy Billy the Kidd step (gangsters) . Was hard to compete w the likes of those guys
There’s a video of the Stephens pro car racing the number 1 qualifier Don Carlton out there from Bee on video history of pro stock . I currently have the pro stock engine and trans in my RAIv firebird. And have the IV engine and trans out.

Thanks the information on both cars. I don't think I've seen any pictures of Arnie's Pro Stock car, and only a few of the Stephen's car.

[Pigeon]

I wonder how many stock blocks the pro stock Pontiacs split in half. Was pro stock a 500 inch limit back then? If so the Pontiacs must have been a 4.5” stroke to get the cubes out of the limited bore size in the stoke block configuration…. ya think?

[Jay S]

Originally Posted by Pigeon

I wonder how many stock blocks the pro stock Pontiacs split in half. Was pro stock a 500 inch limit back then? If so the Pontiacs must have been a 4.5” stroke to get the cubes out of the limited bore size in the stoke block configuration…. ya think?

The 500 cubes limit on prostock started around 1981. Everything was based on weight per cid before that.

[sdbob]

I remember reading Maskin and Kanners had a Firebird before the AMC not sure of engine size.

[JSuchma]

One of our members on this board owns the Stephen Pontiac 69 and 71 Firebird Pro Stockers along with the RAV motor they ran............Jeff?

[BILL BOWMAN1]

Originally Posted by Pigeon

I wonder how many stock blocks the pro stock Pontiacs split in half. Was pro stock a 500 inch limit back then? If so the Pontiacs must have been a 4.5” stroke to get the cubes out of the limited bore size in the stoke block configuration…. ya think?

NHRA went to 500” in 1982

[Gary H]

Picture of Stephens Pontiac Pro Stocker. Don't know anything else about it. What engine? was it competitive?

[JSuchma]

That's the one........hopefully Jeff will chime in with specs and details.

[Stan Weiss]

Stephen Pontiac's Ram Air V engine

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=821476

Stan

[steve25]

I will dig out the super stock build up guide I still have from HO racing .
I can't recall exactly the year ( 74 or 76) but at that time the only porting allowed to be done on the heads was no limited to no more then 1 inch deep from the flange face.

So that amounts to nothing more then a gasket match.

[johnta1]

Video link that was posted in the thread Stan posted: (skip to 6:14 in vid)



Pro Stock 1970