Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

I can remember seeing a 252 (4.1L) Buick racing at Bristol back when it was IHRA. To the best of my memory the car was running SS/PA. I have always been the fan of unusual and obscure Stock and Superstock combos and will walk across the pits to get a look at them. I was looking at the NHRA engine blueprints and comparing the 1982 Buick 252 to the 1955 265. The Buick has a 9.39 CR, 1.7/1.5 valve, and a Q-jet NHRA rated at 165hp, The Buick 252ci @ 165hp is NHRA rated @1.52 hp/ci. The 1955 265 has 8.0 CR, 1.7/1.5 valve and a WCFB rated at NHRA 205. The Chevy 265 @ 205 is rated @ 1.29 hp/ci. Is this why I can only remember seeing one 252? On paper the 252 looks better than the 265 in my uneducated mind, except for the HP rating. Also I think the Buick has to run very heavy to make SS/PA. Are there any 252's running on the other side of America? I only get to NC,SC,GA,TN, and when I win a few poker games I have the money to go to Indy to watch lol. Thanks for any info, or thoughts on the 252, as I said just doing a little bench racing. Don Jackson

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

My goodness, 267 people have read this and not one reply. The 252 must be one obscure engine, or either totally worthless as a race engine.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

I believe Ken Sharp used to run this combo before he built his cadillac. If I remember it was a 82 Gran Prix with this v-6 combo in it, small tire and all. Sounds interesting.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Ron Seibenick races a1984 Buick Regal R/SA in division 3 with 252 per Nitro Joe's book.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Tom......I think it is Ron's son, Brian who runs that combination.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

82 GP LJ, U/SA ...Dime Rocket
If someone can't figure out how to go 14.85 on the cheap, then they are in the wrong section of this forum.
What do you think ,Captain Jack?

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Marky Mark, being the astute student of the guide that you are, I'm suprised that you haven't noticed that the 82 Pontiac 252 has the small cam and Q-Jet! That would make it a different combo than the Buick that is factored to 170 HP. Seems to me that the Pontiac should be at 125!

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Billy Boy, I thought that was true, after Doolittle ran that combo with Buick's help. (Imagine that).
But I looked last night on Dwight's site , and NHRA ,through Class Racer, and they appear to all have the same specs now..??
Maybe missing something here. I think it's an 82 combo only. I'll look again.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

I didn't take the time to search the class guide but according to wikipedia the years for the LC-4 252 engine were from 1980- 1984 and depending on the year came in Buick, Olds, Cadillac, and Pontiac.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Probably correct then. 80-84 from Buick
I was looking at the 82 GP like Ken Sharp had..(82 Only in Pontiacs)
The Cadillac also used that engine then.Probably would be a good V/SA car, but not in the books.
The 84 Regal is the one you want then. Bogus specs and defactored too.
The 84 full size, like Darwin Hardy had, is more hp than the Regal.
Better jump on this one ,if you're interested.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Take a look at the 1983 buick estate wagon ( Like a regal wagon 108 in. wb) Big cam and 163 hp. Breaks 20.53 T-U-V car. Sure looks good to me.Rick.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

Like!

See you next week

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

My uncle ran the 252. Of course it was in SS/AX in an Opel GT. lots Stage II stuff. First SS/AX in the 8's. Ran a best of 8.90 @ 152 back in '96. Not bad for a Buick.

Re: Just a little bench racing. 252 Buick thoughts.
 

I remember when all the v-6 cars in comp were Buick. I was at Commerce, GA looking at the cars in the pits and a six cylinder car always has caught my eye, I noticed a Chevy v-6. It was my understanding that Grumpy had done a lot of R+D on the Chevy six and had worked on this car. I remember it had a V-8 tunnel ram that had a Z shaped section removed and it had been heliarced back and made to fit the Chevy.