The old saying that necessity is the mother of invention is certainly true in all forms of motorsports. Racing can easily breed the necessity for upgraded components and often does. When Rodney Butler came to the conclusion that in order to be competitive in the NMCA Pro Outlaw Street class, at least 150 pounds had to come out of his twin-turbo '65 GTO racer.
That was going to be a very tall order, as the tube-framed and fiberglass bodied machine had already been constructed to be as lightweight as possible, so there was little that could be done. Rodney was left with no other alternative, most of the weight would have to come out of the powertrain. For most racers, that would mean a switch to an aluminum Rodeck or big-inch Boss Ford, but that was not an option for Butler, whose name is virtually synonymous with traditional Pontiac power.
Rodney rose to the challenge, "I knew that the only way to achieve our goal was with an ultra heavy-duty aluminum Pontiac block," Butler said while in the pits between rounds at the 2003 JBP Pontiac Nationals, where the first block was on display. "It's a huge undertaking, but when competing at this level, developing a specialized part like a race block can actually make economic sense."
It's sometimes tough for those of us building or racing Pontiacs on a budget to imagine that sort of an undertaking, but there is a definite bright side--this block will soon be available through Jim Butler Performance, as a fully-machined unit, ready for building.
About the Block
In order to achieve his rather lofty goal, Butler assembled a team of highly-talented individuals, including Travis Quillen from Young's Performance, one of the top race development firms in the country, as well as a team of CAD designers, modelers, pattern makers and foundry technicians. "Once we had the team in place, our progress was pretty rapid," Rodney said. "With the great team effort they displayed and the high level of interaction, it was easy to see that we chose the right people."
Though comparisons will undoubtedly be made to the Indian Adventures cast-iron block, it's quite a different animal, both from a design and engineering standpoint. This was mostly necessitated by the choice of aluminum construction.
While both designs are based on the traditional Pontiac V-8, the differences are significant. For starters, the JBP aluminum unit will feature dry sleeves, allowing a maximum bore size of 4.35 inches and a stroke of 4.50 inches. The unmachined block displayed at the JBP Nationals weighed in at a scant 108 pounds and machining will shed a few more.
The other significant difference the aluminum block possesses is the .125-inch lowered pan rail, which allows for a recessed main cap. This helps beef up the main area and prevents main cap walk. Best of all, the lowering is not so significant that it would cause any interference problems with existing oil pans.
An Intake, Too
Amazingly, the new aluminum block is not the only new product at JBP. Also on display at US 43 Drag Raceway was an unmachined reproduction aluminum Ram Air IV/455 H.O. intake manifold. Later in the year they will also introduce repro Ram Air IV heads in cast iron. Both the intake and the cast-iron heads will feature improved flow. These new parts will no doubt appeal to restorers and musclecar shootout racers alike. We will be updating these very significant developments here at HPP as soon as new information becomes available.
A close-up of the lifter area shows the block's hefty construction. Deck height will remain stock at 10.225 inches. | 
The pan rail is extended .125 inch to allow for stabilization of the recessed main cap. Stock pans and front covers will fit with some minor gasket massaging. | 
As cast, the JBP aluminum block weighs in at a scant 108 pounds and will be a few pounds lighter after machining. This compares to 186 pounds for a production 455. |
Rear of the JBP aluminum block will accept both BOP or Chevrolet-style bellhousings and transmission cases. | 
As one might expect, Jim, Rodney and David Butler are very proud of their new creation and much more is on the way. | 
A reproduction aluminum Ram Air IV/455 H.O. intake manifold will be available for sale later this year. Internal passages are enlarged for better airflow but will look stock externally. |
The repro round port aluminum intake will be very authentic-looking, right down to the factory markings. Customers will be able to order their choice of part numbers and date codes. Later year models will have recessed area for heat exchange. | | |