shaggy56

Can someone describe what im seeing?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-f...41851192QQrdZ1

3.8TransAM

Its for vortec heads.

Way it looks I would have to guess and say maybe something to do with the marine stuff.

But he says his friend works for GM, and I believe all the marine stuff happens at the marine outfits not GM proper.

That being said, I would have to go with it used to be a mule setup or prototype test piece for the vortec headed trucks.

Aint no way in hell it weighs 60#'s either, unless its cast iron, which its not from the pics.

just cant make out the tag on it, but it says GM pre-prototype.

I want to see it with the upper intake off and what kinda flow you could get after some carving.

Weird, defintiely neat, wonder if i can get it cheap and use it on my car instead of getting a vortec stealthram lol

I already have a prototype GM TPI setup I bout from a member here. Has runner as big as a FIRST setup and its all GM. Jerrywho(i believe) has a prototype lt1 intake with distrib hole.

later
Jeremy

shaggy56

I wonder if this is for things to come. Maybe GM are working on stuff like this. I dont have anything vortec but that thing got me wanting it.

Jade Grey

iTrader: (1)

It looks a little like a multi-point version of the intake used on the '96-'98 Vortec trucks. Except that the upper intake is not polymer.

The seller states it's cast iron. Looks a little rusty around the water outlet area. Does GM really still use cast iron manifolds for prototyping?

Shaggy, I wouldn't say it's the shape of things to come. Everything V8 is now Gen III LS1 based. I would say that manifold is over 10 years old.

okfoz

not completely true, You can still purchase Gen the good ole SBC from GM performance. They offer Performance 383's, 350's, and if your nuts a Stock 305 replacement.

With that said, I think there is a small team still working on the older engines... Although it is true that the bulk of design is going into production vehicles, and the Gen III blocks

John

Jade Grey

iTrader: (1)

Okfoz, you can be real picky sometimes. My "Everything V8 is now Gen III LS1 based," statement implied current and future production vehicles.

And yes, I understand that the good ole SBC is still alive and well in GM Performance.

The manifold on Ebay could perhaps have been a project aimed at offering an aftermarket MPFI conversion to the Vortec V8's through GMPP. Its age then may be less then I had guessed.

shaggy56

Werent the bowtie vortecs actually released sometime 2004. Im wondering if this was also in the testing when they came out with the bowtie vortecs.

okfoz

Actually what would be cool is an intake with similar properties to the new LS1/2/6/7 BUT for the Vortec Heads, OR even the old TPI systems...

Maybe what this is a derivitive of...

I know the LT1, was a completely different idea with the really short runners, the LS1 is in some ways more similar to the TPI than any thing else.

JOhn

jwscab

I've heard mention of this type of intake, just never saw any pictures.

It makes sense it made of cast iron, I beleive it is a marine intake, which was also used in early replacement of vortec intakes.

I believe if certain customers in california(only) experienced enough trouble with the poor track record of the then 'new' vortec injector/poppet valve assemblies, then the factory authorized the replacement with an intake that used a more traditional injector.

basically, it was a marine intake that was also used for factory vortec injector 'lemons'.

very cool, would be a nice vortec engine manifold, its just a shame its cast iron.

shaggy56

Ok so this isnt all that uncommon since its a marine item.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...+and+Fuel+Rail

Jade Grey

iTrader: (1)

I sent the Ebay seller, shreddedpro, a message stating what Shaggy56 had discovered about the intake. In his reply, he seemed pleased to know the information.

Phatfiddler

iTrader: (8)

I'm so going for it