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So I guess you go buy one of these and then you post up pics, right!? Happy to oblige!
I don't have extra ENGINES in my pics like TTOP350 did, but I dusted off my old TPI just for the heck of it! .....jokes aside, I'd actually PM'd with a few of you including TTOP350 about possibly buying one of these and based on what they're selling for, I couldn't afford it. Let's just say I got this one a LOT cheaper than any I've seen recently!!!!! Like...found it on craigslist in PA, and picked up the phone immediately kinda good deal. It's complete, minus the the runner to plenum gaskets, and it's got an extrude honed GM base instead of the Accel base. Not looking for a debate on performance, but here are my observations. The exterior opening is matched to the runners, which surprisingly isn't really much bigger than the stock opening. Magic is how it carries that opening through the port instead of the stock cast which immediately chokes down. ...and then the exit port is matched to a 1256. This base isn't quite as big as the max effort GM base I'm running now which dwarfs a stock aftermarket base, and it won't impress the SoCal guys, but it's a nice piece. It'd certainly outflow the Edelbrock base which I had. Never had my hands on an Accel base so I can't speak for it.
...and I've got the early style throttle body, corvette rails and what are probably Accel injectors.
Plan for now is to keep the plenum and runners. Probably try to sell the base and throttle body. Not gonna rush. Enjoy the TPI now, and take my time, clean the SR up and possibly port it for an eventual heads and cam swap. Honestly wasn't planning on having this, but here it is.
You're going to like that intake. Gives the engine some breath.
Yeah....it'll should help now, and when I get tired of my combo, (because we can never leave well enough alone), and do bigger heads and more cam it'll be essential. I built the big TPI engine the way I've always wanted to, but coming up on two years and I feel I should've gone bigger!
I haven't seen one of those "other than on these boards" in years.
Search Tempest is your friend. It's rare that I can NOT find what I'm looking for. Somewhere in this great country, SOMEONE has that part your looking for!
Congrats on the find - they are cool and all but man, they are ugly compared to the look of the standard TPIS
I remember during the 90's when they were THE intake to run. (More less the only intake, but still!) ....you popped the hood and if you had an SR, you'd draw a crowd. There's something cool about that to me, even though technology has moved on. ...but yeah....they don't look as cool.
I remember during the 90's when they were THE intake to run. (More less the only intake, but still!) ....you popped the hood and if you had an SR, you'd draw a crowd. There's something cool about that to me, even though technology has moved on. ...but yeah....they don't look as cool.
I thought the T-Ram was "THE" intake to have.....LOL
So you chose this over the one with the cool diamond plate lid? Lol, good score! This is the time of year to find deals, lots of people need that extra Christmas cash.
I love the look your engine currently has but I know you can benefit from this intake. Ive always loved the look of the stock TPI style I think its the coolest SBC ever made as far as looks. The modern stuff does not appeal to me.
I love the look your engine currently has but I know you can benefit from this intake
Yeah....I hear ya. Thank you. The TPI was ported by Steve Mack here on these boards, and he went all out. Cut 'em open and removed about as much material as possible. Only SLP's that I've seen that were bigger were the one Dyno Don, or one of those SoCal guys made a few years back. ...then of course the hogged out plenum and base to go with it. It's no joke, the thing moves some air.....for what it is, -which is still a long tube TPI. I've come to realize that if I wanted a TPI, I shoulda left the car alone. And to that point my wife and I ARE looking for a nice, stock, original Iroc. .....I think this car is destined to be a lot faster than it is now, without the heads, cam, and intake it has now. Such is hotrodding. Heck, no complaints here. I love it.
Congratulations, looks like you even scored the rare throttle bracket.
seems like sr keep popping up lately. I still have a nos I int with base and tb in storage for a rainy day
for anyone interested here is a nice sr with Accel base someone is selling on eBay.
Congratulations, looks like you even scored the rare throttle bracket.
Awe double farts I'm still looking !
Abubaca Congrats on score and welcome to the SR club! I'd like a T-ram but I dont want to have to buy a car attached to get one
on a side note my SR plenum and runners was a bit spendy but I got a Accel base for a song so I'm happy
Accel, edelbrock &tpis all used a vette style base. Drew is correct vette rails. If they don’t have the ninth injector they are for 89-91. I think the center holes on the intake are 90 degrees compared to 73 on later heads.
Last edited by Tuned Performance; 11-14-2018 at 07:56 PM.
I like the look of whatever works well. And speaking of which....
Originally Posted by Abubaca
I built the big TPI engine the way I've always wanted to, but coming up on two years and I feel I should've gone bigger!
If you want more bruiser than cruiser, then you might consider the 427 LS that I am pulling from my car. There are no sleeper qualities -- it's authoritative and howls and screams. This is the engine where I walked a 640 Hp Gen V Viper.
If you want to bolt a can of whoop *** between the fenders, then you could buy my Mamofied LS7 and I'll just keep the 427 in the car. I'm content with either engine, I just want to sell one or the other.
I could break out the book and dig for the part number, but the only bases that have the tall boss next to the Tstat, seem to be Y-body parts, and of course the aftermarket bases usually copy that boss for interchange. Since you said it's a stock base, and the Y-body fuel rail, it seemed a likely conclusion. If so it'd have the EGR port at the back and 86-earlier intake bolt angles.
If you stay TPI style small block, then I would compare notes with TTOP350. He never talks about it but he's got a can of whoop *** between the fenders of that black Formula.
I love this and, like you, love any mod that was 'of its time'. Like you say this was the mod to have back in the day and that makes it timelessly cool. I see and hear way too many LSX swaps and for me it rips out the soul of these cars (though I understand the appeal of course). The question is how fast do you really need your weekend fun-car to be? In theory you make your weekend drives quicker and that negates the point. I love to pop in a Scorpions tape, drop on some Aviators and think it's still 1988 at 55mph
Appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. -I think ultimately we always plan to be a little faster tomorrow than we are today. It's the natural evolution of a car guy, sometimes to a fault. QwkTrip, I love the idea of a big inch LSX, but not today, lol. Someday maybe.
Felix, I hear ya. ...as for the TB, honestly I crossed up my numbers and ultimately would've like a later year throttle linkage. I actually made it work, and it performed perfectly. That being said after a couple days I went back to stock. Really like the progressive throttle linkage of the new style. Totally my fault. Kinda would like to find someone to trade, but hey, good luck with THAT right!?
You really do have an amazing classic Iroc. I like to see one with that eras tech on it like you have, it is very impressive. One of my personal favorites you have done an awesome job with it .
You really do have an amazing classic Iroc. I like to see one with that eras tech on it like you have, it is very impressive. One of my personal favorites you have done an awesome job with it .
Thanks man, I really appreciate that. I can't always explain why I've made certain choices, but overall they've typically been well received. Thanks!!!!!
Aftermarket base manifolds seem to be in the $500- $700 range, and from having bought and sold a few I can tell you that's up a good bit compared to a few years ago. The Superram runners, plenum and lid by themselves seem to be hovering around $1000. I've seen a few complete set ups go recently for $1200 to $1600, and I there were 2 on recent craigslist searches for $1800.
Aftermarket base manifolds seem to be in the $500- $700 range, and from having bought and sold a few I can tell you that's up a good bit compared to a few years ago. The Superram runners, plenum and lid by themselves seem to be hovering around $1000. I've seen a few complete set ups go recently for $1200 to $1600, and I there were 2 on recent craigslist searches for $1800.
ok , i just saw one on craigslist for 1200.00 with the accell base and didnt know if that was a good deal ..
Well my motor is a tad more than stock. I'm not worried, - It'll perform. With 500hp coming out of the factories, and the Hellephant crate pushing 1000 hp....it's really all relative. That being said, a lot of guys made a lot of power with the Superram over the years.
....I was going through the boxes and all the packing and cardboard, and I found an ENTIRE complete, second set of gaskets!!!!! NICE! Seller didn't mention them, and they were all taped up between to flat pieces of cardboard! Yay gaskets, lol.
I've been so tied up with other stupid crap the past few weeks that i missed this... So you're the one that beat me to that deal, lol! I called the day i saw it posted and was told i missed it by a day! Yea, even with the gm base, you stole that thing! Weren't the the guys that sold it the ones that built a couple tpi motors for car craft and gmhp back in the day? If you use it and decide you aren't happy with it I'll give you 100 bucks more than you paid for it
I've been so tied up with other stupid crap the past few weeks that i missed this... So you're the one that beat me to that deal, lol! I called the day i saw it posted and was told i missed it by a day! Yea, even with the gm base, you stole that thing! Weren't the the guys that sold it the ones that built a couple tpi motors for car craft and gmhp back in the day? If you use it and decide you aren't happy with it I'll give you 100 bucks more than you paid for it
Haha, yeah, I must've gotten lucky. I know it wasn't up there long. ....I researched the shop and they looked like they were pretty big, but I couldn't say what they've done in the past. As of right now, I've already sold the base and throttle body, as I didn't need those parts, but I do intend to use the plenum and runners, which is what I was after. It's funny, because Mongoose just sold his brand new set of plenum and runners over in the classifieds for a really good deal. I had been talking to him about it before it was for sale, then I found that deal, and obviously couldn't pass it up!
11-13-2018, 09:24 PM
Like...found it on craigslist in PA, and picked up the phone immediately kinda good deal. It's complete, minus the the runner to plenum gaskets, and it's got an extrude honed GM base instead of the Accel base. Not looking for a debate on performance, but here are my observations. The exterior opening is matched to the runners, which surprisingly isn't really much bigger than the stock opening. Magic is how it carries that opening through the port instead of the stock cast which immediately chokes down. ...and then the exit port is matched to a 1256. This base isn't quite as big as the max effort GM base I'm running now which dwarfs a stock aftermarket base, and it won't impress the SoCal guys, but it's a nice piece. It'd certainly outflow the Edelbrock base which I had. Never had my hands on an Accel base so I can't speak for it.
I built the big TPI engine the way I've always wanted to, but coming up on two years and I feel I should've gone bigger! 
