I am seriously concidering puting a big block in my Trans Am. Unfortunaly, I Have Just got a hood mural done and don't want to hack the hood! Please tell me there is a way to do this swap without hacking the hood.
Thanx!

 

Low profile manifold and drop base air cleaner "should" fit under the hood. It would be real close. There just isn't much hood space in a third gen even with a small block.

 

Hood clearance gets REALLY tight on the Firebird because the fender line drops down. It can be done with a low-profile manifold and short air cleaner. Basically, you're looking at a low performance big block and you might as well use a beefed small block instead and run faster.

 

How do you figure it would be a low performance big block? Just because you use a low rise dual plane manifold, doesn't mean you can't build power into it.

 

Yes it does.

 

Mounting the engine 1.5" lower in the chassis, I was able to get a Weiand Team G (tall single plane manifold) with a Dominator under the stock hood (no air cleaner). With reasonably sized manifold (Performer RPM) it should fit with a drop base air cleaner. Don't use one of those foam mesh air cleaners they don't work without hood clearance.



www.geocities.com/nydragracing

 

How were you able to drop it down? Custom crossmember?

 

You can get a crossmember made by PA Racing with up to 2" change in engine height. You can also move the engine fore and aft.