A couple months ago I bought a '92 RS vert. I've spent pretty much all my free time getting it fixed up (oil change, fixed a braking problem, heater core & valve, window motors, spark plugs/wires, alternator, hood/trunk hydraulics, new top, pull down trunk motor with trunk/tonneau safety switches, etc.) plus adding some electronics (alarm/remote start with proximity sensor and window control, underbody turn signals, etc). Anyways, I'm 20 - this is the first car I've owned (my grandparents gave my family their '98 Regal which I drove for a number of years but my sister got her license and rather than sharing, I thought I'd just buy my dream car). Just like probably every other guy, since I was a little kid I've wanted a muscle car. One thing I often times associate with a muscle car is a blower. That's the next thing I would like to add to my Camaro, but I have a lot of questions...I know pretty much nothing.

First let me elaborate on what I want - basically a blower with a scoop that has butterfly valves hooked up to the throttle (like in my sig pic). Obviously I will have to cut a hole in the hood for the scoop. I don't want it protruding too high, just the scoop part if possible...

I plan on eventually swapping the 305 tbi to a 350 tpi. If I could get a blower that would work with both engines, I will. Otherwise I guess I'll have to wait till I can afford the new engine (full-time student with 2 part time jobs, money's pretty tight).

Would I be able to add a blower without doing a bunch of other stuff to the engine, and would I be able to get one that would work with both the 305 and 350? I'm sure I'll have many more questions after these are answered...

Thanks!

 

I like the old school roots blowers too.
I can't tell if the pic has 1 or 2 carbs.

If you want the smaller one with 1 carb that you don't have to cut the hood for the upper pulley, but still cut for the scoop, check out the Weiand 142 & 144 units.
IDK compatability between the 305 & 350 heads.

IMO-- save your $ and build a stout 350 with the correct forged internals and heads.

What do you want as an end result?

 

Well like I said, I want to put in a 350, probably fine a junk camaro with a good engine for cheap. I'd like to rebuild it, possible boar it out, new pistond, rings, push rods, oversized cam, headers, etc. Eventually I'll probably put in a new trans, oil pump, fuel pump...everything. But it'll be a slowwww process. I need to get it painted before any of that. But I'd like to get a blower before paint if possible to avoid cutting into a new paint job.

I think the pic has 2 carbs, but not sure. What's the advantage of 2 carbs? Would a 2 carb blower be higher, or just need the hole bigger?

Thanks for the help!

 

The bigger blowers like 256, 6-71 & 8-71 are monsters compared to the 142 & 144!!
These usualy have 2 carbs, but can be had with 1 carb plates. Look at flrtn1 pics-- he's got a big blower but I don't recall what size it is.

For street more than strip, maybe stay with the 142 or 144 style.
6-71 is kinda big for street now but was not un-common for street cars back in the day. LOL.. But since Prochargers came out, that seems to be the way it was done a few yrs ago since they couldn't be seen outside the car. Yup, there was still a whine, sounded like a power steering pump was bad.

Now, it's turbo, LTx & LSx motors with fuel injection making power & still streetable.

You'll hear from the ppl that know this stuff inside -- out before long.

 

You should be able to pick up a 144 or for that fact a 671 rather cheaply. I think the hardest part will be cutting the hood correctly. Have someone do it at a body shop so they don't hack up the hood!

 

I don't know the specific height of the 144 from the intake up, but at least on the blower I have (which I think is close to the height of a 144) - IF I don't have carb studs screwed into the top of the blower and no carb installed, my stock hood would close...barely.

So you can probably count on both your carb and scoop sticking out of the hood. Not a real bad thing, but I'm sure you know you'll become a "race me" and cop magnet.

A cowl hood is needed on any of these to hide a roots blower on a 3rd Gen Camaro and even then I had to use a drop base air cleaner with a K&N lid.

 

147 with 1407(750cfm) Carb will fit under 2"hardwood. It WILL rub with out a filter put a Holley and it won't lol. Cut a hole for a scoop and be done.
also a 8-71 looks BITCHIN sticking out of the hood ..

 

Wow! A 144 Weiand sits low enough to go under a 2" cowl on a 'bird?? That's good to know since I've heard the question asked many times on this board what size hood would be required for a 144. Good info.

Guess my E-Force is taller than a 144 then. No way it would fit with a 2" cowl, at least not with a carb and filter on top! lol

 

If you live in Michigan and this is your only car, don't modify it yet. Buy a beater first so you don't destroy the vert driving it in the snow and so you have something to drive while this one is apart for upgrades.

Once you've acquired a daily driver suitable for year round use, start by putting together a list of everything you want to do to it and then price it all. Then double that amount. This still won't be enough money, but it gets you in the ballpark. You'll be surprised how fast the little stuff adds up.

Then start the build by adding in the smaller items that will be needed first (SFC's, fuel system upgrades, etc). When you've got the money to add the more expensive items, start from the rear of the car and work your way forward. This reduces the chance for downtime later caused by the powerful engine breaking the rearend, transmission, or driveshaft. If you go from the engine back, you are almost guaranteed to spend time just looking at the car after the engine breaks something further back.

There are a lot of resources on this board to help you choose parts for the build. There are probably members near you willing to help with the build.

 

Power adders can be cheap, you just have to DIY for absolutely everything and source the main parts yourself. Dont expect record breaking numbers in the end either



This set me back about $250. Had I bought a kit or had a shop build it, the bill would be closer to $8k

I wouldnt mod your only car either. If it breaks down, you're not going to class or either of your jobs that keep you going

 

Sounds like it's going to be a while until I'll be able to even come close to getting any of this accomplished. Probably not until I'm out of school and have a full time job unfortunately. Thanks for all the advice though, I'm sure I'll get into all this eventually.

 

Don't get discouraged. There are a lot of things you can do that aren't that expensive and need to be done anyway. But if you're planning on building something with a scoop through the hood, the first item you need to plan on is a second car to use as your daily driver while you build this one.