I am wanting to change the intake on my L98 car. I just read the shootout article which was very helpful. At the end of the thread there seemed to be a consensus that the stealthram was a favorable choice for the latest technology on our cars.

One of the reasons for this is the lower price for the stealthram over other intakes. Does the stealthram fit under our hoods? From what I have read on these boards - it seems like there is an issue regarding this. Especially the pontiac cars. If the stealthram does not fit under our hoods then an aftermarket hood is necessary and that will have to be painted too. If the paint job is to be any good - the price could be another $1000 to add the hood and paint to get the stealthram. If that is the case then there is no savings at all.

Any trans ams with this experience? Anybody bolt this on with out hood clearance issues? If not - how did you deal with it?

 

It fits the Camaros, not the TA's because the Birds has more of a slope in the hood.

 

It can be made to fit under a stock firebird/ta hood. Powermite has done it, though the hood brace needs to be modified.

It can fit, but you'll have to cut the hood up. And it won't fit with poly mounts as they raise the engine up.

 

Thanks for the info - I have a low mileage very well kept car. The idea of cutting the hood up for a $500 part and reducing the future potential of the car's value makes no sense. As an example, to buy a 1969 camaro SS and see that the hood was cut up in 1983 to put on a part that is now outdated would be frustrating.

All said - I think this needs to be metioned at some level when all of the praise for the stealthram is going on - there are limits for some of us. The cost of the exrtrahood and paint makes this option become very expensive. This is good to know - it helps the decision making process!

 

IMHO poly engine mounts do not raise the engine up. That is unless you consider rotted squashed stock mounts to be ther natural height.

Tomclf:- Regarding fitting the HSR under a stock TransAm hood a search would have yielded appropriate results pretty easily.

As I'm feeling kind though..... JMatlock88 and others have discussed this issue at some length previously as you have probably found. You may have read these already, but some useful threads include:-

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hood+clearance
Stealth Ram install - includes pics of hood modifications.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hood+clearance
StealthRam- Can it be whacked to fit?

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hood+clearance
HSR Hood clearance - Solving by lowering motor mounts?

Good luck with your project!

 

You can easily fit the HSR under the TA hood. I did it. There is one brace that needs to be cut away. (an intersection of three braces).

If you'd consider buying another hood anyway then what's wrong with trimming your stock hood? You can always buy another one.

You're example doesn't seem to mesh too well. I wouldn't compare your car to a 69 SS no matter how nice it is. It's just that, a real nice car. Not that rare. You can always buy another stock hood later on.

 

Hey guys thanks for taking the time to answer back. I have looked at several threads about this already. From what I could tell it seemed that cuting hood was the only way around this - If I end up keeping the car for a long time - I could regreat the decision later. Next year - Holly could redesign this thing where it fits for all I know.

Regarding the Camaro comparison - I undestand that I chose a highend car to compare to. I was thinking production number wise.

Here are the stats for production numbers for SS Camaros in 1969.

http://www.chevy-camaro.com/chevy-ca....asp?year=1969

Z27 Camaro Super Sport (SS) 34,932

When you consider that over 200,000 Camaros were made that year, the percentage is roughly 15% of the production base for SS cars in terms of rarity for all Camaros made in 1969.

When you look at a total of only 36,928 GTA -TTA cars ever made over 5 years the number could be similar when the GTA cars are 35 years old in terms of rarity. Whether or not they will have the desirablility is another question all together. We will not know until then.

 

Tomclf:- If you planning on keeping the car a long time and feel that modifying the hood in this way could adversely affect the value, then I'd suggest you purchase another GTA hood at the moment. Either second hand or brand new GM depending on your preference.

Keep us posted.

 

Some of you guys complain about having to modify ****, theres a but load of camaros, I had a 87 iroc -Z that ran 13.80s with radials and a slipping trans. And it ran a 14.86 at 86 mph when the trans lost 3rd gear. U can find a IROC hood for cheap. I got mine for 50$ that was the regular price at a
pick-n-pull in summit Illinois, but I got a '84 firebird hood that was a perfect 6 banger hood, for 19$ all I have to do is paint it, thats not that much work.

The HSR is worht 35 HP on a stock motor with manifolds, and closer to 50 with some sort of headers. This information was according to GM High Tech's magazine. The ran a 88 iroc with a 355, a mild cam, and aluminum edelbrock performer RPM heads and headers, he had a stall also, stock rear gears. But he started at a fully ported big mouth base, and Big runners. He ran the best time of 12.95 ET at 103 mph. He switched to a HSR, un ported, and tuned it with 14* of timing, and 38PSI of pressure, and netted 329 HP at the wheels, and ran a 12.33 at 110 mph! So 60 HP, and over .6 tenths of a second faster, pretty sweet! The price and modifications are worth the upgrade, stock camaros aren't that interesting, but kinda lame and way too common.

 

I just put my hood on today, and I put my HSR on in 4 days, along with .028 head gaskets, instead of .041 for more compression. Check out my photos I'll post some photos of the 6 banger hood, cut on the inside and the outside, so you can under stand what I have done, its on my site at:

www.cardomain.com/ride/471099

 

 

I just put a 3000 midwest converter in my formula last week, and this converter works a hell of a lot better with
the HSR, the 2400 worked like a stock one basically.

This one stalls out to 2400 on the foot brake, it
was totally worth my time and effort of changing
it. Plus it has a anti ballooning plate for NITROUS
so thats my next mod. I'm doing a cam swap soon, and then a tune plus nitrous! Close to 600 horse on nitrous anyone?