After a 4 month process of trying to sell my 86 TA TPI, I think I might keep it. With only 32,000 miles, adding a paint job and a few small things will make it like new. However, being 190hp with 2.77s, it is kinda gutless.

I started a thread last September about mods that can help keep a stock look and feel. Well, I guess I'm over that because with 2 trailer queen third gens, I wanna drive this one a little. With the respray, I think I want to add a Hawks Ram Air hood and airbox, especially seeing as how the 85-87 air intake is so awful.

Will this flow well, and add some decent HP? Over time, I will be adding, minimally, a cat back, dual cats and some sort of cam that will work ok with stock tuning. I may add headers again (did Edelbrocks on my old 91 RS), but noise and drone is of concern to me. I'm not sure what to do about heads, as Vortec heads and TPI don't seem to mix unless you port the crap out of the aftermarket Vortec TPI intakes.

My goal is to get this thing into the high 13s eventually, on street tires. I think a full bolt-on engine with a good cam, 3.42s and some heads will get me there. Any thoughts on that, and the effectiveness of this hood, is much appreciated.

 

So no one knows anything about this hood?

 

Don't know much about the hood Jason, but can certainly comment on the exhaust.

When I got my Crossfire, the first thing I wanted to change was the exhaust, since the factory system was restrictive and I was pretty sure the cat was clogged. I'm one of those guys who doesn't necessarilly equate LOUD with sweet sounding. What I really wanted to find was a dual cat N10 exhaust for it like the one which came on my IROC, because to me and virtually everyone else who hears it, (most think it's an aftermarket system when they hear it), has a sweet burble, no droning, etc when tooling around, and screams when you put your foot in it. It sounds great without giving you a migraine or all the other half-assed aftermarket stuff you usually have to put up with. It actually sounds like some really smart GM engineers designed it or something - which of course they did.

Anywhozzit, I gave up trying to find a used N10, (you can still buy them new as replacements, they are pricey), and decided to have an exhaust system custom made. It gave me the performance boost I wanted, but not the sound I was hoping for. I've replaced the Flowmaster muffler with a different one, and had L69 exhaust manifolds installed -both made an improvement, but after all the money I've spent, that sweet N10 sound eludes me. I probably should have kept looking, since I've stumbled across several low mile factory dual cat systems since then. Or just purchased one new - would have ultimately been cheaper.

Get yourself a really nice exhaust and 3.42 gears, and do all the free/cheap TPI mods, and I think you'll be pretty close to where you want to be with it. Don't go down the same road as your RS where you had too much money tied up in it.

I'm considering a 3.42 gear to replace my 2.93 as well and still have this stupid, irrational, ridiculous, wild hair to do a T5 swap.

 

it works well, ive had two cars with that setup....just keep in mind you will have to modify the box to make the MAF work if you have one

 

Reviving my old post from the dead. I now plan to buy this hood in the Spring, only for my other TA. What mods does the airbox need to work with an 88 MAF?

 

I'd rather see you put a SLP cold air box in the car (atleast a 88 and up induction system). RA hoods don't really "work" until your over 100mph anyway.