What Is The Best SBC Intake Manifold

I have a 1973 Camaro 350/TH350 with Edelbrock street/strip cam, Mallory Unilite Distributor, hot coil, hugger headers, and Demon 650 carb. I may need to replace my intake manifold. It is an Edelbrock, but not sure which one. What is your advice as to the best street intake for this beast? Maybe and Edelbrock Torquer or Edelbrock Victor, Jr.

Thanks.

 

I've had good luck with the Performer RPM in street strip applications...

 

might look into a airgap rpm ....seem to make good power at a broad rpm range.... brandon

 

second vote for rpm air gap

 

+1.

 

A third vote for the air gap intake. Especially for a dual purpose ride..

 

Weiand Stealth
Weiand Stealth "Air Strike"
Edelbrock Performer RPM
Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap


Those would be my top four choices for the combination you mentioned.

 

I'd go with the Edlebrock RPM... I don't know much about the air-gap... and haven't seen any head to head tests with the RPM.

Anyone?

Sam.

 

You look like the guy from Mel's Diner. Thanks for the info.

 

Nobody snaps a pencil as cool as Vic Tayback!!

 

My wife and I both loved the show. Sure beats what is on TV now. Maybe I am getting old. Will be 65 next month.

 

Just a quickie I grabbed off another site

In comparing the Performer RPM to the RPM AirGap:
"The net worth of this in output is about 6 lbs.-ft. at 2,500 rpm and about 4 lbs.-ft. at 5,500. Nevertheless, there is an overriding concern here. If the carb being used has inadequate fuel atomization, the cooler runners can actually detract from output, so be sure to use a carb that does a good job on mixture preparation."

In comparing the RPM AirGap to the Victor Jr Single Plane Manifold:
" At 1,900 rpm, the Air Gap Performer was down on torque by a barely-measurable amount, but our 383, when Victor equipped, was down by some 25 lbs.-ft." "At the top end the Performer only gave away a little over 13 hp to the tricked-out Victor Jr."

 

I am a novice, so tell me, which was the best? Thanks.

 

Buy an Airgap, or you can kiss mah grits!

If you call a company like Summit, their tech guy can take your existing parts info and walk you through your choices.

 

uh 73 crapmaro??? what is up guys, tell him to go to the fucking camaro board and ask about this. that mullet mobile is nowhere close to a traditional hot rod...seriouly, stop being so nice

 

I made the assumption that the engine/trans came out of a Camaro for the rod in the pic... oops...

 

hey cant we all get along? he he guess not..i was assuming the same thing , im sure thats what the guy ment but he should have made it clear we werent talking 73 cram-aro.
I like my perfomer intake, so far

 

The engine is in a 1930 Ford Model a closed cab pickup. Isn't that tradional enough?

 

what's the difference, he's asking a gear headed question about an intake manifold, not anything else about the car

 

ok, i misunderstood that you'd yanked the engine outta that FOR the truck. i concede..."I have a 1973 Camaro 350/TH350 with Edelbrock street/strip cam, Mallory Unilite Distributor, hot coil, hugger headers, and Demon 650 carb."...sounds like you still have it in the car. still don't like the engine of choice, but it is your car

please tell me you're doing something about those wheels though


as for the intake, the final drive ratio and approx cam specs along with the goals you have for the combo would help more with good selection.

 

ok back on subjec....how are you planing on driving the truck? stock engine? are you changing the carberation? trow us some more info.

i still like my performer

 

Those are Lincoln mags and really look pretty good.

Rebuilt 1973 Chevy 350 V8 bored .030 over
TH350 automatic trans
Mallory Unilite Distributer and Power Filter
High powered Summit Racing Coil and Ballast Resistor
Summit Racing Ignition Wires
High flow Summit water pump
Mr. Gasket fuel pump
Edelbrock Manifold with extra 1" spacer
Demon 650 carburetor with K&N filter setup
Its A Snap wiring harness
Edelbrock Street/Strip cam
Hugger headers with Thrush Cherry Bomb mufflers
Fully boxed frame with engineer designed k-member - frame extended in the rear
Front and Rear bumpers
BF Goodrich radials all the way around
4" dropped tubular front axle
1" dropped front cross member
Vega steering box with cross steering
1990 Chevy S10 steering column and wooden steering wheel
MP Power Brake Booster with Corvette Master Cylinder
Power disk brakes in front and power disk brakes in rear
Tubular shocks in front and coil over shocks in rear
Genie floor shifter and emergency brake
9" Ford rear end (2.91 to 1 ratio)
Triangulated four bars in rear and hair pins in the front
Walker Cobra AC radiator (with condensor)
Electric fan with Vintage Air Trinary switch and adjustable fan temp switch in radiator
Vintage Air heating and air conditioning
Lincoln mag wheels
'32 style gas tank under bed
All steel - all original except side aprons.
Will have the original type black top and black rubber on the running boards.
Original headlight buckets with modern sealed beam bulbs (hi/low)
Front and rear turn signals
Original headlight bar and horn (6 volt with reducer)
Recessed firewall
Wooden ammunition box in bed for battery, tools.
Model A seat done in red plush
Overhead console inside with Blaupunct AF/FM radio and cd with two five inch speakers, also has overhead lights
Electric windshield wiper on drivers side
Classic Instruments gauges using the original Model A dash bezel

What else turns you off? I know, the A/C. Well when you live in central Texas and are 64 and the wife says she won't go unless there is A/C ...

 

sweet...now there's some info.

after looking at all that, i'd really recommend the performer RPM for that. with that combo you really don't wanna go with an open plenum manifold, dual plane will do you much better. since it's a relatively light car, the 2k and up power range of the RPM will really wake that baby up though that does depend on your rear end ratio. i'm guessing that you're probably around 9.5:1 compression which is good for that cam and oughta make good vacuum to run those accessories. since that is a demon carb though you'll wanna be careful if you go with the air gap because as was mentioned before, they can hurt atomization and it's easy to go overboard with those carbs. other than that, it seems like a well thought out build and who cares about the AC. i'd have it too if i lived there.

as for the wheels...glad you like them

 

rpm air gap works good have one on the shelf. it's a good street choice. currently i'm running a victor jr. on one of my cars, work good for me, it's single plane tho, great if your running in the higher rpm ranges.

 

Thanks for the compliment. I have been working on her for three years. A couple more months and she will be road worthy. I think you are right, the Edelbrock Performer RPM looks like the best choice. Now to find a used one. I am working on a shoe-string like many others. Thanks again.

Larry

 

yeah, i know how the shoestring thing goes...only was able to build the 461 olds i fired up a couple weeks ago because of my side business building carbs and doing performance work. the "real" job doesn't pay anything but the bills

 

why not post a pic of the intake you have now. you say it's an edelbrock. you say you don't know which one. it just might be an rpm.

 

you need to ask yourself how you want to drive the truck. be honest. are you going to keep the rpm up high enough to take advantage of a single plane intake? (hint...the answer is no...especially with 2.91 gearing). you want a dual plane manifold that makes low end torque, good off idle throttle response. you don't want a 400 hp high revving engine. i doubt if any mill in that light truck will ever wind above 4500. especially at your age. build a torquey little motor and have fun ripping around town.

 

Jeez, I thought that was Virgil from McHale's Navy? DOH!

 

Used the Edelbrock RPM on several builds worked great on the street.Good response no bogging .