Tri power or blower?

[ProdigyCustoms]

Bill's ProTour 65 GTO is going to be running a 6.0 LSX motor with new GTO engine deressing, He is thinking a Magnacharger would top it off nicely. I am trying to talk him into a custom Tri power FI set up playing on the whole 65 389 Tri Power GTO.

I would like some opinions as I am hoping to sway Bill's plans. I am fairly certain for the same money as the Magnacharger, we can make the same HP N/A, so I do not think HP is a determining factor. I think we are after WOW factor and drive ability, which both would do just fine.

We do not want any new suggestions as Bill is pretty well set on the Magnacharger anyway, I do not want to confuse the issue with more ideas.

So if you had a choice?

1 Magnacharger?

2 Tri power?

[Steve Chryssos]

Magnacharger. :headbang: (Sorry dude)

[ProdigyCustoms]

I ever tell you I don't like you?

Call me later, need to talk.

[Travis B]

I like the tri power idea just because it hasn't been done on a LS engine yet and it would have that wow factor you are looking for!

The magna charger would be cool too!

[Steve68]

I saw the car yesterday, I say tripower EFI, nostalga style,

[jeffandre]

Definitely tri power, old school in a new way! Can you put tri power on top of a blower manifold? Might be too tall...

[Steve Chryssos]

You have to think about the short, stubby intake runners associated with an old-school cast 3x2 intake (not that one exists for an LSx). Then what? You fab a common 3x2 plenum on top of long runners out of sheetmetal, but the money will add up fast--especially when you include calibration. I'm all for wow factor, but not at the expense of performance.

The Magnacharger carries plenty of wow factor and performance PLUS I just read about its unique bypass system that maximizes low speed drivability--and the install/setup is relatively turn key. Nice........

You want vintage? Build a pair of faux old school lookin' coil covers (valve cover covers?)

[andrewb70]

I have to cast another vote for Magnucharger. A heavy GTO will benefit greatly from the low end torque. Sure you can make the same HP NA, but its all about the area under the torque curve that gets a car moving.

Andrew

[Beige]

If superchargers can make Ford trucks and FWD Grand Prixs cool, one will have no problem making something already as cool as a 65 GTO even better.

[JMitch19]

I'm with the Magnacharger guys only if you DON'T use the new GTO set-up. My good friend Chris White (High Performance Pontiac contributing editor) has a 04 GTO with the Magnacharger he only put 372hp to the tires on a bone stock car at 7 psi. The intercooler was found to be inefficent. Magnacharger bought the kit back from him because they didn't want him to publish the article. At the same 7 psi his car put 444rwhp down with a intercooled P1SC. If you can get a good size intercooler under the hood go for it.

[Roger Poirier]

You guys,

This is bull... Tri-power all the way. Owning a Pontiac for over 30 years, history is all we have to go on. Tri-power all the way! There is more to GTO's than just speed. It called "character." These are my thoughts and I'm sticking to them.

R.P.

[BB69]

I hadn't even opened the post before I was thinking a tri-power with hidden injectors and associated wiring would be cool. I think tuning could be simplified by only using one throttle position and a common manifold pressure sensor. Mass air flow would be more complicated. Lots of superchargers out there, I haven't yet seen a hidden FI system in a tri.

Ken

[Rick Dorion]

I have a soft spot for tri-power from the ol' days with my 348 and my buddies GTO. Do something nostalgic with the modern technology.

[Fuelie Fan]

http://www.mooneyes.com/MISC/drive.html

The guy who designed these and still owns the rights to them (he sells them to moon), is a very close friend of mine. In fact, he's coming up this weekend. I don't want to pitch it and violate any board rules, so I will just say that I can get you in contact with him if you're interested. He's done 2x2, 3x2, 4x2, and 6x2 setups with his throttle bodies.

[Steve1968LS2]

The magnacharger is a better choice but the tri-power will make the bigger splash and it hasn't been done before or done to death.

Since it is not my car I will help you out and vote tri-power ;)

[69speed]

Doesn't it depend on his intended use for the car. Tri-power would be awesome for a show car or limited driving. However, wouldn't a magnacharger be more dependable, with more convenient support as things wear from regular driving? (Can Bill or someone in his area tune the custom tri-power setup?)

I realize that you know more about these mods, but it has been my experience that the more creative I get with a project the harder it is to maintain. Of course, let's keep in mind, I don't have your skills:) I just do this for fun.

[68protouring454]

do the tri-power, would be killer, i do agree the magna charger would be awesome too, but dare to be different, i would love to see it, must be able to get a price from somewhere to do it,
TRI POWER
JAKE

[69rs]

TRI-CHARGER!! I mean MAGNA-POWER!! Oh man, I'm confused.:screwy:

They're both cool!:getout: Okay, okay.

[yody]

I'm confused here, are you saying you would put three seperate throttle bodies on top of a custom composite intake?? or are you trying to do carburetors on a sheetmetal intake, or throttle bodies on a sheetmetal intake? How do you plan on making hte same power N/A? if he used the magnacharger would it be a stock long block but if N/A, heads, cam etc... I think it would get way more expensive if he has to go N/A and change the cam heads and a custom intake setup and custom computer,wiring etc... but super cool, i say do whatever you can afford.

[bnickel]

i like the efi tri-power idea a lot, you can have nostalgia and the benefits of efi all in one package. i'm certain it has never been done on a GTO before. i also like the idea of the vintage looking valve/coil cover ide as well.

[Scott Parkhurst]

Magnacharger = 8-10 hr. installation, tops

Custom Tri-power injection on custom-fabbed intake= 8-10 weeks of development, minimum (tuning will add to this..as will hood clearancing...)

I'd rather get the huffer on and drive the damn thing.

If you were swapping a real Pontiac V-8 in, I might be with ya...but the LS engine has about as much to do with vintage Pontiacs as the new GTO's styling does.

SP~

[TonyHuntimer]

The Magnacharger would be a much faster installation, but hot rodding (especially Pro-Touring) is rarely based on doing "things" the easy way. If it were, we'd all be driving stock cars, have large bank accounts, and plenty of time to spend polishing our girlfriends-or-wifes shoes.

Here's a Tri-power F.I. GTO done by my good friend Paul over at Dyno West.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2005/06/tripowerincar-1.jpg

:cool:
Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[TonyHuntimer]

...OH! And if it was me paying for a supercharger or Tri-Power on an LSX engine, I would probably do the supercharger. Or try to find a turbo kit made for an LSX that would "bolt-on."

But then again, it's not my money. :)

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[ProdigyCustoms]

Yody, you asked how we would make the same horsepower N/A. The Magnacharger is not a huge sorce of boost. Especially on bigger cube motors. It is not going to be a monster, probably 500HP tops. Bill is not looking for a monster though. For the money the Magnacharger will cost, we can easily do a set of heads, cam, FI set up and see 500HP.
As far as how we are going to do it, it will be custom throttle bodies on a custom intake. Tuning should not be an issue unless we go the progressive route, which may make it more complicated. We have some ideas. Without reveling anymore, let's assume we can do it.

[Bill Howell]

Believe it or not, with all the stuff with the upcoming event, I have completely missed this thread.
It looks like the vote is about 50/50 gee thanks.....
I really want the magnacharger, if for no other reason I have always wanted something with a huffer. I have told Frank that I am open to the idea but don't want something that is unreliable or worthless. That being said, the tri-power would be soooo coool looking if we could work it out. Being normal has always scared me so if someone can come up with a workable system, I am certainly game. Who knows, maybe it would start something everyone with a new GTO would use. Anyone out there need a guinea pig? :naughty:
I do not want to sway anyone's opinion though about their choice here, please, tell us what you think, not what one of us may want to hear.
Thanks for all the input guys...

[zbugger]

Well damn... And I thought that I was Bill's bad influence. I can see both sides to this, but from a slightly different angle. First off, there's nothing like the whine of a blower, especially on startup. It just turns heads. On the other hand, there's no way a person is not gonna do a double take when they see the tri-power under the hood. "Oh, neat. It's a tri power. Is it the original engine? Wait.... What the?!?!?! What engine is that?" That would just be too cool. Either way, I think the oomph is based more on appearance than power in this application.

Try and decide now, Bill.......

[Ralph LoGrasso]

My vote is for a nice healty cam, something like MTI's .227/.231, and the magnacharger. I really want to see Bill get 450+rwhp out of the goat. Or, my second vote is for an intercooled D-1SC Procharger with the same cam (the pc should make a bunch more ponies).

[Kenova]

Blowers sound cool, but they are just too damned easy to bolt on and use. I guess that's what makes them attractive.
I'll vote for the tri-power. Take two Edelbrock LS1 single plane manifolds. Cut the front and rear pairs of runners off. Weld the two centres together and block off the ends. This should give you enough length to weld on a mounting plate for three two barrel throttle bodies, and the engineering for the runners is already done. The injector bosses will have to be added, or use carbs instead. Call Edelbrock up and tell them what you're up to. They may be willing to set you up with a couple of damaged intakes.
A healthy cam with ported heads and you're ready to rumble with the big boys.
Hey! It's not my money. Believe it or not, this is one off my saner ideas. :hammer:
Ken