Rickey Terherst

I have a bone stock 73 with 5.7, im looking for the best bang for the buck aluminum intake for a 5.7 sbc

jackson

For bang that you'll actually feel ... ONLY swapping OE cast iron intake for an aluminum one, without doing other mods, isn't gonna do it.
That aside, Edelbrock 2101 has many satisfied users and fits under most vette hoods.

jackson

And Ricky, welcome. Suggest you put APPROXIMATE location in your profile so we can see about where the car is because your CLIMATE will affect some advice you might need.
Also, location may govern some choices as some jurisdictions have strict smog / registration laws while others don't.
Does your 73 retain EGR and does your jurisdiction require it to be in place? If so, 2101 is Not for you.

7T1vette

A stock LT1 or L-82 aluminum intake would be a good choice AND still be a 'stock' GM product. Unless you are opting for a 'maximum power possible' setup, those units or an aftermarket piece that others are recommending would be appropriate for your car.

tjmaniez

Rescue Rogers

A new cam and heads is the best bang for the buck. You can go to a bigger lift and greater duration than stock for less than $200 for the cam alone, but you should buy the cam kit and get the timing chain and springs, You can look on Summit for a decent set of CompCams products. Then look for a good used set of iron heads. Sportsman II's can be found cheap and they are about the same as a set of nice vortec heads. Once you find the heads then look for a used intake. I got a set for $400 plus $75 for machining for new seals. I dont know your budget but you can get alot of power for less than $1000 without getting crazy.

What ever intake you look at, make sure its going to fit under your hood, drop base air cleaners will help with squeezing it under. NEVER let your hood drop on a new air cleaner or new air cleaner stud after an intake change, when that wingnuts pops though your hood, you will be upset

derekderek

Wad up a piece of foil loosely and put it on top of the air filter. Close the hood, gently and the thickness of what's left of the foil is your clearance.

fishslayer143

an intake swap will do very little just by itself ..

Jebbysan

The LT-1 and L-82 intakes are different.....this is a common confusion......the LT-1 is a high rise design and the L-82 is just a low rise run of the mill Q-jet style. That said...the LT-1 intake was a masterpiece of engineering for its time....it runs neck and neck with the RPM Air Gap all the way upstairs.....BUT...requires a square flange carb.
The 2101 Performer is a great piece....but it is even better when combined with a set of long tube headers......change both and curve the distributor......you WILL notice a huge difference.

I have been throwing around installing an LT-1/DZ 302 intake on my own 406 (Team G on there now) with the divider milled down because it would be super sneaky.......if the right one comes around, I may do it......

Jebby

HeadsU.P.

Just my opinion, but I would not buy a new 2101. Its a safe bet that in the future you will do some other mods and want a even better intake. Having said that and owning a 2101, look on eBay for used Edelbrock 2101. You can pick up a decent unit for about $70. There's dozens of used ones on there. Study the sellers pictures up close, look for damage or abuse and make sure there is a return policy.

Jebbysan

Pretty sound advice....there are hundreds of these at swap meets too........I bought one off Craigslist about 4 years ago for $90 new in the box.....

Jebby

cv67

Ditto on the intakes..by itself may not feel its worth it.
Edelbrock has an updated performer that works well, Weiand makes a nice dual plane also.
The cheap chinese stuff looks the same but the runners are smaller dont be fooled.

An alternative to the LT-1 which is a great piece is the Holley 300-36. Outstanding performance and looks identical to the LT1 piece too bad they dont make them anymore.
(Its not the one that says Contender on it)
Every motor is different but I made the mistake of drinking the soup of cutting down the divider.....it gained me no top end and lost signal to the carb. If you run a big cam you need all of that you can get for a stable idle.