Phoenix'97

It is not that I don't want to listen, it is just that certain advice is outside of the parameters I have set for this future build. I will repeat them.

• This is a daily driven car that will see winter and deep snow driving. My build goals, daily drive-ability, snow drive-ability, must be carefully balanced.
• I wish to maintain my fuel mileage average 15 mpg city and 18 mpg mixed with mostly highway driving. I am being frugal about economy for good reasons.
• I do not wish to lower my rear gear ratio to 3.75 or even 4.11. City driving, daily driving, do not make it safe for a car that accelerates quickly, my stock ratio is better suited for my mileage and acceleration concerns. Furthermore, driving around town in higher than necessary RPM range to make use of my LT1 intake is counter to my fuel efficiency mandate.
• If anything, my goal will be to increase airflow in the motor and focus on as much power production on the low end to mid-range than at high RPM. This is why my logic has me craving the TPI intake with long runners and why I am ruling out the stroker option, for now.

On a last note, one thing I CLEARLY NOTICE is that everyone has higher horsepower builds than the rather mild and tame build I seek so all of that experience and BTDT surrounds making more power out of a motor and especially at the higher RPM range, nothing near what I am doing, trying to get a TPI intake equipped on my LT1 motor. GREGGPENN has clearly mentioned what his early build goals were which are not too far away from my own using the philosophy of low end to mid-range torque. However, a TPI motor is not an LT1 and vice-versa, but the intakes from these two motors should be able to be swapped, and while many have put LT1 intakes on the L98, how many of have put a TPI intake on a second-generation LT1? I post my threads and I get hell for my build goals... What can I say? I am a lame duck.

Phoenix'97

I would build a "daily driver" out of a 6-speed sports car to use, even in the winter time, BECAUSE I CAN, because I ENJOY driving my car in rain, sleet, or snow, because my Trans Am is my personality and an extension of myself, and because I am attached to my car. Every noise, the sound of the exhaust, the sensations of the car that I feel, detecting misfires, feeling when she is losing traction, being able to hear that her transmission is not well, the soothing sound of her exhaust note as I cruise around town up-shifting and down-shifting, are why she is my daily driver. Can you respect that? She is not a spring/summer only car and she certainly is no pristine garage queen and show car. This is my daily driver and I wish to make improvements to her based on my experience and sensations and what I have noticed while driving her, every single day.

A little bit of torque may not be much for you, but for me, I will definitely notice it and I only need a little bit more to keep her coasting on the expressway without the need to constantly downshift for minor inclines. Even driving on the uneven roads, that little bit of torque will be of much use, not to race, but just to get going and stay going without the need for higher RPMs to make use of that racing intake I have equipped, stock from GM!

Tom400CFI

Damn...you should have said so, two threads and 20 pages ago! All you really need then, is an air foil, a TB spacer, a K&N air filter, E3 spark plugs, a fuel catalyst and a couple tornado's....and you'll be good to go!


.

Phoenix'97

Two cents for your expert and professional advice.

Tom400CFI

Hey, Any time! You've already gotten way more of it than you probably deserve (or will ever put to use), but just for good measure, don't for get to get a MAF and TPS enhancer, too! This turned out to be way easier than anyone believed possible.


.

Phoenix'97

GREGGPENN

DUDE! There are some significant differences in our goals that separate us. (And, for the record, I FOUGHT the battles of HP vs TQ in my build too.) The topic(s) -- if not perceivable to your goals -- have relevant information that will educate you.

The issue(s) between HP, TQ, and gearing aren't easily predictable. For example, swapping to a lower gear won't necessarily improve your 1/4m time. When I was your age, I swapped wheels/tires on my 77 Honda CVCC under the ASSUMPTION lower rpms would translate to better MPG. IT DID NOT. The conversion was from 13" to 14" wheels...with bigger tires too. The overall diameter increased a good bit. Plus, that car was a 4-spd stick so I also had good control over RPMs.

No matter what I tried, MPG wasn't as good as the stock Honda config. I was forced to conclude the extra weight was a bigger negative than the slower engine rpms. At the time, I was still a student, made paltry wages, gas prices boomed, and it was a "bounce-back" car from my 1975 TransAm (455) that I owned for a short-time in the 80's. That TA SUCKED gased so fast, I could SEE the gas gauge drop. Besides the BASED door, I'm sure I snagged it because of the gas crisis back then. Anyway...I followed it up with attempts at fuel-sipping.

They had gadgets that would line up ions or inject H2O into your fuel. It was all a crock. And, YEARS later, I see you making uneducated and schizophrenic statements like below...

The EXACT reason you don't want to change gear ratios would apply to any TQ or HP "build". In one breath, you've REPEATEDLY talked about the hazards/safety concerns you ALREADY have. Plus you ONLY want the lowest rpms to be "performance". ANY OF US who've driven a V8 with a stick KNOW 1st and 2nd don't NEED extra torque. FROM THE FACTORY, you can spin tires in those two gears.

THAT ALONE shows one of two things: Either your nuts OR you want more power than you openly admit. There is NO OTHER CHOICE!!! A swap to a TPI won't bump PERCEIVABLE power levels except in the 2500-4000 rpm range. You've NEVER said you WANT power up there.

In fact, you made the dumb (IMO) statement about WANTING a TPI because it CHOKES air starting at 3k rpms. That sir, is a lame duck statement! So were some comments about deceleration and emissions WHILE LEADING US ON FOR DAYS about your inability to modify the hood to get a TPI to fit.

So...Since we are "closing this topic", let's conclude: You don't really need ANY extra power for your goals, you are unable to see how gears would give you MORE -- if you weren't so stubborn, you need more education on tuning considerations, and you make too many assumptions about your ability to SAVE fuel by altering what the factory (much more) carefully put together.

When I set out for MY build, I openly wanted maximum power from idle to 4500-5000rpms. I wanted a build that would eliminate the need for double-gear downshifting. I wanted a build that would look fairly stock but surprise anyone that saw/drove it via pulling power. In comparing/overlaying dynos from MANY builds, I realized focus on a torque build would create the big block driving experience in a small block car. When younger, I owned that 455 TA in addition to a '68 GTO. Once I hit my 30's, I didn't own anything that powerful until I built my Corvette in my 50's.

While MPG was a consideration, made LOTS of decisions that abandoned fuel for power. But, that's because I already had the knowledge of what a 400 or 455 does when your right foot get's "excited". No matter what/how you "build" a motor for torque or horsepower, stomping it will suck more fuel. In fact -- compared to light-foot hyper-mile driving -- you'll use fuel at least 4 times faster. WOT driving isn't saving.

If you JUST want the slightest press of the foot pedal to be more responsive, gears will accomplish that better. Why? Because, to get more power from that TPI "bump", you'd need to downshift FIRST and/or keep rpms near that 2500 - 3000 rpm range. But, a slight tap even off-idle, will PULL more readily.

You NEED to prioritize whether POWER or MPG is your priority. You need to resolve simple and obvious statements like: Your car already accelerates "quickly" AND....that it sounds UNSAFE for the situation already at hand.

Longtube, mid-length tube, and short-tube runners give you the option of focusing power in the 3-4k range, 4-5k range, or higher. To focus on lower rpms, you need gears, a cam, or more cubes. And, it sounds pretty darn contradictory for someone worried about ALREADY having a car "unsafe" for anything but calm driving in the city...or someone worried about economy/emissions.

I thought that simple change of tire diameter would help me back in the 80's. It didn't. What you are considering isn't so simple, cheap, or particularly suited to the goals YOU conveyed to this forum.

YOU are the one who turned this into a lame duck conversation though odd, contradictory statements -- some not even based in fact. Until you understand THOSE things, you won't understand the tone of our replies.

64Scout

i get that, but the way you talk about it sounds like you want things that are opposites. You want more power, but then say that city driving isn't safe for a car that accelerates quickly. You want more power, but also want to choke the engine, and then want economy on top of it all. Since you refuse to regear your axle, I suggest a cam swap and leave everything else alone. See how that floats your boat, you might just be happy with it as it is then.


One question, why are you concerned about vacuum?

Tom400CFI

You're right. I said something VERY similar waaaay back in POST 61

Maye the OP can "get it", this time.

aklim

Now we are getting somewhere.

AgentEran

Im pretty sure you all have been trolled hard here.. a google search provides that the moniker "Phoenix97" has been used and BANNED on various other message boards, such as:

http://www.religionforums.org/User-Phoenix97

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forum...?f=18&t=254968

https://phoenix97.deviantart.com/

PatternDayTrader

Not me. Lol.

Tom400CFI

What!? A troll?? I had no idea!

pologreen1

I had no idea. I still don't believe it.

"I really have faith in this guy to make this work" It is a very outside the box and creative idea.

Oh wait... "10 year lt1 car owner", LS forums admitted in 1st post, Knows just enough to keep people going, repeats almost the same 4 details every reply or so, etc...

Back on topic

Penix Many guys with the 6 speed find it unusable until they switch rear gears, maybe your cam grinder and tuner can tune it to 1700 rpm most torque.

Tom400CFI

Why F-around with the putt-putt, "short runner" TPI, when you can have a proper long runner intake?? Stop messing around and get 30" of ram tuned INTAKE! Tuned to peak at 2800....it'll turn ANY LT1 into the ULTIMATE
TOWAK MONSTAH!!!

GREGGPENN

Weld some injector bungs into that PLUS custom fab some bolt-on, ram-air plenums and connect them to the inlets of his 97 TA and he's hit nirvana!

aklim

Won't make any difference. He's going want someone to endorse the TPI intake. His whole thing is focused on it so more conditions will come up till it narrows it down to the TPI intake, whether it will work or not.

aklim

THAT is going to look so cool

billschroeder5842

I want to hire Phoenix '97 to run my sales department.

Your ability to keep a nonsense conversation going is impressive.

GREGGPENN

I never said SLP runners are shorter. Compared to other large-tube runners, they can be siamesed due to their internal design but there's no significant length difference that would translate into a change in reversion harmonics.

Brother!

WHAT I SAID was their internal structure is harder to port around due to the mounting bosses. WHAT THAT MEANS is there are obstructions inside tubes that "pinch" air flow. TPIS, AS&M, or ACCEL runners are mandrel-bent tubing -- which are smooth throughout. No pinching.

Not even close to what my point was. Sun getting to you down in Phoenix?

FWIW, I also commented on the viability of siamesing longtube intakes but don't feel it necessary to repeat myself ad nauseam.