Vararam Intake Manifold
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,062
Likes: 117
If my choice was to run an aluminum aftermarket LS Manifold intake not fitting under an OEM hood, for power and efficiency not saying easiness to install and tune, instead of the Edelbrock I would buy this one, what do you think?
Christian
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,475
Likes: 332
From: Port Arthur, Texas 77642
We test Holley's new mid-rise and high-Ram intakes on a 383 LS stroker
Dyno Testing Four Popular LS3 Bolt-On Intake Manifolds
Last edited by NemesisC5; Jul 19, 2016 at 05:27 PM. Reason: Added links
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,781
Likes: 1,485
From: Savannah GA
Not picking on KW necessarily either, he does make some other valid points. I'm just trying to make the point that if one were to run a single tube with a single MAF and then split the intake into dual paths for the edelbrock, it is not really much different than the vararam design (which this thread is originally about). Both intakes utilize dual plenums and cross ram intake runners. Its just that one does it with a single TB and the other does it with dual TBs. I happen to like the aesthetics of the edelbrock better myself, but thats just my personal opinion.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 978
Likes: 99
From: Virginia
I talked to a guy at the Vararam booth at Carlisle, and it did not sound hopeful that the manifold is going to see production.
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Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 8,434
Likes: 411
From: Texas
I actually PMed Mamo about porting me an aftermarket LS3 intake and he told me that it was a waste of money.
Then I decided to wait for the Vararam...for a freakin' year. Hey if it does what Patrick says it does it will be amazing and maybe I'll switch once it's WELL proven.
Even though Patrick told me that it was going to be released and available this November and I was so close, I had just lost patience last week and sent my pretty already painted OEM LS3 manifold to Gwatney for porting for $250. I know my fitment will be correct, no injector spacers or anything, it looks nice and stock, and it's proven to give results. I should have done that a year ago.
Anyways, it arrives back home tomorrow and I'll get it on the dyno in the next couple of months or so.
Then I decided to wait for the Vararam...for a freakin' year. Hey if it does what Patrick says it does it will be amazing and maybe I'll switch once it's WELL proven.
Even though Patrick told me that it was going to be released and available this November and I was so close, I had just lost patience last week and sent my pretty already painted OEM LS3 manifold to Gwatney for porting for $250. I know my fitment will be correct, no injector spacers or anything, it looks nice and stock, and it's proven to give results. I should have done that a year ago.
Anyways, it arrives back home tomorrow and I'll get it on the dyno in the next couple of months or so.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 478
Likes: 1
Supposedly the Vararam VR-X will to be shown at the SEMA show at the end of October. They ordered enough parts to assemble around 800 units to be sold. We should know in a couple of weeks what the status is. Also they will release the dyno sheets and other material. I have the money and I am ready to buy.
Last edited by 1989TransAm; Oct 9, 2016 at 03:32 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 978
Likes: 99
From: Virginia
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 899
Likes: 209
From: Louisville KY
That was my opinion of the ram air intake this company sold me in 2012 for my 08 LS3 car. I didn't take it off because it didn't make HP but because of the poor quality construction. The air filter lid would never seal properly and one of the latches would pop open every time I drove the car. No response from the company to my request for another CAI that was made properly. Took it off and garbage canned it. Could not sell a product to some other unsuspecting person that had these defects. I doubt I will ever buy another product from this company. 
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,108
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Today marks 3 years from post #1 that indicated production was about to begin. 
Just bringing this up to warn any budding entrepreneurs, that announcing a product before actual production begins is not the way to get a company off and running.
Just bringing this up to warn any budding entrepreneurs, that announcing a product before actual production begins is not the way to get a company off and running.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 978
Likes: 99
From: Virginia
Fortunately we can buy the MSD and have it ported by Tony Mamo. I stopped waiting on the Unicorn.
Last edited by Bad_AX; Jun 16, 2018 at 09:17 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 8,434
Likes: 411
From: Texas
Mamo was pretty honest with me and told me the gains were small running the MSD even ported by him.
I had the radius rods added to the OEM intake by Gwatney Performance for $250 and the car pulls notably harder up top with this modification. It wasn't even a small difference.
I had the radius rods added to the OEM intake by Gwatney Performance for $250 and the car pulls notably harder up top with this modification. It wasn't even a small difference.