Best intake for a 500+hp street motor
 

I'm building a 462ci, which is going in a 68 firebird with a stock hood. I'm trying to find out what would be a good choice for an intake manifold that can handle all the power this motor can produce and not be the cork and fit under the hood. I think it's going to be capable of around 500 to 530hp.

The intakes that I already have, are an old performer and a Holley street dominator. Which one of these would be the best choice or is there a better one that I should buy? I would appreciate any information on this that anyone might have.

Thanks

I have a ported T2 intake at around 600 hp.

Of the two you currently have, the Holley would definitely be a better choice.

Q-jet on a 71-earlier stock intake. With a Holley, I really like the RPM, but since it's a 462, a good shorter single plane and a spacer should fit as well. Will likely need a drop base air cleaner to fit.

The Performer is only good to about 430 hp depending on how many CID are living under it even with a big 850 and a 1” spacer on it.

The Holley would be the way to go unless you grab a Performer RPM especially if your year gears are not over 3.55.

Do you think there's a better choice out there that I could buy? I wish the RPM would fit under the hood. I know that would be a no brainer, but there's no way my friend is cutting his hood. So, I'm trying to come up with some more options for him. I've been researching the dominator and although it's been good results, it keeps coming back that it's going to be lazy compared to the RPM. lol He's just a white-collar guy that wants to go to car shows and fool around on the street
I doubt he will ever go to the track, but he wants the motor to run at its best, power wise. I was thinking about the tomahawk which I think is the Hurricane now? But I like the look of the Street Dom better, and we have it so unless it is overall a better choice, I'd rather save the money and use the Street Dominator. Maybe I could get a 2800 stall converter, and it will be good? Idk.

Thank you for answering my question.

when you use a drop base does it restrict air flow? What would be your choice of manifold that will clear the hood? If I don't have to, I'd rather not use a drop base.

I wish I could go with the RPM but I can't.

Drop base starts causing an issue when the lid gets too close to the carb vent stacks. On a Holley I've seen it when the lid was about 7/16" from the vents. Typically the airflow between the vents and the lid causes the carb to go pig rich at high airflows. Either it pulls fuel out of the vents, or pressurizes the vent and pushes extra fuel out of the boosters. Just depends on lid shape, vent height and cut at the top of the vent.

The stock iron 4bbl intake a real sleeper, they make great power below 6000 with a Q-jet. That could use a stock aircleaner assy. For a holley carb, use a single plane intake like a hurricane, it has a much lower carb pad than an RPM. Some single planes even accept a Q-jet.

If you have a few months in your schedule, I'd wait for the new Victor Jr coming this summer from Edelbrock. Single plane with stock height carburetor pad.

I'll be acquiring the port injection model when it becomes available and matching it up with the Edelbrock fuel rails and an Aces injection system for my 350/413 stroker.

In my opinion the Victor Jr will be too large a manifold for that engine. One of my cars with a fairly mild 455 that makes around 525 HP had a Northwind intake on it. Just on a hunch I swapped it out for a Performer RPM and the car picked up .12 in the 1/4. I think the Victor Jr and Northwind are going to be similar intakes, size wise. I think the Hurricane, Holley Street Dominator, or Torker II would be the way to go for Charley's engine

Probably not much difference but the Tomahawk would be my 1st choice, followed by the Torker II, followed by the Holley. That being said, there probably isn't a tenth difference between them all. The Tomahawk doesn't have a heat crossover, therefore it should run cooler and make help with potential fuel vaporization issues

I ran a Torker 2 in our 68 Firebird and stock hood with no issues. Was around 590 hp and 600 T. We ran a 950 quickfuel carb. If your running a Q-jet I'm thinking a different intake would be better. Wasn't the Torker 1 designed for q-jets?

Torker 2 if not a proper stock intake and Qjet.

I Was going to do that but then I was researching it and came up with the same thing that Gary said. So, I moved on from that idea. It looks like a great manifold though.

Thanks

I'm curious to why you have them in that order. What is better about the Tomahawk and Torker II compared the Street Dominator? I'm asking because I already have the Street Dominator, but if it's worth buying the Tomahawk and shelfing the Street D I will. I can't find the Tomahawk all I come up with is the Hurricane. Who even sells them?

Thanks

Ok thanks. I really wasn't sure how that manifold will fit because the motor was pulled before he asked me for help.

Edelbrock is saying the manifold is good for engines up to 500 cu in, but I did notice a significant difference between the carburetor version and the port injection version. The carburetor version has a power range of 3500-7500 rpm, but the port injection model is rated for 1500-7500 rpm. So I would agree it may be too much with a carburetor and the potential for poor fuel delivery at lower engine speeds.

It's in decent shape.

A fwiw for interest. I did some back-to-back dyno testing. The HSD intake with my HP950 carb and a 1/2" open spacer made 589.4 hp at about 5700 rpm on the dyno, this was on a previous pump gas 4.210 stroke 462cid street engine. With the same engine & carb my Victor intake with 1/2" carb spacer made 600.9 hp at 6000 rpm. Both intakes had a port entrance opening about 2.300" tall, and were properly port matched to the cylinder heads in use.

HSD / no carb spacer:
577.9 hp at 5700 rpm, 581.0 ft.lbs. at 4400 rpm.

HSD / 1/2" open spacer:
589.4 hp at 5600/5700 rpm, 589.0 ft.lbs. at 4600 rpm.

HSD/ 1" open spacer:
589.8 hp at 5700 rpm, 590.8 ft.lbs. at 4400 rpm

I know peak numbers don't express much, really need to look at the curve with each different spacer.

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