[Ducks Goat]

Any new developments in the delinquent Tri-Y saga?

[77TA-SE]

Santa didn't bring me my Tri-Y's this year for Christmas. Hell, he skipped last year too. I know I couldn't have been THAT bad for two years in a row. I wonder if Ron had a good Christmas this year. Anyone heard from him lately???

[Hutchinaugusta]

Too bad, I really did want to get a set, I had some tri-y's from H-O racing back in the late 80's and I really liked them, was really happy to see someone making them again, matter of fact I was kind of planning this build next around a pair, if I have to buy "standard" headers I guess I won't be able to drop the front end as much as I the tri-y's would let me.

[janderson]

Originally Posted by 77TA-SE

Santa didn't bring me my Tri-Y's this year for Christmas. Hell, he skipped last year too. I know I couldn't have been THAT bad for two years in a row. I wonder if Ron had a good Christmas this year. Anyone heard from him lately???

Nope...no word, he doesn't even open e-mails anymore. He used to read and not respond, now status is "not yet read".

[topdown]

Are they done yet?

[77TA-SE]

Originally Posted by topdown

Are they done yet?

No ones knows if they're done yet. Ron doesn't answer his phone or emails anymore.

[KEN CROCIE]

Would anyone want to have me investigate the possibility of makeing genuine H-O Racing TRI-Ys again??

[67 Lamnas]

Originally Posted by KEN CROCIE

Would anyone want to have me investigate the possibility of makeing genuine H-O Racing TRI-Ys again??

Nah....Ron's almost done with the d-ports he was working on in August...He told me then it'd just be three weeks or so...I'm sure we'll have them soon...

[Hutchinaugusta]

I just picked up an ORIGINAL set of H-O Racing tri y headers today!!!!

Check em out http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2216...34160182YCPxSY

or here http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2942...34160182TtepGb

These are d port headers, but since the tubes have to be heated and formed to the "d" port I would imagine they could be heated and re-shaped so a round port flange could be installed on them, get them coated and away we go. If adapting a round flange is not feesible then here is a pattern to build another set.

Actually with all the troubles here I was thinking about producing specialty headers and tri y's myself but time and space are an issue, that is UNELESS I can rent that new office that has the shop out back, THEN I could.............. wait a minute, there I go day dreaming agian.


I am SO glad to have happened across these headers today, I had a set back in 87 or 88 and really loved them, along with all the other H-O racing stuff I had, I used the dist. and carb accuracy kits, HC-02 & Rhoads lifters, ported the heads by their book and spec'ed out the entire car per their recommendations, ALL good stuff and that car would RUN.

Ken, I spoke to you a few months back about this project, I still have your number, you'll be getting a call before too long, thanks for the advice.

[David Holmberg]

Ken I think they would sell very well, if produced and marketed with your professionalism.

[Ducks Goat]

I personally would like to recieve the ones that I've allready paid for over a year ago.

[Wick]

I was optimistic.............too bad, he seemed like a decent guy. Larry had some originals from H-O but Ron had them last I heard. Hope he gets them back.

[Pitch 400]

I think there would be a good market for Ken building more Try-Y's. I'll bet a lot of people would be ordering if they were available.

[b-man]

Here's a few shots of some of Ken's original round-port HO Racing Tri-Ys. Would be great to see them made again.

I have 2 sets of these headers, one set I bought new about 15 years ago.

I wouldn't mind owning a 3rd set.

[Larry Navarro]

My set of H-O Y's are still in Rons possesion. I bought mine from Ken back in '95. The fit wasn't optimal as I had to clearance a tube or two around the lower control arm brackets on the '73 SD clone I had built.
Ron's headers were clearly an improvement over the H-O units, as he made sure there were NO problems with ANY interference. His desire to produce a perfect fitting header was the whole reason he took on the header project. He was one of us who was tired of the sub-par quality from the aftermarket.
He did succeed to a certain degree(ask the customers who have a set) but problems arose.
Even though Ron has pissed alot of people off, his intentions were to bring forth a product that had the quality and fit that was FAR better than any commercially available header on the market. The only reason I bring up these points is that if ANYONE is willing to take on the task of producing a Tri-Y header, they ought to keep in mind the quality and fit first,....profits, second.
Hey Ken, maybe a drive up to Napa might help get the ball rolling. Maybe Ron would be receptive to a "buy out" and you could aquire all the machinery and jigs.
Hell, all the "engineering" has already been done so the issue of quality and fit wouldn't be questioned.
Dang....maybe I ought to do this.

[gearbanger]

That is a good point about the quality of the aftermarket parts. Now Ron knows first hand just how hard it is to try and do something "perfect". Perhaps the persistence to do it exactly right drove his business right in the ground. That would be nice to have his product brought to market, just not sure it is possible to have a "perfect" fitting header. I mean think about it, take Doug's for example. Some people say they fit unbelievable, some people say they had clearance issues. Same kind of car and everything. Either there are subtle differences in frames or optional equipment or people just have different opinions on what a "good fit" is. Whichever it is, I'm guessing people are always going to b!tch about the quality of aftermarket parts. Fact is, nothing is perfect. You have to fine tune it yourself. That's just part of the hobby of hot rodding cars.

[Hutchinaugusta]

Did Tribal Tubes (Ron) bother or try to "buy" the prior engineering Ken and others had put into the "tri-y's" headers BEFORE Tribal Tubes copied them?? Just curious as it would be an obvious show of "good faith" for Ron to surrender his new found knowledge about fitment and other issues to someone who could actually do something positive with the knowledge. Someone who may actually be able to produce a reliable product in a TIMELY fashion for the entire "Pontiac community", this is just an outsiders view by the way. An outsider who owns his own business and deals with the public on a daily basis, you live or die by the promises you make, it seems obvious to me Tribal Tubes has died by the promises it made and did not keep.

BTW, an observation after 15 years in business for myself, if you enter into ANY venture thinking the "love" of something is going to pay the bills or make the Mrs. Happy you're you're dead WRONG, out of business and bankrupt before you even start!!!! "Money talks and BS walks" is really the way of the world folks!!

[gearbanger]

I personally hate to see Ron surrender anything before he either pays me back my $700 or sends me a cherry set of coated D-port headers for my GTO. H-O racing doesn't owe me anything so how is that going to help?

[Hutchinaugusta]

Re-read the post, I never said H-O racing owes anyone anything, I meant to inferr that Ron may actually owe H-O racing royalties for prior engineering he copied, if in fact if he made changes to the original design his debt could be considered "paid" IF he would surrender said improvements to the corporation who last held the rights to "H-O racing", who owns the design and marketing rights to products it desigend, engineered and manufactered for sale to the public.

[Larry Navarro]

Maybe I should have described the fitment of Ron's header as a "optimal fit", since nothing can be a "perfect fit"..........and that the headers have been "re-engineered" for optimal fit.
.................................................. ..................................................

It's been along time but if I recall, Ron talked to Ken about his plans to make the headers and he had no problems with it.
There's plenty of companies that make four-tube and tri-y headers. If you can bend pipe, weld and sell them, then you're doing nothing different than anyone else.