Repro Tripower Intakes

[joe_padavano]

I just ran across an ad on ebay. The Parts Place is casting reproductions of the L69 tripower intake for the BBO. Now, I have no first-hand knowledge of the item or the quality, but their ad includes photos that claim to be the mold and a prototype intake. Production manifolds are claimed to be available in 90 days at $795. I guess I'll withhold judgment until I see one, but I'm amazed that they think there's enough demand to pay back the tooling investment. I have seen their repro W-30 intakes and you can tell it's not original.

[Dapapadon]

Hi Joe, I've seen those ads too. But I think they've been running them for quite a while, at least 90 days. But I'm thinking more like 6 months. So I'm not sure what they are up to, judging interest? They're running them like an auction at a reduced price, trying to get enough orders for the first run?

Don

[Olds64]

That is pretty cool. I recall seeing something about reporduction tri-power intakes in the past. Do you have a link? It would be cool to see any pics they might have.

[59-59-59]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

I'm amazed that they think there's enough demand to pay back the tooling investment.

Same goes for this one..There is either a company or private person selling reproduction carburator aluminum tags for this tri power set up as well

[Run to Rund]

Joe, what do you mean by W30 intake--the air cleaner "shroud?" Parts Place is reproducing the AU casting when they should have done the AZ with the bigger pad for the center carb so vacuum leaks wouldn't happen.

[88 coupe]

Cleaning out my "to do" file, and noticed this one.

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

........ reproductions of the L69 tripower intake ........

L69 was marketed as "Tri-Carb" since "Tri-Power" had already been taken by Pontiac, 9 years (or so) before.

Norm

[D.Mac]

New member looking through some old posts. Did anything ever come of this promised tri power manifold? I alway liked 3/2s.
Doug.

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by D.Mac

New member looking through some old posts. Did anything ever come of this promised tri power manifold? I alway liked 3/2s.
Doug.

Out to the woodshed for both you and *especially* Joe P.
Tripower indeed!

Presuming you mean the *Tri-Carb* intake, I'm not positive, but I believe it never got off the ground.

[D.Mac]

Well, not sure I deserve a whippin' for it, but I'll try to use the "correct" terminology in the future.
Doug.

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by D.Mac

Well, not sure I deserve a whippin' for it, but I'll try to use the "correct" terminology in the future.
Doug.

All in good fun. Besides, you're not to blame here. Our *best* tech guy faux pas'd it first!

[aliensatemybuick]

Perhaps not completely unrelated, did anyone see this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-...Q5fAccessories

Pretty darned cool!

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by aliensatemybuick

Perhaps not completely unrelated, did anyone see this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1966-...Q5fAccessories

Pretty darned cool!

X2 For sure!

[Bluevista]

That air cleaner is cool, but a "tribute/recreation" air cleaner?
The guys's got cloneophobia on the brain.
What "recreation" do you do with it, rack up the balls on a pool table?

A couple of weeks ago on the Gearz TV show he was showing these triple carb conversion manifolds that bolt to the carb flange on the manifold.
I don't know if it's a new idea or not but it is three carbs.
I think he said they even fit on 2 barrel manifolds, more of a looks thing I would guess because they sure couldn't flow that well.
You can just run the center carb.

The Tri-Power and Ram-Air terms are used all the time for any 3x2 or outside air to intake set-up for any car, truck, boat, airplane or hovercraft.
Poncho still lives on, even if it's only in their terminology.

[wmachine]

Originally Posted by Bluevista

That air cleaner is cool, but a "tribute/recreation" air cleaner?
The guys's got cloneophobia on the brain.
What "recreation" do you do with it, rack up the balls on a pool table?

A couple of weeks ago on the Gearz TV show he was showing these triple carb conversion manifolds that bolt to the carb flange on the manifold.
I don't know if it's a new idea or not but it is three carbs.
I think he said they even fit on 2 barrel manifolds, more of a looks thing I would guess because they sure couldn't flow that well.
You can just run the center carb.

The Tri-Power and Ram-Air terms are used all the time for any 3x2 or outside air to intake set-up for any car, truck, boat, airplane or hovercraft.
Poncho still lives on, even if it's only in their terminology.

Give him credit, the guy is just being totally honest about it not being an original piece. And making one is long overdue for what is now a $5k unit. And he did a nice job, to boot!

Yes, Tri-Power has become a "kleenex" generic term to some, but unlike the multi-make used "ram-air" term, Tri-Power *is* a Pontiac name and since Oldsmobile *does* have a name for it, I would think an true Olds guy would not want to perpetuate the generic use of another brand.