I had a question about the old corvette/L-79 aluminum intake manifolds. Has anyone had any expierence with these in a high performance application? Whats the RPM band for a manifold like this? My brother is putting together a 66 Nova and he wants to make it into a L-79 clone. The car has been extremely lightened up. It has not been weighed yet, but where leaning towards 27 to 2800 lbs.Where thinking about building a L-79 327 to spec and racing it on friday nights at the local track for the Nostalgia meets. Would this be a 6500 RPM motor with an HEI dist and MSD ignition. We would be running headers and could gear accordingly. I've always been fascinated with the L-79 Novas. I'd like to see what one in pretty much stock form could do with weekend bolt ons...(headers,gears,slicks)

You might want to check HEI clearance first.

I've had two L79 Chevelles, '65 and '67, plus a '66 L79 Nova. The '67 Malibu hardtop ran 12.90s @ 105-106mph with gears, headers, suspension mods and 7" Slicks. The '65 Chevelle 300 2dr with same set-up ran best of 12.73 @107mph. Both engines were untouched internally. The Nova was a disapointment running the NHRA legal rubber although it would trap 107mph.
I also ran a '67 Z28 which used the same manifold and it ran 12.60s @ 109mph on the same 7" rubber. Again, untouched internals, but lots of gear.
If you are going to run the l79 cam, I'd keep max revs to about 6200. It'll pull to about 6600 with fresh springs, but it's making more noise than power. I ran 4.88s on all the L79s I had.

The HEI will clear both of my 67 Novas have one. The L-79 manifold is as good as any dual plane and really is all you would want on a 6500 RPM 327. If you can get the car to 2700LBS and gear it right you will be very pleasantly suprised just how fast the thing will be.

Greybeard, you said all three of your cars where stock. Where those times run with the factory vacum sec holley 600 as well? If so, any mods to the carb internally?

The L-76/L-79 type manifold is good, not the best, but good for a factory type SB intake. It will work decent up to about 6500rpm------------for a 327, maybe about 6000 for a 350.
The BEST, factory SB intake was the 67-72 Z-28 intake (also used on 70-72 Vette LT-1). This manifold is also my favorite SB manifold. Not because it works so well (many aftermarket intakes work better), but because it is a very nice looking, tall FACTORY intake.

OR the great old Holley 300-36 copy of the later Z- manifold!! It's a true dual plane high-rise!!

Summit sells it for a good price, imho..

Holley say's off idle to 7,200 rpm with a good solid cam and needed valve springs sorta deal on a 327 easy!

pdq67

Strokd66

I ran all three with their original carbs. If memory serves me correctly, I went up two jet sizes in the front only in the '67. The '65 had a different "plate" in the secondary. I couldn't get the handle on the secondary opening and ended up using the time honored "screw" in the secondary "return" to open them manually. I was working with brand new cars and very little aftermarket parts availability, and even less knowledge transfer that is available today even to those who live in the "sticks". I did block the intake heatriser passages.
I found that 23" total collector lenght helped get the cars off the line and through the slight engine hesitation that resulted from the "manual" secondarys.

With a 4.88 gear and a 26" tall tire, 107mph equates to about 6750 RPMs. With a 28" tire, about 6300 RPMs.

The tires we are gonna run are only like 25.5". The car has been tubbed with leaf springs. The tires are 345/35/15 I believe. its been lowered too so the tires dont look really small. I think where gonna run 4.11's with a 4 spd.

Heck, for about $125 or so, get a new 300-36!

And the little motor will go above 7,000 easy so don't worry about the rrr's if you have a good solid cam and kit!!

Imho, an Isky Z-27 or Z-30 solid cam and needed springs will do nicely.... If you are up to 11 to 1 CR. and have say 3.73 gears OR lower and don't mind feeding a CLONE of the 365hp/327 motor!!

I guarantee the sucker WILL go above 7,000 rpm EASY with the Z-30 cam!!

It will be what your buddy riding shotgun will say is onna those, "When you gonna shift her?, motors!!! And I love putting my foot into it until the points bounce and it cuts out... I just back off a schosh and hit her again to get her up top...

pdq67