Car craft just needs to face it, TPI buildups are more common than LS1 builds.  TPI engines are popular and deliver awesome low end performance for a great street cruiser.  Not everyone has the money to swap in an engine that probably cost more than the whole car.  Please Car Craft, continue your Firebird buildup and forget the Mullet stigma and give your bird some real wings to fly, all the way to 4800 rpm that is.  

I agree 100% I finally got tired of messing with carbs and love my TPI, I would like to see more in the way of junkyard finds and improving the TPI without re-inventing it (i.e. porting the stock stuff, etc.)
The torque of a long tube TPI is awsome and so it runs out of breath below 5000 RPM, by that time I have dusted off that pesky import!!  

I'm with you guys.  TPI's are almost as cheap and plentiful as the smallblocks themselves.  And with the do it yourself computers like MegaSquirt, you can have a fully tunable fuel injection system for a fraction of the cost of an aftermarket setup like Edelbrock or Holley.

LS6 and LS1 articles are a waste of space!

TPI is nice, but only with the larger runners and intake system.  Plus it's a bankfire so some power and efficiency is wasted there.  I would like to see more about TPI alternatives like the holley stealth ram and maybe ranges they are capable of pressure wave tuning and how well it is accomplished.  Then again there's only so many times you can review/buildup these systems in a magazine.  Maybe an article with a dual MAF mod and an aftermarket intake would be nice.  

 Holley Stealth Ram setup is $2289!  Doesn't that seem a little rediculous?  I got ripped off on my TPI setup and it cost me about $450 including computer, wiring harness, and an extra set of injectors.  Even with high flow runners that's still less than $800.  Aftermarket fuel injection systems are used by magazines because it promotes their sponsors.  TPI will do everything you need it to do up to the rpm range most smallblocks can spin.  Besides, street/strip motors should be tuned for torque, not horsepower, and that's where TPI shines.   

If you already have a TPI, the stealth ram is $300 + the cost of a fuel rail setup (175 non adjustable regulator. . .220 adjustable regulator).  It uses your current TPI harness and injectors.  Supposedly this will add 20-30 more horsepower (according to Holley).  It only works on 89-92 systems.  I've never done it (my IROC has a crap 305 and Holley does not recommend using one on that small of a displacement motor because of the loss of low end torque) but do think it would be interesting for them to try this.

Something intersting would be to see them get some cheap vortec heads and a tpi vortec base and see what that will do.

I agree more TPI stuff, I love the way Car Craft does their buildups and project cars.  God knows GM High Tech Performance won't do it.  They need to change their name to GTO High Tech Performance.

AMEN!!! How many 3rd gens around verses how many $30,000 (gouged even higher) GTO's??? Talk about snubbing the people who made you. Guess thats why all these 3rd gen guys are here at car craft  

I agree also, let's see some more TPI mods. I have an 87 Vette roadster with a 240 HP 5.7 ltr. TPI. Only a few mods so far, upgraded the ignition with an Accel dist module and coil plus MSD wires and new GM rapid fire platinum plugs. A Dynomax cat back system, a low restriction K&N air filter, and one of the divider inserts for the throttle body. Runs good and gets decent mileage (2.73 gears), but like all car crafters I want a lot more. Next planned mods are a low restriction cat and I found a guy Ebay motors that offers to enlarge the stock throttle body from 48mm to 52mm for $149.  Be glad to post the link if it doesn't violate the rules and anybody wants it. Be advised I haven't used the service yet myself so this isn't a recomendation.

I would be interested in hearing what others posting here are running, their mods and experiences with what works and what doesn't, as well of course more articles in Car Craft on the Firebird.

I have a 1988 cutlass supreme with a SBC 355 engine with TPI setup, 9.0:1 cr, 212/218-.488/.495 retro-fit roller cam, 1.5 roller rockers, 2.02/1.60 valves, fully balanced, 13.7@ 97.69mph in 1/4 mile, 700R4 tranny and 3.73:1 rear end. TPI is the best all around EFI setup You can get for a project. Easy and affordable. I have not tried aftermarket base runners and throtle body and it feels great. I am using short style headers also, so I have been told that I am still far from unveiling the full potential of the TPI system. the best of all is that every one thinks that I am running a carburator under the hood!!!!  

The firebird now lives in southern Indiana as I bought it from Freiburger.  The build up continues but not in the mag  

tpi is crap why not just build a small block with vortec heads of course easy for me to say i just aquired an ls6 from 2004 vette and a 6.0 from a cube van i mostly hate the optispark setup what a joke