so i have been planning on doing a efi setup on my regal for a couple years. i have a tpi setup but i am running vortec heads that i already have so the tpi wont bolt to them so i need either a lower intake for the tpi which is 450+ dolalrs or i wanted to go with a holley stealth ram that is only 375ish but i have to drop another 225 on the fuel rails. then assuming that all of my parts are good such as my maf sensor, fuel pump, lt1 injectors, sensors, computer..... then i still need a chip programed, fuel lines, fittings, intake system, bolts, gaskets and several other things that will add up to at least a grand on top of the cash i have already invested. or i can sell all of this non sense and buy a endura shine intake and carb or maybe a demon carb and and use the money i make off of selling everything and have my motor close to done? is the efi really goiong to be worth it or just a huge pain in the rear? it would sure look nice and be dependable but whats to say i wont have 10 million issues with it getting it to the point that it runs?
my great debate- efi tpi or stealth ram or go with carb?
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I have factory sequencial port fuel injection on my GN. I love it especially because of contending with boost. Great for starting and driveability especially if and when I drive it in cold weather. All that said when I did my 442 I seriously looked at fuel injection. Ultimately its the best for starting and driveablility and a little mileage but when compared to the cost and simplicity of a well set up electric choke Q-jet the benefits didn't out weigh the cost work and learning curve (even though I have some FI experience) for how I use the car. If it was my only and daily driver year around and in cold climate then it probably would be. Just my oppinion.
Ever consider running a Megasquirt stand alone on a GM TPI intake with better runners? It's speed density so it does not need a MAF, and it has open source firmware so it is tailorable to your needs. Gm sensors were part of the original design too. The other possible choices are the Greddy Emanage, and the Spectre EMS Pro. The Spectre is essentially a Megasquirt, but comes assembled.
the computer really is not the big issue, megasquirts from what i researched are no better then running a gm tpi computer, gm has millions invested in those computers and in my opinion are the best setup you can get for the do it your selfer and you can get the computers cheap. i have thought about switching it over to speed density and if i buy my own stuff to program the chips i think i will end up with speed density. i looked into those enduro shine manifolds and there are tons of complaints about them and i mean alot! i guess that stuff flakes off and discolors easily. one guy had actually emailed edelbrock about them and the told him that the manifold should be nowhere near solvent, coolent or gas, ok so my intake manifold should not come in contact with coolent and gas which just happens to be what flows through a intake? lol i am still leaning to the stealth ram, i have so much wrapped up i think it would be a waste to give up on it now. i think i am just looking for ways to speed up the process of getting the car back on the road but i think this is not the area that i need to take short cuts on.
Funny you mention Endura-Shine. I remember seeing a manifold on display at the local speed shop that had never been on an engine, and guess what? It was peeling. I say paint the whole engine black and be done with it. No chrome, no shiny polished bits, black plug wires, etc. It's much less hassle that way. Then you get to concentrate on driving the car, not polishing an engine that's only gonna get dirty.
black? BLAH! no way on earth thats going to happen lol. my last engine that is now in my cutty has polished aluminum everything from pan to oil filter. this engine i have already decided to use the factory oil pan and timing cover just because of my bad experiances with the aftermarket oil pan. the block and oil pan are getting painted body color which is dark blue mica pearl, lexus paint code. i also already have new tall aluminum valve covers and i plan to polish the intake also. the cutlass on the other hand since its a summer driver i would have gone for allot less but i built it for the regal and then got a better motor and nothing would switch over since the new one has 1 piece rear main, centerbolts and will not have a carb. i think i am going to have to suck it up and fork out the cash for the stealth ram, i was reading about it and have heard nothing bad at all, in order to get the tpi manifold to even come close i would end up spending a grand on new intake, runners and plenum work. i am working on getting the motor together so i can bolt it into the frame that is almost done.
Go for a nice simple TBI setup, for one thing you won't have to worry about the intake getting too hot.
Goingfaster.com : A Basic Overview of the GM Throttle Body Injection (TBI) System
Goingfaster.com : A Basic Overview of the GM Throttle Body Injection (TBI) System
i already have most of the stuff to run a tpi based setup..... not to mention i have done a ton of resarch on multiport injection
My engine had one chrome part-the timing tab. I sanded off the chrome and painted it black with a white stripe at tdc. Everything else is cheap and functional. I even painted my Edelbrock intake black, and my headers are nice and rusty. Open the hood and my car looks almost stock....but it definitely isn't 
thats cool, this car is being built for show so i am defenatly trying to have a nice looking engine compartment.
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