LUVTruck.com

I just ordered a kit from summit that includes a weiand tunnel ram and 2 holley 450 cfm carbs and all the linkage. Its not here yet but the little caption next to the picture on their website says something like large hei distributor caps wont clear or something to that nature. Is there a small hei I cap out there that will fit or do I have to change to a non hei distributor? Like I said Its not due to be shipped out until tomorrow so I cant phyically look at it and really figure anything out yet so I am hoping someone out there that knows can tell me. Another thing Im wondering about is tuning the carbs I dont know anything about 2 quad set ups. any info would be nice to know.

I am currently building a 383 for my 79 and I am using this same set up but with the 600cfm carbs. You will need to use a distributor such as MSD pro billet (PN 85551) at summit. In the Jan 2002 issue of HOT ROD they did an intake test on one of these set up on a 350. They used a set of AFR 195cc heads and a Comp Cams XE294R roller cam. This motor made 491 hp at 6,200 rpm and 443 lb-ft at 5,500. They ran the carbs right out of the box and they were perfect with the 58 primaries and the metering plate secondaries. Not to mention the cool factor is way up there. Nothing more intimidating then a couple of holleys and a hilborn scoop sticking out of the hood. Good luck and post some picks when it gets put together.

cool thanx for the info. I have been reading what people have to say on other websites and it seems like alot of people are against using a tunnel ram then there are few people that actually have them that say they are happy with them and the people that bash them are people that have heard bad storys and dont consider alot of the info they have heard like using 2 monster carbs when they are way over kill and wondering why they have problems. I guess I should have researched it a little more before I just bought one because I thought it would make my truck look fast while it was parked.

Dont let the stories scare ya. You need a good set of gears and a stall convertor a mild cam and you love your truck and it will look cool.

I got my parts tonight and set the tunnel ram and carbs on my motor even though my motor is still on the stand it had one of my friends drooling. I need to change rear ends in my truck before I drive it after I get the new motor installed too bad it wasnt strong enough it has 4.38s in it the cam and the converter should be right.

tunnel rams definitely look cool but they are more race oriented. most Weiand rams operate in like the 5000-10,000 RPM range, something you usually dont see much driving around on the street too often, while a #2975 Vic Jr is like a 3500-7500rpm manifold or something like that. I run a single 4500 series dominator on a Dart intake... also a cool look but also not very practical on the street. its really designed to be WOT all the time. my motor definitely needs the CFM though. If you don't care about being practical then who cares? RUN IT! lol.

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

the tunnel ram I got is good from 2800-8000 rpms. with my current gearing it should keep it around 3000 rpms running around in town.

that should be fine then. I didnt know Weiand made a street ram. hang onto those 450 cfm carbs and treat them like gold, they are hard to find and are worth $$$$ these days. same with the 390cfm Holley's

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1978 LUV Truck 2WD
450 "Small Block" Chevy
3.70 Ford 9
28x10 Goodyears

Right on gabe! So now you'll need 2 nitrous plates! What kind of motor you building over there?

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
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63 Nova
74 Camaro

The motor is built just need to put it in the truck now. its a 327 casting numbers say it came out of a 68 camaro. The guy I got it from had it in a boss hoss and wrecked it. I got it had my old circle track engine builder take care of it for me its got good heads with 2.02 intake valves and some other stuff done to it. I was told when I got it the way it sat it was suppose to be good for 380 hp. Now all I really need is about a 3000 rpm stall converter and I am ready to roll

Nice! That 327 should sing with a tunnel ram!

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
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63 Nova
74 Camaro

I sure hope so I dont need anymore dissapointments with this project. 2 weeks ago I spent about 14 hours cutting, grinding, forming new sheet metal and welding to the floor pan. after I yanked the carpet out I found the most stupidist dumbest thing I have seen yet. The Trans tunnel was cut out and rebuilt with 1/8 inch steel for the shifter. so now I have to get a new trans tunnel and re do that so I can get a carpet kit to fit in it. I am starting to hate this project but I cant let it go for some reason.

Dang man, that thing must have been built in Redding - That sucks. if it makes you feel any better the floors in my 77 (the ugly white truck) are swiss cheese.. I really dont need to worry about getting the motor running, it works off flinstone foot power. Something tells me old 'mad max' wasnt the greatest mechanic perhaps.

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
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63 Nova
74 Camaro

Mad max doesnt have any business working on anything in my opinion. I think the guy he bought the truck from was pretty good the engine and tranny swap was done like it came from the factory then the good ole boy got a hold of it and did some things that people from redding would put to shame. I keep getting deeper and deeper into it and straigten it out a little at a time. My good friend and racing partner said I am doing a good job every time I find something stupid or weird he happens to be there and he said the truck has came along ways since he first seen it. So maybe in about 5 years it will be sitting on a narrowed rear end running in the low 10s and looking good with everything done right. The work schedule I have been working the last few months makes it hard to get anything done (Im in the place I call the arm pit of california a.ka. sacramento) so time to work on the Luv machine is pretty hard to come by especially when my girl friend wants to spend every minute of my free time I have. I mean it took me 2 saturdays just to get the floor repaired and get the new seats in. By the way the seats look and feel totally cool.

I hear ya about max, I hate to talk about people behind their backs, but ya gotta wonder sometimes! I had him tow the nova home the night it broke at the track back in June talk about a scary ride - My high dollar toy on max's old $500 tow truck - I didn't think that one through very good! It's good to hear your fixing stuff rather than just ignoring it or mickey mousing it, you should have a pretty solid rig! If not the coolest Chevy LUV in the northstate I know of. I cant wait to see it, the last time i saw it it was in max's front yard with a for sale sign on it.

Im kinda lucky in the girl friend department, I told her up front im an obssessed speed freak - and my time is mostly (ok ALL my time) is spent wrenching or racing, but she's cool with it, she likes her space too. Thats after the seven other women left me when they soon figured out they were not near as important as the toys lol - thats no joke! Oh well! Hobby, or disease??

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
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63 Nova
74 Camaro

Im not trying to talk bad about max or anything I would tell him to his face that I think he N-rigged everything on that truck he touched. Some people just dont know how to do things right and thats just the way it is. Hes a tow truck driver not a mechanic, I mean I would go down to cirlce K and ask for the cashier to give me a liver transplant. I think this LUV thing is a freaking disease that hate so much I love it. My brother keeps telling me Im being a dumb a$$ because Im spending too much time and money on a LUV. There are days where I think maybe he is pretty close to being right. I mean you arent going to sell your luv with a v-8 in it and expect to make money, unless your name is MAD MAX. In some ways I feel like a dumb ass because I paid more for the truck than it was worth, but its what I wanted and because it allready has a small block in it and a good tranny I figured that right there would save me a huge head ache right there. But I guess its just part of what we all do for fun as much as I hate it sometimes I cant figure out what I would be doing in my free time.

Yeah aside from the hoaky stuff you are ahead of the game. I think it's universal to any hot rod, you never get what you have into them out of them, I dont care what you build! lol I have built a camaro, a vega, and a LUV truck and always got about half what I had into them more or less. I never build them based on what I can get out of them though.

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
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63 Nova
74 Camaro

Yeah I know you can never get anything out of what you have spent so much on. Thats kind of why in the back of my mind I would like to have my luv looking like its its kind of just an old truck and then at the same time it would be cool to have a little old truck that everyone in town knows that if they want to race they are going to have to be fast to win. I have seen some fast cars that look like crap and some nice cars that the owner thinks is fast and its really a turd. I want it to be functional and decent looking with out spending a ton of money on it.

You going to put a cage in your truck? Im going to pick up the tubing this monday for mine. Know anyone good at fabbing up cages? My buddy has a nice miller welder at his shop and will be doing most of the final welding when we get there. Sounds like that thing is going to be pretty fast then! Hey I think you have the only V8 LUV in town I know of right now. Very cool

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LUV Truck Desserter!
76 Daily driver (SOLD)
73 LUV (rusting away at the moment)
---------------------------------------------
63 Nova
74 Camaro

come on now Derek Remember me the circle track racer? LOL I have built a few cages. if you have a welder at your house to tack everything together or want to do all the welding your self I will help you with the cage. I have a tubing bender not the best but you are welcome to use it and I will help you. I thought about putting a cage in my truck but I dont know if I could fit in the truck if I put a cage in it I would probably end up bumping my knees and head alot. Im allready a tight fit in the truck allready since Im 6'5''. I dont know the NHRA cage requirements and rules but if you know what you want and need I will help you man.