Chevrolet small-blocks and Weber carburetion tend to go together like Mom and applejack. The combination seems like it’ll be fun at the outset, but then things get complicated and out of control. After sleeping it off, you try to put it all out of your mind, bolt on a Holley and go about your business.
One of the most famous (maybe the only famous) Weber applications on a small-block was the cross ram intake that topped the shrieking 377-inch all-aluminum small-block in the Corvette Grand Sport.
The original Grand Sports were Zora Arkus-Duntov’s attempt at a factory-built, lightweight, race-ready production model that would take it to Shelby, Ferrari and Jaguar on road courses around the world. Five prototypes were built before the project was squelched by GM’s decision to lay low in motorsports.
The prototypes looked like production models, but were all hand assembled and shared next to nothing with a stock Corvette. They enjoyed some success on the race track, but their true value has been as Corvette racing icons, worshipped by Chevrolet cognoscenti. All five exist today and replicas are popular among those who can afford such things.
Anyway, the perfect topper for a Grand Sport dream project of your own is Jim Inglese’s new cross ram intake with Webers that pays homage to the original.
Included in the kit is the complete fuel harness, a low-pressure fuel regulator with -AN fittings, stainless liquid-filled pressure gauge, Fel Pro intake gasket set, stainless intake bolts, synchrometer, and Jim’s own manual that walks you, step-by-step, right through the installation and setup process. (So things don’t get ugly. This isn’t like bolting on a Demon.) Jim also offers endless customizing options such as polished manifolds, chrome plating, custom-painted carburetors, and air cleaner choices, which are all shown on his website.