'70 Impala Tri-Carbs ?

[Pete L.]

fellas,

Ok, so I googled my fingers to the bone and nothin', NADA, ZIP... I'm trying to find out if Chevrolet offered the Tri-carb option on their 454/375 HP Big Block in 1970. By the way, I did find out that there were NO IMPALA SS cars offered in 1970 !

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

The Chevy tri-power option on the big blocks disappeared after 1969, and was a Corvette-only option.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Marc @ MPC Motorsports

[Pete L.]

fellas,

Thanks for the info...I just picked up the 1970 Impala and was thinking about the Tri-Power for a Stock class drag car, guess I'll go with the single 4 bbl setup.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Pete L.

[Eshaver]

Sorry to dissaapoint ya , but Mark is correct . Corvettes were the only ones to have the tri carb option . Full size sales were waining really bad in all the American lines . Ed Shaver

[MyBradKeselowski]

this is why i brought up the Motion build using the '70 Impala and the tri-power intake. you could very likely have bought that 454 Impala brand new from Baldwin Chevrolet and taken it right over to Motion for modification and tune to your specs. would Motion have built you a tri-power 427 or 454 Impala, i'm sure they would have if you asked them to and paid for it. with the partnership that Motion had with Baldwin Chevrolet back then, you probably could have financed it too right off the lot.

Dave

I agree, I would have like to seen a BM 70 Impala back in those days...

[AC Norton]

...just noticed this post, and  even though the tri carb setup was a Corvette only option on some 427 engines,,,the carbs and air cleaners with this kit could still look very neat on the engine supplied and used in this Impala kit.... a street racer, bracket car, you name it  could have used almost any goodies, back in the day or presently. you could even call it a VETTE 427 tri power motor dropped in replacing an original engine being a small block, or 454 . as mentioned by other members here too, shops and racers could have installed many combos for street, or strip......I have 2 of these kits, and one will have this setup simply for appearance alone....it just looks so neat......my 2 cents.....the Ace...

[Mark]

Those parts were in the '67 annual kits, and the chassis/engine parts from them carried over into the big Chevy kits issued through 1970.  Not stock for any of them, but a neat option nevertheless...

[Snake45]

fellas,

 

Thanks for the info...I just picked up the 1970 Impala and was thinking about the Tri-Power for a Stock class drag car, guess I'll go with the single 4 bbl setup.

You could use the tri-carb and build it as a Modified Production. Externally there wouldn't be much difference between that and Stock class as permitted body mods were few. You could use a hood scoop or lump in MP, though.

[unclescott58]

GM ordered all divisions to stop offering multi carb setups starting on their '67 models. The only factory allowed exception was for Corvettes. But, plastic model kits? Multi carb set ups were cool. A several model car kits came with them, even if the real cars did not. MPC's fullsize Pontiacs come to mind. I believe they were all tri power cars. And they could not really be built stock, other than the '66. Which was still available with tri power.

And your right Pete. Chevrolet did not offer a Impala Super Sport after 1969. Does mean the model kit followed suit. Why should they? SS's were cool. Kits were mainly sold to kids. And we kids were not likely to know that there was no Impala SS for 1970? There was in the previous 8 years.

[unclescott58]

Oh, sorry! I forgot that Corvair was also exempt from the no multi carb policy. But, by that point Corvair really didn't matter in grand scheme of things at GM.

[AC Norton]

You could use the tri-carb and build it as a Modified Production. Externally there wouldn't be much difference between that and Stock class as permitted body mods were few. You could use a hood scoop or lump in MP, though.

yeah, you could....but nobody running class would when you get the top end punch from a tunnel ram and 2 Holleys.....the cfm  simply isn't there with the tri power compared to the air/ fuel flow as the typical setup mentioned. still though, for my drag Impala build, I will be using the 3 deuces and just call it a hot bracket car, its just too nice to throw in the parts box.....the Ace......

[Mark]

GM ordered all divisions to stop offering multi carb setups starting on their '67 models. The only factory allowed exception was for Corvettes. But, plastic model kits? Multi carb set ups were cool. A several model car kits came with them, even if the real cars did not. MPC's fullsize Pontiacs come to mind. I believe they were all tri power cars. And they could not really be built stock, other than the '66. Which was still available with tri power.

And your right Pete. Chevrolet did not offer a Impala Super Sport after 1969. Does mean the model kit followed suit. Why should they? SS's were cool. Kits were mainly sold to kids. And we kids were not likely to know that there was no Impala SS for 1970? There was in the previous 8 years.

MPC's '70 Impala hardtop kit did have "SS" emblems, bucket seats, and a console.  I'm not sure about the "Bat Machine" convertible kit.  AMT's annual issue of the '70 hardtop had the bench seat and no "SS" emblem, but the box did refer to it as an SS.

[pack rat]

MPC's '70 Impala hardtop kit did have "SS" emblems, bucket seats, and a console.  I'm not sure about the "Bat Machine" convertible kit.  AMT's annual issue of the '70 hardtop had the bench seat and no "SS" emblem, but the box did refer to it as an SS.

The Bat Machine has SS emblems on the front fenders and a console.  The built-up I have has non-stock pleated bucket seats; I don't know if stock buckets were also in the box.

[Mark]

The Bat Machine did include a complete "stock" version including the seats.  The upholstery pattern in the '70 kits is likely unchanged from the MPC '69 because AMT had the promotional model deal that year.  MPC's '70 hardtop looks slightly "starched and pressed" next to the AMT, but it's passable.  AMT did a '70 convertible promotional model but no kit.  The promo has the correct deck lid without the recess at the center.  I'm pretty certain it has the "hardtop with the roof cut off" upper quarter panels and windshield frame like the MPC Bat Machine.