Posted By: PJM
Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 01:54 AM
I need 2 carbs for the Hemi. Are the Thunder AVS worth the extra money over the Performers? Any input appreciated.
Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS?
Posted By: GoodysGotaCuda
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 01:55 AM
In my opinion, absolutely. I have a single 650avs on my 318, I've dialed in the secondaries plenty of times..getting it just right. Couldn't imagine messing with it on a performer.
After having the AVS, I wouldn't buy a Performer.
After having the AVS, I wouldn't buy a Performer.
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 02:12 AM
Stock style AFB's would be my choice
Posted By: PJM
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 02:31 AM
I have a 528 Hemi. Not sure the stock AFB's would be enough? Can you still get the AFB's and are they expensive?
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 03:25 AM
Fresh originals will cost 3,500.00 and up, however clones work just as well and will feed a 528 just fine if jetted properly. I sell them for $1,200.00 a set fresh and ready to go, see attached pic, these are built to order, not on the shelf. What's nice about them is that all original air cleaners, fuel lines, and linkage works on them because vintage small throat tops and reproduction OE Hemi side linkage are used. The bases are new Edelbrocks so all of the new jet & metering rods EB sells can be used in them. You'll likely find that using them in conjunction with other stock componants will result in one of the lowest cost combos as well.
Posted By: mickm
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 06:47 AM
with all respect to scott, (and i have the utmost respect for him and his work), $1200 is still a pile of cash. if i could, i would go for it.
but i have 2 thunders on my engine, and they work well. yes, linkage and such has been an issue, but i have tried to retain a stock look. i use the fuel lines from tim at FHO, and i think its his stock looking linkage as well, (with a longer turnbuckle screw in the middle), and all in all it works well. have had to fabricate some parts for the linkage, but that's the game.
again, if i had the cash, i would go with scott's setup. but short of that, the thunders work well. tim at FHO uses them as well.
but i have 2 thunders on my engine, and they work well. yes, linkage and such has been an issue, but i have tried to retain a stock look. i use the fuel lines from tim at FHO, and i think its his stock looking linkage as well, (with a longer turnbuckle screw in the middle), and all in all it works well. have had to fabricate some parts for the linkage, but that's the game.
again, if i had the cash, i would go with scott's setup. but short of that, the thunders work well. tim at FHO uses them as well.
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 06:57 AM
Yea, no problem at all brutha! 
Sales pitch aside, Thunders (or Holleys, or others still) will work, some better than others. My take on it is simply that the stock style AFB's will be quite adequate for a street strip 528 if setup right, heck the FAST racers run mid 10's with them on big inch 750hp plus Hemis all the time. Performance aside, IMO the neatest part is that they allow you to use of all original/reproduction linkage/fuel lines/aircleaners, etc. requiring zero mods. No, $1,200.00 isn't play money, but a pair of new Thunders aren't free, and niether is custom linkage, custom fuel lines, and especially air cleaners, short of making it all yourself you'd likely spend the same money either way you went. Not to mention that down the road stock style parts retain thier value better in most cases. So, my opinion is the old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" take on the subject.
Sales pitch aside, Thunders (or Holleys, or others still) will work, some better than others. My take on it is simply that the stock style AFB's will be quite adequate for a street strip 528 if setup right, heck the FAST racers run mid 10's with them on big inch 750hp plus Hemis all the time. Performance aside, IMO the neatest part is that they allow you to use of all original/reproduction linkage/fuel lines/aircleaners, etc. requiring zero mods. No, $1,200.00 isn't play money, but a pair of new Thunders aren't free, and niether is custom linkage, custom fuel lines, and especially air cleaners, short of making it all yourself you'd likely spend the same money either way you went. Not to mention that down the road stock style parts retain thier value better in most cases. So, my opinion is the old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" take on the subject.
Posted By: Mr.Yuck
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 01:42 PM
Quote:
with all respect to scott, (and i have the utmost respect for him and his work), $1200 is still a pile of cash. if i could, i would go for it.
but i have 2 thunders on my engine, and they work well. yes, linkage and such has been an issue, but i have tried to retain a stock look. i use the fuel lines from tim at FHO, and i think its his stock looking linkage as well, (with a longer turnbuckle screw in the middle), and all in all it works well. have had to fabricate some parts for the linkage, but that's the game.
again, if i had the cash, i would go with scott's setup. but short of that, the thunders work well. tim at FHO uses them as well.
I would think that if somebody has the cash to dump into a hemi $1200 would be an easy buy.
Posted By: mickm
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 05:24 PM
Quote:
I would think that if somebody has the cash to dump into a hemi $1200 would be an easy buy.
like everything else, it depends. it's one thing to plan it up front, know what kind of cash you have and go at it from there. when i bought my car, replacing carbs wasn't in the budget, and i did have a budget. would have been nice not to, as like i said above i would have gone for a setup like this.
but mine already had a good air cleaner as well, so with a set of carbs like this, chuck another $650+ on the pile for one that fits the setup. it just keeps going, and everyone has a limit. well, most everyone...
Posted By: PJM
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 08:17 PM
Isn't it funny. If you have a Hemi you must be a Rockefeller! I am not trying to bash anybody but I hate that mentality. Whenever I buy general parts I tell people its a 318 car so the price for the same part does not triple. Thanks for the responses!
Posted By: Mr.Yuck
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 08:50 PM
Quote:
Isn't it funny. If you have a Hemi you must be a Rockefeller! I am not trying to bash anybody but I hate that mentality. Whenever I buy general parts I tell people its a 318 car so the price for the same part does not triple. Thanks for the responses!
I'm just saying in general a hemi is about 3 to 5x the cost of a wedge. So and extra 1200 for a nice matched set of carbs seems pretty fair. I just donked off $2100 for a 6-pack set-up so $1200 seems cheap to me...hahaha
Posted By: Simonic
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/16/08 09:13 PM
Quote:
After having the AVS, I wouldn't buy a Performer.
I had the 750 performer on my crate 500 and really struggled,got an AVS 800 and was better straight away
Posted By: PJM
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/17/08 01:27 AM
Im with you brother. This is my first Hemi. I have always had 440's. It kills me that everything for a hemi is so expensive.
Posted By: ScottSmith_Harms
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/17/08 01:37 AM
Quote:
I had the 750 performer on my crate 500 and really struggled,got an AVS 800 and was better straight away
For a 500 Cube engine with a single 4 barrel the bigger AVS is a better choice.
Posted By: MoparJoe
Re: Edelbrock performer or Thunder AVS? - 12/17/08 01:45 AM
Quote:Quote:
After having the AVS, I wouldn't buy a Performer.
I had the 750 performer on my crate 500 and really struggled,got an AVS 800 and was better straight away
It would probably run just as good with a performer 800 on it, the 750 performers require a lot of tuning to work correctly.