# Did Pontiac Make a Tri Power 400 in '69?



## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

I am looking at a YS engine Aug. of 69, 62 heads with a cast iron tri power manifold.
The carbs are missing do they make replacements for this engine?
The ports look like they are larger than the ones on the 389 and I can't find any info on a 400 tri power.


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## oldskool (Apr 26, 2015)

I think '66 was the last year for the Pontiac tri-powers. And the 1st 400's came along in '67. So, no, there were no 400 tri-power engines. 

And real rebuilt tripower carbs and linkage are real high. Not worth it, except for numbers matching restorations. IMO.

http://www.pontiactripower.com/


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## rickm (Feb 8, 2012)

if you look at the casting date on that intake, you will see it is not '69, but '65 or '66. that motor came with a Rochester quadra-jet manifold. is the seller telling you its stock? not if the motor is '69.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

rickm said:


> if you look at the casting date on that intake, you will see it is not '69, but '65 or '66. that motor came with a Rochester quadra-jet manifold. is the seller telling you its stock? not if the motor is '69.


The seller is the widow of the guy that has all these parts and really knows nothing about any of them.
She is getting her prices off Ebay and adding 20% + so I am going to pass on this stuff.
She wants 400 bucks for a 4 barrel manifold for this engine, basically as much for incomplete missing parts as I would pay for one rebuilt with everything including the core charge.
The only pulley on this engine is the crank pulley and it is far from the complete engine she thinks it is.
At this point my car is just going to go into storage until I can find a complete wrecked or rusted out '67 to part out.
In any event getting it on the road this year isn't going to happen.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

oldskool said:


> I think '66 was the last year for the Pontiac tri-powers. And the 1st 400's came along in '67. So, no, there were no 400 tri-power engines.
> 
> And real rebuilt tripower carbs and linkage are real high. Not worth it, except for numbers matching restorations. IMO.
> 
> Welcome to Pontiac Tripower | Pontiac Tripower


I think you are right OS and that is why I can't find any info on a 400 tri power because it doesn't exist.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Goat Roper said:


> I think you are right OS and that is why I can't find any info on a 400 tri power because it doesn't exist.


OS is correct. 1966 was the last year to offer the tri-power. However, you can install the '65 or '66 tri-power on any 1965 and up engine as the intake/head bolt pattern is the same. I have seen a number of tri-power's installed on post '66 cars. The '67 GTO I purchased had 'em installed but I took them off for a Q-jet. My brother put a set on his '68 Bonneville for a while and then went back to the Q-jet. I like the look of the tri-power, but there is something about the tone of the Q-jet when you open up the secondaries that you do not get with the tri-power(at least on a stock HP engine).:thumbsup:


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

I currently own 4 cars with the factory stock engine/Q-jet. I will agree with Jim that when you open the secondaries up they do make a lot of noise but that is just about all it does in my opinion. I have 2 tri-pwr cars as well and the noise that comes from them is in a different league with performance to back it up with the seat of the pants feel and High Performance Pontiac proved it as well in an article.


In the 1980s the fastest car in my town was a Smokey and the Bandit Trans-Am with a tri-pwr unit on it.

There, I had to support my beloved tri-powers.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I'm with Roger that on that! Have run both intakes on my stock '67 400 GTO and the tripower feels and acts like a 40-50 HP edge over the original Q-jet. Completely changes the character of the car. Goat Roper, I thought you just needed an engine rebuild.....why the need for a whole parts car?


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Funny, I remember a lot of bad ass muscle cars from my "formative years" but one sticks out simply because it was a real 69 Judge in Carousel Red with a black interior and.....a Tri Power intake.

As a kid I remember walking by certain houses...the ones where real muscle cars lived. The house with the steel cities gray '69 427 Vette.....the one where the sassy grass green 71 GTX was parked....lots of 64-66 Mustangs and 63 64 Impalas, they were everywhere then and were driven more.

But the Judge was parked in the best garage. It was a typical two car like every other house had but he parked it in the center. And on the back wall hung like trophies was another set of fenders, doors and a hood all painted in the same Carousel Red and emblazoned with the Judge callouts.

I got to ride in that car a couple of times after talking to the young owner. He was probably 10 years older than I was and I remember him telling me the car was originally his moms. The other parts were from a wrecked Judge and since he planned on keeping the car bought it and parted it out storing all the original pieces in his parents basement. He had added the tripower to the original RA III but other than headers and a cam it was all stock.

I remember it had tinted windows and the TH 400 shifted so hard it would put you back in the seat. Funny, I never thought of that car when I originally bought my GTO. My car just seemed like a good deal on a four speed GTO. I don't know if Eric (I think that was his name) still has his GTO but it would sure be neat to talk to him again and show him my GTO.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

geeteeohguy said:


> I'm with Roger that on that! Have run both intakes on my stock '67 400 GTO and the tripower feels and acts like a 40-50 HP edge over the original Q-jet. Completely changes the character of the car. Goat Roper, I thought you just needed an engine rebuild.....why the need for a whole parts car?


My original engine is with a builder that is 2,600 miles from here, I shipped it off in January and the only things I have are the alternator, PS pump, smog pump and AC unit.
I can't find anything but long blocks that need to be rebuilt and this does me no good.
I thought if I could find a parts car it would be easier to get something complete that I could at least have something to run this summer but at this point it just isn't going to happen.
Even if I went with Sandoval etc. it would still be months before I could get an engine so all I can do is store the car until next spring and just wait.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Gotcha. Be patient....the engine will be ready before you know it. And you won't have to do all that extra work!!


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