Walkinshaw Plenum HELP

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

Ok so many of you know that when i built my motor i got a vl walky manifold dirt cheap $1500 as had a modified plenum as was running gas research carbs.

Now after all the coin i have spent on paint interior etc etc i wouldn’t mind trying to get a genuine top half.

I have a genuine front throttle already that is brand new got it for $180 lol. I know there are genuine top halves floating around but last time i seen one for sale was years ago.

So if i got my hands on a friends plenum could i get it copied, how would i go about doing this and any ideas on what kind of coin i would be looking at. Even if it cost up to 2k i would still be in front.

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[vnssnvParticipant victoriaWhite, red and grey vn ss View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 26]

You could talk to a cnc machinist.

Some companies have 3d scanners that could scan it. Turn it into a file a cnc would read then cut away at a chunk of billet.

Or a dedicated machinist could measure it all up and manually draw it.

Couldnt see it being cheap though.

 

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

Mmmmm depends what expensive is lol, if not only a few k i class that as cheap. Just need to figure out who to actually speak to

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

We have told u numeral times who to speak to.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  cava454.

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

cava454 wrote:

We have told u numeral times who to speak to.

No you have not and you are one person last time i checked better to ask more than one bloke.

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

If it helps any I got these guys to quote a 3d scan on a inter-cooler plate that sits under a supercharger they quoted $412. But gives you an idea of that part price wise.

 

http://www.freedspace.com.au/

 

I dont know the cost of having it cnc they dont do it

 

 

 

 

 

“Hi ,

Many thanks for sending the images.

The part looks like it should scan well and we should be able to convert it into a .iges dummy solid for you to import into a CAD application.

 

Please see attached for a quote. We have a full schedule this week – bu if you can get the part to us we could scan it for you next Monday.

 

Just let me know if you have any questions.

“

 

 

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by  sands vs.

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

Cheers i have someone with a plenum in NZ hope i can get it scanned, email me file and then send to someone to make. Even thinking china, as would be far cheaper. Time will tell, it may not be feasible tho

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

you thinking cnc or cast?

[BLOWNVSParticipant WAVS MALOO VR BT1 project car BF MK II XR6T View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 47]

For a one off job, I highly doubt china will be cheaper. The last thing we want is a mass produced china copy(or any copy really) of our beloved group a intake getting around, even if it is just the plenum. If you can get it scanned and then get someone to knock it up out of a billet that’d be the go.

[sands vsParticipant vs commodore View build HERE Member since: March 1, 2015 Posts: 619]

I reckon getting it cnc’d from billet would be fairly costly?

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

A “one off” is never cheap no matter what fabrication method you use.

 

A quality copy that was reasonably priced would sell well after all the Grp A manifold is still one of the best EFI manifolds about for the humble 304.  I’d certainly be keen on one.

[HoopstarParticipant AdelaideVK Calais View build HERE Member since: June 10, 2016 Posts: 48]

 

Immortality wrote:

A “one off” is never cheap no matter what fabrication method you use.

The billet block alone for something that size would be a grand or so and then programming and machine time plus heat treating.  As an example, we have a billet housing made up for our laser at work (around the size of a small shoe box) and they cost us around $7K (admittedly they are pretty tightly toleranced).

Probably the best option would be if you could ‘borrow’ an original part and have someone like Kilkenny  Castings (who do low run stuff) make up a sand mold from the donor part and knock one out.  I know they did PM’s 308 manifolds are they were costing him around $300 each to cast plus bout that again for machining.  Thing is that was at low-run volumes, not a one off and either way you would need a jig to hold the part for machining the faces.

To be honest I am surprised they haven’t been repro’d at the drug money they command these days. Maybe someone needs to raise a Kickstarter and get them re-made at a small volume run

 

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

I guess it also depends on HSV or whom-ever owns the original castings/rights etc.

I’d think you’d need to do more than a small run with the demand there would be for these manifolds, I’m sure there would be money in it for whom-ever pulls it off.

[Slow355Participant Victoriahectic spec 355 vs ss ute View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 322]

Yea me and the lads talked about it for a while, as its crazy how cheap shit can be done os.  But to do it right you would need to go there with the manifold to where they manufacture, not something you could do over skype etc

However i genuinely want one for my manifold just need to figure out how much it will cost and if worth it. If only a few k its worth it to me.

munch munch ls1s for lunch
Best 1/4 mile 13.1@105mph 60ft-1.8sec Reaction time .8 sec 0/100-4.8sec

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

The mouldings and paper work got thrown out. I don’t believe any technically owns them.

Making a full manifold would be very costly. I know flow craft require 30 customers who have fully paid before he makes his.

They could be made. But it would run into the 10’s of thousands of dollars before even one was ready.

james just wants one for his bottom half as his plenum is a ling long job.

[BLOWNVSParticipant WAVS MALOO VR BT1 project car BF MK II XR6T View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 47]

In all honesty, that plenum could be very closely replicated by fabricating it again. Some laser cut  ali plates and a bit of mill work for the holes and detail on the top would net the desired result i’m sure (i’m a trade qualified metal fabricator). I nearly took this path myself when a cheap lower half popped up years ago, I decided against it and ended up buying a complete vn grp a setup years later. I’d personally hate to see copies of this type of thing make it to production. Yes they are rare and expensive, but that’s what makes them so special to have.

[ImmortalityParticipant 97 HSV Senator 185i 02 VX L67 Calais View build HERE Member since: August 31, 2015 Posts: 535]

cava454 wrote:

The mouldings and paper work got thrown out. I don’t believe any technically owns them. Making a full manifold would be very costly. I know flow craft require 30 customers who have fully paid before he makes his. They could be made. But it would run into the 10’s of thousands of dollars before even one was ready. james just wants one for his bottom half as his plenum is a ling long job.

You can’t really compare the cost of manufacturing a product today to when flowcraft did their version of the manifold, costs have greatly changed and once you have a set of molds the costs come down considerably for any following production runs.

I’d suggest the casting facility probably has a minimum run/cost and flowcraft probably don’t want to produce 30 manifolds and have 20 sitting on the shelf for any period of time, the profit margin is probably quiet good too these days per manifold.

Personally I’d be happy to get hold of a lower and then fabricate the upper, it’s not a hugely complicated design.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

Immortality wrote:

cava454 wrote:

The mouldings and paper work got thrown out. I don’t believe any technically owns them. Making a full manifold would be very costly. I know flow craft require 30 customers who have fully paid before he makes his. They could be made. But it would run into the 10’s of thousands of dollars before even one was ready. james just wants one for his bottom half as his plenum is a ling long job.

You can’t really compare the cost of manufacturing a product today to when flowcraft did their version of the manifold, costs have greatly changed and once you have a set of molds the costs come down considerably for any following production runs. I’d suggest the casting facility probably has a minimum run/cost and flowcraft probably don’t want to produce 30 manifolds and have 20 sitting on the shelf for any period of time, the profit margin is probably quiet good too these days per manifold. Personally I’d be happy to get hold of a lower and then fabricate the upper, it’s not a hugely complicated design.

he told me this 2-3years ago. Manufacturing them isn’t cheap and it’s not worth his wild unless his got min 30 sold.

[cava454Moderator 93 VR BT1 View build HERE Member since: February 20, 2015 Posts: 2 390]

He already has a fabricated one. It looks rubbish.

Why does everyone think his going to make 100’s of plenums. He just wants a one off

[BLOWNVSParticipant WAVS MALOO VR BT1 project car BF MK II XR6T View build HERE Member since: March 2, 2015 Posts: 47]

I can see that his is already fabricated.. And i’m saying it could be done a lot better if he chose to find someone else to do so. its a very simple design. For a 1 off, its probably the cheaper option, especially if he knows someone that can weld/fabricate aluminium. Also, i don’t think he wants to make a heap of copies to sell to everyone, but if you send a design to a casting manufacturer, and they realize that the said design would be able to be sold easily to the public, whats stopping them from doing so?

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