When did GM change over from carburetted to TPI on third gen Transams ?

 

GM first came out with TPI on third gen f-bodies in 1985. I dont know when they stopped makeing carburators though

 

GM switched over from Carbs to the TBI in 1988 for the base 305.
The 305/350 TPI were both extra cost options.

 

Cheers guys for the answer to my question.

 

It was decided that the future of automobile manufacturing was to be spent on computer-controlled engines. In an effort to get cars to pass super-restrictive emissions laws, a lot of car manufactures were switching to EFI, as the computer could make a lot more adjustmetns and make them more accurately than a carb ever could. It was all to meet EPA stuff, not for performance... at first. Then the Big Three did what they did best - they adapted. Whereas the first of the third-gen cars were quite choked by restrictive exhausts and smog pumps and wimpy peanut cams, they began to use EFI as a solution around such restrictions. They designed the TPI system for use on the Corvette first, and when they saw that it was working, they gave it to the F-bodies. It was designed only for the 305, too. The plenum and runners are identical. It gives the motor a good seat-of-the-pants feel, nice low and mid-end torque, but it suffers from not being able to flow very well at high RPM's. Todays EFI systems have came a long way from the first computer-controlled ones. The LU5 Cross-Fire powerplant had a host of issues, todays LS1's hvae very little. If you look at the HP and torque numbers from 1982 to 1992, you'll see a lot of growth and improvment. I have a 350 TPI in my GTA, and it gives a nice healthy kick-in-the-butt feel when I mash the gas - from a stop. Top-end is lacking, but I don't go much over seventy anyway.

If carbs are your hot ticket, there's plenty of them around and aftermarket companies still make them new. In terms of daily drivability, though, it's hard to beat the computer.

This topic generates a lot more heat than light, however...