notched carbs on tri-power setup why?
 

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum and posting for my father in law who's "internet challenged".

He was making a deal for the correctly-dated tri-power setup for his 435hp big block '67 roadster. When we saw the parts in person, he noticedthe carbs have been "notched" at the top. Basically a squared-U shapednotch about 3/8" to 1/2" was cut out of the top of each carb'souter body.

I was there but didn't have a camera. I've tried to show it in this random pic from the web. The red lines show the notches. I don't remember which side of the carb had the notch, but each carb had it, only one side, the same side on each.

The notch did not look factory because it looked unevenly cut and not exactly the same depth on each, but very close.

Does anyone know if the notchesare factory, or if not, why it would have been done? Is there an old hot-rodder advantage to doing this?

thanks for your help.

RE: notched carbs on tri-power setup why?
 

If it helps, I remember some printed (early Xerox) owner-aftermarket "bulletin" that was circulated at GM performance car shows and sports car meets and autcorsses and such in the late 60s that addressed this. It had something to do with pressure/flow equalization at off throttle an owner mod involvoing notching the carbs with a small space that was supposed to do something to driveability off throttle or something. I think I remember it right but frankly I recall it was interesting but unimportant to me at the time I'd didn't own a tri-carb vette although I owned a tri-carb Healey so I paid a bit of attention.

Sorry that I can't remember more. It's been forty years of thereabouts.