With such a solid foundation for a performance powerplant, it seemed natural to put a supercharger on this engine and take the performance to another level. The supercharger in question was not the Eaton Model 62 used on the 3800 Series I, but the larger Model 90 that displaced 90 ci per revolution.
The larger blower allowed the maximum 8 pounds of boost to be generated at a lower overdrive ratio, which reduced blower speed and charge air heating. It was mounted on an experimental intake manifold that featured an integral liquid-to-air intercooler. The intercooler had its own separate cooling core and pump and used a mild glycol solution for heat transfer. Its throttle body was fed through a special ram-air system that inhaled cool outside air, further reducing charge-air temperatures.
To complement the forced-induction system, the exhaust system was also upgraded from the factory cast-iron manifolds. A pair of one-off headers were fabricated by SVE with 1.75-inch primaries, a 3-inch collector/crossover and a 3-inch catalytic converter. From there a dual-outlet exhaust system featuring 2-inch pipes routed spent gases out.
