TheSamba.com :: View topic - zepyhr vintage mini supercharger, ya’ll are gunna like this

Mon Jul 21, 2025 6:54 pm

i just got this, i really like odd vintage car shit , saw this on eBay and made an offer for it. No i dont plan to use it , not sure even I’d want to risk any of this thing making it down an intake and into a head or cylinder.
Im also not going to say anything to point things out , just gunna let ya’ll look at it and have fun.
Any questions, just let me know and I’ll let you know what i see.
God i hope one of ya’ll ran or knew someone that ran one of these things…

Mon Jul 21, 2025 7:09 pm

Love the gas gimmick products. I didn't realize the business was so old.

So this thing is what looks to be a calibrated vacuum leak with a pair of brass spinners.

But save up to $75 a year! In late 1940s dollars that's like $1000 today.

My Uncle sold a water injection gas saver system in the 70s. I wish I still had one around today but the last one went when we cleaned out the barn years ago.

Cool find.

Mon Jul 21, 2025 7:10 pm

Will it be better than this?

Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:18 pm

Glenn, that was proved to produce more hp gains on a stock 1600 than most other off the shelf bolt on performance products... sorry man, they ruined that one for ya.
although im not sure that it needs a blow off valve

Mon Jul 21, 2025 8:25 pm

Now you've done it, JC Whitney is going to spam your mailbox with catalogs and flyers, your mail carrier will hate you.

Mon Jul 21, 2025 9:03 pm

The BOV is probably a little optimistic.

As to the original post pics, I remember my dad playing around with something similar back in the late 70's/early 80s. The only difference he got, with an old Monte Carlo with either a 305 or a 307 (I don't remember which) was a little better fuel mileage. May have been from better atomization from the blades spinning in the fuel/air mix under the carb.

I don't remember a vent on the vacuum side of the carb on dad's contraption, but if it had one, that would explain the fuel mileage increase - at the expense of shortened engine life by running too lean.

Plus how's that not a fire hazard in the event of backfire?! Is the screen a flame trap?

Tue Jul 22, 2025 9:47 am

Perfect for under your bug spray! I would hate to swallow an “e” clip.

Wed Jul 23, 2025 3:29 am

Glenn wrote: Will it be better than this?

No. I would step out on a limb and guess yours is the clear winner.

Wed Jul 23, 2025 4:58 am

Rob Combs wrote:
I don't remember a vent on the vacuum side of the carb on dad's contraption, but if it had one, that would explain the fuel mileage increase - at the expense of shortened engine life by running too lean.

Plus how's that not a fire hazard in the event of backfire?! Is the screen a flame trap?

I'm guessing that the pinhole vacuum vent hole got plugged up pretty quick having no real air filtration. Probably worked just long enough for folks to notice a slight increase in mileage and then lost effectiveness around the time you stopped counting miles to gallons.