If it's really cheap "HANG it on your garage wall"..... makes nice "garage art"
On the performance side..... practically everyone I talked to that runs a "cross ram" was satisfied with the performance. Some said it did take some fiddling around to get it "just right".
Some running 600 cfm Holleys some running smaller 390 cfm..... most running NO choke so idling at first takes some warm up time..... I am sure it is no different getting a tunnel ram or any other "different manifold" with two fours, etc to run right.
I know you know of people today (or remember guys) having trouble getting any manifold carb setup (SINGLE - dual - tri - quad - full house, etc) to work
just right. Sometimes getting it "
close" is good enough.
Having to "help" an engine idle is definitely "old school"..... but today there is so much more knowledge and ways to get "any combination" to work right!
Also I have been told by some people the Chevy cross ram has minimal performance advantage if & when it is running as is should/could. But now here we are getting around to asking the REAL deciding question...... what's the car/engine being built/used for?????
If it is "street/strip" with the emphasis on strip and making the car go as fast as possible where ever 1/10 of a second is important to the owner then a single four manifold (air gap or Victor) would be the way to go...... but let's NOT forget the MOST important issue..... is the engine built BIG enough to handle it.
If it is street/strip with emphasis on "constant performance" on fastest et's from an engine along with a UNIQUE-LOOK period correct a Cross Ram - Man-a-Fre, etc, etc is the way to go. In other words losing a tenth or so drag strip performance for cruise/show look-power is a matter of personal choice.
One of the best know backyard builders
Kiwi Kev ran a cross ram on his '41 Willys. When I talked to him last July he told me it ran good but felt it could run even better. He had his Willys standing on the rear bumper with the cross ram but recently switched to a single four to see if his little 283 sbc would be better off with less air/fuel flow.
As for me ..... I have had a cross ram hanging on the wall of my workshop for quiet a few years...... will I put it on the Opel's engine someday????? "I CAN NOT wait"