Blower downsides?

I've been lurking here for awhile, and I've seen some people who don't want to install a supercharger on cars they are restoring. I'm curious what their reasoning is?
I'm about to rebuild the engine in my '87 GT and am tentatively planning to install a paxton or vortech supercharger (not sure which, still comparing prices and specs).
My question is why DON'T people put blowers on? From what I've read so far, they exceed the performance of bolt on equipment. They seem to be a tried and true technology..
I've got the asssistance of a mechanic who has installed several, and been told by several people (who already own blowers on their 'stangs) what a great addition it is.

What should I know that I don't?
What is the downside ...other than a $3K pricetag?
What kind of life expectancy can I expect for a supercharger thats not driven too hard?

Thanks for your replies.

This is how I summarize the two main points of view

1). there is nothing wrong with putting a supercharger or "spraying" (n2o) your engine. It is a quick way to get a substantial increase of horsepower, without doing too much work. An added benifit, you can take the kit off if, when you sell the car and either use it on your next car or sell it separately. With the new smog laws, it is about the only "legal" way to boost the performance of newer cars without making the "State" mad or wrecking your warranty.

2). Its a Band-aid that covers a lack of real knowledge, those that have spent years learning how to get the most performance from stock or aftermarket parts sometimes resent getting beat by bottle babies or blower bums. You can order the kit from summit today...then tomorrow have a 13, 12 or 11 second car without ever really learning anything about engines, driving or "manners".

my personal opinion changes according to which car I feel like driving. Whether I just want to "win" or I'm want to cruise and bruise.

Either way can be just as legtimate. But the story is...strictly my opinion...a natrually aspirated engine delivers the power all the time, whether the bottle is full or not. Whether the belt flew off or if you cracked a piston because you decided to keep using the cast pistons ..while cranking up the boost or increasing the jet size on the solinoids. The power from a N/A (naturally aspirated) engine is smoother and more predictable (usually [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] ). So you will find the hard core guys may resent cars with a power adder, but that attitude is changing more each day. But, I'm pretty sure you will have more "Street Cred" (credit, credentials, crediblity) for having a strong engine running "Natural" than the same power from a power adder...thats just the way it is.

Its, like a girl with a nice rack...then you find out they are plastic. They are still nice, just not the same.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Beoweolf on 7/16/04 8:39am ]</font>

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2004-07-15 20:32, Beoweolf wrote:
This is how I summarize the two main points of view

Its, like a girl with a nice rack...then you find out they are plastic. They are still nice, just not the same.
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True. True.[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 1 Bad 88 GT on 7/16/04 10:45am ]</font>

one word..... tubo. when talking power adders there will be as many points of view as if we were discussing oil(syn vs. conv) or politics for that matter. i don't care for blowers because of the crank hp they rob. (but they do sound bad @ss[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img])to me, hot rodding is using what ever you have to get the job done. i just built my own turbo system (many thanks to turbomustangs.com) and should be seing about 650rwhp on my 351w before that i had a 250hp nitrous fogger set up (direct port inj) what was cool but going to the track every mustang i saw had a cintrifical suppercharger or nitrous. EVERY ONE... i wanted to build something different.. turbo charged and now converting my cabed motor to holley pro-jection. i'm trying to find out how to use a duel quad manafold and run 2 4bbl throttle bodies in series to fool the computer. dare to be different!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alexauto on 7/27/04 7:09pm ]</font>