Technical What's considered "Proper"....

I have cut a few tops like you suggest, made a real mess out of some. Of note if you are using a cutting torch don't use the huge one that iron workers use. LOL

I took a whole saw and made scallops on one just below the top radius for a guys custom once. I personally didn't really care for the look but he got show points and that is what he was after.

We actually used to flip those over. it was not always an option depending on hood clearance. it was more of a I am driving my moms car and want it to sound cool thing. We did remove the hood off of a kids mom's more door impala once so that we could flip the carb cover. it was pretty funny, his mom and dad went cruising and caught him with her hood off and he got grounded. he also was not allowed to play with me any more.

When I am breaking a fresh motor if I have the option I always try to use a known induction setup. I actually try and give myself as many breaks as I can, water hose, rad cap off etc. I don't like to have to stop until the cam is ready for me to stop. I also don't like to wash down the cylinders, which I have seen happen when one drools too much fuel into the intake.

Good advice right here.

 

I wanted a factory dual snorkel(L79 I think) on my nova when I was doing it. The repops for that air cleaner are $300 and I wasn't going to pay that so I made my own. The passenger side snorkel and decal are original, I built the other snorkel, used a 10 inch cheapo base under it, paint, clear and WALA my own L79 dual snorkel air cleaner with very little invested. I had the air cleaner laying around but I have seen them at swap meets for not to much money.

 

I built my own for my 327 using a old dodge dakota air cleaner. Cut the snorkel off, welded up the hole and cut windows in what used to be the back of the air cleaner.

Here's the thread on how I made it.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/low-buck-corvette-style-air-cleaner.815972/#post-9052614

 

Are you wanting to be 'traditional' or do you want performance?
Performance-minded individuals would run an open style 14" diameter element. Use the tall filters like 4-5 " tall. More head space above the carb will make a difference.
r

 

Maybe you can find an older Chevrolet hub cap. This was on my project Mod A when I bought it and I like it. Plenty of surface area in the air filter to allow good breathing.

 

The right air cleaner can make or break the look of a engine.

Sent from my E6782 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sent from my E6782 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

@roadstar That's a beauty!!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That's cool...

 

I agree on the early Vette aluminum louvered air cleaner. When I bought my Model A, it had been parked since 1961, and had a 270hp Corvette 283 under the hood. Like this one.


Sent from my SM-S902L using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

The air cleaner is available in single or dual 4 barrel.

Sent from my SM-S902L using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Well, I bit the bullet and spent the dough!! I picked up a super-nice Carter 9605 AFB and a couple early '60's air cleaners to tinker with at the AutoFair this weekend. @MalibuKasey walked around with me and was my conscience, guiding me down the straight and narrow path...



Thanks to all that commented on this thread...there's some awesome engine compartments going on out there! Just hope mine can be an inspiration some day!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Any idea what these air cleaners came off of? They are really cool!!

 

@brett4christ I have that air cleaners twin brother. No base just the top. I couldn't even give it away at the swap. If you want it you could make that one a twin snorkle!!

 

They were custom made.

Sent from my E6782 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Sweet!! Absolutely!!! I was looking for a second!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Done! It's yours! I'll send you a picture of it in the morning.

 

This is an interesting thread with some great ideas.

I have a 1950 truck and struggled to find anything that looked "right" to use as an air filter lid for the 14" air cleaner. I decided to make a wooden pattern and get it cast in Aluminium by a local foundry.
here's the plywood pattern before I painted it.


I got the foundry guys to use a sand that takes fine detail, but it still needed a bit of polishing so that it would wipe clean.



here it is finished and fitted for the first time.

 

In a 38 Ford...

 

If you're asking if our 9" finned oval is period correct, all I can say that that air cleaner's "beginnings" was an air cleaner sold by Stelling and Helling in the mid 50's.
They made one that was 15" long. I had a lot of requests from guys for a longer one than the 15" reproduction I was making so they could use it on J-2 Olds and 348/409 Chevys. So I took two 15" covers and cut them off center - welded the short pieces together and the long pieces together and had aluminum matchplates made to produce 9" and 18" versions to go with the 15" original Stelling and Helling A/C reproduction we manufacture. We have five different bases to use with the 9/15/18" covers so they can be fitted to everything from a single 1 BBL to four 2 BBL's and a single 4 BBL to three 4 BBL's.
There's a little bit of speed equipment history for you....
Dennis O'Brien
.

 

Partial to original Corvette and GTO original aluminum air cleaners that came with 3 louvers. No hood clearance issues either. That Speedway 6 louver air cleaner is too high and looks goofy and out of proportion. What else can you expect for under $40.

 

I'm using a '64 Fairlane air cleaner on my "289" that's going in my '32. Will modify it a bit and the top is an ancient Cal Custom finned top I have modified to work.