brydell

One of the feature articles in the latest issue of Corvette Fever showed a frame off Bloomington Gold 1970 L-46 (350/350) Roadster with A/C, that had a dual-snorkel style air cleaner. All of my reference books show the L-46 with an open style air cleaner. My '70 L-46 roadster,with similar equipment, came with a non-original open style air cleaner. Which is correct? I can't imagine a Bloomington Gold car can attain that status with the wrong air cleaner.

dennis

Don't know when or if there is any rational for it, but,I've seen a few originals with dual,(mine is open). Also have seen base 70 350's with open element

Greg

Barrett,
I'm sure you're correct. The 350/350 should have the open air cleaner. Mine does too. Maybe a few were delivered with dual snorkel air cleaners if GM was low on open air cleaner stock. They tended to do that from time to time.
Why Bloomington would accept this? who knows?
Greg

70Donnybrooke

my base 70 has an open element. That 70 you are talking about also had the egg crates painted wrong and the wrong front turn signal grills.

Greg

Ha, Ha, Ha!
Who the hell is judging these cars? It's probably a real nice Vette but I think someone should be judging the judges.

dennis

Well, not to keep this NCRS thing going but, the front grilles are either way on some late 70 cars. Don't know if the side grille painting change happened in late 70.(asume that what you mean.) I haven't seen the car.



70 donnybrooke:
Love those donnybrooke cars.When I saw your car in Carlisle, it convinced me to get started on my repaint back to donnybrooke

brydell

Thanks for the input. The consensus seems to be that open style is correct. I also agree with Greg, that it wasn't uncommon for the General to substitute parts if they ran out of correct inventory. In reading the Corvette Fever article, it was nice to see a small block featured for a change, instead of the endless big block tales.

71rdster

My base 71 small block had the dual snorkel. According to the parts book this was correct for all 70-72 Vettes (bb too) except special high performance 350. Special high performance is, I assume, LT-1, not L46.

dennis

Don't assume.The small block HP and SHP references in the parts books has always been a mystery. If you follow the logic of a 1970-hp as a L-46, and a SHP as a LT. All is well until you look at the 69's.

What is a 69 SHP?. There wasn't an LT1 in 69. So the 69 logic would be HP as the base engine and SHP as the L-46. Watched many a parts guy scratch their heads over this.

7T3C3TTZ07

I'll add my memory to this: I purchased a new '70 L-46 from a dealer in July 1970. It had an open air cleaner with a chrome-plated cover and the red and silver "Turbo Fire 350" decal on it. The cover looked good with the aluminum rocker-arm covers. I sold it in 1975. I've always wondered what became of that car.

AirTrafficController

My L46's got the open-type chrome. I too asked this question a few months ago and the overwhelming reply was that it is correct. Mark

Rowdy Rat

Barrett,

Open element air cleaner assemblies were used on all 1970 Corvettes up until the 12,000 - 13,000 VIN range. At that point, the dual snorkle air cleaner assembly was phased into production on all engines EXCEPT the LT-1 which used the open element air filter assembly until the option was discontinued in 1972.

As such, an early production car would use an open element unit, later production a dual snorkle, closed element unit.

The only other Corvette engine beside the LT-1 to use the open element air cleaner assembly after 1970 was the LS-6 in 1971.

Regards,

Greg

Hey Stan,
That's good info. Where did you happen to find it?
Greg

pra4sun

I'm have the same question.

This would explain a lot.

toddalin

This is also what I had heard.

Even the Calif DMV had this wrong! When I first got my '70 350/350 first day production car (Vin 131), the smog stations wouldn't accept it with the open element air cleaner as their books showed that open air cleaner + 4-speed = LT-1 ===> = smog pump.

Fortunately Corvette Mike knew it was genuine and would smog it. After a few years went by, the DMV obtained more data and my car became smog legal and I could take it to regular smog station. After twice smogging it that way, it went over 20 years old and no longer required a smog certificate.

GaryZ

Here is mine, I bought it new May of 70, photo taken last year with 26k on odometer . It has the open aircleaner.