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C3 Cold Air Intake

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Old Mar 16, 2009 | 10:00 AM
  #1  
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Default C3 Cold Air Intake

Anyone have any creative ideas/pics for a cold air intake on an ealry C3? I have a 71 and I am intsalling a 383 stroker. I also added a 454 hood in the mod. Am considering a late C3 over-the-radiator cold air intake, but not sure if it will fit. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Bob
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 12:36 AM
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Originally Posted by kellyr073
Anyone have any creative ideas/pics for a cold air intake on an ealry C3? I have a 71 and I am intsalling a 383 stroker. I also added a 454 hood in the mod. Am considering a late C3 over-the-radiator cold air intake, but not sure if it will fit. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Bob
I'd also like to see some creative suggestions. I have an 80 with a 355 and L88 hood. The OEM dual snorkel no longer fits with the new hood- go figure. Has anyone sucessfully designed hoses to fit down to the wheelwell- looks like there could be room on the passenger side?
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 02:27 AM
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I don't know if this would fit or not

http://www.jegs.com/i/Spectre/865/9859K/10002/-1
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 02:37 AM
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definitely woudlnt fit in mine.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 03:49 AM
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Originally Posted by RIJVETTES
I'd also like to see some creative suggestions. I have an 80 with a 355 and L88 hood. The OEM dual snorkel no longer fits with the new hood- go figure. Has anyone sucessfully designed hoses to fit down to the wheelwell- looks like there could be room on the passenger side?
Uh? You do realise the point of L88 hood is its great built in cold air intake system? Or at least it was, it seems most fit them only for their looks now and ignore the original reason it looks the way it does. It would make most sense to me to make it operational, no need for creative hose routing.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 01:39 PM
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yes...if you already got the L88 hood you are half way home to the very best CAI system possible. I did the conversion on my old 69 L46 vette and it came out awesome. I had looked at adapting several different CAI like those from a C4 or a C5 but in the end there was still the chance to suck in a little hot air and the plumbing was a nightmare. It cost me a little less than $450 for the CAI chamber to mount to the hood and then the air cleaner assembly. I did not buy the special L88 drop base air cleaner as that would have dropped my base too low and not sealed with the hood properly so try your current drop base air cleaner first before buying the L88 that drops it another 3/4".



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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 06:23 PM
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durango b.....oops!! i meant to say, there was a guy here at one time who made up one for a dual snorkel type. maybe search will reveal it again.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 07:35 PM
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I built this ram-air from an American High-rise hood. Built removable fiberglass airbox.




By the way, the car is going to be black.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 08:01 PM
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This place sells parts so you can make your own.

http://www.ramairbox.com/index.html
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 08:06 PM
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i built a intake exactly like you will find on a nascar car. sealed it off to the hood with foam rubber air conditioner seals that already had the sticky tape on it. it worked fantastic. i riveted the bottom section of a drop base air cleaner to the " tub " that i built and cut the back side of the hood out.
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Old Mar 17, 2009 | 08:44 PM
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I see you already have your hood but all '73-75 hoods have a solenoid operated cowl induction system that activates at WOT from a switch at the gas pedal arm. You would need the stock dual snorkel air cleaner that has the seal to the hood. At anything other than WOT the air is drawn in through the dual snorkels. At WOT the cowl opens and induces cold air into the air cleaner. Keeping the cowl closed at anthing other than WOT keeps rain water out from under the hood.
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Old Mar 18, 2009 | 01:21 AM
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Originally Posted by ToniH
Uh? You do realise the point of L88 hood is its great built in cold air intake system? Or at least it was, it seems most fit them only for their looks now and ignore the original reason it looks the way it does. It would make most sense to me to make it operational, no need for creative hose routing.
Sorry, the smog police in California will not permit that modification for the air cleaner on an 80. I'm stuck with hoses- or none at all.
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Old Mar 18, 2009 | 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by kellyr073
Am considering a late C3 over-the-radiator cold air intake, but not sure if it will fit. Any other suggestions?
If you are worried about it fitting, you could notch the radiator support.

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Old Mar 18, 2009 | 09:15 PM
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Originally Posted by ToniH
Uh? You do realise the point of L88 hood is its great built in cold air intake system? Or at least it was, it seems most fit them only for their looks now and ignore the original reason it looks the way it does. It would make most sense to me to make it operational, no need for creative hose routing.
Originally Posted by Kaos
yes...if you already got the L88 hood you are half way home to the very best CAI system possible. I did the conversion on my old 69 L46 vette and it came out awesome. I had looked at adapting several different CAI like those from a C4 or a C5 but in the end there was still the chance to suck in a little hot air and the plumbing was a nightmare. It cost me a little less than $450 for the CAI chamber to mount to the hood and then the air cleaner assembly. I did not buy the special L88 drop base air cleaner as that would have dropped my base too low and not sealed with the hood properly so try your current drop base air cleaner first before buying the L88 that drops it another 3/4".
Why not take advantage of a proven design that has already been engineered for you?
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Old Mar 18, 2009 | 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Duke94
This place sells parts so you can make your own.

http://www.ramairbox.com/index.html
That's where I bought the basic box for my '80. You will have to do some finishing work on the fiberglass to make it look nice though.
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 09:58 AM
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This has worked great for me so far.
Sorry...
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 10:07 AM
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Now that's a cold air intake!!
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Kaos
yes...if you already got the L88 hood you are half way home to the very best CAI system possible. I did the conversion on my old 69 L46 vette and it came out awesome. I had looked at adapting several different CAI like those from a C4 or a C5 but in the end there was still the chance to suck in a little hot air and the plumbing was a nightmare. It cost me a little less than $450 for the CAI chamber to mount to the hood and then the air cleaner assembly. I did not buy the special L88 drop base air cleaner as that would have dropped my base too low and not sealed with the hood properly so try your current drop base air cleaner first before buying the L88 that drops it another 3/4".





Same as i did, bought both hood and chamber from ecklers.
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