When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I would think the scoops are capable of breathing enough air, I’d question if the location allows enough airflow. The scoops appear to be similar size to the under the bumper scoops of the 68-69 cars.
The only way to be sure is to test at the track with or without the cold air kit, or a chassis dyno.
Put an air filter restriction indicator ahead of the air filter. Run the car to max rpm, WFO. If the scoops are restricted...it'll show up.
Or put it on the clean side of the air filter, and test the entire system.
Restriction indicators are standard equipment on all sorts of vehicles; diesels primarily but my '97 K2500 454 came with one, too. Any decent salvage yard is likely to have dozens; but if they don't, Amazon does.
The filter restriction indicator will Not work for the results you seek. The filter restriction indicator gets mounted between the air filter and engine. When installed with a fresh filter it remembers the flow rate,as restriction builds with the dirt in the filter the indicator senses the lower flow rate and triggers movement in the gauge toward the restricted mark on the indicator.
You can get a very inexpensive wind speed meter,mount it in different areas of the intake tract to determine how much speed changes before and after bends in the system. Once mounted in the system you can change mounting points of the intake scoops to determine if changing the position or mounting areas of the scoops helps air to flow better through the system.
If you want to spend more on the wind speed meter you can get some that will also tell you pressure and temperature.
The basic wind speed meter can be had for about $10.
Of course the restriction indicator would work. Restriction is restriction, no matter what the cause of the restriction. For all practical purposes, it's just a hyper-sensitive vacuum gauge--not a flow meter. A flow meter would be sensitive to velocity; velocity varies with cross-section. It'd read the highest velocity in the smallest cross-section, leading you to think that the most choked-down point is the most free-flowing.
If there's no restriction, the gauge registers no restriction. If there is restriction on the level of a properly-sized air filter getting some dirt in it, the gauge shows restriction proportional to the amount.
Thus the requirement to make at least one, WFO--max RPM run with the restriction indicator in place. If it's in the air cleaner ductwork, it'll measure restriction only in the duct it's installed in. If it's on the clean side of the filter, it'll measure restriction of both ducts combined, plus the restriction of the filter. Sorting out how much of the restriction is from the ducts vs. the filter would require additional effort and thought. But if there's no indicated restriction on the clean side of the filter, you're good-to-go.
I would think the scoops are capable of breathing enough air, I’d question if the location allows enough airflow.
The only way to be sure is to test at the track with or without the cold air kit,
I'm totally with this.
442gs I would like to see how close the inlets are to the closed hood. I'm thinking very close and therefore restrictive.... 1/4 mile runs would definitely expose the truth. My experience at the track over the years has been that a V8 with a great setup that's running near its peak performance absolutely benefits from no air filter or housing at all. Which of course is a no go for everyday driving. But I would still want my filtering, housing, ducting, to have the best breath-ability possible while keeping the engine safe.
Every single piece of equipment that attaches and comes after the carb, impedes the flow more and more as the number of parts increase. Air filter housing slows it down a bit, filter even more, etc. Now add the hood lip to that, which in my minds eye is blocking flow ? But and this is a big one. Is the cold air benefit negating that possible blockage. In other words my carb was sucking in hot under-hood temps. Yours may be cutting the flow in half but your getting outside air.
If you are indeed impeding the flow of air somehow down to 50 percent your basically turning your car into a single snorkel housing with cold air benefit. If all out performance is not really important to you then this scenario should be fine....
P.S. for what its worth I also jerry rigged a dual snorkel hose setup onto a 87 442. They come dual snorkel but single hose to colder air next to radiator. The other snorkel is hot air by passenger side tire. I rigged that one with some duct hose to the gap on that side of rad. In the end the car was quicker with a bare naked carb.
