Cowl Air Cleaner

[SuperNovaSS]

Are there any ways to determine whether a cowl air cleaner is original, service, or a reproduction? Also, are there differences between the Chevelle and Camaro units? Is an original worth significantly more than a repro?


Thanks,


Jason http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[SuperNovaSS]

I seem to remember something about a flat bottom.

[iluv69s]

I know the early flat bottom 69 Camaro units are worth $$$$$$$ as I still need one for my car....anyone got one reasonable to go to a worthy cause???

[Mr70]

Are you talking Cowl Plenum or Cowl Induction?
Early 69 Camaros equipped with Cowl Ind. had a flat bottom.As production increased,that bottom now received a channeled valley,for both ZL-2 equipped Camaros & 70-72 Chevelles.
There are a few ways to determine a repop.
The most obvious being to look at the seam running alongside the snorkle.

[SuperNovaSS]

Good info. Thanks for the heads up. What does the original seam look like in comparision to a repro? A friend is pulling one out for me to sell. I want to represent and price it right.


Thanks,


Jason

[Mr70]

On the originals,in the center of the seam it will jog downwards and form a square notch in the center,then continue back on line to the opposite end.
The later repops have one continous unbroken seam.

[HEMIBEE]

isn't the seal ring different between the chevelle and the camaro?

[Unreal]

[ QUOTE ]
On the originals,in the center of the seam it will jog downwards and form a square notch in the center,then continue back on line to the opposite end.
The later repops have one continous unbroken seam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I'll be....I just checked my original and see what you are referring to. Never noticed that before.

[L78steve]

[ QUOTE ]
On the originals,in the center of the seam it will jog downwards and form a square notch in the center,then continue back on line to the opposite end.
The later repops have one continous unbroken seam. [/quote Anyone have a pic. of this ?

[Chevy454]

I believe the seals are the same, no?

[farone]

The seal rings are different.....

[John Brown]

Camaro = round? Chevelle = Cut off?

http://www.yenko.net/attachments/374436-CowlRing.JPG

[Jerry@CHP]

Camaros with ZL-2 hoods had a flat bottom until about Sept '69. The grooved bottom AC was phased in at that time for the rest of the model year, 11A, 1969. All of the repros have the grooved bottoms.

Jerry

[KevinW]

Do the 70 AC versions have the notch in the snorkel? I have a GM AC and it has the more rounded snorkel without the notch. It has the 1" 90 U bent tube, not the double 45 degree repro. It also has a lot of forming wrinkles instead of the smooth repro, so I am sure it is GM. It could be an over the counter one, but I'm not sure. Any help? Anyone have a pic of an original foctory 70 version?

[Mr70]

I believe the notches in the snorkle was what they were using throughout 69-72 production,and possibly available for a few years afterwards..It's possible there was more then one manufacturer of these and one had a slightly different design then the other.
Your's sounds like a later Gm designed licensed piece to me that is not exactly true in detail to the original design.

I should explain that when I say repop,to me that means a later on manufactured piece,(GM licensed or not),that has lost some of it's original details during translation,to the original part once used on the assembly line.
I understand if others don't classify them that way.

[LITTLE TOMMIE]

i have an original cowl air cleaner with the ridge in the bottom and it has 2 little square notch's in the seam

[KevinW]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe the notches in the snorkle was what they were using throughout 69-72 production,and possibly available for a few years afterwards..It's possible there was more then one manufacturer of these and one had a slightly different design then the other.
Your's sounds like a later Gm designed licensed piece to me that is not exactly true in detail to the original design.

I should explain that when I say repop,to me that means a later on manufactured piece,(GM licensed or not),that has lost some of it's original details during translation,to the original part once used on the assembly line.
I understand if others don't classify them that way.

[/ QUOTE ]

MR70, I hear what you are saying. The thing that has me stumped is the 1" vent tube (used in BB applications). All the repops I have seen have the 2 45 deg tube and are smoothly formed. As you can see in the pic, mine is not http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I bought this back in the early 80s before the repopers were running. And it was well used before I got it. It has the cut ring. I want to put this up on ebay soon and want to make sure I state the correct origins of this. Opinions welcome! Thanks

http://www.fototime.com/582461245663F22/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/9AE8F135F048A59/standard.jpg

[Unreal]

The guy I bought my original from, also had an NOS one with the ridge (still in the box, but I never checked for a date code. It had the radiused 90* elbow like the pic above. Can't speak to the notch, as I was not educated enough to know about it. (thanks to Rick, I learned a little more)

[John Brown]

Here's an old discussion from Camaros.net ~with pictures~ just about ZL2 cowl air cleaners. http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=54696

[KevinW]

Thanks John. Yes, I wrote that article quite a while ago and it was used in the Chevy punch magazine. This air cleaner is the 70 Chevelle one from that article. Since then I was educated about the notch in the snorkle. This air cleaner does not have the notch, but all other signs are correct for a factory GM air cleaner. I'm still trying to figure this one out. Thanks though!

[Tommy_Mathison]

[ QUOTE ]
Camaros with ZL-2 hoods had a flat bottom until about Sept '69. The grooved bottom AC was phased in at that time for the rest of the model year, 11A, 1969. All of the repros have the grooved bottoms.

Jerry

[/ QUOTE ]

Just to be clear, there is a flat bottom repro available.

[ssl78]

I was at The parts Place the other day and seen the repro flat bottom air cleaner it looked good.

[L78steve]

Would someone please post a pic. of the notch?

[John Brown]

[ QUOTE ]
I was at The parts Place the other day and seen the repro flat bottom air cleaner it looked good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I figured they were repopping them when I saw the supposedly nos one on e-bay a while back. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bs.gif

[Mr70]

Someone approached me with a repop part for sale recently,and said it was NOS.
I said,"That looks Taiwan to me".
He replied.."That's what I said,NOS..Not Original Supply.
I couldn't walk away fast enough..

[blackls6]

I was told a while back that the seal ring with the cut out was for air condition cars. What is the correct one for my LS-6 Chevelle?

[Mr70]

That cut out ring was used if AC equipped or not,on all the 70-72 ZL-2 equipped Chevelles,regardless of engine or AC.
That's the one you want for your LS-6 if it's ZL-2-Cowl Induction equipped.