[Brian Baker]

Frankly, I haven't had the time to chase this down. I have access to the one on Phil's Grand-Am, just haven't had time to chase it. With the racing and show season winding down, perhaps I'll get time to do this over the winter. Carbon fiber sounds great, but 13 years ago the fiberglass package was coming in at just under $500 (which would probably be more today). I don't see this selling for more than about $500, and it will surely be costlier than that if made from carbon fiber.

[cammerjeff]

My bigest concern with the fiberglass is it warping with enine heat, I have heard from a couple of buyers of the original reproduction 68-72 ram air pans is that they tended to sag after the engine heated up. And as the parts we would be interested in would sit directly on the aircleaner assembly?

Jeff

[fiedlerh]

When you select the materials to make the parts, you have to choose something that will take the 200°F or more under the hood. Different plastics and resins have different temperature ranges.

http://fiedlerh.home.att.net/

[pontiacjeff]

After painfully reading through all five pages (LOL!), I have to ask... has this gone forward? I will sign up. I have grafted the NACA scoops (from a rusted hood) onto a 77 GP hood. They are in the factory location when measured from the cowl, so all the induction stuff should work fine.

Jeff Ianitello

[fiedlerh]

No progress as far as I know. Just need a system to copy and a few grand for tooling.

http://fiedlerh.home.att.net/

[Brian Baker]

I haven't done anything with it. I have access to a complete system but as of now I still have too many pokers in the fire. Additionally, how many of these systems could be sold? Nearly 15 years ago it would have been upwards of $500 for a complete system and there wasn't enough interest to make it happen. So far, I haven't seen enough interest from anyone in any great numbers.

[Rick Lightfoot]

I firmly believe that there will never be enough interest in these systems to justify repopping them.

There are not enough owners of these cars willing to pay the cash for the parts.

If you are lucky, there might be 30 people out there willing to spend $700 for a quality system, which in the scheme of things is nothing...

[fiedlerh]

I agree, about 30 system @ $700 and it would take a few years to sell that many. On top of that the buyers would have to scrounge up the rest of the parts; 73-74 F-body air cleaner assy and lid that was used with a shaker scoop (which aren't easy to find), the reproducion solenoids, solenoid bracket, stainless band, solenoid linkage and spring, vacuum switch actuator, misc fasteners, plus making NACA vent screens, foam rubber, etc.

http://fiedlerh.home.att.net/

[Brian Baker]

Why bother with the solenoids and all the other crap? Let's face it, anyone that would purchase one of these is going to put it on a car that would never see foul weather driving anyway, so just install it with the vents open all the time. Material for honeycomb style screens is still available from the dealer in the form of some Grand Prix part.

[fiedlerh]

Agree that most won't bother with the "working" parts and just have a "fair weather system". Any reproduction should have provisions to add these if desired.

http://fiedlerh.home.att.net/

[cruiser73]

If this Ram Air system is made, I will DEFINITELY buy one. I'd efen go a little higher than $500 if need be.

Don

[gtoric]

I know the owner of the '73 in Minnesota. Here's the story on that car, as I remember it from a conversation of about 15 years ago...

Wayne bought his black '73 GTO new. He tried to order the Ram Air system then, but by that time only a few parts, like the foam seals and solinoid, were available over the counter. At some point in the late 70s or early 80s, Wayne learned of a complete system being run on a 73 A-body. I think that it was near St. Louis. Anyway, this guy had purchased the entire system off the shelf from GM Parts in the St. Louis area. Wayne kept in touch with the gentleman for several years. The guy moved to Maine in the meantime. He also sold the car with the Ram Air system after he got there. Wayne was, to say the least, disappointed!

A while later Wayne gets a call from the guy in Maine asking Wayne he were still interested in the '73 RA System. He told Wayne that he was visiting a salvage yard when he saw his old car in the customer parking lot. The system was not on the car, but the owner still had it at home. He was able to buy the entire system from this guy. Wayne immediately agreed to a price and had the parts shipped to his home in MN. Here are some pictures I took of the parts in the mid-80s...









As you can see, the plastic air inlet was cracked, but Wayne has since had it plastic welded. This is the system that is on the black '73 GTO from Minnesota.

[fiedlerh]

Does he happen to remember the guy name in Maine? Just wondering if it's the same guy by the name of Kennedy who wrote the short article in POCI in the early 80's.

What controlled the flapper? A vacuum switch or a throttle switch? Has he considered getting parts reproduced?

[gtoric]

I believe that Kennedy is the name that he mentioned.

Not sure about the flapper control. I'm guesing that it might be similar to the '70-'72 T/A setup. I don't believe that he has ever considered having the parts reproduced.

[fiedlerh]

Also looks like they used a single solenoid as opposed to the two shown in the parts diagram. Mind if I post your pictures on my site?

[gtoric]

The solenoid does resemble the single-actuator unit used on my 74 GTO setup.

You may use the images on your site. Do you want me to email you jpegs? Or can you just download the images from here?

By the way has the N.A.C.A. vs. N.A.S.A. controversy been settled yet? Several pieces of Pontiac paperwork, including the window sticker, Dealer Order Sheet, and Dealer Car Shipping Record from a '73 GTO state N.A.S.A. Since the N.A.C.A. was no longer in existance in '73 perhaps we should agree on N.A.S.A. as the correct designation.

[cammerjeff]

As for what is correct NASA or NACA, I don't believe that it will ever be resolved as it is a matter of personel preferance, as a member of the aviation industry I prefer the term NACA as that was the groop that developed it. I beleive Pontiac used the NASA as more people would have been familure with the term.
To put my view in perspective, I don't hear to many Nash, Hudson, Amc owners refering to thier cars as Damlier Cyrsler products. Just my 2 cents worth, as I don't really car what they are called as I know what people are talking about and that is all that really matters.

Jeff R

[fiedlerh]

Thanks gtoric!
I can just copy them from here unless you have hi-resolution originals you can email to fiedlerh@att.net

[Brian Baker]

The flapper was controlled by an electric solenoid (actually a pair of them) and is very similar in configuration to the '74 GTO unit.

[johnta1]

The 74 GTO used a single solenoid.