Fabricating Orig GTA Airbox and snout

30292 Views 61 Replies 27 Participants Last post by donrencos, May 24, 2020

CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · Jan 24, 2008

I am having a top fabricator make an exact copy of the original GTA Airbox and Snout. The parts will be made of aluminum and look as close the original parts as we can get it. I have seen other copies but none look identical to the original parts and I have no interest in a carbon fiber one. The buck is being made now. Obviously the cost will come down if more than one of these is fabricated. Anyone interested please send me a PM.

These will not be cheap but if you want something that looks original this is the way to go. In a concour if the judge can't tell the part from the original you don't lose points. We are also trying to find a way to fit a filter in the airbox but can't promise that just yet.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

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andyb6

· #2 · Jan 24, 2008

Bob

regarding the filter. We usually take bulk furnace filter material and "hide it" in the tube sections. That way it catches the bad stuff, but you can still pop off the cover and see the pretty curved trumpets.

kengta

· #3 · Jan 24, 2008

CanAmBob said:
I am having a top fabricator make an exact copy of the original GTA Airbox and Snout. The parts will be made of aluminum and look as close the original parts as we can get it. I have seen other copies but none look identical to the original parts and I have no interest in a carbon fiber one. The buck is being made now. Obviously the cost will come down if more than one of these is fabricated. Anyone interested please send me a PM.

These will not be cheap but if you want something that looks original this is the way to go. In a concour if the judge can't tell the part from the original you don't lose points. We are also trying to find a way to fit a filter in the airbox but can't promise that just yet.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

Hey Bob, how did you figure out it to be correct to use an aluminum GTA box versus the Fibre glass type for your GTA. I have the fibre glass type with 752507 but don't know if it was original to the car.

Ciao

Ken

CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 24, 2008

kengta said:
Hey Bob, how did you figure out it to be correct to use an aluminum GTA box versus the Fibre glass type for your GTA. I have the fibre glass type with 752507 but don't know if it was original to the car.

Ciao

Ken

Ken the first GTAs had the all Aluminum airbox per Roman and other Alfa Gurus. Scott Gray has provided me with three examples. The first one is a perfect all aluminum one and the second is the same design with the aluminum covered in fiberglass. The theory is that later in the life of the cars the airbox was covered in fiberglass to prevent cracking. I have decided to go with the original 1965/1966 look (aluminum) to be true to the original car as raced in 1966.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

Alleggerita

· #5 · Jan 24, 2008 (Edited)

Not sure on this: but aluminum was original on the early Autodelta prepped cars though not homologated for 65 - it was FIA homologated December 1966, valid from January 1967 onwards - though definitely used in some cases earlier than that. I have a factory fiberglass box that originally came with the car with what appears to be a metal tag with some letters and the number 68 punched into it - possibly being intended as a homologation tag. The car is a late 1600 with the later GTAjunior style suspension and wheel arches that was homologated for 1/1968.

I have always assumed that the fiberglass box originally went with the later cars - 1600's and particularly juniors - and that 68 may have been the intended homologation date, though I have never seen a homologation document other than one for the original aluminum box - they may have considered the change in material as not necessary to homologate separately after all.

BTW, the box is definitely fiberglass only except for the metal tag. ^^sounds like an early hybrid box w/ aluminum covered by glass.

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CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 24, 2008

Alleggerita said:
Not sure on this: but aluminum was original on the early Autodelta prepped cars though not homologated for 65 - it was FIA homologated December 1966, valid from January 1967 onwards - though definitely used in some cases earlier than that. I have a factory fiberglass box that originally came with the car with what appears to be a metal tag with some letters and the number 68 punched into it - possibly being intended as a homologation tag. The car is a late 1600 with the later GTAjunior style suspension and wheel arches that was homologated for 1/1968.

I have always assumed that the fiberglass box originally went with the later cars - 1600's and particularly juniors - and that 68 may have been the intended homologation date, though I have never seen a homologation document other than one for the original aluminum box - they may have considered the change in material as not necessary to homologate separately after all.

BTW, the box is definitely fiberglass only except for the metal tag. ^^sounds like an early hybrid box w/ aluminum covered by glass.

My car was prepared by Autodelta in January 1966 and shipped to the USA in February 1966 hence it should have the all aluminum airbox. Based on what you are saying the all fiberglass version is correct for some cars. I am only making the part that would have been on the 1600 GTAs in 1965/66 and must rely on people like Roman Tucker, Scott Gray, Max Banks and Anthony Rimicci regarding originality issues. Anthony Rimicci provided me a damaged all aluminum air box that came with his GTA. We had four airboxes to examine and the construction was the same on all except the one covered in fiberglass and it was only different as to the fiberglass covering.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

kengta

· #7 · Jan 24, 2008 (Edited)

CanAmBob said:
My car was prepared by Autodelta in January 1966 and shipped to the USA in February 1966 hence it should have the all aluminum airbox. Based on what you are saying the all fiberglass version is correct for some cars. I am only making the part that would have been on the 1600 GTAs in 1965/66 and must rely on people like Roman Tucker, Scott Gray, Max Banks and Anthony Rimicci regarding originality issues. Anthony Rimicci provided me a damaged all aluminum air box that came with his GTA. We had four airboxes to examine and the construction was the same on all except the one covered in fiberglass and it was only different as to the fiberglass covering.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

Thanks Bob and Alle, for that info. I had heard of F/G covered Aluminum boxes.

My all f/G box also has a metal plate molded in to the F/G and I seem to recall the #68 also, but I'll have a look tonight.

Cioa

Ken

Racer X

· #8 · Jan 24, 2008

Here are some photos of an aluminum airbox. I do not know any details of this car other than it was at Monterey Historics in 2007.

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AutodeltaGTA

· #9 · Jan 24, 2008

Bob,
I likewise have an Autodelta car. From 65 though. I also have the airbox that came with the car but have actually never looked at it in detail. I will do so over the weekend and see if i can come up with any constructive input.
Best regards,

Biscione

· #10 · Jan 25, 2008

Here is a fiberglass airbox.

The car in the pics shown above seems to have a fiberglass air scoop and a repro Al airbox.

Bob - how can you make bucks without cutting an original airbox open?

Peter

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classicalfas

· #11 · Jan 26, 2008

Where can I find the rubber piece that joins the front scoop to the main box. Thanks, Peter.

david rivkin

· #12 · Jan 26, 2008

For all you home builders, dont forget to include the air vent at the back of the cold airbox, so air pressure will be equalized across the carb throats.

BTW, I too, hid a filtering material in the fibreglass air tube behind the grille. I removed the filter when I took the car off the street.

David
Aluminum box with fibreglass cover

Alleggerita

· #13 · Jan 26, 2008

Also remember that if the box is to original specifications, the commercially available air horns don't fit - you really need to copy a set of the original ones if you don't have them.

JohnT

· #14 · Jan 26, 2008

airbox

david rivkin said:
For all you home builders, dont forget to include the air vent at the back of the cold airbox, so air pressure will be equalized across the carb throats.

Hi Dave- Do you happen to have a picture that would show where the air vent should go, what size, etc?

Thanks-JT

Alleggerita

· #15 · Jan 26, 2008

The vent is visible on the above pictures at the upper back end of the box - the little bubble. It needs to have a little opening there. Most aftermarket boxes leave that up to the end user who usually doesn't know this bit.

CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 26, 2008

Original snout, tooling and first article

Here are some photos of the tooling and first article. I have included a comparison with the original snout. There are two original snout samples we received from Scott Gray and one is butt welded and the other is flange welded. We have duplicated the butt weld version.

Let me know what you think. The nut plate has yet to be installed.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

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CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 26, 2008

OriginalGTA Cold Airbox

Here are some photos of the original GTA cold airbox we are using to make the reproduction part. The metal plate that attaches to the carbs is not shown but it will be duplicated as well and is an easy part to make.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

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CanAmBob

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 26, 2008

Fiberglass over Aluminum example

Here is another Original GTA airbox that has been glassed over at some point.
Parts and photos from Scott Gray. We are duplicating the straps as well.
Note the vent in the end for pressure equalization.

Bob

1965 RHD GTA Corsa Ex Horst Kwech 1966 Trans-Am and B-Sedan Champion

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RossoGTV4Me

· #19 · Jan 26, 2008

Just for comparison purposes for you, here is one with the numbering MI-68 on it. It may be a later one?

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JohnT

· #20 · Jan 27, 2008

airbox

CanAmBob said:
Here is another Original GTA airbox that has been glassed over at some point.
Parts and photos from Scott Gray. We are duplicating the straps as well.
Note the vent in the end for pressure equalization.

Hi Bob-
Impressive work, and thanks for the photos

-JT

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