Years and years ago some of the Hot Rod magazine writers got involve on a 1932 Ford Roadster fenderless Bonniville salt flat racer, it had a BB Chevy 427 in it with a tunnel ram with two Holley 750 D.P. carbs. and no air cleaners on it, the first couple of runs they ran it with the air scoop mounted on the front of the radiator shell block off so the motor had to run on air entering the engine compartment from under the car, they ran within 3 MPH of the existing record back then for that class, They unblock the scoop and hooked up the air channeling device built into the car to force air into the carbs, that slowed that car way down and ended up causing engine damage from detonation, once they fix the motor and finally block off the scoop again it ran fine. Their message was Holley carbs hate air turbulence over the top of the carbs
I've pick up .3 MPH on my old Max Wedge stocker in the 1/4 mile by adding the air cleaner bases with no elements or tops That proved to me that a lot of carbs. out there need help on channeling, guiding, smoothing up the air flow into them
On your deal do the test and see what your car and motor like