Well, since I started this thread, I’ll give my two cents worth. It is apparently almost impossible to duplicate original parts %100, so that they are undistinguishable from oem parts. I see this in everything. Not just air cleaners. Attention to that much detail must just cost so much, it is impractical. So everyone cuts a few corners to make the selling price where it’s affordable. So that leaves the guys with the original cars looking for the few oem air cleaners that got separated from there cars without getting all cut up. I’ve got two of those cut up pieces. I did own two A12 cars and had one was slightly modified with the end two braces cut out over the end carbs for better air flow. I sold one car and kept the good air cleaner, fortunately. These cars bring real good money so the correct oem parts to complete them bring big money too. Thus you see air cleaners advertised for $2500. So, to directly answer your question, I don’t think it would help you to change just this one thing on the baseplate and raise the price. The main buyer of the repop air cleaner is a clone car and they are not concerned with exact parts, just the price and does it work. Looks like there is just too much to change to make it perfect. A big jump in price means less sales.

The reason I started this thread in the first place is pretty simple. I have a good customers A12 clone in the shop for some extensive motor work. This clone has an oem intake, correct carbs, and oem air cleaner base. With his permission, I traded him some 70 model list number carbs that were over the counter carbs. They were in much better shape than his original dated 69 carbs. I paid for the restoration as well. Now he has nice carbs that I can easily tune. I’m trying to decide if I want to offer the same trade on his air cleaner base. It is a genuine oem base but needs the correct lid and both need painting. So, I’d have to buy a base, correct wide lip lid, paint both and get the decals and probably give him some boot in the form of bill credit. All this would be with his permission of coarse.