69 rr/GTX air grabber grilles WITHOUT air grabber duct
#1305564
09/17/12 11:22 AM
09/17/12 11:22 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
A12
OP
Too Many Posts
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OP
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
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Met an original owner of a '69 440 GTX convertible last year that ordered the car in '69 but at the time he didn't have the car with him. He brought it up to a local cruise over the Labor Day weekend this year to show me it and one of the first things I noticed was he had the red Air Grabber (AG) open mesh screen/grilles. I didn't put two and two together until he opened the hood and then I remembered it was an A/C car and there is no way from what I know that a '69 A/C car could fit (without some modification) an Air grabber air filter base, filter and underhood duct work? He told me that was one of his only dissapointments when the car came in was he didn't get the Air Grabber system that he ordered he just got the hood grilles/screens. I know this person is telling the truth (has all of the paper work proof) that he ordered the car new in '69 and that he did order the Air Grabber. So over the weekend I went to Norwalk and run into a friend from my home town that has a fairly original '69 road runner hard top with A/C there and told him the story of the GTX vert and he reminds me of how I pointed out to him years ago that he also has the Air Grabber screen grilles, with A/C and no under hood duct work  He also claims that they were there when he bought the car and the original owner also told him they were on there when he bought the car new. So does anyone else have the Air Grabber grille screens without the AG under hood and filter base/filter on an A/C car (or even a non-A/C car) and knowS how long they were on the car or has anyone heard a similar "story" of AG screens without the AG? The all original, all #'s B5 vert on the right in the photo is the car with the AG screens and A/C....the vert is loaded with A/C, power steering, power brakes, cruise control, power windows, 8-track player, bucket seats and console, A01 light package, Road wheels, 3.55 8-3/4 Suregrip, Torqueflite, tach, front and rear "bumperettes" and I probably missed a couple of things. Only 551 verts shipped and my GTX next to it is a 4-speed all #'s (with only 4004 shipped) sitting it a DQ parking lot all alone...pretty neat at the time 
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Re: 69 rr air grabber grilles WITHOUT air grabber duct
[Re: JohnRR]
#1305567
09/17/12 11:57 AM
09/17/12 11:57 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
A12
OP
Too Many Posts
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OP
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
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Quote:
Doesn't make sense that they rolled out the factory like that , especially if the car had a hood pad and it is just going to get soaked with rain water or water is just going to dump right down on top of the engine if there is no hood pad .
To me either but this person IMO would never make a change like that and he's owned the car since day one. He a commercial airline pilot and the car is still completely stock (except that I talked him into having someone put a current carb on it and storing the original). Just thought is was odd when the home town guy reminded me that his A/C road runner also had the AG grilles.
Here's the tag from the GTX:
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Re: 69 rr air grabber grilles WITHOUT air grabber duct
[Re: A12]
#1305568
09/17/12 01:25 PM
09/17/12 01:25 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 885
69x
super stock
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super stock
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 885
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Quote:
Quote:
Doesn't make sense that they rolled out the factory like that , especially if the car had a hood pad and it is just going to get soaked with rain water or water is just going to dump right down on top of the engine if there is no hood pad .
To me either but this person IMO would never make a change like that and he's owned the car since day one. He a commercial airline pilot and the car is still completely stock (except that I talked him into having someone put a current carb on it and storing the original). Just thought is was odd when the home town guy reminded me that his A/C road runner also had the AG grilles.
Here's the tag from the GTX:
Interesting post, but a question for you, why did you talk him into changing the Carb ? was it not running so great ? My AVS is just fine
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Re: 69 rr/GTX air grabber grilles WITHOUT air grabber duct
[Re: A12]
#1305570
09/17/12 02:43 PM
09/17/12 02:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
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Quote:
In the ordering process which option would be listed first, the A/C or the Air Grabber? Is there a chance that both the A/C and AG could be marked or ordered and then somehow at the assembly line it is caught (no Air Grabber with A/C) but the hood grilles were already installed?
Today with the computer "Build Your Own" if you change wheels for instance you get a message "You must delete xxxx and xxxxxx for this change, do you want to remove xxxx and xxxxxx?" but back then I could see how this may slip by until it gets to assembly or broadcast sheet?
A/C is H51 and Air Grabber is N96 , H before N???
The only explanation to me is a factory mistake, as said no air grabber got you the black block off plates
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Re: 69 rr air grabber grilles WITHOUT air grabber duct
[Re: 69x]
#1305571
09/17/12 05:17 PM
09/17/12 05:17 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
A12
OP
Too Many Posts
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OP
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,507
N.E. OHIO, USA
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Doesn't make sense that they rolled out the factory like that , especially if the car had a hood pad and it is just going to get soaked with rain water or water is just going to dump right down on top of the engine if there is no hood pad .
To me either but this person IMO would never make a change like that and he's owned the car since day one. He a commercial airline pilot and the car is still completely stock (except that I talked him into having someone put a current carb on it and storing the original). Just thought is was odd when the home town guy reminded me that his A/C road runner also had the AG grilles.
Here's the tag from the GTX:
Interesting post, but a question for you, why did you talk him into changing the Carb ? was it not running so great ? My AVS is just fine
I tried to find an accellerator pump for my AVS and had to mod an Edelbrock pump to make it work or to fix my 40+ year old AVX carburetor with 95,000 miles on it.......anyone know where to find an OE Accell pump? That's just one reason for just throwing an out of the box new carburetor on a 40+ year old car IMO.
The GTX vert owner noticed the Holley hiding under the air filter cover on my GTX last year and asked about it and told me how he's had several "expert mechanics" rebuild his AVS and it is never right, so bad that he was affraid to drive it any distance. Put the Holley on and drove it 200+ miles to show me the car and drove it back 200+ miles two days later after cruising around the Lake Erie shore line during the holiday weekend too. No brainer IMO to just throw a new carb on at the age of the original while you're looking for someone like Bill O or some other members to rebuild it and get it to work correctly. I doubt the he will put the original AVS back on until he needs to go OE because he (and his wife) said it's the first time in decades that they felt less worries driving it.
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