Re: 5k muffler and "snorkel" removal

[steveb@newkla.kla.com]

>   Finally, I
> removed the plastic blank-out plate attached to the back of the grill.  This
> frees up the air path to the intake box substantially.  Does anyone know why
> the blank-off plate is there?  I hesitated for a moment about removing it
> thinking a rock or some other road debris might come through the grill and
> into my engine.  Then I remembered, there's a 90 degree turn and a thick air
> filter between my engine's internals and the world.

I think the plate is there to allow the engine to warm up in cooler climes.
My '78 Fox actually had a sliding panel that you could close in the winter 
and open in the summer ... I guess I should say that before the dealer 
removed it you could open and close it!  The car runs fine with the panel 
removed.  I wouldn't be too worried about FOD (Foreign Object Damage) ...
but there may be some aerodynamic issues.

Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com
San Jose, CA (USA)