@joules posted:I only just noticed the manifold photo George posted also has the cutouts....
I don't think those are slots. I think there is some kind of a chrome molding on the reinforcing ridges in the casting.
As far as the slots go, I've seen lots of strange things done to race cars by the mechanics and teams with little if any regard to future value and sometimes questionable race value.
I suppose on the slotted manifold, if you use the original Ford "turkey tray" intake gasket it doesn't matter that it's open? I would think that they are just another dirt trap though?
The leaves coming down at this time of the year reminds me of how the valley between the two banks of carbs is just normally a collection point of all sorts of debris to begin with?
I would think that the "girls" at Hall Pantera still have the molds for their intake? I'd approach them and see if they would be willing to make the change to their castings that would duplicate the Detomaso version?
That probably could be done as just a "drop in" change to the casting and would be a lot cheaper then trying to copy the original? Just a thought, that's all.
It wouldn't take much coaxing to get me interested in one. I'd suspect that there would be licensing issues with it though? Somehow I don't think that the fee would be reasonable? SOME of Shelby's parts fees are.
A extreme example would be the $35,000, per car that the owner of rights to "Eleanor" charges.