Chevy LS327 Crate Engine in Project Shop Truck - Tight Squeeze

Spectre Performance has prebuilt air intake setups for several muscle cars and other specific car models, but we ordered modular components. Aluminum tubing is available straight, in U-bends, and in various degrees of elbows—and in diameters from 2-1/2 to 5 inches. We selected 4-inch tubing.

Spectre also provided fasteners, along with drilled and slotted brackets for fastening our custom system.

This 4-inch support bracket and boot can be used to support the intake tube or the air cleaner. Spectre has a wide selection of couplers and clamps in stock.

Here’s the upper portion of our custom air intake system, delivering cool, non-turbulent air to the throttle body. Hot Rods By Dean fabricated a small brace (arrow) to securely hold the tubing to the alternator bracket.

Here you have another look at the brace to the alternator bracket, the notch in the inner fender to make room for the alternator, and the position where the air intake tubing rises out of the fan shroud area.

The 4-inch-diameter air intake tubing draws air from this area just behind the grille on the driver side, away from the hot air from the radiator, and the turbulent air from the fan. The P4 cone air filter is one of several types available.

This pair of Edelbrock coil covers for LS-series engines adds the finishing touch to the engine. These are finished in black powdercoating, but Edelbrock also has them in standard cast and polished.

Flip them over and you see that the MSD Multi Spark Coils mount onto the covers.

The Edelbrock coil-pack covers neatly hold and hide the MSD coils from view. The MSD wires are part of the coil-pack kit. Covers will have to be modified when the compressor is installed. We used Patriot Exhaust Tight Tuck headers with Smithy’s mufflers.

On the driver side, the alternator was in the way of the Edelbrock cover. The installation instructions from Edelbrock say right at the top, “These covers are intended for custom hot rod applications.

As such, they may not clear all the hoses, emission hardware, and/or accessories found in a stock application. Modification of the covers may be necessary for use in such an application.” It’s true.

The crew at Hot Rods By Dean did a nice job making it all come together. Take one last look at where the inner fender was cut for the alternator and air intake hose, and how the coil cover was worked to make everything fit properly.