re: tea tray theories

[Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided>]

The downdraft carb theory seems fairly plausible, however I don't 
think that the 'tea tray' is lined up correctly over the engine.  I 
could be wrong, but I think that the opening would have been somewhat 
longer to accomodate the downdraft carbs as used on the Alfa 6.  A 
stock Alfa 6 airbox can be seen at 
http://www.imw-alfa.com/000/img/n1/MVC-296F.jpg (although the 
pictures shows a very much *not* stock installation in a '73 GTV by 
Hans Milo).  I was also thinking that that the Alfa 6 Dellorto setup 
was shorter than the tall plenum for the L-Jet on later 2.5 and 3.0 
V6's, but it appears to be about the same height in the picture.  The 
Alfa 6 (I'm talking about the car again, not the engine) airbox also 
uses a side intake, although I suppose it's possible that they had an 
entirely different setup planned for the GTV6--maybe 3 twin-choke 
downdraft Webers would have been taller than the 6 Dellortos used on 
the sedan?  But I also have to wonder if Alfa Romeo would really have 
equipped a car with a hood scoop in 1981?  The Montreal had a fake 
scoop a decade earlier, but somehow I can't imagine a European sports 
car of the early '80s being designed with a hood scoop.  Considering 
the changes made to the Alfetta's cowl HVAC intakes and the vents at 
the rear corners, and the addition of the side skirts to the GTV6, 
I'm fairly convinced that chunky plastic crap was very hip at the 
time, and the tea tray is there for purely asthetic reasons, although 
you do have to wonder why it wasn't just glued on top of a flat bulge 
if that was the case.  (Those of you that were alive in 1981 can 
discuss the relative merits of that theory.)  I do like the plenum 
pop theory, though.  It certainly explains the otherwise-assinine 
loop in the fuel line for the cold start injector (mine is upside 
down, and I did have to replace the hose the last time the plenum 
popped).  But I have to wonder if it would really dent the hood.  If 
not, putting a brittle plastic panel there seems stupid.

Joe Elliott
'82 GTV6 ISO master cylinder, headlight switch.
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