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The 76 I had didn't have it either and that truck was nearly bone stock.
Not a single truck in the junkyard that I have seen in the last 17 years has had that plastic piece.
I am not inferring that trucks didn't come with them, but it seems unusual the amount of trucks I have seen and not one has had it. I have HEARD of that plastic piece, but never seen it.
Are they prone to breaking/ cracking easily or something?
I had the heat riser hose installed but then went to headers. I figure once I get the cold air hooked up on both sides of the radiator support then the engine compartment air will be warmer than cold air.
Also Jermafenser you are right the thermal bi metal switch was bad and would keep cold air on all the time, I replaced it and now it works. When I crank now I can come off the choke much sooner than before so I assume it's doing the job.
And I will have to agree with Bullitt I don't see many Fords with the factory cold air on them any longer. It could be a regional thing though also depends on the quality of the trucks we are accustomed to seeing, the ones around here are old and ragged out. When the flex tubes broke like Jermafenser said most people would rip the plastic out rather than replace the flex.
No crumbling instrument clusters here in Colorado either.
Could it be more of an Arizona, Nevada, California thing?
I am honest when I say I have NEVER seen one, that picture is the first. I notice in that picture there is a small tab that attaches to the top of the plastic. I assume there would be a hole there right? Neither my original radiator support has a hole in that location or my replacement which is from a 78-79 truck. My truck and the replacement had the voltage regulator screwed to the top of the inner fender lip (if that made sense) right above the frame rail.
Which when looking at the pic of the plastic piece would most definately interfere with each other.
Sorry I don't have the heat shield any more it went to the scrapers along with my blown engine and bent body panels and other stuff. I know I try to hold on to everything I can but don't have the room.
Bullett if you look in the picture of the plastic part on my intake setup you can see my voltage regulator in the top, it's silver and short not blue and tall like the original, i thought about putting the old cover on the new one.