'70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

[Jeremy D.]

Can somebody give me some insight as to where to get the square mesh air filters that came on the C3 LT-1's(and probably others)? I have been looking around and asking people, but nobody seems to want to tell....

[Dave S.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

From my flight judging experiences the senior mechanical 70-72 judges insist that the "bias" mesh 212CW air filters are correct and not the "vertical/horizontal mesh. BEST WAY........ is the proper silkscreen. I'm still not fully convinced that is correct, but I have deferred to those more knowledgeable than I.

[Harmon C.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

I know a 72 LT1 that has square mesh horizontal and has been judged ok as it is a NOS. The best way dollar wise is a Parogon repo. and take the points you get from the judge that day. I don,t know if all 70-72 Lt1 air filters can be grouped together.

[Joe L.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

Jeremy------

I believe that Paragon reproduces these air filters in both styles, bias and sqaure mesh.

One of these days when I get around to it (I've been saying this for years, now), I'm going to partially settle this. A friend of mine has a 1970 Z-28 Camaro that he factory-ordered and took delivery of on May 19, 1970. That was the only day that he ever drove the car. It's been stored ever since. I'm certain that it has its original air cleaner still on it and I'm fairly sure that the Corvette and Camaro 212CW used at any given time would be the same. If so, we'll know what Corvettes built around May 1, 1970 used for air cleaners.

Unfortunately, I think that the changeover from the bias to the square mesh occurred during the 1970 model year. So, we won't know the "early-and-lates of it".

[Craig S.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

That sounds like one fine time capsule of a car....really great for restoration buffs, but also sad thinking about the car's potential and the joy it would be to drive, at least a little bit...but it sure is great to have these rare vehicles to prove originality. I don't know anything about Camaro judging, but the equivalent of bowtie and survivor would drive camaro judges nuts...Craig

[Robert C.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

The original's have much smaller welds on the wire mesh and the paper element is a darker yellow oil color. Paragon's is good but recognizable.

[Jeremy D.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

Thank you all for the info...I'll probably just check and grab one from Paragon, and go with it for now until I can find an NOS piece. Thanks again!

[Joe L.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

Jeremy-----

I saw one of those real NOS AC 212CW air cleaner elements for sale at Bloomington a few years ago for a price of $1,200. The guy may still have it. So, if you really want one and you're at Bloomington this year, keep your eye peeled.

[Jeremy D.]

$1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!! *NM*

[Gary S.]

Re: $1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!!

I kind of chuckled at your comment about finding an NOS example. Sorry, but unless you are Bill Gates, these seem to have sky rocketed out of the reach of us mortals. The point or two lost in judging is more than made up for with the calmness you will fell knowing you spent a couple of twenty's instead of your kids college education. The Paragon examples judge quite well.
Gary
72 LT1

[Patrick H.]

Re: $1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!!

I still wonder if a few cheap air filter examples from the parts store along with various aerosol cans of different brands of oil would "solve" the color "problem." You'd think that experimentation would at least give you the right one to use and then allow you to "colorize" the reproduction to match the originals.

Haven't gotten around to trying it yet, but with the car getting judged twice this summer who knows.....

Patrick

[John H.]

Re: $1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!!

Patrick -

The parts-store A212CW replacements I've seen have the flat "expanded metal" bias mesh, which is pretty obvious; the Paragon part (both versions - vertical and bias pattern) have the solder-dipped wire mesh like the originals did, and the correct pad-printed or silk-screened text on the flat part of the upper seal.

[Patrick H.]

Re: $1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!!

John,

I've got the Paragon part. My "assumption" is that a generic brand from the parts store will have the paper element of similar enough construction to use for the testing. I didn't feel like $20 each for the tests when $5 each would be sufficient.

Patrick

[Harmon C.]

Re: $1200!?!?....I'll just get the $40.00 Repro!!!

At a local swap meet last year one person in our group bought a box of 5 212 cw's square mesh for just what the vendor ask $2.00 for all five but one box had no filter. He only checked one box and couldn't get his money out fast enough! This was our best find to date. He traded them for lots of parts he needed. Attend your local swap meets it can be fun.

[Peter L.]

Re: '70-'72 LT-1 Air Filters

Jeremy - It is one of those secrets that if we tell you we have to...... you know what. For descriptions of original AC A212CW air filter elements, please check the archives. If my memory serves me correctly, in the 1968 time frame the outer support mesh went from the 45 degree angle cut to verticle/horizontal. In addition the information "BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR ENGINE - REPLACE WITH TYPE A212CW" began to appear on the top Plastisol surface. I still think Paragon uses the later verbage "PROTECT YOUR ENGINE ........." rather than "BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR ENGINE..........." Hope this helps, Pete