Dan Guerney’s All-American Racers (AAR) outfit produced some really interesting and awesome stuff over the years but we think that their coupe de gras was a car that they brought out in the early 1980s and was so good it was banned by 1982. The famed “BLART” or “Boundary Layer Adhesion Technology” cars took an aerodynamic and power approach that was vastly different to everyone else of the era and frankly it was better. Rather than working on under car aero like many of the leading teams were doing back then AAR decided to deal with the air on top of the car in a better way and they produced a machine that qualified on the front row of the Indy 500 in 1981 and was good enough to carry Mike Mosely from a last place starting position in Milwaukee to the win by the end of the race. Yes the aero had a lot to do with it but the engines did, too.
No, these were not exotic overhead cam turbocharged masterpieces. They were American masterpieces, small block Chevys actually and they ran like stink. Based on a Donovan block and carrying a bunch of parts developed by AAR they were naturally aspirated, injected on alcohol, and could scream like the dickens. The cars sounded lots different than they counterparts that they were often passing.
One of the pieces from an AAR Donovan small block Chevy is for sale and it rules. This is an intake manifold from one of those cars. A very traditional looking tunnel ram is topped with a pair of huge throttle bodies and plumbed with lines to introduce methanol fuel into the intake runners that were craving it at the high RPM that these babies ran. There’s nothing wrong with cool exotica but there’s always something special about doing it a less complicated way and doing it better, right?
FOR SALE LINK: Intake From A Dan Gurney AAR Indy Car
This could be adapted to fit on a Ford Flathead as it would look just right with some Ardun Heads.
Hmmm, I thought it would have an oil deflection shield or cover on intake bottom. Maybe it used a separate tray??
Tunnel ram type intakes don’t need an oil deflection shield. That is for “low rise ” intakes. They have the intake charge right on top of the lifter valley. And hot oil will splash up and heat up the intake,and air fuel mixture. This type of intake the runners come from the sky and directly into the head. So these guys are way smarter than you are my friend. This is a piece from the great time of racing .When teams made what they thought would let them win. Not like today were sponsors dicktate every part you have to use. And the out come is boring racing that no one can be brand loyal .Its the same way in drag racing . It would be a shame for this intake to just set and collect dust,This could be modified a bit and run on a street car. Come on all you mega buck car builders. you all use small black chevys. .But this and make your same old same old SBC different.Very cool piece.
Also running alcohol keeps things pretty cool.
Thanks guys!!
Yep like an old timmer engine builder once told me . Its not on drugs ,but it sure is an akaholic.
Oh Baby, this would be the ultimate sticking out the hood of my aluminum rod, solid roller cammed SBC in a 1964 MGB, lotto answer my prayers
Was checking ad out, not that expensive for something with that kind of history, wonder what it would cost to get running, couple grand maybe? Would hate to get it just as art. (not really), just impractical, dam I want it