Seeing that so called Coombs replica up for sale , thought I would look at a few real MK2 Coombs cars , I can’t help to think why they made such a elaborate air duct for the carbs ?
It run’s over the exhuast manifolds and across the top of the engine , so the air must be heated !
Why not run a pipe straight off the carbs and into the inner wing , then down to the front scoop ?
agreed this doesnt make a lot of sense to me esp because the air is just blowing into the general area of the carbs…at best it’s slightly cooling the under hood temps.
i sent an air hose out the side wall of my car as you described. required cutting but much cleaner result and direct path from cool air into carbs
I’ve been wondering how this is supposed to work as well, it’s hard to tell from the pictures but if that’s all it does I don’t understand the benefit.
That car is an early oil bath filter car or has had the thru-inner fender pipe added for cold air pick-up from inside the LH wing.
That and this are Coombs MK2’s 
In the two pictures, that cannot be an air intake - the carb inlets are open to inner wing with sponge filters. Elaborate inlet manifold heat shield / extractor perhaps?
here’s another one from another auction
it’s called an ‘air spreader’ which blows air onto the carbs
what else could it be?
Could it be an attempt to keep the fuel lines and bowls cool?
I think that, or a Martian heat ray, but that would probably be a fire hazard…
Likely that’s it: 280ZXs had a similar forced air scoop, pointed at the injectors, to cool them.
I always thought the Spreader went straight to the scoop !
So, if you go fast enough it adds to the engine note! Mystery solved.
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