I was about to reply to Robert Burruss about the cast aluminum air
filter housing I got from Tiger Tom a few years ago and saw another
request for information concerning these parts. I decided to sent most
of the reply to the Tiger news group as well.
First, I have to admit that I have both a reprint of the September 1966
International Automobiles Incorporated announcement package for Sunbeam
Tiger and Alpine Hi-Performance Options and Accessories, and Norms book,
and this cast air filter housing doesn’t appear in either.
I didn’t buy it with any notion that it represented a genuine LAT option
or even a reproduction of one. I bought it because it closely matched
the shape of the original sheet metal filter housing, and I've since
found an original Tiger housing.
Comparing the cast aluminum part to the stock sheet metal one, the
dimensions are a little different.It’s in the same high school track
oval shape of the original, it’s 16 5/8 inches long by 8 3/4 inches
wide. When used with the air filter element sold by Sunbeam
Specialties, it’s 2 3/8 inches high(thick). The carb hole is 5 inches in
diameter, and the carb hole lip where it rests on the top of the carb is
1/8 inch.
The top is unpainted with a rough cast finish and polished center ribs,
Tiger outlined-lettered name, and outer circumvential bead. The ribs are
5 3/4 inches wide,centered around the rod hole, and run from one narrow
side to the other. They don’t run the length of the filter.
The original air filter housing is 16 1/2 inches long by 8 7/8 inches
wide. When the Sunbeam Specialties filter element is used, the
height(thickness) is 1 5/8 inches. It has the same 5 inch carb hole, and
the carb hole lip is 3/8 inch.
Using the stock filter housing as the basis, the Sunbeam Specialties
filter element doesn’t fit the aluminum housing as well, making the
assembly a little taller than stock. If you think you might have hood
clearance issues, you may want to try the fit of the aluminum housing
first.
>From my perspective, the filter housing looks like someone wanted it to
match LAT 8 valve covers and/or the LAT 4 oil pan. I’ll let others weigh
in on the history of this part.
And, yes, part of the Tiger Tom package is a polished, flat Tigers head
cap nut for the hold-down rod.
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