Cold air intake is the same on any car. It is a tube, usually plastic, that runs from somewhere such as behind the grill or into the fenderwell up to the snorkel on the air cleaner. The purpose of the cold air intake is to "feed" the engine cold air from outside the engine compartment instead of having the engine suck in the hot air that is trapped in the engine compartment. It is standard on new cars, but older cars, trucks, and vans had the air drawn directly from on top of the engine- where the hottest air in the engine compartment is. This decreases fuel economy and power, plus it heats up the carb since hot air is passing through it.

80s era Ford vans had a hose running from the air cleaner, over the passenger side valve cover, down to a plastic tube that fit into an opening down next to where the passenger side turn signal is below the grill. You van should have this opening as well. The plastic tube shoves into the opening from the front. You will need the air cleaner, the plastic tube, and the hose. You will probably have to remove the grille and filer panel from the donor van to get the plastic tube out.

You aluminum spacer will help a bit, but it is designed more to improve low end torque. An aluminum heat shield actually sticks out from the base of the carb and reflects the heat from the intake manifold away from the carburetor.

My old 1984 Ford van had both a big aluminum heat shield under carb and a cold air intake. It was a 351 H.O. motor, but I am pretty sure those features would be standard on all vans from that era.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!