Kit "aftermarket" air cleaner issue - any solutions?

[Monty]

I've noticed that almost all street rod / street machine kits with carbureted engines also come with some kind of aftermarket air cleaner. Many have nicely detailed tops and decent filter detail, but...

...the problem with the majority of them is that they lack the undertray that actually goes around the neck of the carb and holds the filter element in place. I assume it's a concession to the molding process, but when you know what it's supposed to look like, the missing tray is highly conspicuous by its absence.

I know MCG has a P/E set with the undertray, but that's more of an expensive, one-time fix and I'm looking for a more universal solution since not all air filters are the same size.

[Exotics_Builder]

I believe it has more to do with attaching to the provided carburation. It is virtually impossible to see underneath an air cleaner when mounted on an engine particularly IF IT EXTENDS over the carburetor. Not all aftermarket air cleaners have a bottom plate either.

[Monty]

I believe it has more to do with attaching to the provided carburation. It is virtually impossible to see underneath an air cleaner when mounted on an engine particularly IF IT EXTENDS over the carburetor.

I guess I should've been clearer. It doesn't have to be the full tray. In fact, if they were to mold just the outside "lip" on the bottom part of the air cleaner assembly, I'd be fine with that. Otherwise it's just an air cleaner with an overbite.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Monty

[Exotics_Builder]

I guess I should've been clearer. It doesn't have to be the full tray. In fact, if they were to mold just the outside "lip" on the bottom part of the air cleaner assembly, I'd be fine with that. Otherwise it's just an air cleaner with an overbite.

Ah, that is more clear. I understand your point as I like detail and accuracy as well. As you probably have already done, but cutting thing plastic with a compass, gluing to the bottom and painting silver are an option. But is is a bother to something that should have been molded in.

[Jeremy Jon]

If you find cutting a perfect plastic ring a challenge, another solution is to cut out of thin cardboard, and paint, then glue up underneath the painted (white) filter element, then cut out the inner/center portion with an exacto after glued in place

Then you'll have all the clearance, and a nice clean line between lid and filter element, I also after painting element in flat white painted the very bottom of the element with orange or blue - just bottom, not sides - before gluing on base ring on underneath, this gives a super detailed contrast of color, and appearance of molded rubber the element comes made of

Edited August 21, 2013 by Jeremy Jon

[Art Anderson]

I guess I should've been clearer. It doesn't have to be the full tray. In fact, if they were to mold just the outside "lip" on the bottom part of the air cleaner assembly, I'd be fine with that. Otherwise it's just an air cleaner with an overbite.

It's a tooling/molding issue generally. If you think of a 1/25 scale of just about any modern, paper-filter air cleaner, they all have some sort of raised "lip" around both top and bottom plates. That of course would mean a two-piece aircleaner for your model, and more than likely it will also mean that the edge of whichever "plate" is the separate part (assuming you don't want to see seam across the texture of the filter element) almost assuredly will have to have a far thicker than scale "edge" to it. Given that not every model car kit will be opened up and built by the highest of skilled modelers, sometimes a model company just has to aim at the "average builder", sort of a middle ground common denominator.

All that said, would it not be possible to take a sheet of say, .015" (or even .010" if you are brave enough) Evergreen sheet styrene, and cut a round undertray to get that bit of missing detail--it shouldn't be all that difficult to make and install, or so it seems to me.

Art