Cunningham marine intake

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George
Posts: 694
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:12 pm
Location: Fl

Cunningham marine intake

Post by George »

A guy at a swap meet had a NOS marine intake for the early hemi. It was a 4X1, two logs with a 1 bl carb at each end with a cross over hose. Intake was still on original shipping board. Assuming this was made by Briggs Cunningham, never heard of this before. Owner said he'd seen one on E-Bay and that owner had rejected a 2200$ Bid!!! Anybody know anything on this?
budmspeeco
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:35 pm
Location: South Houston, Texas

Post by budmspeeco »

Two fools met at that cross road.; the guy that offerred the money and the guy that turned it down.
'48 anglia
Bailiesdad
Posts: 433
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2001 6:00 pm
Location: Maryland

Post by Bailiesdad »

Hey Bud, welcome to the crossroad.....
mart
Posts: 536
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:06 pm

Re:Cunnigham marine intake

Post by mart »

Assuming it is an actual 'Cunningham' intake, it's probably not a 'marine' intake.
It's likely an intake set-up for a Cunningham C3 sports car. These were a fabricated log type aluminum manifold, with four Zenith 1 bbl. carbs mounted sideways and a trick (for the time) bellcrank linkage with adjustable heim joints.
The C3 was a very limited production, hand built sports car, built between 1951 or '52 and 1955 by American millionare, Briggs Cunningham. They were sort of a forrunner to Carrol Shelby's Cobra - ie a lightweight European body and suspension - hand built in small numbers and powered by a big whomping American V8.
Originaly, Cunnigham made the C3 to run in the 24 hour of Le Mans race andin order to homogolate the cars for compettition as 'production vehicles" he eventually made a total of about 25 road going cars.
The cars used aluminum bodies made in Italy by Ghia that were shipped to the U.S. were they were mated to Cunningham's own chassis design, fitted with a 331 Chrysler industrial engine and finish assembled.
The engines on the road going C3's anyway, were more or less stock 331 industrials, except for a slightly hotter cam and the 4-1 bbl. intakes and put out about 250 hp. Because the cars were almost custom built though and thinly desguised race cars, the engines could and were built to almost any spec the purchaser wanted and could afford. Very rare, very expensive, very fast and beautiful cars.
George
Posts: 694
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:12 pm
Location: Fl

Cunningham marine intake

Post by George »

This intake was cast iron, marked "Cunningham" & "West Palm". As stated above it is 2 logs w/ a 1bl at each end. The throttle control is choke cable w/ the housing cut away where each carb's throttle lever would attach, obviously not for auto use.
mart
Posts: 536
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:06 pm

Cunningham intake pic links

Post by mart »

Here's the link to 3 pics of a 4-1bbl. Cunningham C3 car intake. This one is obviously not the same as the one you mention, as this one is aluminum, so maybe Cunnigham was also into boats and did a dedicated marine intake too. Either way, if it says "Cunningham" on it it's a pretty rare piece.

This intake (ebay item number 4536159813 - auction ended Mar-22-05 17:45:55 PST) sold on ebay for $500. You can, for the time being at least, still view the listing with pics and description by going to ebay motors, clicking "on search completed items" and entering the search word "Cunningham" or the the item number.

mart
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... eName=WDVW

http://i10.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/96/db/62_1_b.JPG

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/99/58/99_1_b.JPG

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/99/58/99_1_b.JPG
George
Posts: 694
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:12 pm
Location: Fl

Cunningham marine intake

Post by George »

From what I could see in the EBay photo the intakes are the same or very simular layout. Just shows you never know whats lurking in the shadows!
George
Posts: 694
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:12 pm
Location: Fl

Re: Cunningham marine intake

Post by George »

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cunningh ... ccessories Looks like the same one I saw @ Moultrie, Ga years ago, now @ 5K!
NC4LIFE
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2010 5:30 pm

Re: Cunningham marine intake

Post by NC4LIFE »

Hello everyone. My Dad is the one who owns this intake. I have been to Moultrie swap meet with him a few times(seeing I live in Maryland and he lives in Georgia). Anyway long story short I now have all his parts and his trailer cause do to his medical condition he is no longer able to do swap meets anymore. The price of 5,000 is just a crazy number that I put up(I figured if someone was interested they would make an offer). I'm not looking to give this thing away but I am trying to get a fair price for it so my mother has money to pay towards his medical bills. Now my Dad might have been crazy cause in the past he has turned down offers of $3000 and $2500(he was either in love with this thing or he knows something about it that makes it special). I have done some research and the intake I have is cast iron and not the cast aluminum like the ones used on the cars that Briggs Cunningham built. I have been told that I have something rare and valuable and also been told it's not worth anything cause it's cast iron. So if anyone on here knows anything about this intake please give me some insight on what this thing is worth.

Thanks for you time
Chuck Healy
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