Guide to Ram Air: '68 1/2 to '73

Ram air has a certain mystique. If you are in the 1969-’73 performance set of Mustangers, then you are almost required to have ram air. At least that is how it seems to us. Several folks have told us we need to put ram air on Lazarus, our former ’72 Mach 1 project car.

Why? “Because it’s cool; it helps performance. And besides, it’s cool.” Valid reasons, but the car didn’t come that way. Still, in a deep, dark recess of our mind, we drool over the idea. Many may assume that the 428 Cobra Jet came no other way in 1969 and ’70 because most of the cars on the show field are ram air-equipped. Still, ram air does actually drive cold air into the engine. Heck, Ford has even reinvented the shaker scoop for the ’03 Mach 1.

That said, what makes up the ram air system? How many different versions of the shaker are there? Who has them? Who has the parts for them? Hopefully, we can shed some light on this subject. The parts we have below were provided by three sets of folks: Scott Halseth of National Parts Depot gave us all the repop photos; Kent Hatchett pulled out many items from his inventory for the Shaker parts; and Douglas Herr of Factory Muscle Parts helped with the 390 and 351 Windsor shaker stuff.