Even 81 SC's explode
 

Like a lot of people who've never had anything go wrong on their car I was dithering about whether to get a pop off valve or not.

Well, I dithered a bit too long and now my airbox is cracked.

I've since read that some people think that the updated airbox on the 81 cars isn't prone to explosions - well, mine's an 81. How can I tell if I had the newer airbox?

Anybody know a good source for a secondhand box in the UK? Are they repairable? - it seems to have split along the join, pulling out some of the screws.

(as to causes - I hadn't used the car for a while and the weather has been very mixed - warm+sunny one minute, torrential rain or snow the next).

I believe the fasteners used to hold the airbox will tell you if you have an earlier or later airbox. Early airboxes were held together with regular screw . Later airboxes were held together with philips screws.

I believe the new boxes had fuel runners inside the box in an effort to keep fuel from pooling inside the box.

Basically a rail that ran from the 7th injector to the individual intake ports. When I blew the box on my 78 the replacement came with that rail.

I installed a pop off at that time. Since I have heard my pop off open 3 or 4 times. It is a weird feeling but I know it has save my airbox a few times.

Try these folks in CT, USA
http://www.dcautomotive.com/

With the weak dollar I bet you can get a used air box delivered to you cheap.

Chuck