Help identifying a part

[AMC Diplomat]

Yeah, more power... on a low compression, computer controlled, 1987 two barrel lean burn pig. The bracket is gone which makes me thing it was the "moar power!!!!" kind of idiot and not the delete "because it's seized and I'm broke" kind of guy.

The awful rattle can paint job, the multiple cans of starter fluid in the trunk, the missing parking brake assembly, the goober wiring, and a radiator full of water all suggest to me that the previous couple owners were morons. I'm no mechanical genius but when I see stuff that doesn't even meet my low standards it makes me just disappointed with people in general

 

[Duke5A]

It's just soot combined with water vapor in the exhaust.

I always got a kick out of people taking the air pump belt off for "more power and better mpg". An air pump takes about 1/4 hp to turn. Kind of like blocking the egr valve because it robs power. At anything over about 75% throttle opening, it isn't open anyways.

But it is open under 75% throttle. How much power under the curve is it killing? Peak isn't everything.

I pulled all that shit off my car when I bought it twenty years ago to simplify the engine bay though. Less to go wrong.

 

[Aspen500]

I remember a guy about 40 years ago (yikes) that thought Mercury Bobcat's were the greatest cars ever. Tells you something about him right there. He plumbed the air pump to blow into the air cleaner, and claimed it made more power. You know, like a supercharger. I was just like "OK buddy, keep telling yourself that". He was a f****** idiot. LOL