O.K, as mentioned previously, I've now deleted most of the off-topic posts, plus the other crap littering this thread. I've tried to leave it so it still reads normally but apologise if it's a bit clunky in places.
To update from the last post, the cast ally base did arrive after some stern emails and a phone call . . I don't buy the excuses they come up with and when the box arrived, the gaskets that I'd also purchased weren't in there.
They arrived later after more emails and excuses . . .
So here it is :
The question next (and baring in mind I had no details for this intake) was how am I going to mount 8 x 2bbl carbs on it ?
I was hoping it'd be wide enough to take two, side-by-side but, alas it was just too narrow (ideal for dual quads, though) and long enough for 4-deep.
So a simple flat plate was now looking to be a flat plate with short runners to off-set each carb up and out a bit, to get the spacing.
I sketched a simple design and went hunting for the flat-sided oval tube (to cover both the bores) I needed for the runners . . . found just one place in the U.K stocking anything like it but on calling them find that, no, in fact they don't actually stock it.
I could go with rectangular section but, aesthetically, I think that'd probably look crap. Maybe ?
I'm working on it today . . . . .
EDIT >>>
Actually, on sketching it up, using a 60 x 40 box section, cut at 45* covers the carb bores nicely and the steel box section has a radius on the edges that is similar to that on the cast runners of the manifold base.
If I powder-coat the lid black is won't look out of place as the bottom of the carbs are also black.
Also, a 30mm high piece of box section puts the side-by-side carb centres at 190mm which is very generous, leaving loads of room for linkages and whatever I decide to do with the fuel lines.
Watch this space . . .