Stupid air cleaner question.

Sounds right. I had the same mental battle with my Dart. I was thinking there was no way I was getting enough air to the engine. I thought about using the factory base and installing an aftermarket top. I would leave the whole element open and really increase air flow... turns out the performance difference is non existent and the only thing it does is increase engine noise from the intake. That is the reason for the original factory design. Pleanty of air flow and noise reduction.