I'm a dumbasss :)

i was just wondering exactly what a carb spacer does? if anybody ever used it for a quadrojet carb?

also, another stupid question... i got a k&n air filter for my 85 caprice 5.0... wondering what kind of open element air cleaner would fit with the k&n filter? any 12" one? i never really saw one out of the box or really examened it on a car.... how does it hook up? same as the stock one? (im young, give me a break heh)

A carb spacer is intended to raise the carb from the intake to creat a bit more plenum volume in the intake. This usually sacrifices a bit of low-end torque for a bit more upper RPM power.

An open element in a street driven car may not be the best choice unless you are using alcohol. It is generally better to route cooler air to the carb and intake than to suck in all that preheated underhood air when using gasoline. Alcohol likes the extra heat, gasoline usually doesn't.

And you're not a "dumbass" unless you start indescriminately bolting on parts without researching. Since you asked, that disqualifies you. Besides, I've got the market cornered on the "dumbass" factor.

dosnt a carb spacer also help with better fuel atomization?

I think it can, but so does a divider plate in an open plenum intake (like an X-CELerator or Torkker). He only mentioned "spacer", so I assumed he meant an open spacer.

well, i read a couple of times that the main problem with lack of horsepower/torque in the caprice is the lack of airflow... i figured the open element air cleaner would help that out... what generally would help it?