ok this isnt my car but mines out side and its snowing i havent got it put away yet but anyway whats this tube for th previous owner put on a open air filter and this tube is just there sticking out and its ugly but my question is what is it for exactly and can i remove it safely and how?

 

Looks like the breather neck.

 

It IS a breather neck. It is part of your PCV system. Clean filtered air is drawn into the motor through that tube, it passes through the motor picking up oil vapor and combustion gasses that get past the rings and then that air is drawn through the PCV valve and finally into the intake manifold via a port on the carb where it is burned along with the rest of the A/F mix.

You can replace it with a breather that plugs directly into the valve cover if you like (for use with an open element air cleaner). The factory uses a tube up to the air cleaner housing so that dirt and water are not easily splashed up and introduced into the motor through an exposed breather.

 

so removing it is not an option i take it, so would putting a filter of some sort on it be a good idea or rerouting it so its hidden?.....
i never seen the second parargraph of your post

 

I removed mine when I went to an open element. I just got a breather that mounts to the valve cover. Haven't had any problems.

 

you can get a push in style breather for it. you find them anywhere like autozone, pepboys etc. Only problem is sometimes they can let oil get on the valve cover making them a little black. not a huge deal though. i suggest the chrome ones that have a soil side and the breather underneath. that keeps the slight oil "mist" to a minimum.