Depends on the roads.... originally there was one, yes - and sometimes your flywheels will start eating small stones (which - I assume won't hurt these teeth too much). IMHO: get one or leave it open. Gets lost surprisingly often after gearbox removal.
ciao,
Stefan
Yes, you should have a cover plate there to keep road debris out of the flywheel/clutch/bell housing. In lieu of having the original part, you could easily fashion one out of sheet metal, stiff carboard, etc. I is held by the 2 small screws holes shown in your picture (one seems to have a broken screw) and 2 larger screws, a couple inches higher and more outboard (one of which usually anchors a ground strap from the frame of the car).
Tanks a lot! Now that you are in such a nice mood, here's a list of what I need:
Just kidding. By the way, do you guys and gals have order parts form Rock Auto? Yesterday I ordered some pads and a caliper (great prices) and they shipped the same day. I dont know about the quality but the price was right! Anyway, the caliper is A-1 Cardone and the pads Raybestos.