Cut hood?

[nickjames138 15]

I've heard from numerous people NOT to cut a hole in my hood and I never asked WHY?

 

I may need the clearance after I put this top end kit it plus it gets so hot under my hood. I have a boss hood scoop that's just for looks...why not make it functional?

 

Thoughts?

[shaun071 62]

I can't see why not. I'm modifying a Mach 1 scoop to be functional and cutting the hood. Mine is a repro hood not an original though.

[Caseyrhe 650]

Original hoods are getting few and far between, have 2 right now and been offered up to 800 a piece. Just say'en

[jholmes217 65]

If it is an original 1969 hood with the round areas where hood pins would go, I wouldn't cut it.  Like Caseyrhe said, they are getting pretty valuable, especially the 1969 hoods.  1970 hoods have an oval area there, and most repops are the 1970 style.  If it were me, I'd get one of these fiberglass hoods.  http://www.up22.com/mustang67.htm.  If one of these doesn't fit your needs, cut as needed.

[Raven R code 281]

I have a brand new dynacorn hood....just say'in. In NY. Mess that up instead ;)

[MustangBobby 28]

I completely understand the "don't do it" argument, but if you don't plan on selling the car, then the value of it or any part on it doesn't matter.  You need to make it the car you want.  My brother has a 70 Cougar Eliminator, one of 2200, and it has weld on sub frame connectors, the weld on Boss 302 shock tower supports, a built Windsor, and it's painted Viper Blue.  He is never going to sell the car, and has made it a car he is happy with.  We have tossed the idea of making a functional hood scoop several times.  

 

If you do choose to do it, just try to make it a very clean job.  That's my 2 cents.

[1969_Mach1 333]

I understand your under hood heat build up issue.  I rarely drive my car and for that reason absolutely won't on days that are approaching 90 deg or more.  I am not too far from the coast in California and still 95 to 110 degrees is the norm for summer temps in my area of California.  But if you want a hole in your hood, buy an aftermarket hood to cut up and save the original hood.    Original sheet metal is rare these days.

 

Even if you think not cutting the original is not so important because you never have plans to get rid of the car, someday, those thoughts will change. 

[JD08 42]

The last thing I heard was that the repro hoods had the crown down the center off by a 1/2 inch.

 

Is that not he case now? Has somebody gotten the tooling correct again?

[schweigert 13]

oh god... wait original hoods are worth up to 800? 
I put holes in mine to mount the mach1 scoop (not a big one to make a it functional, just the bolt holes)  - but i'm ditching that scoop and about was about to cut a big hole in it for a shaker!


if I were to sell the hood, buy a new one, and  it paint matched with the black stencil as well .... would probably break even...

 

 

wow this just makes it more complicated.... I can buy a repro hood with the shaker hood scoop precut from Cj... 



 

[zach69grande 25]

I keep tossing the idea back and forth of making my scoop functional. It's not for clearance issues, I just think it would be "cool" but if there are no real performance gains I dont know. 

I also thought about putting some screen in the turn signal spaces, cutting the hole, and sealing the air cleaner to the hood to get the down draft off the windshield... 

Has anyone ever done an official test to see where the air pressure is on the hood? I recall seeing a thread here that went back and forth over "dead air" at that spot on the hood..

[Guillaume69 150]

I've heard from numerous people NOT to cut a hole in my hood and I never asked WHY?

 

I may need the clearance after I put this top end kit it plus it gets so hot under my hood. I have a boss hood scoop that's just for looks...why not make it functional?

 

Thoughts?

As far as your question goes, here's what I was told when I was considering this mod myself a couple years back: when you cut the hole in the sheet metal of your hood and then bolt the scoop back on, there's not much materiel left to hold it and the airflow rushing through the scoop at higher speeds tends to pull it and tear it away from the hood.

 

I guess it depends on how big a hole you cut, but I personally decided that it was not worth destroying my original hood.

 

Just my 0.02.

 

G

[danno 128]

a lot of us are "I'm just sayin" .   Well, I am just saying that Im just sayin... original is original....  but I cut mine 25 years ago. 

[Brian Conway 264]

Well a nicely cut hole to accommodate that BOSS 9 looking Scoop probably would not look to awful going down the road ?  Although some might think ' over kill '.  Might even accomplish your desire for more air or is it just to look cool ?  Before you put away your tools you should think about cutting another hole for a sun/moon roof ?  Some think they look pretty cool too.  Oh wait that was a 70's thing.  Giant scoops are timeless hack away.  Brian

[jholmes217 65]

Another thing to consider is sealing the scoop to the air cleaner.  If you don't do that, the hot air in your engine compartment will try to escape through the hole when going slow speeds or at idle.  Carbs don't like hot air.  I recently got a piece that goes under the air cleaner, and seals the bottom of the air cleaner to the hood with a rubber seal.  Makes the ram air effect work much better.  This is what I got:  https://fastlaneinnovations.com/product/ramduct-2x4bbl/  He sells other types if you check out his web site.  

Some have taken an old cooking pan or tray and cut a hole in it for the carb, and then sealed it with fire retardent foam like Summit sells:  https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mor-97070  These would make the hole in the hood more effective, without paying the big bucks for a shaker scoop, and would work with the standard Mach 1/GT style hood scoop.

 

Here's another company that make ram air style products:  http://www.fordramair.com/

 

Hope this gives you some ideas (and maybe other forum members thinking about this.)

[mustangstofear 608]

I wouldn't even give it a second thought, just cut the hole LOL. 

[bryonbush 85]

i was thinking the same thing. I want to buy another hood and cut functional vents in the hood similiar to the 2014 mustangs (not the big raised hood ones). this way it sucks the air from the hood while moving but wont have a big hood scoop. i do think it would be cool to make a shelby styled hood that lifts up a bit with vents in the front and back for air to flow through and also give a little more hood clearance. 

[barnett468 418]

air coming over the hood wilo NOT try to rip the scoop off . in fact, there is very little air that close to the hood because it hits the front of the car and tends to go more straight up.

 

if you want a clean hole, use a plasma cutter . take a piece of 1/4" thick plywood the size you want and screw it to the hood where you want the hole then t use as a guide for the cutter but you need to account for the hole being slightly smaller than the wood because the sides will pull in slightly as it conforms to the raised portion of the hood when you tighten the screws.

 

also, ford did in fact cut hole in some hoods and install scoops . the cobra jet non shaker torinos are one of them but they cut 4 pie slice holes leaving a cross of metal in the center . the 68 1/2 cobra jet mustangs had a big hole.

[bryonbush 85]

so this is a pretty rough idea i was thinking of and made a very detailed, professional drawing to illustrate my thoughts lol. 

I was thinking it would be cool to make about a 3" cut, about the length of the hood, right behind the radiator to make a simplified extractor styled cut to pull the heat out. This is the black lines on the drawing.

 

option 2 would be to run some vents parallel to the hump in the hood that's originally there. these would be the style of the ones that come on the 2014 stangs. This option would be pretty easy as you can buy them made out of different materials already made and functional. down side is they would be raised up as they are a cut and tape down process. unless there are metal ones out there to weld in flush which is what i prefer. 

 

[RPM 1,190]

I like the option 2 rear extractor idea. Along with the newer models they're available for the 68 (I think) Shelby.

[ray1970 88]

The way I see it..

Its your hood..Cut as you please.The next owner will probably paint the car pink and put monster fender flares

on it with a fuzzy light blue interior ... Top this off with a SBC motor and a blower that does not work..

Dont forget the moon roof and 3 foot rear spoiler .......100.000.00$ pro mod.

 

All warm just thinking about it..

[bryonbush 85]

so now the question would be, do i try to find someone to make the louvers out of metal and weld them flat into the hood, or go with the plastic or carbon fiber ones? unless someone on here wants to be apart of this mess with mess with me and make some louvers

[MustangBobby 28]

Here is a venting option.

 

http://anvilauto.com/products/camaro-67-69/hood-vents.html

[ashleesmach1 28]

Here is a venting option.

 

http://anvilauto.com/products/camaro-67-69/hood-vents.html

Um.... No

[bryonbush 85]

Here is a venting option.

 

http://anvilauto.com/products/camaro-67-69/hood-vents.html

gosh dang! 

[jholmes217 65]

Have you thought about using furnace vents for the louvers?  Might be a much more economical way to do it.  Trim to fit what your looking for, weld in, grind smooth, and paint with the whole hood.  Something like this I think would be just the right size, and give you enough louvers for your needs if I'm following your concept right.  https://www.amazon.com/30-12-RETURN-GRILLE-Stamped/dp/B0064QIDWQ