Mark the scoops location on...
Mark the scoops location on the hood, making sure it's centered. You'll need to mark each of the attaching bolt holes as well.
The last time we worked on our project Bee, we had already done some rust repair to the wheel tubs of the car, the rear cross member, and then we replaced the Dutchman panel. This installment takes us to the front of the car so we can make some changes there. Originally, our Bee came with the N96 Ramcharger hood that featured two scoops leading to an under hood "box" that fed cold air to the carburetor. Knowing our planned engine wasn't going to fit under the hood, we were planning to add a hood scoop to a flat hood that we got, instead of cutting our already-factory-scooped piece.
Deciding what scoop to install was a tough decision, as Mopar offered a couple of different styles that would fit on our Bee. Someone even suggested a Cowl Induction hood, but they were quickly flogged and banished from the garage. What we did finally decide on was a scoop that catches anything in its way, and came on the '68 Super Stock cars--the Hemi A-Body scoop. It's big, in your face, and looks great on our car.
The next decision involved hood pins. Our car came with factory pins, and although they do look great on a Mopar, we thought that we could find something a little different to give our Bee a cool, modern look without detracting from the rest of the car. What we found were panel latches from a company called Aerocatch. The Aerocatch securing system is a self contained fastener that gives a modern look to an old school hood securing system. Installing both pieces meant cutting metal, so while these jobs can be completed in a day, making sure of what and where you're cutting before you do it is critical.
Since we couldn't show you all of the relative images we took of this portion of our project car build, here's a few behind the scenes shots.
From underneath the hood,...
From underneath the hood, you'll need to mark the center of the carburetor/airfilter opening. We used a piece of all-thread to gently dimple the hood where the center will be.
After you drill your center...
After you drill your center hole, mark the opening size to be cut out. If you don't have a fancy tool like Jack's, you can use a Phillip's head screwdriver, and a string tied to it and a pencil.
Drilling an opening to insert...
Drilling an opening to insert the jig saw blade.
Start cutting
Drill your scoop's mounting-bolt...
Drill your scoop's mounting-bolt holes and slide it in place.
Our scoop's opening is very...
Our scoop's opening is very large, so we made a couple of supports out of 1/4-inch round aluminum, and drilled and tapped both ends for button-head bolts.
Now for the Aerocatch latches....
Now for the Aerocatch latches. The hole-provision is in the hood for the factory pins, so centering of those makes this easy.
This step is pretty self explanatory....
This step is pretty self explanatory. Mark the area to be cut out for the Aerocatch.
Using a hole saw for the ends...
Using a hole saw for the ends definitely makes for a nicer opening.
The Aerocatch latch comes...
The Aerocatch latch comes with an aluminum pin, and when installed in the factory location, you might need to shorten it a small amount.
Once everything is on place,...
Once everything is on place, use the fastener of your choice to attach the latch to the hood.
We chose aluminum rivets....
We chose aluminum rivets.