Rendering by: www.carsbyc...
Rendering by: www.carsbychris.com
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 crossmember, 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 underhood "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 hoodscoop to a flat hood that we had gotten, 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 hoodpins. 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.
Parts is Parts
So, when it comes to the parts we used, what do we think? Let me begin by saying that neither the latches nor the hoodscoop takes a rocket scientist to install, but both items will take some planning and forethought before you start cutting and drilling your hood. That being said, the install of both items was able to be done in a single day. As far as the quality of the parts, when it comes to fiberglass parts for classic Mopars, AAR Quality Fiberglass is known for making some of the best. Our hoodscoop didn't disappoint us, as it needed no fixing or work to make it look great on the car. If we could change one thing, we would suggest that the underside of the scoop be finished in a smooth surface much like their hoods already are.
When it comes to the Aerocatch latches, we really have nothing to compare them to, but still feel that the quality is exceptional. We've heard of knock-offs being made that are inferior to the Aerocatch brand, so buyer beware, and make sure what you're getting. The molded Aerocatch unit's housing is nicely finished without any casting flash, and looks genuinely like a nice piece. The metal pieces inside the housing (hinge pins and spring) are made of stainless steel, and the actual "hood pin" is made of aluminum.
1 From underneath, the center...
1 From underneath, the center of the carburetor is easy to mark on the bottom of the hood. If you can’t get to the underside of the hood, taking measurements of the hood opening and the center of the carburetor is the next best thing.
2 Drilling a small pilot...
2 Drilling a small pilot hole in the hood let’s you see the hole’s center from the top side. You can now use the centering hole to mark out whatever hole you need to make. In our case, a hole large enough to fit a 14-inch round air cleaner was all that’s needed.
3 Before we did any cutting,...
3 Before we did any cutting, we placed the AAR Quality Fiberglass scoop on the hood and centered it. Center it on the car, not with the hole you just made. Since all Mopar engines are offset in the engine bay, entering the scoop means that the hole will not be centered so you need to make sure the scoop will cover it.
4 To mark the opening to...
4 To mark the opening to be cut, in our case, room for a 14-inch air cleaner, measure your cut line for the circle from the pilot hole. Start by drilling a hole large enough for the saw blade, and hack away.
5 When we marked the location...
5 When we marked the location of the scoop, we also marked the locations of the scoop attaching studs, and the holes for the studs can now be drilled.
6 If you look closely at...
6 If you look closely at the picture, you’ll notice our hood has a ridge that runs from front to back. The rear of the scoop needs to be contoured to fit nicely over this ridge.
7 With the scoop done, it’s...
7 With the scoop done, it’s time to focus on the modern hoodpins. We started by locating where our opening would be by positioning the supplied template where it fit and looked best. We then used a hole saw to cut the front and rear of the opening, and then jig sawed the center out.
8 The actual “pin” for the...
8 The actual “pin” for the Aerocatch mechanism mounts in the B-Body’s factory location. These are aluminum pins, and might need to be shortened a bit depending on your car.
9 Once you have the pin height...
9 Once you have the pin height set, attach the latches to the hood. We used aluminum rivets, but any fastener would work. Now we have a modern hoodpin setup that works and looks great.
10a The only thing left was...
10a The only thing left was to make a couple of braces for the large scoop opening so the fast moving air doesn’t rip it off while we’re driving...
10b ...We used stainless...
10b ...We used stainless steel button-head 1/4-20 bolts, and some aluminum rod with drilled holes in each end that we threaded for the bolts.