When I started this project, I had no intentions of adding a hood scoop. Honestly. First off, to look right, it would have to be a pretty huge scoop. Second, I wanted to keep this looking more stock. Well, the choices you make sometime have consequences. In my case, that was moving to the serpentine setup on the front of the 429.
As it turns out, the A/C compressor sits very high. This wasn't an issue in the pickup truck it was pulled from, but passenger cars don't have near the same clearances under the hood. After spending a lot of time trying to figure out how I could get the compressor down under the hood, I came up empty handed. Even with cutting down the mounting bracket and rotating the compressor, it just wasn't going to fit. I'd already sold the original front end pulley and accessory setup, so I couldn't go back to that even if I wanted to, which I didn't. So, I finally had to commit to a hood scoop.
I cut a hole, and then took some measurements to get a feel for what size scoop I would need. After establishing some minimum dimensions I started the hunt for a huge scoop that I could modify to work. Nothing. I looked at cowl scoops that I could turn around backward, but they just wouldn't look right. So I sketched up roughly what I was looking for and started the hunt for someone who could make what I wanted at a decent price.
I wanted something simple, that looked like it could have come on the car, and be as low profile as possible. After more than a month of calling around chasing down fiberglass people, I found a guy a couple of hours away who could do the work for $200. Done!
After literally months of waiting for him to make the scoop I got the call that it would be ready. I drove more than 2 hours away to pick it up, and when I arrived it was the biggest turd you ever saw. It weighed around 15 lbs and was more than 1/2" thick in places. Nothing was flat. The ridge was crooked, thick, and off-center. It didn't even meet amateur quality. No charge, but months wasted waiting, and 4 hours of driving for nothing.
The search continued and I returned to one scoop that I had considered previously but opted not use. It was just barely wide enough, and not quite as long as I was thinking. And, it's about 4.5" tall! This was WAY more scoop than I wanted.
I decided to give it a shot. After some trimming to get the height down, and some shaping work on the back to match the profile of the hood, I got something that I think will work. I still need to add a blank to fill the opening as this will not be a functional scoop, but I'm pleased with how it fits.
I had to cut the studs off and remount them after trimming it down, but the fit is good and secure. Over winter I will finish up the details on the hood, blocking out the primer, touching up a few small spots that need attention, and have everything ready to go for paint in the spring.
