Cowl Hood Project

Topic: Cowl Hood Project (Read 3022 times) previous topic - next topic

Cowl Hood Project

July 29, 2019, 09:56:08 PM

Thought I'd post some pictures of my cowl hood project. This is the finished product but I have pictures of the fabrication process if anyone is interested. I've been saving a hood from my old Sport for 15 years in the hopes of someday building a cowl hood. A friend of mine, who is a master at fabrication, decided to help me build it. What I wanted was a steel hood with a 2 inch cowl that followed the factory lines. The main problem was how to retain the shape of the hood during fabrication, the curve front to back and side to side. I wanted it to look like it came that way from the factory. What we ended up doing was building a 2x3in square channel frame for the bottom, bolting it at the hinge and latch location and adding 4 clips screwed to the hood on the sides. The top was a different story. We decided to use 10ga plate, spot weld tabs to the hood and then weld the plate to the tabs. We did this in 3 locations running front to back. This allowed us to cut the hood on both sides and raise the back 2 inches without destroying the shape of the hood.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #1 – July 30, 2019, 08:31:14 AM

Beautiful work!

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #2 – July 30, 2019, 09:57:50 AM

Quote from: Mikey97D – on July 30, 2019, 08:31:14 AM

Beautiful work!

Agreed, that came out really nice. Beautiful work.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #3 – July 30, 2019, 11:40:06 AM

Very nice. Looks like it came that way!

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #4 – July 30, 2019, 04:34:27 PM

Looks good. It's nice and subtle.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #5 – July 30, 2019, 05:09:51 PM

Quote from: thunderjet302 – on July 30, 2019, 04:34:27 PM

Looks good. It's nice and subtle.

That is the look I wanted. Stock looking and functional. I live in Las Vegas and when you're stopped at a light with your window down you can definitely fell the hot air from the cowl.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #6 – July 30, 2019, 05:12:01 PM

Quote from: mcb82gt – on July 30, 2019, 11:40:06 AM

Very nice. Looks like it came that way!

That's the look I wanted. Subtle.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #7 – July 31, 2019, 07:04:24 PM

Looks awesome!

With that hood, I could do a 351W swap

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #8 – July 31, 2019, 10:01:14 PM

Quote from: 88BlueBird – on July 31, 2019, 07:04:24 PM

Looks awesome! With that hood, I could do a 351W swap

I see by your sig that your 306 is CA smog compliant. Can you put a 351 in there and pass CA smog/visual? The cowl hood would give you the room you need plus better air circulation. Carb or EFI? I'm from San Diego and have had my share of run ins with the smog police over the years.

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #9 – August 02, 2019, 04:07:36 PM

I think the CA smog rule for engine swaps requires the swapped engine in a car to be originally from a car and not at truck, In addition, I believe the engine has to be from the same model year or newer model year car. I'd probably have trouble find a 1988+ model year car, factory equipped with a 351W...I can only think of the 1993 Cobra R that had the 351W. The 306 I have in my car now is originally from a '91 Mark VII, so CA smog is fine with it, as long as it blows clean on the chassis rolls. Also, I don't mention to them that it's been bored .030 to a 306 cid

Re: Cowl Hood Project

Reply #10 – August 05, 2019, 08:25:06 AM

Quote from: 88BlueBird – on August 02, 2019, 04:07:36 PM

I think the CA smog rule for engine swaps requires the swapped engine in a car to be originally from a car and not at truck, In addition, I believe the engine has to be from the same model year or newer model year car. I'd probably have trouble find a 1988+ model year car, factory equipped with a 351W...I can only think of the 1993 Cobra R that had the 351W. The 306 I have in my car now is originally from a '91 Mark VII, so CA smog is fine with it, as long as it blows clean on the chassis rolls. Also, I don't mention to them that it's been bored .030 to a 306 cid

There was a Mustang Saleen S351 but who knows if that passed California's rules.