air box update

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

I got the bottom half of the box welded up today. I need to throw some filler on it so it wont look so terrible. Soon as the motor goes back in I can get the top half measured up and cut the hood( ) I had another idea.... cut my air horns off my filter plate and weld them to the top of the air box and make them stick through the hood into the scoop.

[mikew]

Evan,

The horns serve a purpose. They reduce turbulance and smooth the airflow into your carbs. If you remove them from the top of your carbs you will lose power. You should install them inside your airbox.

It makes me cringe when you talk about cutting holes in your bonnet (you people call it a hood!), and other crazy modifications. Over here in Aus we just don't have enough spare parts to be doing that sort of thing. If you suggested doing that sort of thing over here, the other roadster owners would confiscate your car and beat you around until you promised never to speak of such things again!

Mike

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

hahaha, well, i think that if you saw my ground clearance and the rest of my car i would get beat!

[spl310]

Evan,

I think that Mike's point is that you should reconsider chopping the car. It is your car, so of course, you can do what you want.

I don't want to speak for Mike too much here though, so I will let him give you the straight scoop on it.

Personally, I never liked multiple hood scoops on Roadsters - the only exception is the custom hood that I saw once that had the stock scoop at the front, but at the rear, the scoop was a cowl induction unit. Looked kinda neat!

[mikew]

Ok, since Sid prompted me, here is my view....

At the end of the day it's Evans car and he can do what he wants, but I wouldn't do it - and if I thought Evan gave two hoots about what I think, I'd tell him not to do it too.

Evan, I reckon in a few years time, after you start getting out and driving your car for a while, you'll want to undo some of the things you are doing now. I hope when you want to get rid of your modified bonnet you can find another one.

With my first car I bolted everything on to it that I could think of, could afford, and could do myself. I still have that car ( http://www.totalrpm.com/car/120 ), but have spent the last several years slowly removing most of those things, coz I now think they look dicky. I am extremely glad that I never went through with some of the whacky ideas that I had - like cutting the bonnet for a "power bulge", bolting on fender flares, installing a sunroof, etc.

I'm not against modification or customisation, but I think you should do it for the right reason. If it makes your car go faster, corner better, gives you more control, makes your car more comfortable, safer, or more reliable, then go for it. If you are doing it only because you think it looks cool, think carefully about it, because you may not think it looks cool later.

Evan, I'm not suggesting you should stop having the whacky ideas - it's great to challenge conventional wisdom... I'm just saying you have to run your ideas past me first, and I'll decide if you can do it or not!

Mike

p.s. What is it with American's and bonnet scoops? You take an awesome Australian muscle car, which looks great and goes great, the Holden Monaro, and rebadge it as a Pontiac GTO, but it doesn't sell very well until you add some non-functional, dicky-looking, fake bonnet scoops. You took a brilliant car with nothing to prove, and made it look like it is pretending. And yes, I know for a fact that all Americans are exactly the same and you all love your bonnet scoops.

[Dave]

You take an awesome Australian muscle car, which looks great and goes great, the Holden Monaro, and rebadge it as a Pontiac GTO, but it doesn't sell very well until you add some non-functional, dicky-looking, fake bonnet scoops. You took a brilliant car with nothing to prove, and made it look like it is pretending.

Aint that the truth! I LOVE the Holden Monaro as is. When it got badged a Pontiac I thought "Oh no, here comes the fake plastic scoops, wings, scallops, "styling" lines, side skirts, and anything else Pontiac can grab from the Grand Prix parts bin and hot glue on that poor car. To my delight, they left the styling pretty much alone. So much so that I would almost consider buying one. Now I see the Pontiac "styling" execs are stepping in and making that car less and less appealing to me....

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

its all bout the "mouth" look! But we have been putting scoops on stuff for a LONG time! Seriously, you know the monaro looks awesome with the scoops!

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

after readin yalls comments Im seriously reconsidering. Im thinkin of cutting the scoop off and makin the air box like a cold air and make it go behind the grill. This way I wouldnt have to cut my "bonnet"(lol).... but i could make a better air intake system. Also I plan on putting some air horns on the inside of my box.

RIP my home-ade ram air scoop.....

[DatsunBucky]

Evan-
While I personally don't like the look of your hood scoop, it does look like you did a very good job fairing it onto the hood. There's a big difference between something looking bad, and bad workmanship. I congratulate you on your workmanship.

While the sport compact crowd loves to make their cars looks fast when they're not, I'm just the exact opposite. I'd rather have a fast car that doesn't look it. I like the "Q-Ship" role from WWII. (Ask your dad about it if you don't know what I'm talking about.) With that in mind, the cold air intake that can't be seen without the hood open is more my style.

mikew-
I think the hood scoop thing goes back to the muscle car days. Some were actually even functional! But since the car execs are trying to recall past glory days, I think they're going with the scoop look with that in mind.

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

Thanks Bucky, I started on the "cold air".... I think Im goin to make pipes come out of the air box and have another pipe coming from the front of the car.... not permantly attached but easily removable. Im goin to take a pic of what I have so far. I have decided to get thicker sheet metal and make another better box. The other metal was just too thin and I couldnt get any good welds. The pipes that will come out of the air box... 2 into 1

[fj20spl311]

That HOOD what I need to clear my new turbo
Phil

[Import_sounds-of-mid-GA]

oh?

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