Project True SStreet: Getting A Scoop Of Fresh Air

 

Harwood Hood

We’ve been making really good progress with Project True SStreet, our 2014 SS Camaro that we’re building so we can compete in the NMCA True Street class. We have the engine built, the rollcage installed, the Moser rearend is ready for installation, and we now have a much-needed hood.

Hood removal

The first thing we needed to do was remove the old hood. Simply remove the four nuts holding the hood to the car with a 13mm wrench or socket. We were surprised that the factory hood only weighs 27 pounds.

Removing the hood does require help, as one person is unable to support both sides during removal.

While we could use the factory hood, we wanted to be sure that the engine got an ample supply of fresh air for the engine. We could have cut the factory hood and added a hood scoop, but properly bonding a fiberglass hoodscoop to a metal hood requires a lot of time and materials.

hood removed

Although there is no engine in True SStreet, for you guys at home, now is the perfect time to use a little elbow grease, and give the engine and the surrounding area a good cleaning before installing the new hood.

For that reason, we opted to install a fiberglass hood from Harwood. A fiberglass hood is typically much lighter than a steel hood, and once you figure the time, and materials of adding a hood scoop to a factory hood, modification usually costs more than the new hood.

IMG_4425 sm

Installing Harwood’s hood is a simple process, but again, two people are needed.

The cowl-induction hood pioneered by Chevrolet in 1970, is a staple in the musclecar world. In fact, it is so popular and functional, that there are many Ford and Mopar vehicles running this style hood. Since they look great and function well, we decided to contact Harwood and secure a bolt-on-style hood with a cowl-induction scoop for project True SStreet.

While the factory hood uses studs and nuts to attach it to the hinges, the Harwood hood uses supplied bolts.

As the names implies, a bolt-on hood uses the OE latch assembly and hinges for installation. This means the hood functions just like the factory intended. Lift-off hoods require the addition of hood pins or other fasteners to hold the hood in place. There are no hinges or hood latch, so you literally lift the hood off of your car to access the engine compartment. That being said, a bolt-on hood is generally sturdier than a lift-off hood, as it usually possesses more internal bracing to support the hood while bolted to the hinges.

For Project True SStreet, we chose to use a bolt-on-style hood, as the extra bracing ensures a strong hood, and if we’re alone in the pits, we can open and close the hood ourselves. We ordered PN B-12402, which has a 5-inch cowl-induction scoop. This is a Show-Series hood, and features a fully finished underside that is ready for priming and painting.

IMG_4449 sm

The Show-Series hood features an underside that is suitable for painting.

When it came time for the install, we were first surprised that the factory hood only weighs 27 pounds. That is much lighter than we anticipated. That being said, the Harwood hood weighs in at 32 pounds. Now, before you get concerned about the Harwood hood being heavier, don’t forget to take into account the extra clearance afforded by the raised area of the cowl induction, and the fact that your engine will be receiving a lot more fresh air, via the high-pressure area at the cowl opening. Those benefits far out weight the measly 5 pounds we added to the car.

Every Harwood part is hand-laid by skilled technicians. Harwood's sales staff and the new-product design team works closely with customers to ensure every new product works as well as it looks.

Installing the hood is really a straight-forward process, our concern was going to be with the fitment on the car. With the hood bolted to hinges and the hood latch installed, we gently closed it. While we did need to make some simple adjustments in regards to aligning the hood to the nose and fenders, we were more than happy with the way the hood fit.

hood adj

To adjust the hood to get the gaps between the fenders and the hood correct, simply loosen the bolts, and slide each side of the hood forward or back as needed.

Once the hood was aligned, the gaps were evenly spaced, and the transition from hood to fender was seamless — this hood fits like factory!

IMG_4471 sm

Whether you are looking for a complete hood, just a hoodscoop, doors, or an entire front end, Harwood probably has the fiberglass replacement part you need to save weight and increase performance. Check them out, and see for yourself.

Article Sources

About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
Read My Articles

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