Install a Hoodscoop

For this story we're installing a reproduction '68 Hemi Dart fiberglass scoop on the CC Rambler. Its massive dustpan design grabs the maximum gulp of cold air. Several outfits make these scoops today. The darker one is from Kramer Automotive Specialties ($195). The lighter one is from Unlimited Products ($60).

A quick pass with an abrasive scuffing pad roughs up the paint so the temporary locating marks stick instead of smudging away. In situations where the paint is show quality, a little extra care will be needed to avoid collateral damage during the scoop installation.

With the hood removed, pull a pair of strings across the length and width of the engine bay so they intersect exactly over the carburetor air-cleaner stud. Use masking tape to secure the lightly stretched strings to the body. An extra-long carb stud or a length of all-thread screwed into the carburetor prevents guesswork and incorrectly placed holes.

Mark one end of each string to record its location before unsticking the tape and pulling it out of the way so the hood can be set back in place. This operation can also be done with the hood still bolted to its hinges.

With the extra-long carb stud removed and the hood back on the car, re-stretch the strings and stick the loose ends back over the marked locations. You now have an exact X-ray view of where the carburetor stud is positioned.

Mark the intersection with a paint pen like this white grout marker. It dries fast and doesn't smudge but is easily removed with mild chemicals or polishing compound.

Drill a single 38-inch hole where the strings intersect, then use a bolt to center your air-cleaner lid over the hole. Use the grout pen to draw a circle around the lid that is 1 inch greater than the diameter of the lid. The extra inch provides clearance for hood opening and closing. If Doug was content with a single four-barrel on his Rambler, the next step would be cutting this circle out of the hood using the jigsaw. Then we'd either stack a pair of filter elements to get them up into the cool air stream. Or we could make a pan-type air-cleaner base with a foam ring sealing it to the underside of the hood. This would isolate the carburetor inlet from hot engine-compartment air and take full advantage of the ram-air effect at speed. But not us . . . we're going the tunnel-ram route.

With the tunnel-ram in place, we pull the strings again to create a virtual box around the manifold, carburetors, linkage, and fuel lines. Allow at least 1 inch of space to clear moving parts and to provide an adequate swing-arc as the hood is raised and lowered on its hinges.