Hot Rods OPINIONS ON USING A HOOD

Have a hood top but honestly its been quite a while since I used it.

 

I Always run a hood. Car here in Ontario won't pass a safety without a hood .
Got pulled over by police and he was a rodder. Explained to me that if a fan blade or belt breaks or blow a rad hose and somehow involves a pedestrian ,the insurance company will walk away .
Over the years all three have happen to me .Hope people aren't thinking I am hiding a 350 ... LOL

 

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if it has a flathead, hood off also aids with cooling and keeps the fumes out of the cab……..

 

IMHO, a closed hood (top and sides) invites overheating with high power engines, but a good scoop will push outside air down the firewall and out under the toe boards (as God and Henry Ford intended) really well. I like open hood sides, but some vandalism still possible. Fully open? Make sure you have a water resistant air cleaner / filter. Especially important when the car is sitting still in a heavy rain.

 

I’m with the hood on crowd. Keeps the flow. Sides are optional.jmho. Snowman ⛄️

 

If I need something done that I don't want to get blamed for, personally I would always use a Hood.

 

If you don't run a hood, you've got to keep the engine spotless and shiny. Cover it and spend less time cleaning and more time driving!
By the way... IMHO fat-fendered rigs without hoods look unfinished!

 

I've got to say that it all depends on the total build and the way it presents the best. It might even depend on what event you are going to or where you are going to take or park the car. Some times you want it to look like a real hot rod and some times you might want it to look a bit classy with the full hood. Then sometimes you are going to one day events while at others you are spending the weekend in a motel with the car out in the parking lot.

 

To me a car without at least a hood top looks unfinished.

 

I like the early cars that have a nice looking cowl, up to may say ‘34 for Fords with at least a hood top, and really like seeing a nice side shot of a nice engine, especially a Hemi, under the hood top.
Other thing, if someone stretched the frame a few inches in the front to not have to recess the firewall, I can see the challenge of running any sort of hood and make it look like it belonged there.

 

not running a hood wont help your reaction time, but it might shave .0001 of a second off your ET

 

I appreciate the grille, hood and cowl as one of the most appealing features of an early ford, especially on fenderless rods. But, I also prefer the 30/31 model A over the earlier cars, so I am already in the minority- what do I know? You asked for an opinion. Here is one that has been posted here before, not my car, but I do like it.

 

A full hood even works with a 32 grille shell. Again, not mine, but I like it, previously posted on the hamb.

 

And, a couple years newer it just gets better, even butchered, repurposed farm machinery is worth a second look.

 

Well this is obviously the correct answer. One of each!

 

Except when it's a Model A on Duece rails, or other stretched wheelbase applications. An elongated hood doesn't look good to my eyes.

 

Hot Rods/Customs need hoods.

 

Like I've said before, hoods belong in jail!

 

Ill still look.... They may be down to her waist but Ill still look. Oh sorry were talking about hoods...

 

My vote, half hood best of both worlds, show it off and still protected in the rain... Got to keep it real in the hood.

 

We don't need no stinkin' hoods....

 

Those are all cars I would've said look good without a hood.

But this looks dumb to me:

 

I would say it only works on early 30's models. Later than that and they need a hood. JMO.

 

I built this RPU expressly to show off a Hemi. I dont think a hood would improve the look

 

While I tend to agree with the opinions about "later" models needing hoods, I just think it looks meaner without !

 

I like both. But sometimes they just don't fit anymore.

 

33 and later need a hood.

 

Can't beat the look! HRP

 

Bingo! .......and (IMO) with (for example) cars like a 39-40 Ford where the hood is a large percentage of the car's cosmetic surface area, the lines of the car are negatively affected when a hood is removed. Showing off your engine is one thing but at what cost?