I picked this up this weekend for almost nothing. I am just curious who made this hood ? It isn't grafted on, it was made this way full bolt on. I probably won't need the clearance on my engine setup but I will be running a closed cold air induction system so this hood operates properly and doesn't draw air out of the carb. It's not "COWL INDUCTION", people call it a "SCOOP" but it is actually and "EXTRACTOR" of air. UPDATE: Added more pics. Maybe someone will recognize the construction and figure out who made it. I t is a full inner shell with the tear drop molded in it and the top skin was molded with the tear drop as well so it is 2 separate layers of fiberglass laminated together.
Obvious it's not a cowl hood GM identified as, I always under stood its still a Cowl hood scoop , Tear Drop. Ford & others might have another name for, Drawing the High-pressure air buildup infront of windshield to feed carb or carbs. Im sure there where other manufactures doing the same thing as the 67 Camaro Z28 witch Did not have a scoop like 68-69 Z28 & other Gm models,but the 67 airbox ran to the Cowl vent in front of the windshield , above heater box. High-Pressure Area. Would Not be hard to make functional with some fabrication skills on your 55
Yes it could be utilized like cowl induction if the air box was set up correctly. I am fabbing up a dual snorkel setup to go right into the side panels of the core support.
I guess I will have to check them out too. I have searched every way I can think of and only find a few pics but not a product ad from a company.
All I know is I always liked the look of the teardrop on a 55 Chevy. I molded one on a steel hood about 30 years ago to cover up a blower on a friends car.
This is a’55 I owned back in the late ‘80s. I hated the “frying pan” fiberglass hood, but was too young and financially strapped to buy another one.
If I remember correctly, A&A Fiberglass out of Atlanta made one like that in the middle to late '60's.
I recall a HRM article in the ‘70’s, they were testing different styles of scoops/etc. the cowl induction style they used was consistently quicker in the 1/4 mile. Didn’t recall the car, or scoops used, ie factory or aftermarket, just recall every time they used the cowl induction it was quicker.
Back in 70s to this Day , ( I am not that old early 50s & around 5 yrs old) Others & I when street racing on As & 32s Fords & other Make Brand cars With the Radiator , Typical hood scoop facing forward at Cowl Heights ,air would not enter the engine as much so we would face the scoop towards the windshield to get more air into the engine ,then regular street driving reverse it back facing forward,,, There is a Low air pocket created by the radiator shell pushing air more upward pass the air intake,,, later years 33 up front end started to be more Air dynamic, air traveling / flowed across the top of the hood more efficient but still, A higher pressure pocket at windshield almost all older cars/ trucks I can say from experience a model A Coupe , Sed ,truck 30-31 with No chop & Visor No holes drilled , There a Low pressure Area at the windshield, I was out one night testing , I was caught up in a downpour with no windshield wipers, Going down road 45 & above No rain on windshield Below 45 water / rain all across the windshield heavily, Some people figure this out in the early days if you look at land speed and other drag racing you would see them extend a airbox scoop all the way to the front of the radiator shell or the first tunnel rams put the air box as high as the roof of the car, Just like in the early 80s when Don Garlits figured it out a taller wing had more downforce than a short one on R.E.D
Watch out! your Chevrolet will think is a Ford and get pissed. When it’s pissed off little things will go wrong and piss you off….You will never realize what you did until you’ve spent a lot of $$$$.
Aside from the damage on this, that black appears to be gel coat. This is much newer than even the 90's or early 2000's that is why I am just curious who in recent times or still to this day makes a bolt on hood with the teardrop.
I couldn't pass this up even if I don't use it. I bought it for $50 ! You can't buy anything for 50 these days !
Technically, this isn't a cowl induction hood UNLESS you made an air cleaner that sealed to the underside of the hood. The Ford Galaxies, Fairlanes (Thunderbolts) that ran the teardrop all had a closed cold air intake setup up. The screens at the back side help "EVACUATE" air out of the engine compartment. Seeing the teardrop shape, I want to say it works like an "AIRFOIL" like an airplane wing. As the air goes around the teardrop, it speeds up helps draw the air out thru the screens. I am making a dual snorkel setup for my car utilizing a combo of GM air cleaners. I just need to find all the parts I need ! Anybody have just the top of a Chevy/GMC tall top truck air cleaner ? I have a 70's Vette bottom dual snorkel.
I couldn't find it on their website but maybe they just don't make it anymore. It was still worth $50, I think.
Well I won't call myself cool but I will be running a cold front air intake system that a fab up so the hood will function properly and evacuate the engine compartment. I couldn't pass it up for $50.
I've searched every fiberglass panel site I could think of and find and I still haven't found who makes/made this. Anybody ever seen this on somebodies 'glass site ?
Its possible one off fiberglass front end there's people that would do their own parts, for non sale , for $50 It would be hanging in my shop , I have no 55 , Before my father left for Nam in 68 , in his mother yard there where 5 55's 2 57. One of my cousin built his own mold off his all steel non chop 32 5 w Ford to build himself another 32 5w for himself that we're not for sale, 1987ish, mold was sold to another guy few states away , I know of another 6 body's made off molds , This one was #1,
The Thunderbolt was first introduced with what became known as the cloverleaf hood. It was a very short time before it got replaced with the teardrop.
That is pretty cool. If this was a one off, whoever made it had some great skills. It is black gel coat inside and outside the hood and was made as one piece, not a scoop grafted to a hood. It has nice bracing that comes up to and terminates at the teardrop. The repair work on it is very sloppy but it's fixable. I will have to wash it up and take some more pics.
I watch this exact video, very informative. I will be running a closed air intake system so I may just fix this up and run it. I really wanted a stock hood in fiberglass but at $50, I couldn't pass this up.
If not already tried , try motor trend magazine archives, There 2 companies I think of , but off top of head can not remember names One was A letter "&" letter I believe add was White & Blue ? Then another in Fla Unlimited fiberglass unlimited something ?? There adds Yellow ? Most glass from mid 80s I seen I thought A card or brand label glassed in on under side
If it was them or Rod n race they are both long gone and I can't seem to find anything. I will keep looking and hopefully somebody figures out who made. it. It doesnt matter for using the hood, I'm just curious about it. I'm like Rain Man when it comes to stuff like this !
The Jalopy Journal
