History Traditional custom scoops thread. Roof, sides, hood, all the scoops.

Did you get to see that car in person?

 

RULES? This is customs - we don't need no stinkn rules.........

 

Saw it at Starbirds a couple of years ago. Pictures don't do it justice. The amount of kustom work is incredible.

 

Hello,

Having been the maintenance guy for the new 1958 Impala on our driveway since the fall of 1957, I was always thinking this will be my future hot rod cruiser. My brother was already thinking of a Paxton Supercharged SBC in a Model A Coupe and we actually bought one to start our journey. But, after we got the Model A Coupe running and driving with the stock motor/trans, he sold it to a friend one day. He also sold his 1951 Olds two door sedan to another friend and now, a new 58 Impala sat on our driveway.

So, for the next 3 years, we were involved in racing the Impala at Lion’s Dragstrip, which was near our Westside of Long Beach house. Everything that was required to win the cl*** trophy was done. We won our share of trophies that were on our bookcase shelf for all to see. We were happy with the results. I did not win any trophies, but for the first two years, I was at the start line or taking films of the races planning my day behind the wheel.

My brother was happy when he won his first trophy. I was happy to have been a part of it. Those cold Thursday nights out on the concrete pad changing the rear third member from a 4:11 Positraction gear set to a 4:56 Pos gear set was done until sleepy old me fell asleep under the Impala. Ha! but, the Saturday morning/afternoon results paid off for all of the hard work we did.

Jnaki

When it was my turn to drive the 58 Impala after our Willys Coupe accident, it was a new ball game. It started out with a change to an automatic transmission from the stock 3 speed column shift unit.
Since our mom needed a new car to drive, she shared the 58 Impala a couple days a week. Yes, an old lady driving a fast hot rod sedan to the grocery store and her own shopping needs. Ha! and the stick shift turned into a C&O Stick Hydro.

Note:

But, all of the hours spent cleaning and maintaining the Impala always left a question about the designs on the car. For one, the rear roof vent chrome piece that made the rear portion of the roof sleek, but non functional.

It would have been a change, but a row or just two opening vents to move air through the cabin when the windows were rolled up. There were times when the windows were rolled up and even with the under dash vents open, it was not moving enough air to make it comfortable cruising in foul weather or sometimes cold nights. An opening vent at the back would have moved it through faster and cooler. Foggy windows inside? It was not what one would think.

Note 2:
The cool side vent chrome piece made the Impala look as if it was moving fast, which it was most of the time… But, it was just decorative as we all know. The brakes on the big car were pads and stopping power was as good as it gets, except when needed to stop within a quarter of a mile at the end of a drag strip shut down area. So, larger brakes, since discs were not around then. But, the side decorative design needed to have the front edge of the three indentions, be open to cool the rear brakes.

On any design air flow project, one slight barrier makes the airflow go up and over to clear the obstruction. A large opening was not necessary, but a small slit or scoop to get the cooling flow back into the braking area was there and needed to be incorporated. But, it never happened. The cool air flowing back probably cost the designers in the air flow tank too much in obstructions. The very small louvers would have sent plenty of air back to cool the brakes. And it was already in the initial design, but not used to redirect some air to the brakes.

Note 3:

The design would have worked, but the dinky scoops would have created a m*** of obstructions during a muddy drive or wet days going through puddles. And since most folks do not hold down the brakes going through deep water, the flow of water would have created more incidents when the rear brakes got wet. YRMV