I want to have the hood top of my 29 Model A louvered. How many rows would look right on the hood top? Lets see pics of your Model A louvered hoods
The louver guy who did my hood and a friend of mine who does louvers usually try to do each hood just a bit different. I'd think two rows on each side are about all you will have reasonable space for though.
Just had my Model A hood done- thought about three rows, but space is tight and you get into the side curve.I gave the louver man an idea of what I wanted and let him do his thing.Got part of the decklid done too.....I like it! Good luck--- Mike from Mass.
Three rows on each side. Longest row in the center 2nd and third row staggered back all ending at a straight line just in front of the cowl. This is a traditional hot rod site............pay attention. Frank
Look through a bunch of old or new hot rod specific magazines and pick the style/count you like. You will have to look at it every day. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Okay, a couple of things to talk about with my stuff on this. First is that I pattern in what is called "diminishing horizon", in other words, I don't lay out rows parallel to a centerline on tapered hoods. When I lay stuff out, I "ray" or "splay" the rows just slightly so they compliment the lines of the hood itself. This avoids the optical illusion of putting lines 90 degrees to the center line that make the rows look further apart at the front than the rear. The taper of the hood does that. I also incorporate the lines of the rear edge of the hood into the pattern and orientate the vents of the louvers to that strong line. It looks more complete, like it "belongs there" instead of something added later, and it allows the louver's vents to line up when viewed from the side. The second is that it's very hard to give some one a set number that will work well on any given hood. What might work with say 100 louvers on my press, won't even look right on somebody else's press. That all comes down to side spacing clearances, vent to vent spacing, and louver shape and size itself. I hate to sound like the tortured artist, but each hood I do I sit down and lay out my "X" lines, then my "Y" lines, and stop when there is just the right amount on the hood... No more, no less. The only real "rules" to my patterns is that I generally start about 2-3" forward of the hood's rear edge, and end about 5-8" back from the hood's front edge. That helps accentuate forward motion... P.S., I dropped a couple of deuce hoods in here because they illustrated my point about diminishing horizon layout. Same deal, I'd just punch them in 2 1/2" louvers instead of 3 1/2" on a '28-'29...
That's why I don't punch louvers myself. Some one else already has it figured out waaay more than I ever could.
Work like that might well make it worth boxing up a Model A hood and shipping it to Arizona. Those examples come under the "getting it just right" category. One thing though, you have to have a hell of a nice hood to work with to get results like that.
Bingo on this statement. Its not that much to ship out a hood. I know he does it all the time. Can't wait to have mine done soon. Chip is the only one that I would let punch louvers in my orginal deuce hood that I have for my car. I am not say this as a fellow ginger but his louvers are top shelf and some of his work has showed up on cars at the grand national roadster show.
Who you callin' a ginger, Foo'? I'm a Swede! Got some red beard hairs, but that's it! You and 'Polacko got the ginger thing handled on the Phoenix hot rod scene....
Yuppers, a lot of guys are able to punch louvers in nice straight and even lines but all too many of them don't turn the job into art the way Chip does. I'd bet that the guys who have seen several examples of his work can spot a hood he did on a vehicle that they have never seen before and know it's his work.
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