Those strips are just another way to have louvers if you don't have access to a louver punch. The ones in my hood (pictured above) are punched in the original hood. That must have been a job.
I had 198 louvers punched in the hood of my 51 Ford ( yes I know, but we couldn't find room for 2 more). I had a very difficult time getting the 351W engine to cool tried everything I could think of until an old radiator guy suggested that the air was taking the easy way trough and going over the rad and out the louvers and there for not cooling the rad. Adjusted the hood seal, bigger fan, shroud, hotter thermostat and blocked some air leak points and it cools (well as well as a 351W will ever cool). So don't always ***ume louvers will help cooling I have run into others who confirm my findings.
Cooling...now tHAT is something I would not have thought of...exactly the opposite of what I was thinkin'...makes sence tho.. Glad it was a "simple" fix...I'm just thinking with the square footage of the hood on this '56 F100...I think the kool factor would be there...... I dunno....FIRST I gotta get WAAAAAY farther along....gotta stop dreamin. Thanks tho... -
Louvers on those 53-56 Ford trucks are the COOLEST! If you start having cooling issues though remember the hood seals and stuff.
Most shops use a set of louvered strips to set up hoods for customer aproval. You can also weld them in if a press is not available in your area. Funny you should mention F-100... I have one on the press today. It'll look a bit like this one I did years ago... but enough spam!
Sweet....when weather is too bad to get anything done...I used sone flat sheet metal strips in a few different configurations to simulate louvers & patterns... Different lengths & angles...drove me nutZ for a few hours.....kool tho... I like the way that pattern follows the edge of the hood top-surface... Would it be possible to add louvers to the side of the '56 F100 hood...I think that might be kinda kool...just a few... NICE work... -
Just remember that water can and will get in the engine compartment on that rare occasion that it rains overnight in the motel parking lot. I had a buddy that bent a rod on a 40 Ford pickup. His sat out at night in front of his house and the 4bbl air cleaner lid acted like a funnel directing the water into the carb. Just something to remember. That being said I want the round top louvers )))))). I stopped a guy with a 51 Chevy and asked where did you get those "clamshell" louvers. He said his were done way back in the 50s. There are guys doing the clam shell louvers now with the revival of the old styles. Hotrod louvers are round on top. High school gym locker louvers are flat on top.
It would depend upon several factors with the press your louver guy is using. Mine, no problem short of having to move my half ton press out of it's corner for height clearance. I have on a couple of occasions done just that on truck hood sides including my old '42. Unfortunately all my pictures of hoods done that way are on paper instead of digital, so showing is going to be bit tough... Here, I'll hold one up to the screen!!!
Looks great, you made the right choice. I had a louvered hood on a '65 El Camino that was driven daily and parked outside. When it rained, water would puddle up between the intake runners and would rust the heads of the intake bolts...was planning to swap to stainless bolts, but sold the truck before I got around to it.
Thanks (need louvers?) I used your advise and love their look. Can't wait to see them in paint. Planning on a soft yellow with white underside.
Regarding water getting in thru the louvers, yes if you punch holes in your hood the chances of water getting in when it rains or when you wash the car is greatly increased. What I recomend to my customers is to go to a sign shop get some strips of magnetic sign material cut just a bit wider than your louver. When it rains stick the magnetic material to the underside of the hood covering each row of louvers and drive on. when you need the cooling or when it stops raining take them off and store them in the trunk , under the seat or wherever. this is the stuff realtors and curtosy car people use on the doors of thier cars. and the stuff is cheap.
I've used that before and it's a great idea! Cheap too! I have never worried too much about the rain though, My engine compartment is nicely detailed, but nothing that isn't wash and wear. Never, ever had problems with the ignition as the result of my louvers though, and that seems to be the most frequently asked question. That includes several summers up in Washington state with rain every day.
Another awesome feature of hood louvers is when you have an under hood fire, especially at night, the flames will shoot out of all the little holes! Quite spectacular. HELLFIRE!!! Always carry an extinguisher.
I want to run louvers someday, but I've always worried about how much heat will be released out the top and right into my cowl vent that I need on hot days!
I cruise with the cowl vent and windscreen open and the air coming through is still cooler than under good temps. You just gotta watch the rain, fuel and fire.. Sent from my iPhone using the bet damn app on the planet!
Been there done that! Dateland,AZ at 11:00 on a chilly november night is a lonely place to put out a car fire... But it was spectacular! 'Course, the other end of the spectrum, get soap mixture just right, wet the car down to wash and touch the starter ****on and if all is right, it turns into a giant bubble machine!!! Shades of Lawrence Welk!!!
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