Cold air intake ideas for vintage cars and engines.

[338Raptor]

I’m looking for pictures of custom cold air systems members are using other than the stock systems like shakers, ram airs, or turkey pans.
I plan to fit a Hilborn IR system under a ‘67 shelby style hood.  Because hot underhood air robs so much horsepower  I want the intake air to enter thru the shelby hood scoop. Obviously the Hilborn ram tubes are going to be short which isn’t ideal.  But it’s got to be that way to stay inside the hood.

My initial thoughts are to build a custom aluminum turkey pan style tray that fits around the ram tube clamps and seals up to the underside of the hood like a ram air hood plenum.

Can I get some pictures of systems you guys are using or ideas that may help my design?

[Falcon67]

With the old teardrop scoop, the setup was a 16" hole under the scoop (to clear a 14" diameter air cleaner) and a 22~23" diameter piece of aluminum (cut from a scrap highway sign) with 2" foam around the perimeter and riveted to the appropriate air cleaner base.  Allowing about 1" clearance around the air cleaner element.  Ducted air worth .3 and 2~3 MPH in the 1/8 mile on a 300 HP engine, 3250 lb car.





Currently, I just cut out the middle man and go straight to the air.

[338Raptor]

.3 and 2-3 mph in the 1/8th is huge. That just reinforces my need to get the cool air into my engine. Thanks for the pics.

[Falcon67]

Disclaimer "Results may vary.  See store for details."  Lots of factors affect the combination, but I saw same on back to back testing when the car had an "L88" style cowl scoop.  Easy enough to test - build your pan, make a couple of passes without, then install and test.  I used a regular 14" air cleaner, then swapped in the foam hack.  Well worth the engineering IMHO. 

[cjshaker]

Currently, I just cut out the middle man and go straight to the air.

LOL!! I like that thinking.

I'll be doing something similar with a pair of velocity stacks. Not the best though, for racing, because of airflow over the stacks, so I'll probably switch to a scoop for on the track. Just have to figure out a way to get filters in those vintage stacks, for street use.

[gregaba]

I don't know how wide your stacks are but K&N makes a flow though top called the X stream for about $67.00 ea. for a nine inch diameter top.
I think it could be adapted to your stacks.
Greg

[427LX]

For my 4 inch cowl hood on my 1985 Mustang I made the base plate out of aluminum plate 3/16 or 1/4  and foam seals it to the air chamber which I glassed into the hood. Picture before bottom of hood painted black.


Here I also use a lexan plate when I want to run the two round filters and let folks see the carbs!

[338Raptor]

I’m looking for more power and just as importantly a better running engine.  It would be great getting more power when drag racing but I’ll be using the car on the street the majority of the time.  I’ve heard many people state their engine didn’t run properly in traffic on hot summer days when pulling air from the engine compartment.  Installing a system that pulls air from outside the hot engine bay fixed their problem.
In fact, I’ve watched Jay Leno’s garage on YouTube and he has referred to this on at least 4-5 different episodes.  So I’m a huge believer of pulling cool air from outside the engine compartment for daily use (excluding rainy days) and also for racing. 
I understand the shelby style scoop isn’t the optimal design for making power. But if I can install a plenum to pull all the intake air thru the shelby scoop then my engine should run much better in hot weather with some small power increase when racing.

[machoneman]

Hey, thanks guys for all the great pics! Still contemplating cutting up my stock '70 'Stang hood and adding a bolt-on Boss '9 hood scoop. Still dreading cutting a 15.5" - 16" hole in the steel hood to accommodate my 14" K&N filter-topped air cleaner.

So......................best way to cut that hole? 

[jayb]

Bob, the best way to cut that hole is to do it in an aftermarket fiberglass hood.  Sure, you've got to paint it to match the car, but its just a hood, and you can throw the stock hood back on there if you ever want to.  I had to do that to my 69 Mach 1 when I changed around the shaker arrangement, and it worked out fine.

[Falcon67]

Hey, thanks guys for all the great pics! Still contemplating cutting up my stock '70 'Stang hood and adding a bolt-on Boss '9 hood scoop. Still dreading cutting a 15.5" - 16" hole in the steel hood to accommodate my 14" K&N filter-topped air cleaner.

So......................best way to cut that hole?

They sell hoods, both steel and 'glass.  I did same, got the scoop from Crites.  Put a piece of all thread with a sharpened point on it into the carb stud hole, cover carb with an old towel.  Adjust rod to poke hood right as it closes.  Drill 1/8 hole, use a 12~16 penny nail and string, mark the circle.  Get the jigsaw and get after it.



Doug - love me some velocity stacks!  What happened to all the gold ones anyway?

Dig around at Summit - found these:  https://www.summitracing.com/parts/otw-10-1250-01/overview/
Several colors too LOL

[machoneman]

Bob, the best way to cut that hole is to do it in an aftermarket fiberglass hood.  Sure, you've got to paint it to match the car, but its just a hood, and you can throw the stock hood back on there if you ever want to.  I had to do that to my 69 Mach 1 when I changed around the shaker arrangement, and it worked out fine.

Thanks Jay as yes, that would be far easier and I get a lighter hood as well as the stock hood as you know does weigh a ton!

[machoneman]

Hey, thanks guys for all the great pics! Still contemplating cutting up my stock '70 'Stang hood and adding a bolt-on Boss '9 hood scoop. Still dreading cutting a 15.5" - 16" hole in the steel hood to accommodate my 14" K&N filter-topped air cleaner.

So......................best way to cut that hole?

They sell hoods, both steel and 'glass.  I did same, got the scoop from Crites.  Put a piece of all thread with a sharpened point on it into the carb stud hole, cover carb with an old towel.  Adjust rod to poke hood right as it closes.  Drill 1/8 hole, use a 12~16 penny nail and string, mark the circle.  Get the jigsaw and get after it.

Thx Chris for the "how-to" as I see you have the same scoop on your car. I'm going to start looking at a 'glass hood (see Jay's note) and decide soon which way to go as I really do want an open scoop for cool air.

[mmason]

Here are some pictures of my 67 with a Shelby style hood. I bought a oil drip pan from advance auto and glued it to the underside of the hood. It fit fairly well and was rigid. From there you can fill in the gaps. Mine is a little crude but works nicely.

[cjshaker]

Doug - love me some velocity stacks!  What happened to all the gold ones anyway?

Dig around at Summit - found these:  https://www.summitracing.com/parts/otw-10-1250-01/overview/
Several colors too LOL

Chris, thanks for that link! Somebody on here made a set out of some sort of round fryer screen, so I'm looking into that, but those would work good when I just needed something quick and handy.

Not that it really matters, but my stacks are an old set that has a slightly bigger and slightly taller profile on the rear one. You can't get that today, but it adds to the vintage '70s look, IMO. They're going on this....which is why I got the fiberglass hood. Like Bob, I wasn't cutting on my OEM hood...