Trimming Brace in Fiberglass Hood

[Pontiac787]

Hey guys,

I have a fiberglass hood on my Mustang that has a functional 1966 style hood scoop. I need to cut a half-moon shape out of an under-hood brace to make room for a taller air cleaner filter. Once the brace is notched the air cleaner will be able to sit up inside the hood scoop.

The cut will only be about 7” across and 3” wide. It will go about ½ way into the support. I don’t think it will undermine the integrity of the hood at all but if it does the support will be easy to brace. This is thin finished fiberglass. I’m cutting from the bottom up.

Any suggestions on what I should use to cut it?  I was thinking about trying a close quarters hacksaw or maybe a die grinder with a diamond blade

[Falcon67]

LAst time I hacked on my fiberglass hood, I used a regular cutoff wheel on a die grinder.  Wear a mask goes without saying.  If needed you can take a piece of pine/sick the appropriate size and glass that in behind the cut if needed to stiffen the area.  Fiberglass is messy but pretty easy to work with.  My hood is from Unlimited and it's over 30 years old and has had several different scoops.  Last mod it went from a round 17" hole to clear an air cleaner for the tear drop scoop to a rectangle hole for the tunnel ram and "gasser" scoop.