Hood scoop help needed
 

I just got back from the body shop that is prepping and painting my car. It's an early Contemporary which I am told mimics the shape of a real Cobra about as close as they get. I have had the shop cut off the molded on scoop that was on the car, and bought a fiberglass scoop from Cobra Restorers to have them rivet the scoop on as in an original. They did a great job on the hood, the hole in the hood is the exact correct size and shape, etc. The problem now is that when they lay the hood scoop on the hood, it doesn't even come close to following the contours of the hood. The center of the back surface and the front corners touch the hood, everything else is in the air. some parts of the gap are about 1/2". The scoop is pretty stiff and rigid, I fear that if we rivet this thing down it still won't look right, it still won't lay flat. A bunch of us used our fingers all around the perimeter where the rivets would go to try to see how it would lay, and it just looked terrible, it doesn't lay right. I called Cobra Restorers and they suggested that I just buy another one, effectively throwing good money after bad - that doesn't sound like such a good idea to me. Any ideas? Is this normal? Should I buy a new scoop? Should I try a aluminum one? This one is fiberglass. Where can I look to another supplier for a different 'glass or aluminum scoop? I guess I can get aluminum from Kirkham (maybe) but I can't begin to imagine the cost. Would a aluminum scoop be easier or more difficult to form the the curvature of the hood? Any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks.

If you have a good fiberglass person in your area, take the car and scoop to them. They should be able to make it work by adding and taking away what they need to. Several people around here have did that, from having them raised to making them fit the curves of the hood flush and once the guy was done and painted it, you couldn't tell it had ever been worked on, except one that he raised about 4" so it would clear the two big carbs.

Ron

Take it to someone that glasses. I had the same issue and this is how I fixed it. I masked off the portion of the hood that the scoop rests on (to protect the paint on the hood from the resin). Then laid up about 1/8" of glass on that masked off area (it was about 3 layers of 2oz mat) to make a "flange" that matches the hood's contours. Make sure this "flange" is at least 1" outside the footprint of the new scoop. When the glass kicked, I pulled this "compound curved" sheet off the masked hood. Then I mocked up how the scoop would fit onto this fiberglass sheet, marked it all out, cut off the appropriate parts of the scoop to match the shape of the curved glass sheet, and then bonded the two together (inside of scoop to topside of the sanded flange). Since the sheet was laid up to match the curves of the hood, the new "flange" will now allow a perfect fit. This is an oversimplification of what I did, but a decent fiberglass guy will know all of the ins-and-outs of this and be able rough it in in one day. Bondo and finishing should take another couple of days. When finished, it will look like it was made for the car (and use aluminum rivets, but I suppose you knew that already).

Given that the Contemporary was splashed from a genuine Cobra and is allegedly as dead nuts on as they come, shouldn't the darn scoop just fit correctly without all the gymnastics? This is very frustrating.

Doug,

I looked at mine.... I have a weber style aluminum. I can't tell if the hood or scoop were doctor'd to fit, but can tell you that it does fit perfectly. You shouldn't force this glass one into position. Even if it worked, the glass and gel coat, if any, would eventually stress crack. It sounds to me like this scoop is too flat, maybe like a Mustang type. If you are going to use this one, you could possibly cut reliefs around the perimiter of the scoop so that if fits the hood and then glass it over. I'll see if I can find a source for this weber style...

Sounds like you got the typical "oh well" answer from Cobra Restorers.

Any good fiberglass shop should be able to make you a scoop. Take the one you have along with your hood to a shop and have them make up a new one or get some foam and make your own mold.

I have 2 scoops 1 aluminum and 1 fiberglass I'm in inwood (near jfk) if you are interested pm me

Bobby

Add a 2" carb spacer and let the air cleaner stick out of the hood hot rod style.....**)

Come on Doug, think Bob's scoop is dead nuts accurate to all cars? I am guessing that might have something to do with it.
Everything on these cars takes a little tweeking. At least in my experience.

Try Bobby above, maybe one will fit better?

PM sent - thanks.

Jeff,
Given that our cars are supposedly as close to the originals as most replicas get, and that this scoop from Cobra Restorers is allegedly designed to fit an original, I would expect it to fit, if not perfectly than at least close. This thing isn't even close. Without major modification it's unusable. Tweaking isn't going to do it. In Enzo's defense, I didn't get it from him, it's from Cobra Restorers.

Doug,

Just went out and checked mine. If you put this scoop flat on the floor, does it sit flat all the way around? The hood on has got a slight curve to it as should the scoop. Sounds like yours was cast with the outside edges made flat. I would guess it was meant to be bonded to the hood. I like the looks of the weber style.... my vote!

Doug,

Just busting your chops....
The original aluminum hoods (I have purchased one) are very flexible and would give where the glass hood is rock solid. Also what did CR mold their scoop from? How did Shelby do it in the 60's? Many questions here which still bring me to the same result, nothing is a perfect fit on these cars. There is always work to fit. :)

Dave used to work alot of glass, listen to him.

I will PM you....Jeff

Thanks, Dave. I called Kirkham, they'll sell me an aluminum scoop, and Bobby by me has a fiberglass one that I'll take a look at to see if it's usable. I guess I'll take it from there. Thanks for the info. One of these years I may actually drive this thing.:LOL:

PM answered!:)

Try softening the glass with a heat gun and clamping to correct radius curve as it cools.

There in a c.c. member called pequajoe, from long island. He has a csx 4000 and has been trying a few different scoops on his to get a taller one. He is a hell of a nice guy, maybe he will lend them to you so you can see if one fits and order that one.

I currently have the hood scoop off from my ERA. I just checked it on a flat surface, sits perfectly level all around. I would expect the ERA and the Contemporary to be the same, considering they were both built from an original.

Conclusion must be: What the heck is Cobra Restorers smokin' selling a curved hood scoop?

Terry,
I modify a lot of hoods and scoops, if I can help ust let me know.
DV

Hood Scoop
 

Due to the crown of the hood, the Flange/Lip around the sides (not the back)of the original Contemporary fiberglass scoop was angled down slightly to ease the installation process. If yours is a hand laid scoop, there should be enough give in it to pop-rivet it in place without damaging it. To make the process easier, you may want to put the scoop under a heat lamp for a few minutes (it will make the glass a little more flexible) before installing it.

Peter,
I see you are in Mamaroneck. Were you involved in the bulding of Contemporary's?