Blue ballin hard over here

 

took us 6 hours last time, but that's because of all the practice we've gotten. 10, 8, 6... i think that's as good as we're gonna get.

 

Time to get a hood on this thing!

The project began with a donor hood from a scrapped car. Bolted it to the hinges and set the hood down on the engine... and this is where it stopped. We're going to need to get out the grinder!



Cut a big ol' hole and now it closes.



That's it! Hood's done.







Ok, perhaps not quite. With the hood cut to clear we can see how much of the engine sits proud of the NA hood line:



Made a template for the contour needed in the hood:



Time to get the actual hood. I've had this one sitting in my garage waiting for this project. It's a dry carbon piece with integrated headlight lids. Not the prettiest finish on it since it was a function-only part and I got it second-hand but it's going to be covered in matching livery with the rest of the car when all is done. Transferred the template over to the carbon hood:



The "cut once, measure twice" point... or was it the other way around?



After many, many times of cutting, test fitting, cutting a bit more, etc. (also cut a slot for the tow hook):



Then installed the Aerocatch latches:



And it's done! I'll be adding louvers and a radiator exit duct later, but this gets the hood fitting the car and suitable for driving:

 

I don't usually like when people just kinda cut a hole in the hood for the engine to stick out of, it just kinda looks unfinished. But yours doesn't really look unfinished, maybe it's how close you cut the hood, or the carbon fiber cover. Not really sure, but it actually looks pretty good.

 

Thanks There will be more going on on the hood when it's done too, so it'll look less out of place than your typical blank hood with just a hole cut for something to stick through. With the big radiator exit duct just forward of where the intake manifold sticks through, and with the hood wrapped in matching tricolor livery I think it will look great. At least, I have it envisioned in my head and I like what I'm seeing

 

Sooo...shakedown test track day on Saturday right?

 

Are you anticipating the engine rocking side to side at all? Seems really tight!

 

I believe CCPFabrication has a hood meant for that and it may be lighter.

 

Just ordered doors from CCP actually. Yes their hood is the easy button for something that clears, but I like the road I'm going down with this.

 

Doors...you're trying to add lightness aren't you
I had their doors on my NB, dropped about 20lbs per door and my doors were already gutted.

 

i need a set of their doors :(

 

I know

 

DG Motorsports has the inner door pockets that clear assorted tubes and such...

 

Ryan, are you taking into account of the engine rocking on the mounts or is it mounted pretty solid?

Clearance looks tight between the hood and the engine cover.

 

The engine mounts don't allow for much side-side movement at all. We will see. I don't want a larger gap than needed. If it touches a bit, I know a guy with a grinder

 

SOOOO much easier than the way I went but I am please with my results I guess. I opened up the hood and then used clay to form a cowl that cleared everything. Covered the clay with foil and packaging tape and made a glass mold. Built up the cowl and then bonded and blended it to the hood.

 

Here is the inside while test fitting before paint....

 

End result on that cowl hood looks great though. Also love the green valve covers!

 

And the matching reservoir of hulk juice.

 

You have no idea what that means to me coming from you man.....

This car was my first go at body work and it started off as a $500 donor that didn't have a single panel on it that wasn't trash.