Car Hood Vents
While there are certainly many different modifications you can have done to your car, a hood vent or “scoop” is one of the most common. These serve not only an aesthetic purpose but also a practical one as well. Most of the time internal combustion engines take in air which is ventilated by rubber or plastic tubing which is located directly under the front bumper of the vehicle. Most of the intake air is around 28 degrees Celsius and is far less dense than the ambient temperature. By getting a hood vent/scoop for your vehicle, you will be able to give the engine cooler denser air from the outside, thereby increasing its overall power.
The right car hood vent will also be able to increase the pressure and speed at which the air goes into the engine which in turn results in what is called a resonance supercharging effect which usually only occurs at extremely high speeds. A lot of people who engage in street racing get these hood vents to increase their speed on the roads and it can sometimes be very effective if you get it done right. Those who are not familiar with doing this type of work should leave it to a professional who does it for a living, so you know that you will get one installed properly. The term “Ram air” which was coined by Pontiac refers to cars which have functional hood scoops that are not on the vehicle for purely aesthetic purposes and can actually make a difference with regards to air intake.
There are what are called intercooler scoops which are typically found on vehicles which have superchargers or turbochargers in them. They come with intercoolers which are mounted on top of the car in order to cut bring down the temperature and increase density with regards to the air that is produced by the vehicle’s compressor. The process of channeling heat to the intercooler is somewhat similar to what happens with a radiator and it can increase its overall effectiveness as well as providing a somewhat small yet noticeable difference in the engine’s power. In order for one of these hood vents to be effective and fully functional it must be installed at a certain point on the hood where there is high pressure air being taken in. Because of this a number of these scoops are put on the back of the vehicle on the rear hood which is located close to the “cowl” where the unique curvature of the windshield results in an especially high-pressure area.
You will need to consider where you want to put the vent on your vehicle, because although you typically see them on the front hood, that may not be the best place to have yours installed. By looking into the specific design of your car you will be able to determine for yourself where your scoop should go. It tends to be different for every vehicle, so keep that in mind when you are trying to determine what you should do about the placement of your hood vent. It is important to remember that an effective scoop has to be able to funnel the air in such a way where it takes the shortest path possible, thereby resulting in a truly effective method of providing engine’s intake with the necessary air to power it.
The scoop or vent on a car may actually be part of the hood itself, poking out from a hole which is made in the bonnet of the vehicle. Usually these are referred to as “shaker hoods” because of the fact that the vent vibrates in a rather noticeable way when the engine in the car is running, especially when it is revved. These hood scoops are often associated with off-road racing/driving and can be highly beneficial because of the fact that they can be installed with rock guards which can protect from unnecessary damage which many people encounter when engaging in off-road racing.
If you find yourself going off the beaten path on even a semi-regular basis, it might be a good idea to get one of these installed on your car. Before you get one of these installed you will certainly want to think about some of the different designs to choose from as well as where you are going to get this work done, because it will make a difference in the quality of the job. If you want a truly high-quality and effective hood vent, it will be important to get it done somewhere you trust.
