My core has 875 cubic inches. 14" wide, 25" tall and I think, 2.5" thick. I cannot measure the thickness without taking things apart. I really don't have room to move the fan back, as it is only slightly ahead of the distributor. Your flathead is doing pretty well with hood sides and top and no louvers. Mine was fairly happy last summer with no hood but this summer with the hood tops in place the fan needs to run more. The temp gets to about 195 climbing hills or stopped in traffic but I really need to drive it more to see just how it will be. My fan starts automatically at 185. Thanks so much for your comments. HFH.
After driving my car on some hot days it's clear to me that if I want to run a hood in the summertime I need to have some louvers. So I'm back to using string to get a layout that suits me. I ran strings along the bottoms of the hood sides to extend the taper to where the strings meet out in front of my car. I added a string down the center of the hood. I made the center line of the rows of louvers meet at that point too.
My old hood has rows of louvers that get closer together as they go forward. The louvers though, were cut parallel to the back edge of the hood. I like this look so I will ask my louver friend Roy, to do the louvers this way again. I really like the shapes of these 3" louvers.
Just for fun I am playing with other ways to finish off the space below the grille and between the frame rails. Sorry they’re not better pictures.
I've always liked the looks of your Roadster with the Riley grille. Cardboard is cheap, see if you like the rolled front that follows the top rail like a Bugatti G.P. car. Bob
Cardboard #1 would get my vote. That and $5 will barely get you a cup of coffee these days though. Love the car - you definitely got the lines right.
Thank you 1shot. I think you are right that I need to get more air through the radiator and although I like the way the hood looks with what I have now, they just don’t flow enough air on a hot day. I should probably go back to my louver friend Roy to see if he can extend those rows to the front of the hood. It will be fun to see if that makes some difference.
I know nothing about louvers but I am curious how much air is passing through louvers in a hood. Where does the air flow as it passes the front of the car, across the hood, and then hits the windshield? Does the amount of air flow vary dependent on where the louvers are placed? My thoughts are that the area in front of the windshield is a high pressure area. Just some aimlessly, idle thoughts.
I've always wondered if there was a difference in air flow between what we call normal louvers and the same louvers "reversed". The Bugatti hoods had both. Bob
Notice the louvers in the front apron they are facing foreword to acts like scoops to catch the air into the radiator same theory is used on the hood sides.
Another idea, keeping everything around the grille very simple, with air around the bottom of the grille. Two ideas about how to blend the frame rails with the grille.
I really enjoy developing ideas with cardboard. I am always tempted to add curves but in the end, keeping things around the grille very simple so that the grille remains the ‘star of the show’ seemed like the best solution. I need to have the number plate to get it inspected so that needs to be in place for now.
Use black poster board as a template to get a better idea of how it will look all one color, so it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. Did you do anything with your louvers per our PM. Frank
My friend said that I would need to make a new hood in order to do louvers your way. Is this so? I was hoping he could just alter the hood I have now. But I would like to somehow do what you are talking about. Thank you for your suggestion.
I did not have to make a new hood, tell him to take some scraps and practice on it. His louvers spacing may be so close that he cant do it without making a new hood. Frank
I ran this roadster for years without a hood. And I hated electric fans. Because of the injector pump I couldn't run a regular fan. I did have a small (10-inch or so) electric fan and it had a very small 3/4 shroud on around it. I didn't have a thermostatic switch on it. I'd seen how these seem to kick on when you're on the verge of trouble. Most guys can tell when they're going to need it – like slowly pulling a big hill, stuck in city traffic, etc. I just flipped a switch anticipating the problem and that worked most of the time. An I didn't have to hear it when the switch was off.
Hi Frank, my louvers are 1 1/4 “ apart. If I have to make a new hood, since I am trying to learn something about working sheet metal, it will be good. A good winter project. Thanks again, Howard.