My 60 El Camino will be getting a 6-71 pretty soon. Although I have been doing body & paint off & on for 25 years, I've never had to do anything like this before. How would you do it?

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MY 69 (http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/xchange/xchange.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=22&exact_match=on&photo_size=full)
My 65 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/JPs65frt.jpg)

VERY CAREFULLY. What's that old saying-measure twice, cut once? I would suggest getting some large hood-sized pieces of cardboard. Remove your hood, cut these the same size/shape, and when you get one cut out the way you like it to fit around the blower, transfer this onto your hood and you'll know where to cut.

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Rob F.
TC #312
68' SS396 6-spd Pro Touring Elky
My EC (http://home.earthlink.net/~usass396)

Rob has an excellent idea. Be ready to be cutting the front and rear of the hole a few times to make it bigger. The front will give you the most trouble. Because of the arch the hood travels, as the hood comes down the blower will be further forward than it is when the hood is closed all the way.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

or you could be like my neighbour, who installs cams with a hammer..and use a chainsaw.

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1979 Chevy Malibu 2-Door with a lumpy Chevy 355. (Hot Rod)
1983 Chevy Malibu 4-Door with a 231 (3.8L) Buick V-6 with Edelbrock Goodies (Daily Driver)
The 2-Door (http://robertsoncustomcomputers.hypermart.net/malibu.gif)
The 83 4-Door (Pic Soon)
Aaron "The Hammer" Robertson.
Speed kills...drive a Ford and live FOREVER
Youth And Hotrodding - A Car Club for Those Under 25 (http://www.geocities.com/youthandhotrodding)

Why not save the stock steel hood and get a fiberglass one already set up and reinforced for the opening? You are going to have to paint it eitherway.

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OrrieG
64 Malibu HT Survivor (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/OrrieG1.jpg)

Not to intrude on your question but what would be the best way to finish the edges where the hood has been cut?

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502 1972 chevelle

I was wondering a little about that myself. I guess I would file the egdes smooth & straight, then D.A. sand them with 80 grit. Prime & paint.
That would be the simple method. I've seen nicer than that but never asked how it done. Rolled edges would look great, but how do you do that?

Hi Jimmy,
I've used an air nibbler in the past for this sort of thing and I think it works very well. You get no damage to the surrounding metal and with a little talent you can trim and shape to your hearts content. Plus the tool is inexpensive. As far as the edge goes the only thing I can think of is to add a peice of an extruded shape to the underside to give it that rolled look. The only other thing I can think of is to put a peice of that plastic door edging that people use to avoid door ding/chips. Kinda cheezy but it would hide the edge. I'm patiently waiting on a picture of the blower sticking through the hood now.
Lance

I measured and marked VERY carefully, then used a reciprocating saw to cut through both the top skin and reinforcing braces at the same time. Keep the saw vertical as you cut so the hole is the same size top and bottom.
Next I cut strips of 18 gauge sheetmetal about 1 1/4 inches wide and 24 inches long. (One long strip would be great, but my metal was not long enough.)
I formed the strips to the shape of the hole leaving them about 1/4 inch above the top of the hood surface and tack welded them in place.
This left a nice flat finished surface around the inside perimiter of the hole.
I next used seam sealer in a tube to put a nice bead of caulk all the way around the top outside of the 1/4 inch that sticks up above the top of the hood.
This sealed the ring to the hood, and with the 1/4 sticking up prevents rain water from flowing into the hole and on the engine.
I don't have great pics of this but perhaps these will give an idea: http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/El Camino
3reduced-noscoop.JPG http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/El Camino
2reduced-noscoop.JPG
Looks like these are not working - sorry

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Make it the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!
http://chevelles.com/showroom/alelcaminofront.jpg
http://www.angelfire.com/al4/alcamino64/index.html

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/El%20Camino%203reduced-noscoop.JPG

and
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/El%20Camino%202reduced-noscoop.JPG

The proper method is to "string" what ever it is sticking up (without the hood on) and use tape with marks on the fenders / cowl /grille. Then mount the hood and using the tape markers, rerun the string and the outline will be on the hood. Mark off with a grease pencil and allow whatever clearance you need/want. Then cut away. This has been shown in several magazines in the past and works.

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Dave Bradley
www.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley (http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/d1_bradley)
'69 SS396 ragtop
'33 3W Coupe
'65 Vette BB Roadster

Nice car 283v8 but what I would like to do is put a shaker hood scoop on my 72. How would be the best to finish the edges?