New guy needs some help please- How to measure for hood clearence

[jasonbabal]

Hi guys!
I need a little help please with my project. It's a 73'cuda and it was purchased at Mecum and I don't have a ton of history on it. Love the car, but it has a cowl induction hood. I want to replace it with a twin bulge hood. Is there a way to measure if it will fit with my intake/carb/air cleaner combination?

The air horn of the holley is just above the fenders when viewed from the side. The engine is a nasty 440 on an edelbrock intake.

 

[moparleo]

First, welcome to the site. Second Nice car ! Third, are you going to make it street able again ? The air cleaner would definitely have to go. You will need a low profile air cleaner. If you put a straight edge across the front fenders, you will be able to measure height. Remember that the dual scoops on the factory hood are not functional. Sorry, for looks only. Also since you don't have motor mounts, it has an engine plate mount instead, the engine just sits too high. The intake would have to go also. The more that I look at it, the more things I see that would need correcting. When someone builds a car for the track, a lot of the street things get changed. The correct coolant hoses, not the universal corrugated universal fit. Is that an electric water pump ? Cooling fans ? Type ? Horns, lights ? This car needs a thorough inspection to see what it really needs to go back to the street. Right now it is race track only. Which is ok if that is what you bought it for. But if you want it for the street, you have not finished buying the car yet. More $$$ Still looks good though.

 

[DetMatt1]

Welcome to the site from the Motor City! Looks like the element is quite tall, you could start by replacing it with a shorter one. Factory heater delete or is it just not plumbed?
Nice car btw.

 

[challenger6pak]

I've used that intake and Holley carb with the the factory Cuda hood. I had to use a low profile air cleaner to make it work.

 

[Yatzee]

Leaving the current air cleaner on, roll up a ball of plastesien or silly putty to a ball and close the lid gently while the ball is on top of the air cleaner housing. Measure the crushed ball. This will give you a pretty close measurement of the existing gap. Using this measurement you can judge the effects of different height manifolds with cleaners installed. Sometimes different manufactureres will give the height of their manifolds.

 

[jasonbabal]

It's a pretty brutal car, there's video out there on Youtube of it running 10.40. It will be a limited street driver, as everything down to the e brake works even though is has a 4 linked 9in with coil overs and brackets for wheelie bars.

A custom heater block off plate was installed.


This intake is a "Torker II". I would like to avoid changing the intake if at all possible. It does have a drop base air cleaner now, but with a 4 inch element.

I am not sure I understand about laying a straight edge across the fenders.

I took a few more pics-

 

[challenger6pak]

All you will need is a smaller element but you will be restricting air flow for the motor set up. If you want to stay all Mopar maybe a switch to the AAR hood would help.

 

[jasonbabal]

All you will need is a smaller element but you will be restricting air flow for the motor set up. If you want to stay all Mopar maybe a switch to the AAR hood would help.

I hadn't considered the AAR hood Who is repoing them?

 

[challenger6pak]

Several places are making them. I don't know how much more clearance you will have over a regular Cuda hood. You will have fresh air to keep your motor happy. Someone on here will chime in on best quality and hood clearance difference.