Although it seems contradictory, even with a hot rod that could be considered impractical, such as our RamRodder, there are some practical considerations to be made during its construction. For example, even a straight-axle street gasser with a blown Chrysler needs to have the oil checked occasionally, so gaining easy access to the engine compartment is a necessity.
With the hood of RamRodder...
With the hood of RamRodder closed, the front sheetmetal looks stock-well, other than the scoop stickin' out of the hood. Clearing that scoop is what complicates normal operation of the hood.
Thanks to the fact that we had to cut a big hole in RamRodder's hood for the air scoop and the framework for the stock hinges had been eliminated, keeping things original wasn't an option. A race car-inspired lift off was considered, but the stock steel hood is just heavy enough to be difficult for one person to manage and a pair of helping hands may not always be available. Then of course there's always the classic gasser tilt front end-the problem there is the rear portions of the fenders are always in the way when the hood is open-and we don't like the looks of the fenders when the rear portions are cut off and stay with the body when the rest of the sheetmetal tilts. Since RamRodder's entire front clip is easily removed for serious repair work, for general access we decided to hinge the hood at the front and make it tilt forward.
Although it required modification...
Although it required modification for our application, the tilt kit from AutoLoc allows the hood to move up and forward before opening.
While tilting just the hood seems simple enough, there are some complications. First is that due to the shape of the Plymouth's hood it has to move forward as it opens so as not to collide with the grille. Even then, some sort of limiting strap, cable, or other device has to be included to keep the hood from opening too far (we'll add that when we begin doing bodywork.). Another consideration is how stiff the hood is-in our case, the major support was the brace that mounted the hood hinges, which had to be removed because of the blower. Add to that the big hole for the carb scoops and the result is now just a floppy piece of sheetmetal. Again, the plan is to add reinforcement to the edges of the opening to stiffen the hood when we do the bodywork. The final consideration is how to secure the hood when it's closed. Hood pins, Dzus fasteners, and a variety of other mechanical methods are often used (we'll be retaining the stock hood latch at the front).
Finally, the hood pivots to...
Finally, the hood pivots to tilt forward. How far it opens depends on clearances-in this case the nose of the hood and the upper grille bar are the limiting factors.
With a plan in mind we did some research and found that a universal tilt hood kit is available from AutoLoc. Carrying PN TILTHD, this kit solved a number of the problems we were facing: it moves the hood forward as it tilts, has a framework to reinforce the hood, and includes runners that lock down the rear of the hood when it's closed.
Originally designed for newer pickup trucks, AutoLoc's tilt hood kit is certainly not a simple bolt-in for any applications other than those intended. We knew modifications would be in order, but then cutting up perfectly good parts is what this hobby is all about.
For complete access to the...
For complete access to the engine, the entire front clip of the RamRodder (including the hood) will be held on with six fasteners.
Designed for '88-90 Chevy/GMC...
Designed for '88-90 Chevy/GMC trucks, AutoLoc's tilt hood kit (PN TILTHD) can be used for a variety of applications. We had to narrow the pivot assembly and lengthen the arms that attach to the hood for our application. Power kits with and without remote control are also available
The front fenders attach to...
The front fenders attach to the core support, which mounts to the front crossmember with two downward-facing studs that can be seen under the lower blower belt pulley.
To facilitate changing the...
To facilitate changing the upper blower pulley or the belt, the top bar of the core support was made removable. It now attaches with four bolts.
The pivot point of the hood...
The pivot point of the hood had to be moved forward to provide operating clearance. We fabricated new mounting brackets and welded them to the core support.
Mounted to our new brackets...
Mounted to our new brackets is the hinge link that allows the hood to move up and forward as it opens. We had to narrow it for our application.
To support the rather flimsy...
To support the rather flimsy hood and follow its contour we lengthened and reshaped the reinforcement frame with 1-inch square tubing.
At the rear of the hood are...
At the rear of the hood are slider tracks, pins in the hood reinforcement frame fit into the slots and guide the hood as it closes and locks in position once it's down.
To give support to the slider...
To give support to the slider track we added an angle iron gusset. Holes were drilled just for fun.
This is the pin on the hood...
This is the pin on the hood frame that indexes with the slot on the slider.
Just to make sure everything...
Just to make sure everything worked as planned, we did a test of the hinge/frameworks assembly. As the hood begins to close the hinge link holds the hood up at the front...
...while at the rear the pins...
...while at the rear the pins rest on the slider.
As the hood continues to close...
As the hood continues to close the hinge/link assembly rotates and drops the front...
...as the pin engages the...
...as the pin engages the hook on the slider, locking down the rear of the hood.
Using very high-tech cardboard...
Using very high-tech cardboard spacers, the hood was set in place between the fenders.
From under the fenders, with...
From under the fenders, with the hood closed (shown open for clarity) four tabs made from 1/8x2-inch steel strap were welded to the hood frame and secured to the hood with screws (that will allow for some adjustment when doing the bodywork and doing the final fit of the hood).