I've been restoring my '69 M code Cuda and was just wondering about something on the car. It has 'functional' hood scoops! The small 'Cuda hood scoops on this car are open in the front, rather than closed off, and there are rectangular holes cut in the hood accordingly. Inside the hood, originally there were some crappy looking 'ducts' that pointed the air toward the engine.
I bought this car from my brother in 1973, so I'm the third owner. My brother didn't cut holes in the hood or the scoops, and I sincerely doubt that the original owner did either, although I don't know who that was or whether he did that or not. I just kind of doubt that someone would start hacking up a brand new car. He did put a small trailer hitch on it, though!
During the first restoration, in the late 70's, I removed the ugly ducts inside the hood (wish I still had them, but I imagine they got tossed) and my brother who was a tinner at the time made some nicer looking ducts to fit the rectangular holes in the hood.
Has anyone heard of these scoops being open? Every Mopar expert I've talked to said that they were all closed off.
My car has a couple of other rarities, such as the Slickback vinyl top and factory hood pins, so maybe the boys at Chrysler were feeling experimental one day when they cut holes in the hood? I've always wondered about those scoops, especially after looking for others that were open for the last 47 years, and not finding any!
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