Question about NASA / NACA scoop bottom curvature.

[Bentworker]

I am starting to fit a repop hood. The intakes are OEM Ford.

the curvature of the hood does not match that of the intake.  So the question is which one is wrong... The hood or the intake?

Please take a look at the pic and let me know what you think.

 

[Mach1s]

I would have to say the insert is warped. Here is a pic of mine.

 

[giantpune]

Could just be the angle and the different colors of patina playing tricks.  But to me, the insert looks kinda trashed.  Is the front outer corner of it sitting down fully?  It kinda looks bent there or somehow obstructed so its not sitting down into the hood far enough.

For reference, here's mine.  Original scoop insert with extra layers of primer and paint on top of a couple different paint jobs over the years.  Its sitting in an aftermarket hood.  I couldn't get a great photo because its dark outside.

 

[MikeGriese]

The intakes are cast, just like the sport mirrors.  I don't see how they can warp.  Do you have the scoop for the other side?  I would compare the bottoms to each other - they should have the same mirror image profile.  If they do, I would suspect the hood.

 

[Bentworker]

I was kind of blown away with how floppy the scoops were for casted material (zinc maybe?).  They were a pair I bought used a while back and they are pretty rough.  The bottom of them is pretty weak, and they both convex on the bottom (but different amounts).  I could see how throwing them in a bin with a bunch of other parts could result in them getting tweaked.  I have a pair of the repop intakes coming to see if they are any different.  I'll end up running the repops or doing a little work to the hood to make them fit better.

 

[computercarguy]

Those cast pieces can be bent. If the hood they came off of was lying around with pressure pushing up under the scoop, that would be an easy way for it to get misshapen. I got nailed in the right-rear quarter panel a few years back. The heavy, cast quarter panel extension piece didn't break, but it was no longer flat on the mounting side by about an inch.

 

[Bentworker]

I took some time today and took a closer look at the used OEM ones I have.  

The used OEM were tweaked pretty good.  I tried to get them back into shape but failed.   It was hard to tell by looking at them since they were so dirty, but the drivers side one had one of the mounting points pulled on so hard that it sucked that part of the casting in about 1/8" (shown with the orange dots).  On top of that one was twisted and the bottom was flared up.  After hitting them up with some sandpaper and making an attempt at getting them straight I am not pleased with the fellow I bought them from on one of the Facebook 71-73 groups.  Cleaning them up showed they were not only tweaked- but cracked.  $80 for me to buy scrap metal and ship it across the US.

The repop ones arrived, and are pretty good.  Honestly the biggest issue with them is that whoever knocks the casting flash off is WAY too aggressive.  They were measurably smaller in a few places from someone going nuts with a sander.  I'd rather ACP would leave the flashing on for the end user to trim.  I am going to rock the ACP ones for now until I find a set of good used ones.

 

[Bentworker]

It seems that many of the used ones are deformed (sunken) in the circle area from fastener over-torque.  The photo is after I pushed that area out about 3/32”.  This one was twisted up too and had a crack inside.  Something to look out for if you are buying used.