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.
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.
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.
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).
Although it required modification for our application, the tilt kit from AutoLoc allows the hood to move up and forward before opening.
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.
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.
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.
