Trans Am Shaker Question

[JoshStratton]

I am a little curious. What are the benefits of the factory look where the shaker opening is reversed on the Trans Am? Since it is where the carb gets it's air, wouldn't it be more beneficial to have the opening facing the front of the car to allow for more forced air flow?

The reason I ask, is because I am thinking of changing the hood a little. I would like to give it kind of a Mustang GT look to go with an LSx engine.

[WS6]

The TA scoops used to open. If you make yours functional it will pull in air rather well. It doesn't sit close enough to pull in cold air like the old cowl induction hoods on the Chevelles and Camros, but it does a pretty good.

You will need to move whatever forward facing scoop you want to use closer to the front of the car in order for it to work well. You could try to make the formula hood functional, but the early formual hoods would really work much better.

[JoshStratton]

Thanks Trey.

I guess that makes a lot of sense. Here is a rendering that was done last year in Hot Rod magazine. I am not thinking of this exact thing, but the concept is similar. So based on what you are saying, this one would be pretty much usless for cold air induction, or at least not as effective? I don't think I will be too worried about the cold air from the hood, as I wont be going with a carbed engine.

[formula]

right. your high pressure zones are on the very front edge of the hood and right at the cowl. Everything in between, unless pulled up pretty high off of the car (i.e. challenger t/a scoop) is going to be relatively useless for pressurized air entry.

It'll still suck cooler air in than what's floating around in your engine bay, though.

[Bandit]

right. your high pressure zones are on the very front edge of the hood and right at the cowl.

Josh,
This is one reason I chose to abandon the stock shaker and go with the cowl hood, although mine still isn't functional (it's just a matter of cutting the holes out).
This is old-school performance modding but it works, especially at higher speeds. Air "swirls" downward off the windshield and forward into the cowl opening, giving the engine a cool charge of intake air. I have read that you can pick up as much as 20hp, depending on the engine. I assume a functional shaker scoop would work the same way, but not flow as much air. The backward opening design has the added benefit of not ramming as much water into the engine bay, should it be necessary to drive in the rain.

I really like your ideas for a hood, I think you're on to something here! I want to see you do something different, that no one else has, as well as functional!

Paul

[WS6]

Something similar to the hood in the rendering may not be as functional as you would think, but it will look good and be better than having a closed shaker. Unless of course you figure a way to route cold air into the shaker base plate. I think you could come up with something similar to that car that would look good and it would definetly be different. Don't let the fact that it won't be completely functional stop you.

[Skip Fix]

Most stock type Shaker bases have a cold air duct fron the front fender/core support area. My stock one with an air cleaner element flows enough to let me run high 10s @124.5.

Ken Keefer aka "Pontiac Dude" has a taller fiberglass Shaker you can bolt on to the base or hood.

That Hot Rod rendering if the scoop was slid forward more it would look more like an old GTO scoop. A buddy put a Rover/Buick V8 in a MG B and grafted an older GTO scoop on it. Looked pretty factory!

[formulafr]

shaker is better if you drive when it rains

[JoshStratton]

Oh that is a great chart! Thanks for posting up.

[formulafr]

it's always a pleasure to exchange informations