Educate Me On Hood Scoop Rules!

[thundersalt]

I tend to believe the cowl stops where the dashboard begins.

Years ago when I first went through I-CAR auto body certification I believe the cowl goes back to the forward edge of the front door But I fix RV's now so what do I know

[38flattie]

You guys are proving my point!

Stan, -I tend to believe the cowl stops where the dashboard begins.

Brian- I believe the cowl goes back to the forward edge of the front door

John Romero-Defining where the cowl ends is tough but I think everyone would agree that from the base of the windshield and rearward is no longer the cowl.

I think that if the cowl is going to be used as a definitive ending point for streamlining, then there should be a clear definition of cowl.

I also believe it it is wrong to impose the definition of an un-blown hood scoop on a blown car. On an un-blown car, the scoop is only used for scavenging air, and aero dynamics, so the 11" height seems reasonable.

On a blown car, the scoop often times also covers a blower sticking through the hood. It seems to me, that the same 11" height requirement is arbitrary and restrictive.

So, even if we modify the hood scoop to comply with the aero mods allowed, ''streamlining ahead of and including the cowl'', we could be challenged in impound and lose.

Why? Because where the cowl ends is interpreted differently by everybody!

[Steve Walters]

I think the wording on scoops has to say that, to keep someone from getting protested when they have a huge blower sticking out of the hood.

 The word cowl certainly needs to be researched, and a definition added to the Rule Book.

Steve
 

[Steve Walters]

cowl (koul)
n.
1.
a. The hood or hooded robe worn especially by a monk.
b. A draped neckline on a woman's garment.
2. A hood-shaped covering used to increase the draft of a chimney.
3. The top portion of the front part of an automobile body, supporting the windshield and dashboard.
4. The cowling on an aircraft.
tr.v. cowled, cowl·ing, cowls
To cover with or as if with a cowl.


Steve

[38flattie]

I think the wording on scoops has to say that, to keep someone from getting protested when they have a huge blower sticking out of the hood.
Steve
 

So, a car with no blower, and the car with the "huge blower sticking out of the hood", should be held to identicle hood scoop dimensions?

[Steve Walters]

Whoa, thats not what I meant at all.  The wording pertaining to un-blown cars, cause the blowers, especialy in the early days, were usually sticking up higher than the requirements of the hood scoops.  When the rule was written it was most likely written to keep the big blown cars on the track. 

I'm not trying to beat you out of your scoop, I'm just giving you my opinion on why the rule wording is like it is.

Steve 

[38flattie]

No worries Steve! I understand what you're saying.

Even though only a few cars appear to be effected, I'm just pointing out the short comings of the rule as currently written (not written?).

[Ron Gibson]

  As has been said before elsewhere, no one will care until you take a record from someone.  Then the excuse "I've always done it that way" won,t make it right or legal.
  I think you need a ruling in writing just to CYA.
  Fascinating, dedicated  build to watch. Good luck, Go fast.

Ron

[GH]

Ron. I haven't seen you in a long time. How you doing?

[Ron Gibson]

Hi Gary
 Gettin older, aren't we all? Hated to see you sell your Stude, but understand.
Tried for WOS. Car ready, short notice, borrowed trailer not. Worked all night on trailer bearings, springs,axles, headed West. 150 miles threw tread, tore off fender. 150 more, smoked trailer bearing and hub (not one I worked on).
 $75 gas, $100 parts and 28 hours later and still have all of western Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah to go said F it and went home.
 Tried to get time off for WF but couldn't.
 Other than that I'm doing GREAT. Be ready for this year.

Ron

[BoredAndStroked]

This is one fascinating conversation/thread to say the least!  Without there being some definitive answer on how the heck we know where a cowl begins/ends, this could go on forever.   With that said, the FlatCad crew isn't the first down this road . . . but that doesn't mean that somebody can't make us the first car that a rules violation complaint is made against for a /BCC car.   Given the amount of work all this stuff takes - having a solid rules review and determination makes sense for all of us. 

We'll all be patiently waiting! 

[dw230]

Solid rules review - good we will see you at the meeting. Or, just start without me and I'll catch up. Looks like you have the time which is not a luxury I can afford.

With a rulebook that is, at best, an accumlation of 60+ years of competition when one rule that has never been or seldom challenged a complete annual review seems unproductive. Ading pages and pages of definations does not seem to be needed. I think we can all agree that conventional wisdom, combined experience will tell us that the cowl ends at the outside base of the windshield and anything beyond that point, moving to the rear of the car, is the dash board. The Wiki definition in a previous post tells us that the cowl includes support(top of?) the dash board. But then thats Wiki, right?

Before we get numerous pages discussing the effect of a wrap around windshield the rule book does state the center line of the car for measurement.

Just exactly how many miles an hour does this hoop scoop represent, what does yhe engineering tell you? I certainly hope you get your 35-50 MPH from that piece.

DW

[38flattie]

Dan, I do agree that a whole bunch more pages of rules and definitions are not needed.
 
I do think, however, that the hood scoop definition need to be changed or amended-even if I'm the only car that had had an issue! I think it can be as simple as taking the wording 'un-blown vehicle' out of the sentence, or adding 'and blown vehicles', to encompass all hood scoops.

Another alternative would be to allow the blown vehicles to build 11" up from the top of the intake, instead of the hood. Either way would be an easy definition fix.

No, I don't think the hood scoop will get us the whole 34 MPH we are looking for. We hope the scoop, spoiler. wheel fairings, and added HP will do the trick, though.

Rules and speed aside, I'd like to thank you guys for the diligence and effort you've expended, in getting us answers. The spoiler issue has been taken care of, and I'm sure the hood will be soon.

[WZ JUNK]

DW,  Thank you for you time and understanding.  I do not know the outcome of these changes.  I hope they will help.  My main concern is that the car does not arrive at the event and be unable to run because of a change that was made.  By making the changes, acording to the guidlines you have given, I feel better about the modifications.

John

[dw230]

See, common sense does prevail.

DW