I just installed a 350 with Performer RPM intake and Edelbrock 1405 carb - hood won't shut on this beast.

Will adding a fiberglass cowl to a stock hood work? I was hoping to just cut a hole in my stock hood, and add a cowl. I don't have cash for a whole new hood, and I don't have a garage, and right now she's TOPLESS!

I thought I read where problems arise with painting - something about the fiberglass and metal expanding and contracting differently, and the paint cracks at the transition.

What to do?

 

What size air cleaner do you have? The hood should be able to close with that intake. I have a friend with an RPM Air Gap on a 400sbc in a Firebird (which has a lower hoodline than a Camaro) and the stock hood closes just fine.

He uses a 14x3 air cleaner. Its a dropped-base style.

 

Nope - it won't close. Everyone says it will, but it won't. I tried 3 different "drop-base" cleaners, but it ain't gonna happen. I can look across the top and see that the air horn on the carb stands higher than the cowl lip of the body. When I did the swap, I put in new poly motor mounts - maybe that has something to do with it.

I'd sure be willing to try another air cleaner first (before cutting a hole) - someone shoot me a brand and part number from one they have under their stock hood with same setup that worked for them and I'll try it.

 

If you try to bond a fiberglass cowl to your stock hood, you're going to have problems with it cracking at the joint due to body flex. Either make a metal cowl and braze it on, or get a fiberglass hood.