Under the vents, there is a metal screen. Not much for a opening, as the holes are tiny.

Has anyone ever pulled the screens out, and put the vents back in, the front ones? Not really for a CAI, but to increase cooler air flow into the engine compartment.

 

Are you talking about the front ones or the side ones?

 

The front, middle 2, closest to the nose.

 

A long time ago I cut a hole behind each of them. Basically it is where the underside rolls up, so its directly behind the vent as air enters. Ill try to get a pic later of it. The top of the radiator is basically back there. Im going to pull the hood to refinish under it. I am going to smooth it out better. Its kinda a hack job I fixed better but still not perfect. I used a cutoff wheel

 

That was part of my plan too, to cut that wall out. But with the metal plate under the vents, there would still be a restriction. Did you remove the metal "screen" too, or just cut the sheet metal?

 

I don't think it would work very well. My thinking is that area where the vents are on the hood isn't in the airflows path. The airflow after hitting the nose passes over that year, there isn't that much pressure on that part of the hood.

At least, I think so, i'm not a fluid dynamics expert.

 

Well, your kinda right.

The first inch or so, is really a negative pressure boundary, so it couldn't really be used for a CAI for the engine intake, which wasn't my intention. But rather, a bit of extra cooling air, passing through the engine compartment. The rear vents could be opened to, and the air stream passing over them, could create a vacuum-effect, sucking hot under hood air out. I already pulled the rear seal off, to prevent it from sealing the heat under the hood.

Would it any 1 thing be worth a big difference? Probably not. But a little here & a little there adds up, all for the "stealth" effect.

Kinda like a TPI air foil...worth what....2hp? 3hp? I'm into all the little things adding up, yet retaining stock appearance. Which is also why I want Vortec heads and a SPDC TPI base. "Yeah....it's stock....look. Let's run."

 

I was wondering the very same thing and was in the middle of a search when I saw this post!!!!!!!!!!
So it can be done then??!!??!! Pullin the grill out from underneath the horizontal fins on the front of the hood.....
I have always wondered how that would look......
Anyone out there with Pics?
It's just one nut on either vent isn't it...... or is it 2??

PICS PLEEZE!!!!!

 

Isn't the base of the windshield where it meets the hood a high pressure area though?

 

The Poston Buick guys like this idea. They actually sell repro T/A hood grills and give instructions on how to cut the regal hood to install them.

Apparently it makes a positive defference, performance wise, by having that cold air run around the engine compartment.

 

2 nuts up front, and 2 tabs that slide under the mounts lip.

Thing is though, each nut has it's own access hole, and one of them, is too small for a nut to fit in there. Grab a dremel, and bore out the hole, big enough to fit the right socket in there.

I haven't done mine, but was thinking about it, when I pulled a spare vent out of another hood.