This great hood scoop has quite the story behind it.
In the 1960s, Mopar was on top of the racing world, especially in drag racing, as their big-block and Hemi engines dominated the playing field. It was almost impossible to beat a well-built Hemi V8 in terms of power, and the cars themselves had a lot of great qualities that made them easily controlled and capable of emphasizing the ground. But, as the car guy featuring the car initially pointed out, Chevy would soon come in to dethrone Dodge and its Mopar brethren but not before receiving a blow that would knock them on their butts for decades to come in the performance automotive world.
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If you were alive back then, you might remember a magazine cover that featured a Hemi-powered racer making over 800 horsepower. Of course, this incredible beast would eventually go on to win race after race with its massive power numbers, but one thing which helped the car make that much power is something you might not expect, a hood scoop. That's right, these pieces of automotive technology have been around for decades and, contrary to popular belief, are not simply limited to inexperienced enthusiasts who don't have the time, money, or care to appropriately modify their exterior. In fact, these scoops have proven themselves worthy of the racing track many times over. So how does this particular one work, and why was it perfect for racing?
First, it looks damn good, which is a plus when your entire racing team is basically the front line in Mopar marketing. However, the good times do not stop there with the scoop that has been fully functional and aerodynamically efficient. About two inches above the car's body lines, there is a layer of unused air ripe for the taking by any engineer who knows a thing or two about aerodynamics. With a square inlet, this scoop forced air to the twin carburetors while its extreme height took advantage of every square inch of usable air. While the car in the video made its power with a 383 cubic inch V8, we're sure it still helped a lot which is why we love looking at this old-school racing technology.
