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If you are putting vents in your hood because you have an overheating problem, you will probably be disappointed, and will have a hood with holes in it. If you are putting vents in your hood because you like the look, then full speed ahead. It depends why you are doing it...

General consensus is that vents may help temperatures somewhat, but the effect is minor. If you are having overheating issues, then you ought to look elsewhere.

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Charlie McCall
1985 DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S #9375
"Raising Pantera Awareness across Europe"
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/gt5s_1985
quote:
Originally posted by KayCee:
I'm about to cut into my beautiful front hood and install hood vents to aid in cooling. Is this a good idea?


DO NOT CHOP THOSE USELESS HOLES ONTO YOUR CAR!! Those Hibachi grills look aweful and serve to destroy the original Tjaarda-designed lines of the front hood. The only car that should have them are later model cars since it was factory installed on those cars.
IMHO, hood vents are cosmetic, not necessary for a cool running engine as the holes are too small in area to affect water temps at very low speeds where most cars could use some help. They work OK at higher speeds but most Panteras have no cooling issues at higher speeds. But if you like the look, a compromise might be to buy a fiberglas hood from one of several vendors, cut that and put your steel stocker in the attic. Last time I looked, a good steel hood, uncut, was worth over $1500. A cut one was worth approximately nothing....
quote:
Originally posted by Josh Killburn:
DO NOT CHOP THOSE USELESS HOLES ONTO YOUR CAR!! Those Hibachi grills look aweful and serve to destroy the original Tjaarda-designed lines of the front hood. The only car that should have them are later model cars since it was factory installed on those cars.




The hood vent debate has always been interesting to me. When I started looking for my Pantera in 1996 I was hoping I�d find a car that I liked but also one that had hood vents. I like the way they look and I think they really add a lot to the Pantera image and Tom�s design. On the other hand I know some people hate them! It took two years to find the right car and luckily it had hood vents!


[This message has been edited by Mike Dailey (edited 06-05-2003).]
I did some more testing of the air flow at the vents yesterday using thin lightweight tufts attached to the vent bars in four places. I found that when the cooling fans were running with the car at rest, a good amount of hot air is blowing up and out of the vents at a forward angle. As I started moving the car forward, the forward angle of the tufts rotated to vertical position at a speed estimated to be 5 MPH. By 10 MPH (that where my speedo starts working) the tufts were at an extreme upward arch, bending to the back of the car and stayed that way up to the speed limit of the road I was on of 35 MPH. So not only do they look very Italian and help the image of the Pantera they do have some hot air coming out of them too. Your test results may vary depending on the type of cooling fans used, density of the radiator core, wind speed, etc. My cooling fans are moving so much air, there is obviously a high pressure area being created behind the radiator.
quote:
Originally posted by Kevin Perry:
Why change the stock look if it doesn't add any performance/cooling gains? The only gain you get is entry into the hometown Ricer association!

Hood vents do not belong on 71 - 74 cars. period...end of story.



You know what they say about opinions...
No holes in hood! Absolutely no holes in hood. Surely, you will agree with me. Truelove (in whose name #7370 is titled) said if two holes are cut in the Pantera, two holes (incisions) may be all that remain where the family treasure is kept. It was not a lengthy conversation.
I've gotta agree with Jack on this one. If you feel that you absolutely HAVE to have a vented hood, take your old one off & buy a fiberglass one & chop that up. If you're running hot, chances are the vented hood is not going to make that much of a difference. Start looking elsewhere for the cause of overheating.
Wow!! What a response! I come back a week later and see all these posts!!

Looks like the general consensus is that vents do nothing but relieve $1500 from the hood's value. So I'll follow your recommendations and save vent look for my future GT-5 or GT-5S.

Thanks guys for keeping me from making a terrible and costly mistake. My '71 thanks you too!
To install the vents correctly it takes more than just cutting the openings for the vents. The GT5, GT5S and some Euro 71s and up, hoods have the two cutouts but the cutouts were made smaller the vent frame and then part of the hood skin was bent down at a 90 degree angle to form a boxed opening. This requires that the four corners of the box be welded to form the ends. The grill frame fits down in the boxed opening. That�s after the hood is repainted because of the metal work.
quote:
Originally posted by KayCee:
Wow!! What a response! I come back a week later and see all these posts!!

Looks like the general consensus is that vents do nothing but relieve $1500 from the hood's value. So I'll follow your recommendations and save vent look for my future GT-5 or GT-5S.

Thanks guys for keeping me from making a terrible and costly mistake. My '71 thanks you too!




Wise decision! Hood vents look WRONG on USA 71 - 74 cars!
Please,you should do what you want to, not what other people think you should do with YOU'RE CAR. What is the difference If it's a 70 or an 85 or if they serve a purpose and help cool you're cat down or they do nothing at all, IT'S YOU'RE CAR, do what you want!!! I have learned a long time ago to please yourself not thy neighbor.If you like smile stickers put them on you"re hood the hell what John Doe thinks. And please don't worry about devaluateing anything on you"re car, Pantera owners heve been modifying there cars since 1970....... AMEN
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