Sometimes you do it just to look good. Other times, it's a clearance issue. And then there are the times when it's a little of both. What are we talking about? Installing a fiberglass cowl-induction hood, that's what! The cowl-induction hood is a lightweight, stylish alternative to the stock hood that came with your truck out of the factory. Unlimited Products offers a fiberglass version of GM's ever-popular cowl design for its minis, and with a little effort on your part, installing one of these slick body parts is easy. After most minis have been body-dropped, the open center design of the hood will provide extra clearance above the intake manifold. So you get the best of both worlds: good looks and a functional hood. For more information on any of Unlimited Products wares, give the company a call or visit its Web site using the information provided in the source box at the end of this story.
1.The path to a new style...
1.The path to a new style and extra clearance is a short one. Here's one last look at the stock hood of our '96 Chevy S-10 guinea pig.
2.The three-piece windshield...
2.The three-piece windshield cowl is made of ABS plastic. We only need to remove the two outermost sections to gain access to the stock hood hinge bolts. A 7mm bolt and a small clip are all that hold the cowl parts onto the truck.
3.Here is a bird's-eye view...
3.Here is a bird's-eye view of the clip that held the cowl section to the truck.
4.Using a pair of wrenches,...
4.Using a pair of wrenches, we removed the pair of 13mm bolts that hold the hood hinges to the truck, being careful not to scratch the edges of the fenders.
5.Before we can remove the...
5.Before we can remove the hood from the truck, the rubber hose going to the vacuum diaphragm and hood squirters must be removed. Also, there is a single wire connection that must be unclipped from the hood inspection light.
6.Placing the hoods next to...
6.Placing the hoods next to each other makes transferring the hardware and comparing them much easier. Unlimited Products' hood comes with new hinges but requires you to reinstall the hood latch from the stock hood. If you were planning on shaving the hood squirter holes from the hood, you'll be excited to know they aren't present in the cowl-induction hood.
7.The cowl-induction hood...
7.The cowl-induction hood is formed in two separate pieces from fiberglass molds and then bonded together with resin that resembles butterscotch pudding. Before we could install the new hood hinges, we had to scrape away some of the butterscotch from the area surrounding the hinge mounting holes.
8.Using a 13mm wrench, the...
8.Using a 13mm wrench, the stock hood latch is removed for installation into the new hood. We didn't use the spring because we found there was plenty of tension from the rubber hood bumpers - mounted on the core support of the truck - to pop the hood open once it's installed. Unlimited Products pop-rivets a backing plate into the inside of the cowl-induction hood and provides Grade 8, 11mm bolts to secure the latch to the hood.
9.Our S-10 still has its ABS...
9.Our S-10 still has its ABS setup mounted to the driver-side inner fender. Because of this, we had to cut a 2x2-inch notch in the hood support on that side of the truck, just in front of the hinge mount, so that the hood would close. Because most of you probably have relocated or removed the ABS module completely from your S-10, this step is not necessary. But if you still have your ABS intact, you can always add fiberglass resin to the inside of the brace after cutting out the hole to retain the integrity of the hood.
10.To gain some level of adjustment...
10.To gain some level of adjustment in the hinges, we enlarged the mounting holes in the hinges. This allowed us to adjust the hood and fit it perfectly. We did this using an air-powered die-grinder and cone-shaped metal boring attachment.
11.The fruits of our labor...
11.The fruits of our labor were many. The hood aligned perfectly with the fenders and grille, we shed about 10 pounds from the front end of the S-10, and it all looked much better.