Day 1

Now that I have an idea where the hood vents will go, time to get down to the business of cutting. Measure a thousand times and cut once, of course. I tried to make sure that the vents would be even on both sides of the car by making a template I can mirror. A simple scrap sheet of A3 paper (11.69 x 16.53 in to Americans), aligned at the edges of the hood, ensure a perfect fit. Marked off, checked against several measurements, and I was ready.

Here goes nothing… First comes a center punch to ensure my drill does not wander. As soon as that first “click” was made, I was fully committed. I followed up by drilling at all corners so it would be easier to cut for the sawzall (reciprocating saw).

Out came the sawzall next, which made quick work through the thin steel hood skin. However, it did have a bit of problem trying to cut through the actual hood reinforcement skeleton, as it was a much thicker. With a bit of practice, I was sawing fairly clean lines around my template. Once the outer skin was cut, I could proceed with the skeleton underneath, clearing space for the vent mounting nuts on the other side. Then the mounting screw holes were drilled very carefully.

And it was done! As this is a steel hood, I took the time to add a few layers of black paint to protect against rust, accelerated with the help of a heat gun. Although I wanted to clean up some of the lines a bit, it was already past 7 in the evening, so the other side will have to wait for another day.

One side down, one more to go.

Day 2

A week or so later, I was finally able to get around to finishing up the other vent. I actually had two comments this past week from people I know regarding the added vent, so apparently it’s quite noticeable, for better or worse. Let’s get cutting!

This time around, I was much more thorough on finishing the edges of the cuts properly. I dremel’d smooth all the rough edges made from the drill and the sawzall. This not only made the underhood much cleaner, the smoother surface allows the paint to cover the edges and hopefully not leave any exposed steel to rusting.

Upon close inspection, the vent doesn’t completely sit flush with the hood, leaving some edges lifted by one or two millimeters; hardly noticeable for most people. If I ever have to take off the vents for a repaint or some other reason, I’ll definitely seal the edges with silicon or epoxy. For now, the look is absolutely aggressive and definitely makes the front of the car stand out.

I’m gonna make hood vents “a thing” on all my cars from now on. Sorry, Swift Sport. You’re gonna be next!