Thread: Shaker Hood Grating?

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Where do I find aluminum or stainless grating to fab a shaker hood? I don't even know where to start looking.

Thanks,
- Joey

Try a structural steel fabricator in your area, talk to someone in the design department. They should be able to point you to a grating manufacturer who supplies grating for walkways, platforms, etcetera.

Thanks!

Don't want to sound too dumb, but what the heck is a shaker hood? I've been wondering ever since I answered your post the other day.

I have been informed that I was not using the right terminology; I do not want to build a "shaker hood" per se. I thought that a "shaker hood" referred to a hole in the hood through which the engine was free to rattle back and forth. Have mercy on me; I'm new at this.

What I have is a hole in my hood that's roughly triangular, 15" on a side, with a black fiberglass hood scoop over it. (I did not do this; the car was previously owned by a madman.)

The engine I'm building will project through the hood about 10", and will have a Hilborn-style scoop 20" long and 9" wide. What I want to do is open up the hole in the hood to the dimensions of the scoop. This will make it about 6" wider than the scoop on each side. Probably a bit more, as the current hole is off- centered on the hood by about 1/2".

I was thinking to use some grating-type material -- expanded metal -- either tack-welded or riveted to the underside of the hood, to close the gap a few inches on each side. I still don't know the exact term for this. Besides, of course, "lunacy," "sacrilege," or "rat rod."

Maybe I can help---what you want is "decorative expanded metal", or just "expanded metal" When people talk about grating, they generally mean bar grating which is used to support people as in overhead walkways and platforms, etcetera. That is why I suggested a structural steel company. If I was going to attempt what you are talking about, I would take a length of 5/16" diameter or 3/8" diameter hot rolled round bar, and form it to the inside size that you want the opening in your hood to be, then butt weld the ends of it together to make a closed shape. Then take a larger peice of the expanded metal, cut a hole in it the size of the inside space surrounded by the round bar, and weld it to the round bar to give the edge a nicely finished look, then let the outside edges of the expanded metal extend back under the inside of the hood hole and weld it on the inside of the hood. To find a source for the "decorative expanded metal" do an internet search.

Thanks Denny--O.K. a hood with a hole cut in it and the induction system sticking up thru it I am familiar with. I just didn't know that it was called a "shaker" hood. Musta been all those weird thangs I smoked in the 70's

Originally posted by Was_II
I have been informed that I was not using the right terminology; I do not want to build a "shaker hood" per se. I thought that a "shaker hood" referred to a hole in the hood through which the engine was free to rattle back and forth. Have mercy on me; I'm new at this.

What I have is a hole in my hood that's roughly triangular, 15" on a side, with a black fiberglass hood scoop over it. (I did not do this; the car was previously owned by a madman.)

The engine I'm building will project through the hood about 10", and will have a Hilborn-style scoop 20" long and 9" wide. What I want to do is open up the hole in the hood to the dimensions of the scoop. This will make it about 6" wider than the scoop on each side. Probably a bit more, as the current hole is off- centered on the hood by about 1/2".

I was thinking to use some grating-type material -- expanded metal -- either tack-welded or riveted to the underside of the hood, to close the gap a few inches on each side. I still don't know the exact term for this. Besides, of course, "lunacy," "sacrilege," or "rat rod."

sounds like to me a madman sold the car to a lunatic. whats a car suppose to think?

sorry was2 couldnt let it go, hope you didnt mind.

why not just center the hole and leave it alone?

You guys are seriously great. Thank you.

Originally posted by DennyW
No problem on the helping. I try hard, hahaha.

hey denny what did the cop do run out of town a few days?

Originally posted by brianrupnow
Maybe I can help---what you want is "decorative expanded metal", or just "expanded metal" When people talk about grating, they generally mean bar grating which is used to support people as in overhead walkways and platforms, etcetera. That is why I suggested a structural steel company. If I was going to attempt what you are talking about, I would take a length of 5/16" diameter or 3/8" diameter hot rolled round bar, and form it to the inside size that you want the opening in your hood to be, then butt weld the ends of it together to make a closed shape. Then take a larger peice of the expanded metal, cut a hole in it the size of the inside space surrounded by the round bar, and weld it to the round bar to give the edge a nicely finished look, then let the outside edges of the expanded metal extend back under the inside of the hood hole and weld it on the inside of the hood. To find a source for the "decorative expanded metal" do an internet search.

i think thats what hes talking about brianrupnow in a diamond shape maybe.

Originally posted by lt1s10


why not just center the hole and leave it alone?

I would, except:

A.) The planned dual-quad hi-rise tunnel ram and scoop won't fit through it ;
B.) It's already too big for the existing fiberglass cowl-induction scoop (I had to move the scoop 1/2" to the right to cover the entire hole; the guy had it not only off-center but canted about 10 degrees CCW)

and C.) It's a freakin' Mustang II and hoods are hard to come by. I have one more in case I bungle this one.

Originally posted by Was_II
I would, except:

A.) The planned dual-quad hi-rise tunnel ram and scoop won't fit through it ;
B.) It's already too big for the existing fiberglass cowl-induction scoop (I had to move the scoop 1/2" to the right to cover the entire hole; the guy had it not only off-center but canted about 10 degrees CCW)

and C.) It's a freakin' Mustang II and hoods are hard to come by. I have one more in case I bungle this one.

So what it comes down to is when you get through cutting a new hole in the hood to accommodate you new tunnel ram and scoop that you have, you will need to fill in some of the old hole that's in there now and you don't wont to use body filler or fiberglass to do it with. you wont to use some type of "decorative expanded metal"? you have to forgive some of us old gezzeers some times we'er just a little slow.

By the time you get through making the hole big enough for the tunnel ram and scoop (not to mention the legnth of the hole to get the hood up and down if your going to leave it hinged) your not going to have much of a hood left.

Why not just leave the hood hanging on the garage wall and run it without a hood?

Originally posted by Mike P


Why not just leave the hood hanging on the garage wall and run it without a hood?

C'mon -- where's the fun in that?

Besides, I have to be able to park this sucker on the street -- it's going to be my gig car (I'm a sax player in a 40's-50's jump blues band.) On that, I'm open to suggestions as to how to lock the scoop & carbs down. . . .

By the time you get through making the hole big enough for the tunnel ram and scoop (not to mention the legnth of the hole to get the hood up and down if your going to leave it hinged) your not going to have much of a hood left.

The scoop has a much larger footprint -- 9X20" -- than the tunnel ram will have as it crosses the plane of the hood. If the hood truly levered directly up and down, theoretically I could cut it exactly to fit. But of course it doesn't; the hood latches curve outward as it goes up, so I'll have to make the hole longer. How much longer, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm fairly certain I'll have enough metal left. It works out on paper.

Of course, this is the moment where Wile E. Coyote discovers that the tunnel is only painted on the canyon wall. . . .