The hood is one of the most quietly important elements of your vehicle and, like any other auto body panels, it continues to be reimagined so that it can offer more performance to the vehicle. It serves both form and function and provides and even though your vehicle comes with a stock hood, there are upgrade options available if and when you decide to replace it.
What Is the Purpose of a Vehicle’s Hood?
The main purpose of the hood is to allow a direct flow of air to the engine. It might be upraised so as to effectively channel air to the engine compartment. This hinged cover rests over the engine bay of front-engine vehicles. Besides helping with airflow, the hood protects the engine and connected parts from the elements, while at the same time providing easy access for maintenance and repairs.
What Can Aftermarket Products Give You?
When you’re trying to figure out how and why to upgrade from your stock hood to an aftermarket product, it’s worth it to consider the purpose of the hood. Stock hoods are typically made from the same material as the rest of the bodywork. This may include steel, aluminum, fiberglass or carbon fiber. Part of the appeal of aftermarket products is that you can find replacement parts for makes and models that differ from the materials used in the stock materials.
If your Jeep Wrangler came with a steel hood that you found to be too heavy and cumbersome for your off-roading purposes, you could swap out to fiberglass, which would still give a measure of protection and durability while being much lighter.
What Are Cowl Hoods and Hood Scoops?
Cowl hoods are an example of modifications that are a good match for certain vehicles. A cowl hood is a hood that has been modified with one or more air-scoops, either protruding from, or integrated into, the hood. These hoods can help engine cooling when properly designed. Adding a hood scoop is also one of the most cost-effective methods to increase horsepower. When an effectively designed hood scoop is used, outside air is forced into the air intake, which is about 50 degrees cooler than the air in the engine compartment.
Shaker scoops are a feature of cowl hoods that are attached to the engine. Since the extra air is expedited directly to the parts that need it most, they are great at reducing heat and improving performance. Cowl hoods and hood scoops are often found in muscle cars.
You might replace your hood for cosmetic reasons, to get more horsepower or because it’s been damaged in an accident. Just like you’d purchase a Zumbrota transmission when you want a quality manual transmission, you can look to aftermarket parts to replace your hood. The value of replacement parts lies in the options available for replacing something that will serve your singular needs. Visit an auto parts store today to find a replacement hood or any other part or accessory you might be looking for.
