A closer look at scoops on vintage race cars

Oh, please.....don't forgot the Big Healey!

The first one looks like an old swamp cooler.  Wonder if it's more effecient if you add ice.

That is not an air scoop on the Cunningham ! It's a oil cooler. 

Looks like it might be a re-purposed aircraft honeycomb style oil cooler.

Liked Tom's article on installing hood louvers to extract hot air.  Will try that on my 1971 VOLVO 142 vintage racer.

Liked Tom's article on installing hood louvers to extract hot air.  Will try that on my 1971 VOLVO 142 vintage racer.

I ran in a vintage class that banned the addition of any added air passages.  After thinking about it a bit, I just installed longer pins for the rear bonnet attachments of my MG, with two holes drilled for the retaining pins. 

Going through tech?  Just put the pins through the lower holes and sail through with no issues.

Before going out on the track to race, put the pins in the upper holes - still looks right to any scrutineers watching you go out on the track.  Then on the track at speed, the rear of the bonnet lifts with the air pressure underneath and exposes a nice fat slice of exit space for the air that wants out from under it.  Worked well and dropped under bonnet temps quite a few degrees.

My other aero trick was inspired by the rules failing to specify any minimum ground clearance for front air dams/spoilers.  I made up a lower air dam section out of canvas/rubber conveyor belt material - it could actually touch the pavement under maximum braking but being flexible was quite long lasting.  By having the air dam closer to the track surface I picked up about 500 rpm at the end of the straight