First American Production car with a functioning hood scoop ?

[Greg Myers]

"53 Carib    

[Sledsel]

I see a cat with the 53 Carib.....

52 Merc was not open

[Motor City]

the '65 GTO had ram air as an option, but not many were produced; it became more popular in '66

[unclescott58]

  On 12/8/2015 at 3:04 PM, Greg Myers said:

First Thunderbird scoops were functional

There was no plate that needed to be removed.

 

 

The air is channeled into the carb, see the cork seal on the aircleaner

Greg you maybe correct. I pulled Ray Miller's book, Thunderbird an illustrated history of the Ford T-Bird. Page 57 shows a '55 Thunderbird with nothing blocking the scoop. And Miller refers to it as "fuctional style." Then page 193, in section on "Accessories" he shows what he refers to a "blanking plate." He says Ford called it a "Cover, Hood Top Opening" in their parts books. He also said, "it's need debated."

At the same time, I'm going to have search my other sources. For I'm still fairly sure that I've read that this "blanking plate" was standard. But, at this time Miller's book makes question how correct I am on this. I maybe wrong. And you maybe right.

[unclescott58]

Doing some research, mainly on line. The hood scoop blocking plate was made for all three years of the two-seaters. And there is a replacement sticker you can buy for that blocking plate that tells you to "remove cover for summer operation." So is this this standard or accessory? I'm still looking for answer to that.

Interesting Special Interest Autos (#11, June-July 1972) did an article compering a '56 Thunderbird to a '60 Thunderbird. In that article, they point out that '60 T-Bird's hood scoop was open. But no mention of the same feature on the '56.

Edited December 8, 2015 by unclescott58

[unclescott58]

  On 12/8/2015 at 2:18 AM, Rob Hall said:

Before the Ramchargers, etc I believe Pontiac did some 412 Catalinas with hood scoops...and wasn't the '65 GTO scoop non-functional?

I got to quit doubting myself on certain things. Though it's not mentioned in any of early sales literature, after doing more reasearch, 1965 was the first year Pontiac offered factory Ram Air on their GTO. 

[ZTony8]

The Trans Am scoops were said to have been blocked for drive by noise reduction to comply with a federal standard.(BOOOOOOOO!HISSSSSSSSSS!)