Hood scoops - model or option based?

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Community Discussion
1

Hi - this is probably a silly (or previously answered question). I have been looking for a 69-70 Cougar project and don’t see a common rhyme or reason to what year or models have the scoop.

Was there a certain model (XR7, Eliminator) that should have them or was is part of a option package"? For instance when I see two 69 XR7s and one has a scoop but the other doesn’t, does that clue me into a option package that the hood scoop car has? Or was the hood scoop an add on option by itself?

Thanks!

2

The 1969 and 1970 hood scoops were only available from the factory under 1 of 2 conditions.

  1. All 428 Cougars when equipped with ram air regardless of any other factor received a scoop ( in 1969 must have an “R” in the fifth character of the vin, for 1970 can only be confirmed with a Marti report or other orginal documentation ie invoice, window sticker, etc.)
  2. All Eliminators regardless of engine received a scoop.
3

From the factory the hood scoop on 69 and 70 Cougars were only installed on Eliminators or any other with a 428 CJ Ram Air engine. But many of us have added them to our cougars because we like them. So after nearly 50 years you will see a lot that are not original to the car.

4

The only 69-70 Cougars that left the factory with a hood scoop would be all Eliminators and those cars with the ram air option on a 428. For 1969 that would be an R code car. For 1970 you will need some form of paperwork to confirm the ram air option. I also seem to recall that there was a package only available in 1969 called the GT Performance Group that included a 351 hood stripe and a scoop. I need to do a little more looking on that one to be sure.

Now for your next question the only ones to receive the front and rear spoilers were Eliminators. The hood scoop and spoilers though would have been available through the dealership parts counter so I am sure that some were sold to people looking to add them to their car back in the day. And now 50 years later reproductions are available so you need to know what you are looking at to determine original parts from reproduction. Another curve is that the same scoop with a small underside difference was also used on the 1971 Comet.

Randy Goodling
CCOA #95

5

Thanks all. That definitely answered the question! I now know to look closely at the workmanship of these post-factory installed scoops since sadly Eliminators and R codes are beyond my budget :slight_smile:

6

So what about the '69 with the “351 Performance Package” option? I thought those came with hood scoops as well? Rare option, I know.

7

I don’t think they did. When I was working for Don back in about 2004 he had a convertible with that option and it had no scoop.

8

Now, I thought there were 2 “levels” of that option.

There was a hood stripe that came with just the Competition Suspension, and then a stripe with scoop that came with the comp suspension and… other stuff. Darn, I was just reading up on it the other day! Now I have to dig again…

*I must have misread it the first time around. Does not mention a scoop…

I think what got me mixed up is having seen the cat-head stripes used with scoops in the past.