My WRX Hood Scoop Install

[Dynamic Entry]

I have enough of a perfectionist streak in me that if I don't think I can do something right I sometimes don't do it at all. That is why I have had a WRX scoop in my house for 2 years and I even drove around with a hole in my hood for 6 months.

I set that part of my personality aside lately. I have embraced the fact that my car might be bad-ass one day, but it will never be a show car.

Firts thing you need to do is get the old scoop off. This isn't hard but you have to pull the lining off the inside of the hood first. I wasn't able to nicely remove the clips and I just tore the shit off.
As far as i know this is a sound reducing item, but part of me thinks it is made of asbestos so maybe hold your breath.

Then the bolts retaining the stock scoop will be showing and you can take it off.

This leaves us with a hole that has recessed tabs and you realize that Subaru does a much better job of fitting scoops on/in than you evar could

Sorry about no pics yet, but all the above work was done too long ago...

At first I was cutting cardboard silhouettes and taping stuff and measuring stuff and pencilling lines and junk


but in the end I just plopped the scoop right on the hood using the center bolts and holes to make sure it was center and eye-balled the front/back position of both sides. Don't tell my dad.....

then I sharpied the outline onto the hood. Didn't get a pic of this... but it was hard b/c the stubs on the bottom of the scoop make it sit above the hood.
My recommendation: Trace a conservative outline and err on the side of the hole being too small! It is SO easy to widen it later with the dremel!


The dremel with cut-off wheels did the trick well. You can be very precise and I used less than 1 pack which cost about $8


If you are patient and thorough you can match the curve exactly



Someone else on here has already written that a dremel is the way to go on this one because then you can cut the top layer only exposing the bottom layer.


Then the scoops stubs and bolts that come out the bottom can go through holes you drill in this second layer.


got some shiny urethane locking nuts to go on the bolts


The height that the second layer is at is perfect and the scoop will be flush to the hood. Lucky!



At first this side was a bit small so I cut off an extra 1mm from the top side, now its tite!


but this side is where I was too rash when tracing, and it shows. I guess i will have to bodyfill the whole scoop in some day.


so as you can see it is good from far but far from good



Bonus: http://youtube.com/watch?v=b8rjs9mTREw

[theflystyle]

very nice... like the peek through the trees...

[stipro]

So thats where you have been!

[Dynamic Entry]

yes and no Mike. I have another sob story for you, apparently not everything I take apart goes back together.

I broke a bolt off inside the threads for the oil return pipe on that turbo. So the system remains stock *pout*

[SILINC3R]

thnat is some jackie chan shit

[PhilSine]

Nice frickin catch

[sublunacy]

yea thats Sweet!!!

[def09]

I hope an intercooler install is next for you. I love the fit on that scoop!
Looks like my next project.

[Dynamic Entry]

the intercooler is definately the next thing that I will do.

it's pretty stupid that it hasn't happened yet, i have had an '06 top mount for about a year and a half......

[def09]

Thats what I am using, so if you have any questions I can try and help. It is really easy w/ the 06 wrx i/c.

[Dynamic Entry]

what turbo are you using

the VF11's 45° outlet is what pwned me before, so i bought a TD04 just so that the plumbing geometry would be easier but twice i had problems with the oil return pipe...

so I have been elbow deep thrice tryin to swap turbos and add an intercooler. this is my dd so I always HAVE to finish what I start

at this point everything seems ready to go, I just need to find a chunk of time that will allow me to get it all in there....

[RJ93SS]

how did you make your grill look that way???

[Dynamic Entry]

RE Grill

ya, it's too bad I was so lazy back then, I should've done a thread on that too

others have done this before though, search around and you'll find something

but basically you take the grill off, use a dremel to cut the arms off (red lines) to get a hollow grill, and then fill in the holes that are left on the sides since those plastic arms are not solid (hence the red circle showing you will have a hole there)



then paint and find some mesh to JB weld onto the back

I painted my mesh bronze before mounting it

[livestrong14]

Looks great! Very well done love the match with the grill and hoodscoop.

[Dynamic Entry]

Thanks man, I am of course also a fan

too bad my projector fogs are just sitting around instead of completing the look

[RJ93SS]

i fucked mine up man, i used a jig saw and cut through both layers of the hood and wanted to sit the scoop inside, i really dont know what i was thinking, i had to build a support underneath and the bondo the scoop on there, the bondo just cracks so i am going to have to fibreglass it, it doesnt look bad now but forgive when i steal your mesh idea, it looks sick.

it's funny, we almost have the same ride, same colour, scoops, and were both looking for the time to install our td04 and 06 top mount. i'm thinking sept long, take a burn down and u can give me a hand, j/k looks great man, post some more pics of your car, i'd love to see the rest

[Dynamic Entry]

ewww, yah, thats the key of using the dremel instead

but let's just get new hoods and try again cuz mine is F'd on one side anyway.....

I made an announcement in the ashtray: I am moving to Africa. I won't be touching my car for about 10 months or so.... sad times in the Legacy area of life

good luck with the intercooler install. it is completely necessary and I regret not prioritizing it way earlier

I'll take a trip to Van city next summer to play catch up with your car.....

[x2hawt4ux]

i want to bring this thread back. i see this question a lot and here is the best answer. IMO.

Good job.

[TurnNburn]

I just wanted to add my little touch to this thread that i felt really help me get the desired results i was looking for. I wanted a nice clean cut for the top layer of sheet metal so i took my time with a dremel. As for the bottom, i just went freddy kruger with a cut off wheel because it wasnt as important to get the lines right. Its not pretty, but pretty is not what i was going for. Im looking more for rightious and kickass. In order for me to get the hood scoop to sit flush how i wanted it, i trimmed the bottom most layer of the hood so that just these little notches remained. So that when i bolted the hood scoop to them, i could bend each one independently up or down, so that everything was allowed to sit flush. I am currently in the process of using some expanding foam to create a sort of forced induction chute that will force the air that enters the scoop to have no other path then to through the intercooler. WRX's and STI's have a sweet rubber seal ( idk if this is stock, but just about every car i see has it) but i didnt think it was going to work well enough for the way we have our intercoolers sitting. I will post pics of that as well when im done.

[x2hawt4ux]

good idea i'm getting ready to do t his myself. good advice.

[TurnNburn]

As promised, my foam intercooler forced induction set up. The air entering the scoop has no where to go except through the intercooler. Again, not very pretty, but extremely functional over not having there as far as im concerned. I intended on just filling in the gaps in the hood, but got inspired. If i really cared i could have used bondo or fiber glass or maybe... As im typing this, the idea of using that garage door sealer that people use for thier "front lip" might actually work and look good... to late now.

[x2hawt4ux]

sorry for the huge pics here is my install

[Bheinen74]

The insulation layer you ripped off helps keep the paint from blistering from engine heat. It would be wise to put some back on if you want to keep the hood nice for any length of time.

[93forestpearl]

^ I ran for years without it, and a much hotter engine bay to boot. Garrett turbo 2 inches from the hood.

[kimokalihi]

Bare hood for me too. 5K miles with this turbo but I have a blanket on mine.