Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply!
Claude asks: Who sells the transformation kit for a functional Trans-Am shaker scoop ?
My reply: I did a whole article about this business about a year ago; see here. For those who missed it, here’s the summary plus a few other things:
All 1970-1981 Pontiac Trans-Ams (except for the ’80-’81 Turbo Trans Am) came with a shaker hood scoop – so called because it bolted to the engine (the air cleaner) and shook with the engine.
It poked trough a hole in the hood and had a rear-facing air scoop.
But the 1970-’72 cars were the only ones that came with functional scoops from the factory. A flapper door opened when triggered by an electrical solenoid when the accelerator pedal went more than two-thirds down, allowing the Quadrajet four barrel to moan.
Pontiac had to board up the flapper door because Uncle – but it’s easy enough to undo Uncle, especially if you own a ’73-76 TA. These have bolted-on block-off doors that are very easy to unbolt.
The ’77-up cars are tougher because the scoop was redesigned. It no longer came with a removable block-off plate. You have to cut out the rear of the scoop in order to make it functional. This is permanent, obviously – no going back (the ’73-’76 scoops can be easily returned to factory stock – for car shows and so on – with a screwdriver and a few minutes of work).
But in either case, the “flapper” part isn’t there.
Removing the block-off plate the ’73-’76 scoops came with or cutting open the back of the ’77-81 scoops leaves you with a hole in the scoop that’s open all the time. Which you may not want – especially if you drive the car in the rain.
The kits – described in the article linked to above – make the ’73-81 scoops work like the ’70-’72 scoops. When the engine isn’t running – and not running WOT (or close) – the door stays shut.
Punch it – and hear the Qjet moan!
PS: For those new here: I am a second-generation (1970-’81) Trans-Am savant; if anyone needs help/advice with one of these, feel free to give me a shout!
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I meant “not be better”. my bad
eric, my question is why would a working door be better? Is it because it would lean the carb too much and make the engine stumble? I’d know this if I owned one. No way I’d have a fake shaker when I know there’s horsepower in them thar cool outside charge air.