So the paint on my hoodscoops, or 'stick on accessories that actually increase drag' as Viper37 liked to call them , has come to be in a bad state of affairs lately. They look like they are covered in baked on mud and water spots, so badly now that they don't even look the same color anymore. and they feel like sandpaper when you run your hand across them. They've been gettin like this for a while now, they're part of the reason I like to keep er good and muddy lol, to hide the spots on them just like all the other dents, dings, and imperfections on the ol girl . I think I messed up with the clearcoat when I did them, maybe didn't let the paint dry enough first, or the clear itself even.... I dunno, I'm not a painter ... Ever since I put em on, the water has always beaded up on them like they were coated in oil and I think this just helped the baking on process.

So I decided to try wetsanding them, I should have done it this time last year, then I probably wouldn't have what I have now... It's working, but the spots are hella hard to get out. I'm using 2000 grit, tried 1000 also but didn't like the scratches it was leaving. I spent all afternoon sanding on them, and am pleased with the progress thus far. After I have them sanded best I can, I'm gonna pick up a buffing pad and give em a little buff, then throw a coat of clear on them again. Any tips are welcomed of course

now some pics:

here's what they looked like... Now you know why I keep er dirty


a closeup of the disease.... it's hard to tell if it's just baked on water spots or the clearcoat itself but pretty sure it's water/mud... I never wash the damned thing


The rest are mostly pics taken during sanding the passenger one, it looks pretty good now but theres still spots on it to get out... I did start on the driver side and have it to the point where I can start to see reflections in it, but still a ways to go yet...




what is that??! a cloud on my scoop?! unheard of! lol



the colour is starting to match again...






a couple with the driver side started....




I think I'm gonna pull them off to clearcoat them, they could stand to be retaped now I think... And before anyone says anything, they are going back on too. I like them on there and I get a lot of looks and compliments on them, plus I don't think the wife would let me leave them off hahaha... I couldn't stand to drive it now anyways without something on the hood, and I won't be buying a nice hood like lastrights and others have got anytime too soon... I do plan to have something in the future though

 

You should cut openings in the front of them, and then some openings in the hood, and have yourself some functional hood scoops!

In all seriousness, they look good, but I wouldn't want them on unless they were functional, to each their own though.


Truck looks good!

 

ill trade ya

 

throw in your nice smooth grill and we got a deal


Ramsport, I actually spent a good portion of time today tryin to visualize a way to make them functional, I would secure them permanently and was thinking of how I could build a roundish type intake mounted to the underside of the hood that would fit down over a 14X3 air cleaner with the hood closed. I'd have to work out something for the rain, but trust me, the gears are turnin in my head

 

looks good, try some rubbing compound on em

 

Thats what I like to hear! This could be a great mod in its humbling beginnings!

 

Where did you get your hood scopes from? Auto Zone? I saw some there though but they don't look as good.

 

i thot about just cutting my openings out cuz it would be ramming a good bit of cold air under the hood and all around the 14x3 and not really have to worry so much about rain....what do the true ram air guys do about rain?

 

Plastic wrap the **** out of it and poke some holes in it... bahaha lol


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lmao

 

it is turning out nicly, you could make a rain trap to run down the hood , i know some people did it on the 3rd gen