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Old 09-17-2017, 02:11 PM   #2464 (permalink)
freebeard
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http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/09/marie-curie-at-wheel-of-one-her-mobile.html

Parenthetically, the story of Mde. Curie at the front lines of WWI for the French is inspirational.

I think this early [probably] Renault is interesting for the internal air flow of the cooling system. The firewall is a flat plate. The radiator has vertical exhausts at the A-pillar [location]. It appears that the hood is a plenum that feed the [possibly twin] radiator[s]. So the intake would have to be downward-facing.

So the hood provides a bluff body externally and guides the airflow to the radiator internally. The intake air pulled from the underbody provides downforce and the exhaust air pushed into the wake of the front wheels and thin fenders adds energy like a Coanda nozzle.

The only part I can't figure out is why this ever fell out of favor. BTW flathead Fords had the radiator hose from the top middle of the head so they would fit under this style hood. That would make a nice '27 T rat rod. With shark gill radiator exhausts.
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