The early version of the Fiberfab Valkyrie was designed to use a 1965 Mustang fastback rear window over the engine bay, which makes for a dramatic presentation under the glass if your engine is nicely dressed up. But, one thing you quickly notice is the glass can get quite hot after a relatively short drive, especially if you have an exhaust system that goes up and over the rear cross-member. Mid engine race cars and recent supercars will sometimes employ a roof-scoop to help bring cool air into the engine area while the car is moving forward. When stopped in traffic, the roof-scoop can function like a chimney and help the hot air vent out. This sounded like a great idea to me, as my Valkyrie engine compartment sure got how after a short drive in warm weather. Any kind of scoop or vents should help with this problem.
In 2022, while on a trip back east visiting with one of my best friends (see his 1974 Vega Panel Wagon story) offered me a drag race style air scoop that he no longer needed. I though it had potential for use on my Valkyrie, so I packed it into a big cardboard box and checked it as luggage on my flight back to Nevada. When I got home, I fired up the computer and came up with a plan for how I could use the newly acquired scoop.
The whole project of building a fiberglass replacement for the rear window and then bonding a highly modified air scoop onto it took a fair amount of time and effort, but I think it turned out well. One unfortunate mishap occurred during the process when I tried to separate the new fiberglass part from the glass window that I used as a mold. Because I failed to use a sufficient amount of mold release wax, the last few inches of the freshly cured fiberglass would not separate from the Mustang glass window. When I tried tapping a wedge between the fiberglass and the glass window, the glass window suddenly shattered with a loud pop, with bits of glass flying everywhere. Pieces of glass also remained stuck to the fiberglass part which required scraping and sanding to fully remove. The lesson learned: I should have applied much more wax to the glass before laying down the layers of mat and resin.
Next: A fresh coat of my favorite color: Gray Primer
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