JoshFiricano Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (0)

Member#: 317193 Join Date: Apr 2012 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: Dracut, MA Vehicle:

2013 WRX Premium

WRB



My Review of Hood Scoop Fins (A Year and a Half After Installation)



In a world over populated with hood scoop grills, a dedicated company from Texas called "Hood Scoop Fins" has dug from the ground up with a product that reaches the opposite side of the hood scoop accessory spectrum.. and that product is simply incredible. As you may have guessed that product is hood scoop fins.



First off, I need to get this out of the way. Don't be scared of the installation! The directions make it very easy to find the spots where you need to drill the holes. If you know how to use a ruler and a drill you are more than qualified to do this! As for the people who think, "but what about when I want to take them off?" I have an answer for you: You WON'T want to take them off.



I am extremely passionate about Subaru's. So much so that it's the only brand of car that I will buy (except my one slip up with a Passat, but we won't talk about that). I am very picky about what I put on my car, but I knew from the minute I saw the fins that they would look incredible. This is where my relationship with Hood Scoop Fins began and I don't plan on ending it any time soon. The customer service I received from the owner of Hood Scoop Fins, Glenn, is hands down the best customer service I have ever had. He is so passionate and knowledgeable about these fins and truly believes in their potential in the closely knit Subaru community. He walked me through the long process of how they were made, which I will get to later, and I was sold. I believe that once more people start purchasing and reviewing them they will spread like wildfire and become the new trend (and hopefully replace sticker bombing). I have had Subaru owners come up to me and ask me about them a lot since they have been installed. They aren't blatantly obvious to just anyone looking at the car, but a true Subaru enthusiast will notice them right away.







At the time of this article there are three different types of Hood Scoop Fins available, but there will be more on the market soon. Currently available are the smaller and less aggressive Chita fins, the mid-sized Katanto fins, and the full sized and fully aggressive Kestrel fins. The next release to the public is the Kissaki fins and that is what I will be reviewing.



The Kissaki fins are fully adjustable, meaning you can install them forward or back as much as you want. They are the second smallest fins available right behind the Chita, but are still very noticeable and in my opinion, VERY SEXY. The fins are aluminum and have a nice weight to them (although nothing that will affect your quarter mile times) and sport a very sleek, sexy, and flawless black powder coating that is applied with perfection. Although there is no science available behind this statement, I fully believe that these fins offer much more than an aesthetic boost. I believe that they also help with performance. The fins help direct air into the intercooler when moving and might also help provide a greater air pressure too since when the car is moving, the air is being forced and compressed in between the fins (correct me if I'm wrong Mr. Aero Scientist). When you are stopped the fins help catch wind and direct it onto the intercooler helping with the ever-so-popular heat soak experienced with these cars. I would imagine that the benefit increases with speed. Like I said, this is just speculation and there are too many variables in the equation for Hood Scoop Fins to go on the record saying that you will see a performance increase after the installation of the fins, but it is something that I firmly believe and there is no doubt in my mind that aesthetic and performance wise- these are a MUCH better solution than installing hood scoop grills which slow down the air going into the intercooler and provide drag.



The work that is put into the creation of these fins is fascinating. They are 100% made in the USA. Hood Scoop Fins has the work done locally in Texas through a number of local vendors to support the smaller businesses in the area. These fins, which look simple from the outside, are actually very labor intensive. After the milling of the aluminum they go through a combination of hand sanding and dual action sanding to get rid of all the machine marks. After that they are sent off to a local powder coater who media blasts the fins and applies a top of the line, UV stable powder coating since the fins will spend there life on the car sitting in the sun. Hood Scoop Fins refused to put any holes in the fins so this make them difficult to powder coat, since usually you would hang something this small to powder coat it. This called for some extra steps in the process to ensure the highest quality powder coating. They are then sent back to Hood Scoop Fins for an intensive run through quality control.







Installation of the fins is quite a simple process also. You simply remove the nuts that hold the hood scoop onto the hood and then squeeze two clips to remove it from the hood. Hood Scoop Fins uses the molding lines on the back of the hood scoop as a reference of where to drill. You simply make some measurements along those lines and mark them with a sharpie and drill away. In the instructions they give out some sample measurements for their recommended positioning (which is what I used), but you have complete freedom to drill wherever you want if you want the fins to be farther out or farther in than the given measurements. That is what makes the fins completely customizable. Once you drill the holes you use the supplied hardware to screw in through the hole and into the fin. Once you do that there will be some metal shavings. This is because the self tapping screws created threads for your measurements in the fins. You want to take the fins off and sand down the bottom of the fin to eliminate any sharpness from the threading and then blow them out with some compressed air and also clean off the hood scoop. Screw in the fins again and you will most likely still see a gap between the hood scoop fins and the hood scoop. Don't worry because this is totally normal. Watch the crush washer and give the screw one last hard turn. You will see the hood scoop rise to the fins and conform perfectly. There will no longer be a gap. I recommend not using a socket and wrench to avoid over tightening. A screwdriver that has a socket attachment is perfect for this task. That's all there is to it! Installation took me about an hour from start to finish, but if you aren't that handy with measurements it might take you a bit longer. Just take your time making sure the measurements are accurate and straight.



To wrap this up, it has been almost 6 months with these on the car and they held up great through the ridiculous winter us "New Englanders" have weathered. Hood Scoop Fins recommends you to check the tightness of the screws every oil change, but every time I check they are still as tight as the day I put them on. They have held up well through 80 MPH daily driving and speeds up to 120 MPH. The fins still looks brand new a year and a half later and I'm still getting compliments on them. I would like to thank Hood Scoop Fins for designing a unique product with so much thought and engineering behind it. It's quite obvious that they are passionate about their products and that they aren't just out to make a quick buck. Although they look simple, these fins have taken years to design and are made to perform. Simple as that.



Here is their website:

http://www.hoodscoopfins.com/



In a world over populated with hood scoop grills, a dedicated company from Texas called "Hood Scoop Fins" has dug from the ground up with a product that reaches the opposite side of the hood scoop accessory spectrum.. and that product is simply incredible. As you may have guessed that product is hood scoop fins.First off, I need to get this out of the way. Don't be scared of the installation! The directions make it very easy to find the spots where you need to drill the holes. If you know how to use a ruler and a drill you are more than qualified to do this! As for the people who think, "but what about when I want to take them off?" I have an answer for you: You WON'T want to take them off.I am extremely passionate about Subaru's. So much so that it's the only brand of car that I will buy (except my one slip up with a Passat, but we won't talk about that). I am very picky about what I put on my car, but I knew from the minute I saw the fins that they would look incredible. This is where my relationship with Hood Scoop Fins began and I don't plan on ending it any time soon. The customer service I received from the owner of Hood Scoop Fins, Glenn, is hands down the best customer service I have ever had. He is so passionate and knowledgeable about these fins and truly believes in their potential in the closely knit Subaru community. He walked me through the long process of how they were made, which I will get to later, and I was sold. I believe that once more people start purchasing and reviewing them they will spread like wildfire and become the new trend (and hopefully replace sticker bombing). I have had Subaru owners come up to me and ask me about them a lot since they have been installed. They aren't blatantly obvious to just anyone looking at the car, but a true Subaru enthusiast will notice them right away.At the time of this article there are three different types of Hood Scoop Fins available, but there will be more on the market soon. Currently available are the smaller and less aggressive Chita fins, the mid-sized Katanto fins, and the full sized and fully aggressive Kestrel fins. The next release to the public is the Kissaki fins and that is what I will be reviewing.The Kissaki fins are fully adjustable, meaning you can install them forward or back as much as you want. They are the second smallest fins available right behind the Chita, but are still very noticeable and in my opinion, VERY SEXY. The fins are aluminum and have a nice weight to them (although nothing that will affect your quarter mile times) and sport a very sleek, sexy, and flawless black powder coating that is applied with perfection. Although there is no science available behind this statement, I fully believe that these fins offer much more than an aesthetic boost. I believe that they also help with performance. The fins help direct air into the intercooler when moving and might also help provide a greater air pressure too since when the car is moving, the air is being forced and compressed in between the fins (correct me if I'm wrong Mr. Aero Scientist). When you are stopped the fins help catch wind and direct it onto the intercooler helping with the ever-so-popular heat soak experienced with these cars. I would imagine that the benefit increases with speed. Like I said, this is just speculation and there are too many variables in the equation for Hood Scoop Fins to go on the record saying that you will see a performance increase after the installation of the fins, but it is something that I firmly believe and there is no doubt in my mind that aesthetic and performance wise- these are a MUCH better solution than installing hood scoop grills which slow down the air going into the intercooler and provide drag.The work that is put into the creation of these fins is fascinating. They are 100% made in the USA. Hood Scoop Fins has the work done locally in Texas through a number of local vendors to support the smaller businesses in the area. These fins, which look simple from the outside, are actually very labor intensive. After the milling of the aluminum they go through a combination of hand sanding and dual action sanding to get rid of all the machine marks. After that they are sent off to a local powder coater who media blasts the fins and applies a top of the line, UV stable powder coating since the fins will spend there life on the car sitting in the sun. Hood Scoop Fins refused to put any holes in the fins so this make them difficult to powder coat, since usually you would hang something this small to powder coat it. This called for some extra steps in the process to ensure the highest quality powder coating. They are then sent back to Hood Scoop Fins for an intensive run through quality control.Installation of the fins is quite a simple process also. You simply remove the nuts that hold the hood scoop onto the hood and then squeeze two clips to remove it from the hood. Hood Scoop Fins uses the molding lines on the back of the hood scoop as a reference of where to drill. You simply make some measurements along those lines and mark them with a sharpie and drill away. In the instructions they give out some sample measurements for their recommended positioning (which is what I used), but you have complete freedom to drill wherever you want if you want the fins to be farther out or farther in than the given measurements. That is what makes the fins completely customizable. Once you drill the holes you use the supplied hardware to screw in through the hole and into the fin. Once you do that there will be some metal shavings. This is because the self tapping screws created threads for your measurements in the fins. You want to take the fins off and sand down the bottom of the fin to eliminate any sharpness from the threading and then blow them out with some compressed air and also clean off the hood scoop. Screw in the fins again and you will most likely still see a gap between the hood scoop fins and the hood scoop. Don't worry because this is totally normal. Watch the crush washer and give the screw one last hard turn. You will see the hood scoop rise to the fins and conform perfectly. There will no longer be a gap. I recommend not using a socket and wrench to avoid over tightening. A screwdriver that has a socket attachment is perfect for this task. That's all there is to it! Installation took me about an hour from start to finish, but if you aren't that handy with measurements it might take you a bit longer. Just take your time making sure the measurements are accurate and straight.To wrap this up, it has been almost 6 months with these on the car and they held up great through the ridiculous winter us "New Englanders" have weathered. Hood Scoop Fins recommends you to check the tightness of the screws every oil change, but every time I check they are still as tight as the day I put them on. They have held up well through 80 MPH daily driving and speeds up to 120 MPH. The fins still looks brand new a year and a half later and I'm still getting compliments on them. I would like to thank Hood Scoop Fins for designing a unique product with so much thought and engineering behind it. It's quite obvious that they are passionate about their products and that they aren't just out to make a quick buck. Although they look simple, these fins have taken years to design and are made to perform. Simple as that.Here is their website: Registered users of the site do not see these ads.