[G.R.]

With all this discussion of the airflow or lack there of through the hood scoops does anyone know why the 289 comp cars almost always have a drilled aluminum plate at the front of the scoop? I really never noticed the difference in air flow until I was tuning my Webers, at idle with the hood up I could get the engine idiling at about 900-1000 rpm...then I drove it and needed to adjust one of the carbs, leaveing the engine idling, now at about 700 rpm, as soon as I opened the hood the idle increased about 200 rpm. And I don't have a "drilled plate" in front of my scoop. I never really experienced a difference in idle when I was running a 4-bbl...hood open or closed...with the Webers there is a big difference.

Just curious as to why this was done an the early comp cars? Especially if an open scoop reduces airflow...one partially blocked would seem to reduce it more.