I will be getting started soon on my T ram project on the Barracuda. My AAR(stingerfiberglass) hood will be here tomorrow. The flat hood will need to be cut to fit the carbs up thru. Need some advise on best tools or technique on cutting the hole in this hood. Thought I might use a hole saw for the corners and maybe a pneumatic cut off tool with the guard for the straight lines. All opinions welcomed. Thanks

Your initial idea would work,. How accurate do cuts need to be? Sometimes when I'm doing a an accurate cut, its worth fabbing a template and using a wood router worth a carbide bit.

The biggest headache is all the FG dust you will be creating. Suggest doing outside, in the grass, not upwind of any openings. The dust never decomposes, and itches forever when disturbed in a slight wind, and goggles, gloves, disposable body suit, etc. you have been warned.

Roto Zip with circle attachment if it's a fiberglass hood

I used a Jigsaw on mine. The dust wasn't bad at all.

Jigsaw works the best. Leave a little wiggle room, and finish off with a flap wheel on the grinder. I'll be working on my hood tonight...

A variable speed saber saw on sloooower speed...,

FG dust ? .... whata buncha wimps !

larryLOVEit and I luv the smell of that dust in the morning.....

It tastes like VICTORY!

a small 3" cutting wheel will be smooth and no vibration like a jig saw.

I've got one of these. I use it a lot. It would make quick work of that fiberglass.
https://www.harborfreight.com/high-speed-metal-saw-91753.html

Tried it. Threw mine in the garbage after it barely worked.

....to add ... use a fine tooth saber saw blade.

And WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT ... but I’ve done maybe 300 scoop installations

I do have a zig saw and a roto zip. The hole will be rectangular. Some good info here I will have to digest. Fine blade to prevent chips I assume? Doesn’t look to bad. Gonna take my time and will be cut outside.

Measure and position twice or THREE TIMES ... and cut once

Absolutely , don’t need any mistakes.

On the fiberglass bumper on my dart I cut two square openings where the license plate would go for additional air to the radiator. I used masking tape to make off the area of the cuts then laid it out with a pencil. Then as you mentioned used a hole saw to cut each corner and used a jig saw with a fine blade to make the straight cuts. I used a small flapper disk in a air die grinder so tidy everything up. It came out nice.

An air saw would work good. You’ll have more control.

I hear it causes brain damage after a while. And drooling.

Well seaMac ... what caused yur drain bamage and ?

That's a good tool for sheetmetal, plastic, fiberglass. A good one is more than $26 and the blades aren't cheap. Forget about using it on anything thick.

Parts cleaner, the good old green stuff back in the old days, with no gloves. None of this sissy stuff.

And bad females.

I never try to hit my spots with an initial cut on fiberglass. Masking tape, lay it out, rough it and use a disc grinder or a 3" angle grinder with an 80 disc or a scotchbrite pad. A file and paper by hand to finish it

Dirty? H3ii yes. But the results are nice if you take your time. I've seen some of this stuff look like somebody used a hatchet on it.