E-Body Hood Crumple Zones

Does anyone have pictures that compare the differences in an E-Body Shaker hood that has crumple zones vs. one without? What were the physical changes?

Also, when was the switch to the crumple zone hood design?

Thanks!

I think in april

IIRC that date 4/70 is for Challengers, Cudas started receiving "crumple zone" hoods in the mid 71 model year AKAIK


1st pic Challenger w/crumple
2nd pic Cuda no crumple
3rd Challenger no crumple
4th Cuda w/crumple

For Shaker Challengers the date was 4/15/1970

Not sure if cudas shared the same date as the header panel to hood gap creates an automatic crumple zone.

From what I recall, the Cuda wasn't initially required to meet the crash requirement imposed interim on Challenger production because of the header panel, but that later Corporate added the crumple zone to the Cuda production in mid 71 production to head off any potential problems from the Feds and that the early 71 Cuda production models used up 70 production unit stock until the retooled Cuda hoods were released for production?

Mike

Great Info Mike and Chis!!

That's exactly what I was wondering. It looks like the main difference between the two hoods is the two indentations (grooves) on either both sides of the bottom shell of the hoods. Are there any other characteristics that are different?

"Other different characteristics" The key to the time period as to when a 'cuda crumple hood was issued would be to find a 1970 hood with the zones in it. By that I mean, one that does not have the three cast-from-the-factory holes in the top side of the hood and the same in the bottom side of the hood(there, there are three circles larger than the ones on the top of the hood). The only hood close to this that I have seen was one on an all original car at Spring Fling years ago. It was a 1970 hood on a very early production 1971 six bbl car. The underside of the hood did not have the three larger circles(indicating a 1970 hood), but the pins from the PLYMOUTH nameplate had been crudely drilled through the hood. The two pictures that Mike posted of the "with and without" zones do not show the very top of the hood in either case.

1971
SPD 428 Original hood

1971
SPD C18 Original hood

Thanks everyone. Now I know what I'm looking at when I see the two styles. Funny how they used 70 hoods for the beginning of the 71 model year. Guess they just needed to use up extra hood stock.