70 vs 71 Shaker hood

[ksierens]

I have what I belive to be a 1971 Shaker hood for my 70 Challenger.  I was told that the difference, other that the front molding, was that in 71 they add a crumple zone (V shaped indentations) pictured below.

Can anyone tell be if this is true?

[ChallengerGary]

Yes, your hood appears to be a 71

[ksierens]

Do you know if that is the only difference?  I was thinking of filling them in.

[4Cruizn]

I thought it was changed half way through 1970??   

[ChallengerGary]

Sorry I don't have a 71 hood laying around to compare it to.  I'd say check with Scott Harms, he knows Shaker stuff and hoods in general pretty well.

[ksierens]

Well I heard back from Scott Smith of Harms and he said:

Yes, those "crush wrinkles" are features added for the 1971 production year, a safety feature that allowed the hood to bend up in the nose rather than to remain stiff causing the hinge bolts to shear off and sending the flat hood through the windshield (not a pretty picture). Also, they changed the hood to hood hinge bolt size at the same time.

It is common to see the 70 style hoods on 1970 model cars from the factory (sometimes leftover 70 parts made it onto 71 cars), but not the reverse.

Thanks for the help.  Looks like I'll fill em up.

[ChallengerGary]

Yup - Scott's the Man!

[360 'CUDA]

I thought it was changed half way through 1970??   

It was for Barracudas. I have a '70 hood with the crush zone and two hoods without right now.  I don't know about Challengers.