Is it better to drive with the engine hood/cover/lid on or off? I see some people driving with it off, but i drive with it on. If I plan to drive somewhere long distance should I take it off? What ar th pros/cons of driving with it off? I really appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

i had mine off to show off the chrome but i put mine back on. it might cool a little better with it off but i think its all about how you want it to look. Remember that with the hood off its easier for people to jack parts off of it if they wanted it.
-Rick

i drive with mine off cause it runs cooler in the summer but if u have an alarm on ur car no one will mess with it but i dont have one yet but everyone knows what i will do if i catch them messing with my car.

i use standoffs, it gets the air flowing into the engine bay, but also keeps the looks, some people say aerodynamics, and around here, you could get in trouble for not running one i think i paid like $18 for standoffs, but they would be very simple to make heres a pic of my setup:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d83/corvette6698512/bus005.jpg

thats a cool thrasher bug. i have standoffs too.

very fun multi-colored bug. just learned yesterday it actually does 60mph...:eek: :grinyes: must be the standoffs lol

I'd leave the engine lid on, you have all the engine cooling you need if everything is stock. IMO, engine lid standoffs and the lids removed while driving dont cool any better, no noticible difference, and it makes the ACVW look crappy.

i like the looks of standoffs, if your not gonna drive it, then it don't matter if you think it looks bad. standoffs are made for better flow into the fan, when you have dual carbs, the carbs suck most of the air out of the engine compartment, if you have standoffs it lets more air in. also if you extend the botom latch, it will leave a small opening and it lets all the heat in the compartment out.

,,,, when you have dual carbs, the carbs suck most of the air out of the engine compartment, if you have standoffs it lets more air in.

Not true.

How many folks have dual carbs on their daily drivers and DONT have the standoffs? If the duals "suck most of the air out of the engine compartment" you'd have a lean running condition, hence more heat, among other things, and that fact would be evident as we all know what the characteristics of a lean engine are. Rough idle, carbs backfiring, excess heat, fouled or fouling plugs. Man, if your carbs are properly jetted with CLEAN airfilters, not just the mains, but the secondaries, airs, etc, and you have the correct gap settings on ignition components combined with the "stock" cooling, you are set. You'd feel it on a simple drive also.

Standoffs are a lazy, hack mechanic deal, IMHO. It's a look, a fad that's well past it's time.

we can pretty much argue all day but i'm keeping mine on. i'd rather have more air then not enough.

I am running standoffs on mine, but it is not for air flow. I am running a 1700 914 motor with a 911 fan kit and need them for fan clearance.
As kelwa1 was saying you do not need the standoffs for cooling. The fan can only move so many cfm regardless of how much air you get into the engine compartment. You are not getting anymore cooling with the lid off or with the standoffs than you get with the lid closed.
Clark

Thanks, Clark.

I also forgot about those folks who have conversions like yours, in that case for clearance purposes that standoffs may be required. No hacks or fads there.

i just have mine for the look.

Leave it on and get rid of those stand offs. Old VW's should never die.